Project Initiation is the first step in successful project management. It is incredibly important to start any project off on the right foot, as it statistically will go much smoother. Every project requires a strong foundation, and establishing project initiation ensures you are laying that down from inception. If projects are not initiated correctly, you risk setting up your team for failure.

Last week, Brian DeVault and Mike Cromwell discussed The 8 Tenets Of Project Management at a very high level. This week, we will discuss the first tenet in more detail. 

At NETRIO, each project is different, however, we have a foolproof system that allows us to utilize the same components of project initiation regardless of the project size or timeline.

The Steps Involved in Project Initiation

During project initiation, there are many steps to take to identify how the project will operate. While there are several bullet points to complete in this first step, each is incredibly important in the overall success of the project. 

Define Goals and Objectives

NETRIO and the client will work together to establish goals and objectives. This portion is meant to be very collaborative and define in detail goals and objectives. In this step, it is important for both parties to understand what the end-goal or achievement is. Once that is defined, goals and objectives can be built around that.

Establish the Scope of the Project

Summarize the project well enough for everyone to understand what it is they are aiming to achieve. The deliverable here may not be tangible, but it is the complete and thorough management of all of the assets.  

Establish the Timeline

In this step, we are adding loose start and end dates. The timeline will be based on the complexity of the project, the client’s preparedness for the transition, and the amount of documentation available.  

Project Charter

This is the formalization of all of the discussions that we’ve had throughout the course of the project thus far. This step is to get them memorialized in a document that’s recorded as a centralized location that everyone can reference if needed.

A Complete Financial Analysis

This is the last step of project initiation. This step ensures everyone involved in the project understands the financial perspective.  The financial analysis should mirror and stay in line with the original proposal. 

The timeline of project initiation is 2-4 days. In some cases, this can be done more efficiently, while other projects may extend past 4 days. Regardless of the timeline, do not rush this step.  

This blog post is part of NETRIO’s weekly White Board Wednesday series. Follow along on Linkedin and YouTube each week as Brian and Mike discuss use cases, new technology, and trends. The goal is to provide insights for enterprise customers and channel partners, trying to solve complex problems using technology.