The number of project templates that are currently available to assist the project manager in creating the documentation for their project is at 52. This will include all 9 of the process that are necessary to be completed before the execution phase of the project lifecycle is commenced. Each of the templates for the processes include a clearly defined path for proceeding with it that will help the project manager not to forget any of the necessary details that need to be included. With the project templates for the processes are many real life examples to assist the project manager if they have any questions on what should go in any portion of the template. There are also charts and table strategically located throughout the templates so the project manager can clearly define the process they are documenting.

There are also 41 project templates that cover the supporting documentation and forms that will be necessary to run a modern project for a deliverable to be produced. This includes the RFI, RFP, and Statement of Work so your contractor knows specifically what you need and why you need it. The forms you will use in-house are also includes in their package. This includes time sheets, expense forms, change of register, issue and risk forms to name just a few.

There are also step by step instructions included for all the project templates so there is nearly no way a miss understand can occur when they are being filled with data. This allows for them to completed easier and faster than if you attempted to do them or just one from scratch.

The modern digital project templates are a management tools that saves time and money. This also allows the project to proceed to its execution phase faster so the deliverable can hit the market faster than your competition.

The advantages of using a project template for the development of your documented plan are plain to see for most managers. These templates are pre-formatted documents that have sections ready for data to be filled into them. For many, this is a helpful guide to filling in the required data for the formulation of a workable project plan.

The exact makeup of a project template is different for each part of the plan it was designed to help create. There is an overall project plan that encompasses all of the detailed plans that will compose the total project plan. The reason it is broken down into all of the subcomponents is to make it easier on the manager to include the necessary details for each part, and is less confusing.

The different parts that a project template can help with include the production of the deliverable itself, the risk plan, the quality plan, the communication plan, the issue plan, the procurement plan along with all the required schedules that will be necessary for control all the manpower, raw materials and equipment needs.

For those managers that wish to, there is a project template to even help start the project out once the idea of the deliverable is found. This is with the template that assists in the creation of the business plan. There are also templates to help with the feasibility study and the project charter.

Today, the use of a project template has become widespread. The easy and completeness of the documents that are created with this tool are a major contributing factor in this. Another reason is the time saving quality that is introduced with their usage. Since time is money in the business world, this project management tool is a money saver on the project’s budget.

For most purposes, there is one already made that can come close to filling your needs, it just might take time to find the correct one. The Microsoft project templates are made so you never have to start from scratch again. Since time is money, saving time where and when you can only makes good business sense.

The starting point that Microsoft project templates can give your project manager is the same that any well constructed template can give them. The biggest difference is the name behind the template. Just like Levi’s Jeans, most buy them because of the name.

The standard Microsoft project templates are not open sourced but if your team has the know-how, they can make modifications to the template to fit any particular need your business or project may have.

Each one of the Microsoft project templates that can be found on the internet have a beginning at a real business, so finding one that is applicable is very possible. The only problem some users have is the fact that one company sets up the template and someone else has modified it for their own use. The thought process behind both is different, so finding any cohesive pattern might be impossible if a modification is needed.

But like with many other things in this world, beggars can’t be choosers. So if you are using free Microsoft project templates, expect to get what you pay for.  For most, the money that is saved by acquiring these is lost when users have to actually use them for their projects.

A project template is created with the intention of saving money and time.  These templates are helpful in developing project plans the faster way thus allowing managers to save much time.  Managers do not have any reason to redo works that have been done when templates are available because these simply require the process of filling up.  Despite the fact that finding for the most applicable template or templates for your project would take maybe some time, the time investment is worth it.  Project managers will be able to realize the added value of these templates to the entire management process because instead of being burdened by too much trouble from all the paper works and planning, managers only have to fill up forms as required and can start focusing on how to deliver the project successfully.

Project management templates are also helpful in saving financial resources.  Because of the fact that templates actually save time, project managers are able to learn how useful the templates are in the process of carrying out huge projects.  They also discovered that aside from the time saved, the templates are also essential in saving money.  Project templates can be found online for free or without any cost.  By being resourceful and internet savvy, the manager can choose the best template applicable for the present project. Such method prevents managers to spend high prices when they decide to seek the services of professional consultants.  Since the development of projects also needs proper budget, templates may be of great benefit to project managers as these help in starting the process of documentation with minimal or no money required at all.

For as long as there have been business and projects involving them, there have been managers that just seem better prepared for their jobs than others. The biggest distinction is between professionals and those that have a job with a company. The person that holds a job goes to work every day and they do their best to perform their duties.

