What Are Deliverables In Project Management? – Let’s Find Out
What are deliverables in project management? – Project deliverables are available at the end of the project. Simply put, they are the results of a project. Deliverables can be of any size – big or small. The number of deliverables at the end of the project varies based on the type of project in hand. The project management team and other stakeholders decide what the deliverables of the project can be at the end of the project.
In this article, you will learn some of the essential details of deliverables in project management. Then, you will understand project deliverables better by learning their importance in project management. Furthermore, we will also discuss the major types of project deliverables required in project management. Finally, you will learn the major requirements for project deliverables.
What Are Deliverables In Project Management?
According to Indeed.com,
“Project deliverables are specific measurable end results that you’re aiming to produce at specific points during your project. Your biggest project deliverable is typically the final product, service or report you’re trying to create, but large projects often include smaller project deliverables throughout the process.”
While milestones and goals are general in nature, deliverables are specific, well-defined, and quantifiable. Deliverables are essential since they help to determine how to balance the project’s bigger picture with the small things of the project.
For example, let the project be the creation of software. Then the deliverable is the implementation of the computer program. The job of the program is to improve the computational efficiency of the company’s work processes.
Deliverables can also be a training program, both in-person and online. It can also be the design samples for the products in the development of the process. In various other cases, there are instruction manuals available with deliverables as well.
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Project Deliverables – Why Are They Important?
According to Upwork.com,
“It’s vital to have clear, agreed-on deliverables before beginning a project. Otherwise, a project might not meet all the client’s or stakeholder’ needs, and your team could end up wasting a lot of time and money. It’s up to you as the project manager to document—in detail—each deliverable required in the project scope and the processes that your project team will follow.”
It is really important for the project manager to clearly define the project deliverables. With the help of these deliverables, the project manager can help segregate the stages of the project. The project manager helps to keep the project on track with the time and budget. To do this, the manager develops the right types and amount of deliverables so as to complete the process.
When it comes to tracking the deliverables of the project, you can do that with the help of a variety of tools. There are many software available online. You will need to ensure that the software you are using is industry-specific. With the help of these software systems, you can have a record of the various project milestones, costs, delivery dates, and approvals of the project.
What Are The Major Types Of Project Deliverables?
The following are the major types of project deliverables that you must be aware of:
1. Tangible And Intangible Deliverables
The first types include tangible and intangible deliverables.
A Tangible deliverable example can be a situation where your company builds a new office to create space for more workers. This is because all the workers did not fit in the old office.
An example of an intangible deliverable can be a situation where the company is creating a training program for employees to learn the workings of a new software.
2. Internal And External Deliverables
Internal deliverables are the ones that the company requires to complete a project or provide the result of the project. These deliverables are internal to the company and are not exposed to the customers. An example is when a company creates a new factory to produce more goods to meet the needs and demands of the market.
On the other hand, external deliverables are made for customers. An example of these kinds of deliverables includes the products that are coming out of the new factory to meet new demands in the market.
What Are The Project Requirements For Deliverables?
According to Investopedia.com,
“When a project is initiated, there will be a contract drafted that will list expectations, timelines, and the types of deliverables to be provided. These contracts can be drafted internally with different departments within an organization for project deliverables and with external clients for product deliverables.”
When you start a project, you must ensure that the project has a clearly defined goal, mainly about the end result of the project that the team needs to achieve. Furthermore, you, as a manager, must lay out the project timeline and milestones with various project deliverables that the project needs to meet.
While creating project deliverables, you will realize that every project has its different set of requirements, which the team must complete in the given timeline. The type of project also determines the type of deliverables to plan. Project types can be based on process, phase, product, or critical change in the product and services.
Furthermore, there is also a need for the statement of work. This is basically a document that the project manager must create at the start of the project. This document helps outline all the factors of the project, which multiple parties must agree upon to set the expectations.
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Final Thoughts
What are deliverables in project management? – You can understand from this article that the deliverables of a project are basically the result of the project that is quantifiable. The project team is supposed to provide deliverables at various steps of the project. It is the final deadline or the milestone of the project which the team offers as a result.
Having deliverables for your project will help your project stay on course, and as a project manager, you will be able to allocate time and resources better. Do you have anything to add regarding project deliverables? Share your thoughts and views on deliverables with us in the comments section below.
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