Unveiling The Office Green’s Plant Pals Project – Part 2

Now that I’ve wrapped up the initiation phase of the Plant Pals project, it’s time to move on to the planning phase, where I establish the foundation for a successful rollout of the service, ensuring all necessary preparations are in place. In this section, I’ll cover everything from creating a project schedule to identifying potential risks and challenges.

Leading the planning phase

The planning phase of the project involves the creation of a detailed plan that outlines the project scope, objectives, deliverables, timeline, and budget. It also involves identifying potential risks and challenges and developing strategies to mitigate them. This stage is critical as it lays the groundwork for the successful implementation and execution of the project. In the context of the Plant Pals project, I’ll create an Operations and Training plan to ensure the new service launch goes smoothly.

As I transition into the planning phase of the Plant Pals project, one of my top priorities is to create a sustainable Operations and Training plan. During the initiation phase, I developed a project charter for this plan, and now I will use it to establish fulfillment and delivery protocols that meet our customers’ needs. By focusing on customer support and satisfaction, we can ensure a smooth and successful launch of the new service.

1 – Identifying major milestones and assigning task owners

First of all, I’ll define the work my team needs to do for the plan—like sourcing materials and training employees. Creating a work breakdown structure (WBS) diagram and spreadsheet will help me identify and organize major milestones, break them into smaller tasks, and assign task owners.

Setting tasks and milestones is an essential part of project planning as it helps the project manager and team to organize their work and stay on track. By breaking down the project into smaller, more manageable tasks, the project manager can better understand the amount of work that needs to be done and allocate resources and time effectively. Milestones are significant events or achievements within the project that represent a critical step toward its completion. They serve as essential check-in points for the project team and stakeholders to track the progress of the project. By highlighting milestones, the project manager can demonstrate the progress of the project and identify potential problems early on. Additionally, milestones can be used to celebrate project successes and motivate the team to continue their efforts toward achieving the project goals.

Using a WBS is a common method for creating project milestones and tasks. By breaking down the project into smaller, more manageable pieces, the project manager can create a list of tasks that need to be completed and assign them to team members. The WBS can also be used to create a timeline for the project, with milestones that serve as checkpoints to ensure the project is on track. With a clear understanding of the project tasks and milestones, the project manager can better manage resources and keep the project moving forward.

Right now, as a project manager for Office Green, my job includes working with the operations team to develop and implement an Operations and Training plan. My team will use this plan for ongoing maintenance of the Plant Pals service. It will take six months to fully implement all protocols, including setting up operational tools, putting delivery processes in place, and training employees. The project will begin before the Plant Pals launch and extend beyond it. The operations team is responsible for managing the organization’s day-to-day business so that it continues to run smoothly. They provide resources to other departments, ensure consistency, and maintain the company’s profitability. The Chief Operations Officer typically leads the operations team and works closely with other divisions, such as Sales, Client Services, Human Resources, and Information Technology, as well as the project manager.

Developing the Operations and Training plan marks a new stage of the project, with its own set of goals and deliverables. After assessing the requirements for the plan, I determined three major milestones. For each milestone, I divided the work into three separate tasks. Each task has its own owner, duration, and details. The tasks associated with these milestones include:

Establish a plant delivery and logistics plan: Team members will need to source materials for packaging and hire delivery drivers. They are also responsible for calculating the delivery fees.
Select and install supply chain software and equipment: Team members will supervise vendor setup of inventory management and fulfillment software. They must also supervise vendor installation of fulfillment equipment and determine internal safety protocols for the equipment.
Develop and launch an employee training program: Team members will need to develop training sessions, train employees to use the software and equipment, and monitor progress and improve training processes.

Firstly, I completed a WBS brainstorm diagram that outlines these three major milestones and breaks them down into nine manageable tasks, with three tasks assigned to each milestone.

This document includes the WBS brainstorm diagram with tasks and milestones for the Operations and Training plan: WBS Part 1 – Brainstorm Diagram.

Secondly, I built on that diagram to complete a WBS spreadsheet which I used to assign task owners, sort milestones and tasks into sequential order, and record notes about them. The Director of Operations—the project sponsor for the Operations and Training plan—has put together a team for the operations launch. Therefore, task owners were selected from among the following team:

Financial Analyst: tracks and calculates costs and revenue.
Fulfillment Director: sources materials, ensures equipment is functional, and confirms fulfillment processes are correctly implemented.
Inventory Manager: maintains inventory and oversees software installation.
Human Resources Specialist: manages hiring and develops training protocols (with the help of the Training Manager).
Training Manager: reports to the HR Specialist, runs the training program on the established protocols, and refines training processes.
Quality Assurance Tester: ensures product quality and determines safety protocols and best practices.

This document includes the WBS spreadsheet with tasks, milestones, and task owners for the Operations and Training plan: WBS Part 2 – Tasks and Milestones.

2 – Mapping the project schedule and tasks using a Gantt chart

Next, I’ll add those tasks and milestones—along with due dates and durations—to a Gantt chart. It helps me clarify and map out task timelines and dependencies and keep the project on track, so my team knows what to do at each stage.