The professional takes it one step further. They put in the extra hours on the job, and at home. They also plan for the next day for weeks ahead of time. They are the ones with project templates ready to be used when they are needed. These prepared professionals know what it takes to get a job done efficiently.

Even before computers, professionals would construct hand drawn project templates for use on the job. By having one ready, they found out that the project would start off smoother and run more efficiently all along the progress of the project.

With the age of computers came another tool for the project managers to utilize. With the development of Word, Excel, and Access programs, the project manager could create project templates for use in their jobs a lot easier and faster.

As time progresses and the business scene became more complex and competitive, the need for more in-depth project templates has arisen. It has become a full time job creating all the templates that are needed for any given project.

Today’s project templates include more than just scheduling and quality control. Today, there are feasibility studies, the establishing of a project charter, creating a project plan, allocation of the resources needed for a project, and the financing needed to accomplish the goals of the project. For many, the most important to prevent any delays is the risk assessment templates.

Today’s professional project managers use a set of project templates that are purchased so they can concentrate on moving their projects ahead on schedule and within budget.

S – Situation.  Projects are dependent on business situations for it to come into existence.  When people concerned, specifically the project managers, are about to describe the situation, they make sure that all the necessary information are given out.  It is advisable for every project manager that they tell their subordinates about the reason of working into the plan or project.  It is also an advice to tell the superiors who have the responsibility of approving projects about the benefits the project has for the entire organization.

M – Mission.  This is a concise and actual statement of the things the project intends to accomplish.  It shows and describes certain conditions that will improve the project or will cause it to fail.  It also states the basis on how to evaluate the completion of the project.

E – Execution.  This is the stage where specific tasks that focus on accomplishing the mission are assigned.

A – Administration & Logistics.  This aspect is addressed to answering questions about whether outside agencies are involved in the completion of the project and who has the responsibility to coordinate and assist the team for this matter.

C – Controls.  This aspect of developing a project template is concerned with describing who is going to be in charge for the accomplishment of the project and who holds the specific chain of command.  This is actually a detailed description about whether different leaders will be working for the various elements and categories of the project, about when to submit reports and to whom are these reports going to be submitted.

Understanding everything about the SMEAC acronym is essential for the development of project templates necessary to accomplish whatever it is that project managers desire to accomplish in certain projects.

The senior management always has the responsibility in making the decision when it comes to what projects to be included in the company’s portfolio.  They are the people who make assertions about the sufficiency of economic value of a certain new project in comparison to other existing and potential projects.  In their decision-making process, these managers are aware of the usefulness of consistency in making a faster evaluation and comparison of the projects.  And since project management templates are always consistent based on their formats, they realize how important these are in the process of running the projects of the company.  Once the outline for the project is determined or identified, project management templates are ready to be filled out.

The consistency, ease of use, combined with the fact that it saves time and money make the presence of project templates a plus factor for project managers.  Since every project is always composed of essential and numerous documents, template is an essential tool for the project to obtain a high level of accuracy when it comes to the proper organization and documentation of these documents.  The time and effort saved from the use of this tool also provide a positive impact in the effective handling of matters concerning the project.  The fact that it can also be easily found without cost is also one of the many reasons why project templates become so popular to project managers at present.

• Project Management Process
• Time Management Process
• Cost Management Process
• Quality Management Process
• Change Management Process
• Risk Management Process
• Issue Management Process
• Tender Management Process
• Procurement Management Process
• Acceptance Management Process

Time Management Process

By using the Time Management Process, you can easily monitor and control time spent on a project.  The creation of procedures for completing timesheets, recording timesheet information, and gaining an overall view of the status of the project are results of the Time Management process.

Cost Management Process

The Cost Management Process helps manage project expenditure.  It covers explanation of expense documentation using Expense Forms.  Then an expense approval process can be implemented.  The project plan is then updated with expense information; the cost management process helps the project manager keep track of overall project expenditure.

Quality Management Process

To help you make sure that your deliverables meet the requirements of your customer, include a Quality Management Process.  This process enables implementation of Quality Assurance and Quality Control, which makes it possible to monitor and improve the level of quality within the project.  As part of the Quality Process, targets are set, quality reviews are undertaken, and the level of quality for deliverables is improved.

Change Management Process

“Scope Creep” is one of the biggest risks a project will face.  It is marked by uncontrolled changes are implemented without formal approval, and it often leads to delays, over-spending and poor deliverable quality.  Change Management helps to identify project changes and control their approval and implementation.

