How It Works
How It Works
Project Management
Process Groups
Example Templates
Project Plan
The Project Plan Template is based on the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) PMBOK® guide and serves as the blueprint for the project. Our template provides sections for all foundational project planning activities, including:
- Purpose of the project, including business drivers and expected benefits
- Formal recognition of the Project Manager’s authority granted by the Executive Sponsor
- Scope of the work to be performed (just as importantly, what will NOT be included in the project)
- Who will perform the work
- How the work will be performed
- Development approach / strategy for execution
- Deliverables to be provided
- Budget and funding requirements
- Key assumptions
- Communication strategy
- Ground rules for execution
- Quality and Regulatory considerations
- Description of the work to be performed
Each template header is followed by a description of the elements to complete that section Especially in the case of large projects, the Project Plan may provide an overview of the planning process and serve as a pointer toward supporting documents. Use of the Plan to support large projects is described within the document.
Root Cause Analysis / Ishikawa / Fishbone Diagram
The Fishbone diagram, named for their founder Kaoru Ishikawa, is one of the seven essential Project Management Quality tools and is useful in visually relating problems or challenges to their origin. The diagram provided in freeprojectmanagementtemplates.com is a fully writeable Microsoft Word Document which is ideally suited to manufacturing Quality root cause analysis. The issue or challenge is stated in the red box, and potential root causes divided among Man, Machine, Materials, Methods, Measurements and Environmental are generated. The brainstorming effort yields a visual list of potential root causes which can be refined and further explored through quantitative or focused testing in a separate step. The Ishikawa diagram is just another great tool we provide you at freeprojectmanagementtemplates.com
Kanban Board
Kanban is derived from the Japanese “signboard” and has evolved from its roots in lean manufacturing to a powerful methodology for managing workflow in any project environment. In the Agile framework, the concept revolves around creating user stories or features, generating to-do lists and visualizing workflow from concept to task completion. The visual component is critical to limiting “work-in-progress, and therefore minimize bottlenecks and improving efficiency of execution. Our downloadable template, has customizable column headers and plenty of writeable, easy-to-visualize sticky notes. For more on Kanban, check out “Personal Kanban: Mapping Work, Navigating Life”, by Jim Bensen and Tonianne DeMaria Barry.
Project Management Dashboard
The monthly Dashboard report has become the standard format for senior management review of project progress. The beauty of the Dashboard is that it is data-driven, visually oriented and especially suited to communicate project status across language barriers. The key elements include milestones, budget, risks, actions and schedule report. We’ve commissioned two beautiful Dashboard templates, fully customizable for your personal use.
