ERP Project Planning

The goal of Project Planning is to define the project objectives and approach with respect to scope, quality, time, and cost.

The objectives of Project Planning are to: 

• Establish the project scope, technical and business objectives, and resources and schedule required to accomplish the project objectives.
• Develop a baseline Work plan and determine project resource requirements.
• Prepare a resource profile of the project, which will be used to monitor, and control performance in terms of effort and schedule
• Obtain client and consulting management approval to proceed with execution of the project.
• Determine the measures, which will be used on the project to measure and maintain the quality of project processes and deliverables. 

The key prerequisites for preparation of an ERP Project Plan are as follows: 

• Contractual documents
• Consultant Proposal
• Client Policies
• Consulting Policies
• Resource costs
• Environment Requirements

The key contents of the ERP Project Plan should contain the approach and details of the Project execution and Management corresponding to the following:

1. Establish Scope, Objectives, and Approach

2. Define Control and Reporting Strategies, Standards, and Procedures

3. Establish Work plan and detail activity wise schedule

4. Define Resource Management Strategies, Standards, and Procedures

5. Establish Staffing and Organization Plan

6. Create Project Orientation Guide

7. Establish Infrastructure Plan

8. Define Quality Management Strategies, Standards, and Procedures

9. Define Configuration Management Strategies, Standards, and Procedures

10. Define Risk Management strategy, Identify probable risks and mitigation Plan

The key techniques to be employed in this process during Project Planning are work planning, estimating, risk mitigation planning, and Resource / effort loading profile. These techniques support the development of the initial project Work plan and effort profile.

Reuse of deliverables is an important asset to the project since it will reduce overall preparation duration of the documents. Project planning must also incorporate the planning for reuse of deliverables by incorporating the time required to prepare the deliverables for reuse and inclusion in the Knowledge Repository.