How to Create Your Project Dashboard

Know The Current reaction of an Indian, Click on http://viewsofuday.blogspot.com/

How to Create Your Project Dashboard

A "Project Dashboard" is a tool that provides you with a graphical view of the progress of your project, so that you can see at a glance whether you're on track. It's basically a set of Charts that gives you the current status of the project at any time. You can create the Charts manually in Excel, or use smart software that does it for you.

To create your own Project Dashboard in Excel, take these steps:

Step 1: Get a Pen and Paper
Sit down with a pen and paper and list the things that determine whether your project will be a success. It might be that your project is delivered on time and under budget. Or that tasks are completed when expected and that your resources are perfectly allocated. It's these types of things that your Dashboard needs to track, every day.

Step 2: Gather your Data
Then collate all of the data that is needed to measure the success criteria you've defined above. The data may exist in Project Plans, Excel spreadsheets or Word documents. It might exist also in Timesheets, Expense Forms and risk / issue / change logs. Remember, the quality of your Dashboard depends on the quality of the data that goes into it.

Step 3: Sift, Sort and File
You then need to sift through your data, sort it into groups and file it all in one place, so that you have the right information needed, to populate your dashboard.

Step 4: Create your Dashboard
You're now ready to build your project dashboard. Enter all of your data into a single spreadsheet and create the following charts to create your Project Dashboard:

• 
  
  
  Time Chart: This chart tells you whether you're on schedule. You need to list your tasks and identify the planned versus actual percent complete for each task. Summarize this data and you'll find out whether you're ahead or behind schedule.
• 
  
  
  Cost Chart: To find out if you're under or over budget, you need to add up all of your project costs and compare them to your budget. To do this, calculate the cost of your resources, as well as equipment, materials and any expense forms completed by staff.
• 
  
  
  Tasks: You need to know the percentage of tasks that have been completed to date, so that you can get a feel for how much of the project has been done. List all of your tasks and identify whether they have been "Not Started", are "In Progress" or "Complete".
• 
  
  
  Resource: It's important to know whether your resources are over-worked. To calculate this, list all of your resources and work out how many calendar days they have scheduled for the project. Then identify from your task list, how many days they have been assigned to tasks. If they have been assigned to tasks for more days than they have available in their calendar, then they are "over-resourced" and you need to reduce their workload.
• 
  
  
  Risks: Every project involves risks, issues and changes. Make sure these are documented and identify whether each is low, medium or high impact. Then sum them up to find out how "at risk" your project is.

Step 5: Review it Daily
A fully populated dashboard will tell you at a moments glance, whether you're on track. You need to populate your dashboard each and every day, to have the best chance of success.

 - Uday Mahajan.

How to Initiate Projects Successfully

Know The Current reaction of an Indian, Click on The Current Rection of India

How to Initiate Projects Successfully

Did you know that a large percentage of projects are cancelled before they even reach the detailed planning phase? The most common reason is that they have not been properly defined and scoped, and as a result, they lack the sponsorship needed to ensure their success.

Therefore, it's critical that you initiate your projects as quickly and efficiently as possible, by taking these 6 steps:

Step 1: Develop a Business Case

The first step taken when initiating a new project, is the creation of a comprehensive Business Case. A Business Case describes the business problem / opportunity to be addressed by the project and the alternative solutions available. The potential costs and benefits associated with each alternative solution are also defined.

The Business Case becomes the foundation for the project as it fully documents the reasons for creating the project and the key benefits to be delivered. Once produced, the Business Case should be formally endorsed by the Project Sponsor, before funding is allocated to the project.

Step 2: Undertake a Feasibility Study

A Feasibility Study is completed to identify the likelihood of the alternative solutions actually delivering the benefits stated in the Business Case. Based on the results of the Feasibility Study and the Benefits and Costs portrayed in the Business Case, a preferred solution is identified and once again, is approved by the Project Sponsor.

If you can complete a comprehensive Feasibility Study, then you will greatly improve your chances of delivering your project successfully.

Step 3: Establish the Project Charter

Once the problem and solution have been identified, a new project is then defined to deliver the solution. The "Project Charter" is documented, which essentially describes what the project sets out to achieve and the boundaries within which it must achieve it.

The project vision, objectives, scope, deliverables, project organization and an implementation plan are all clearly stated in the Project Charter document.

Step 4: Appoint the Project Team

Now that the project is defined, it is time to appoint the team. The Project Board is established and the Project Manager is recruited to take on responsibility for the project. The Project Manager recruits the Team Leaders and they in turn help recruit project staff. Every team member is assigned a detailed Job Description, defining their role and responsibilities within the project.

Step 5: Set up a Project Office

The Project Office environment is then established, as the physical place of residence for the team for the duration of the project. This environment will provide the premises, equipment, materials, tools and processes required to enable the members of the project team to perform their roles successfully. A checklist is used to ensure that the Project Office has been set up correctly and will continue to support the Project as needed.

Step 6: Perform Review

Once the project has been defined and the team have been appointed, you're ready to perform a project phase review. A Phase Review is completed to ensure that all of the required Initiation activities have been undertaken and to provide formal approval to proceed to the next phase: Project Planning.

- Uday Mahajan