As a Project Manager, you create a plan that serves as a basis for implementation. This not only provides structure, but also makes it possible to monitor project progress and always provides information about where you stand. In this blog, we give you 6 steps to make your project planning a success.
What is project planning?
Project planning is clearly closely linked to projects themselves. But: What does the term actually mean? In the Gabler Business Encyclopedia “Project” is defined as follows:
“Temporary, relatively innovative and risky task of considerable complexity, which usually requires separate project management due to its difficulty and importance.”
What does that mean exactly? Project planning aims to create the basis for the implementation of a project. This includes planning the time schedule, the scope of tasks, the budget and resources, and the definition of goals.
6 steps of project planning
In practice, you can basically divide project planning into 6 steps, which can significantly contribute to project success:
Phase planning: Define phases & milestones
Project structure planning: Defining subprojects
Project schedule: Set order
Scheduling: Evaluate project duration
Resource planning: Assigning personnel
Project controlling: Evaluate project costs
Step 1: Phase planning
Defining the individual project phases is often an intuitive step for everyone involved: When do they deal with what and in which order? To ensure an optimal overview, you could, for example, create a graphical phase plan that consists of two main parts:
1. Project phases: These represent time-limited periods in your project process in which specific activities are to be carried out and results achieved.
2. Milestones: These are particularly important measurement and test points in your project where certain results or conditions should be achieved.
The first planning phase is therefore project organization. This is where you make preparations and make initial arrangements for the implementation of the project — the rough planning, so to speak. After completing this phase, present the details to all project participants in a project plan structure.
Step 2: Project structure planning
In the second section of project planning, you will deal with the project content: Which tasks should be completed? And what is the best way to coordinate an extensive project? Break down the project into its individual components to better manage the tasks. You can achieve this with the help of a project structure plan (PSP). The content of the project is subdivided and presented hierarchically in a tree structure. The project structure plan consists of 3 main elements:
1. Overall project: At the top is the project as an overarching element. To always keep an eye on progress, you can add various statuses: in planning, in processing, in review, completed.
2. Subprojects: In the middle are sub-projects, which — depending on the project scope — are managed by Project Managers. Here you define when a task is started. Keep an eye on other sub-projects as well so that the time budget is not exceeded.
3. Work packages: At the bottom are specific tasks carried out by project staff. Always consider the scope of individual tasks and, if necessary, define an estimated effort to track the accuracy of your planning.
Without a clearly defined work breakdown structure, project organization quickly becomes opaque, putting the entire process at risk. A WBS allows you to break down projects of any size into a clear, detailed structure, making it easier to reach your goals.
Step 3: Project Schedule
The next phase of project planning involves the project schedule. While the work breakdown structure focuses on collecting and organizing all content and tasks, the project schedule maps out the resulting processes—essentially serving as the phase plan for your project management. The focus here is on the defined sequence of individual activities. This allows you to map out task dependencies, identify which tasks can be worked on in parallel, and determine how relationships between tasks should be managed.
The project schedule ensures that all relationships between defined work packages are clear. This not only promotes focused execution but also ensures that no tasks are overlooked.
Defining the RACI matrix
Responsible: Who is responsible for executing the task? You typically assign this to one individual, who may then involve others in the project or task process.
Accountable: Who decides whether the task has been completed correctly? The accountable person delegates tasks to the responsible person and reviews the final results.
Consulted: Who needs to be consulted during implementation? This usually refers to experts or third parties who are not directly involved in the execution but provide advice or input.
Informed: Who needs to be notified about the results of the task? Generally, this is a one-way flow of information rather than a two-way communication process.
Step 4: Scheduling
Scheduling is closely linked to the project schedule and begins exactly where the project planning phase leaves off. These steps are easy to combine, as both aim to map out all project processes and their sequences.
When planning a project, you also assign specific deadlines to individual tasks. A popular method for visual representation is the Gantt chart. This combines the presentation of individual sub-projects and their task packages with task dependencies and time allocation on a timeline. As a project manager, you can see at a glance when and for how long a task should be worked on.