Risk Management Process

Every project entails a certain degree of risk. The reason is that there is a fixed amount of time, budget and resources to achieve a set task. How you manage this risk will determine the project’s level of success. By implementing the Risk Management Process, risks are managed through formal risk identification, quantification and mitigation.  The Risk Management Process will also help identify, review, mitigate and monitor project risks more effectively. It also describes the roles and responsibilities of each team member, when taking part in project risk management.

Issue Management Process

Throughout any project, project issues will be encountered.  These issues will have the ability to impact delivery deadlines, so they must be managed carefully.  The Issue Management Process provides formal procedures for recording and resolving issues before they impact project timelines.

Tender Management Process

If suppliers need to be appointed, the Tender Management Process is used.  This project process allows selection and appointment of external suppliers.  Three documents are issued in the Tender Process: Statement of Work (SOW), a Request for Information (RFI) and a Request for Proposal (RFP).

Procurement Management Process

The Procurement Management Process gives the project manager the empowerment to manage a supplier.  This helps ensure that they deliver everything that has been contracted with them to provide.  This process also allows for formal reception, inspection, and approval of every product and service delivered.  Information from this process enables approval and payment of supplier invoices.

Acceptance Management Process

Project success depends on client approval.  By using the Acceptance Management Process, the manager can request that the customer reviews each deliverable produced by the project and sign it off as meeting all requirements. The deliverables will then be 100% complete.

The report states that “Method123′s secret is that it truly understands the world of the multi-project manager in a low maturity organization. Even when things might be done differently in a perfect world, Method123 understands its audience and says ‘we understand that you have multiple things you’re doing; let us help you do the work on your plate.” Method 123 also has expanded into offering basic PPM capabilities as well for clients who like the method and want it seamless integrated into a Saas based project management tool.’

The key findings in the report were that: “We find that many new PMO leaders believe their success or failure will be determined by their ability to develop and deploy a single project management method. Consequently, they spend a great deal of time focused on that objective, often at the price of delaying other, more important activities such as improving project risk management or implementing portfolio management. Therefore, this year’s Cool Vendor report will focus on four PPM methodology vendors — all of whom can provide high quality solutions, often at less cost than most organizations can develop internally”

To purchase the full report, visit http://www.gartner.com

Method123, a global leader in the Project Management Software industry – has just announced the release of their newest project management template, the Project Review Form for the Execution project phase.

The project management tempaltes or Project Management Review as it is often called – is designed to capture all relevant data and signoff information to adequately indicate that a project has completed a given phase and has approval to move forward.  In the case of the Execution phase review, the form provides documentation that the project has met all deliverables and milestones successfully to date and is ready for sponsor signoff before proceeding to the Closure phase.

“Capturing and documenting project data and successes prior to a formal phase review is a critical activity in order to gain swift and smooth approval to move on to the next phase,” states Jason Westland, CEO and president of Method123 Ltd.  “Our Project Review Form allows the project manager and team to document the relevant information to gain the proper approvals.  Showing your customer and sponsors that you have diligently completed all deliverables necessary is important for the forward progress of the project and you can show that with our form.”

The Project Review Form allows the project manager and team to document status and show if:

- The project is on schedule with time and budget
- All project planning and execution deliverables are current and have been provided to the customer and approved by the customer
- Issues and risks have been addressed and mitigated
- Change requests and change orders have been properly approved and implemented
- The project is on track overall

The Project Management Kit product offering from Method123 contains more than fifty full featured Project Management Templates designed to make the life of the project manager much easier.  All templates come complete with helpful hints and tips as well as detailed instructions to help the user complete the document completely and accurately.  Each template also includes pre-filled in sections that will help even the most novice project manager complete forms, plans, and project documentation like a seasoned pro.

“At Method123, we’ve put all of our years of experience into these templates,” says Westland.  “Our products are created by project managers for project managers and they’re usable and practical because we know what the project managers are facing.  We’ve been there and we know what works and what the customers must see to be satisfied.”

Method123’s Project Management Kit has sold more than 1 million units worldwide making it truly a global success.  Project managers all around the world are realizing it’s potential for making projects more successful and for getting critical project documents completed in a timely fashion.  It’s an important piece of any Project Management Methodology.

The Project Review Form can be purchased and downloaded separately or as part of the overall Project Management Kit product.  For more information, please visit Method123’s website at Method123.com