Managing Project Deliverables

In this chapter

• Understand why managing project deliverables is integral to customer satisfaction
• Learn the key principles for managing project deliverables
• Understand the value of a configuration management plan
• Learn the best practices related to managing project deliverables
• Review the common challenges related to managing project deliverables

An excellent indicator to the experience level, professionalism, and overall project management maturity of an individual is how much effort and thought they give to the management of the actual project work products (deliverables).

Why do I say this? Two reasons. This area of project management is one of the most neglected, yet it is a foundational element of managing risk, quality, and stakeholder expectations on any project. Without it, you will inevitably incur additional work efforts, lower quality, and more costswhich generally leads to missed project objectives and disappointed stakeholders.

In this chapter, we will clarify what we mean by "managing project deliverables," emphasize the key principles of a project deliverable management system, review the best tips and techniques for keeping your deliverables under control, and discuss how to avoid the common challenges faced by most project managers in this area.