Step 5: Resource planning
A time frame is important, but who will complete each task? A precise resource planning answers the following questions for you during project planning:
➡️ What resources do you need?
➡️ What qualifications do project participants need to have?
➡️ Do you need material resources?
➡️ How many resources are required?
➡️ At what point in the project do you need these resources?
Always keep an eye on the workload of all project participants to avoid overloads. Thorough and predictive capacity planning is particularly important because resources are only available to a limited extent and may also be needed elsewhere in the company.
Step 6: Project Controlling
Have you carried out the entire project planning in accordance with the steps described? Budget planning and project controlling are then no longer a big problem. Because: After resource planning, you know the cost that a resource causes per unit of time. If you're working with a tool like ZEP, you can use the Revenue & Costs module to define individual cost rates for each individual personnel. Budget planning is then done almost by itself. ZEP not only makes budget planning easier for you at this stage, but also during the rough planning of your project. Project controlling thus becomes a constant authority for your project management and project control from project planning to completion.
With software like ZEP, you can't only improve your team's performance thanks to precise project time tracking , but also ensure that all goals remain within the planned time and budget.
How does project planning software improve your project management? An overview of all the benefits of ZEP!
Project planning software is a crucial tool for efficient project and multi-project management. It enables teams to systematically plan, organize and execute their projects. One of the most powerful solutions on the market is ZEP, a software that offers numerous advantages for managing projects more successfully. The following are the key benefits of ZEP:
✅ Time and cost trackingAccurate recording of working hours and project costs
✅ Detailed reportsComprehensive reporting tools for transparent project monitoring
✅ Efficient resource planningOptimal allocation and management of resources
✅ Real-time overviewConstant access to up-to-date project data
✅ Team collaborationImproved collaboration through a shared database and communication tools
✅ Easy to useIntuitive user interface for quick onboarding
✅ ScalabilityFlexibly adaptable to the size and complexity of your project
✅ Data securityHigh level of data protection through advanced security measures
✅ Cloud-based solutionAccessible from anywhere, at any time
✅ IntegrationSeamless integration into existing systems and tools via diverse interfaces
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Conclusion
With its six steps, project planning sits at the heart of project management. Through precise planning and the right tool, such as ZEP, you create the foundation for your project's success. From planning individual activities to resource allocation, ZEP allows you to manage the entire project lifecycle digitally. This enables you to respond to unexpected changes at any time without overburdening your team.
FAQs
Why is project planning important?
Project planning is essential because it provides structure and oversight throughout the project lifecycle. It enables progress monitoring and helps optimize resource allocation to achieve project goals on time and with maximum profitability.
What should a project plan look like?
How long does project planning take?
What methods are available for project planning?
Classic project planning using the waterfall method maps out the entire project in detail from start to finish and is well-suited for projects with stable requirements. Agile planning works iteratively in short sprints, allowing for flexible adjustments. For visualization, you can use Gantt charts (tasks on a timeline), network diagrams (dependencies and critical path), or milestone planning (key interim goals). Hybrid approaches, which combine classic high-level planning with agile detailed planning, have proven particularly effective in practice.
Which tools help with project planning?
Professional project planning requires digital tools that make planning transparent and provide automatic updates. ZEP combines resource planning, project time tracking, and controlling into one platform, offering automatic target/actual comparisons and overbooking protection. MS Project is suitable for classic project management using Gantt charts. Asana supports agile teams with task management and collaboration. Jira is specialized for software development. The right choice depends on your requirements: service providers who need to bill for projects benefit from integrated solutions like ZEP.
How can I prevent common project planning mistakes?
Avoid unrealistic schedules by building in a 20 to 30 percent buffer and calculating for 75 to 80 percent capacity rather than 100 percent. Set clear priorities using methods like MoSCoW instead of treating all tasks as equally important. Use the RACI matrix to define clear responsibilities for every task. Involve all relevant departments from the start and explicitly identify interfaces. Use a central project management tool for real-time transparency instead of scattered Excel files.