Gantt charts are a powerful tool for project management because they offer an easy-to-understand visual representation of the entire project schedule. With a Gantt chart, a project manager can easily see when specific tasks are scheduled to start and end, which team members are responsible for each task, and how each task relates to the overall project timeline. This is especially helpful for complex projects, where there may be many tasks and dependencies that need to be managed. Gantt charts provide a clear overview of the project’s progress and help identify potential delays and issues early on. With a Gantt chart, a project manager can quickly adjust the schedule to address any problems and ensure the project stays on track. They also allow team members to see how their tasks fit into the larger project timeline, which can increase their motivation and engagement.

Previously, we began a new stage of the Plant Pals project for Office Green which involves working with the operations team to develop and implement an Operations and Training plan for the new service. The followings are the three major milestones and associated tasks for this plan, along with their timelines:

Milestone 1: Establish a plant delivery and logistics plan

Source packaging materials. This task will take 10 business days (March 1st to March 12th).
Hire delivery drivers. This process will also take ten business days (March 15th to March 26th).
Calculate the delivery fees. This task will also take 10 business days (March 29th to April 9th).

Milestone 2: Select and install supply chain software and equipment

Supervise vendor setup of inventory management and fulfillment software. This process will take three business days (April 12th to April 14th).
Supervise vendor installation of the fulfillment equipment from April 15th to April 16th (two business days).
Determine internal safety protocols for the equipment from April 19th to April 30th (10 business days).

Milestone 3: Develop and launch an employee training program

Develop training sessions. This task will take 10 business days (May 3rd to May 14th).
Train employees to use the software and equipment. The training sessions will take place over 10 business days (May 17th to May 28th).
Monitor employee progress and improve training processes. This process will last for 10 business days (May 31st to June 11th).

My goal is to put all of this information into a Gantt chart, so my team can tell who owns what tasks, when each task is due, and how long the overall project will take. Therefore, the completed Gantt chart contains all the tasks and milestones above and meets the following criteria:

The tasks are in the correct order.
Each task relates to the correct milestone.
Each task has an owner.
Each task has a start date, due date, and duration.
Each task is color-coded to match the appropriate phase in the timeline.

This document encompasses the Gantt chart for the Operations and Training plan: Gantt Chart.

3 – Estimating costs and creating a budget

Once I’ve set my schedule, it’s time to estimate the costs of our milestones and tasks. The budget should include both one-time and recurring expenses—as well as a buffer to cover any overages. Thus, the project budget I’ll create aims to estimate the total cost of developing and implementing an Operations and Training Plan.

A project budget is an essential aspect of project management, as it provides a roadmap for the financial resources required to achieve a project’s goals and objectives. Typically, budgets are created during the initiation and planning phases of a project, where the project manager identifies the necessary resources, including personnel, materials, and equipment, and estimates their costs. Once the budget is established, the project manager must continually review and control it throughout the life cycle of the project. The budget serves as a crucial reference tool for communicating with stakeholders, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and that the project is progressing as planned.

Moreover, the project budget is more than just a financial plan. It can double as a tracker for the project’s progress, allowing the project manager to monitor the project’s financial health and adjust it accordingly. Budgets help control costs, as they provide a baseline for the financial portion of the project, and deviations from it can be identified and addressed promptly. Overall, the project budget is a valuable management tool that provides direction, control, and oversight for a project’s financial resources, ensuring that the project remains on track and delivers the desired outcomes within the allocated resources.

Now, as a project manager for Office Green, my job includes working with the operations team to develop and implement an Operations and Training plan for the Plant Pals service. In addition to identifying the major milestones and associated tasks for this plan, I also need to estimate the costs and create a budget. I’ll use this budget as a baseline throughout the project, but I should monitor spending throughout the project and make adjustments as needed.

The estimated costs of the milestones and their subtasks are as follows:

Milestone 1: Establish a plant delivery and logistics plan.

Task 1: Purchase delivery trucks. Purchase two delivery trucks at a cost of $15,000 per truck.
Task 2: Source packaging materials. Purchase 1,500 boxes at a cost of $2 per box.
Task 3: Pay delivery drivers. Pay two delivery drivers for ten days (assuming eight-hour workdays) at a rate of $15 per hour.

Milestone 2: Select and install supply chain management software and equipment.

Task 1: Source vendor (includes setup, installation, and deployment of software and equipment systems): Fixed cost of $15,000.

Milestone 3: Develop and launch an employee training program.

Task 1: Develop training sessions. Pay the HR specialist $50 per hour for ten days (assume eight-hour workdays).
Task 2: Train employees to use the software and equipment. Pay the Training Manager $25 per hour for ten days (assuming eight-hour workdays).
Task 3: Monitor employee progress and improve training processes. Pay the Training Manager $25 per hour for another ten days (assuming eight-hour workdays)

My estimated budget to reach these milestones is $62,000. This amount includes a reserve buffer of $3,600 to account for unexpected costs. I should generally allow for a buffer of at least 5%. That is, the completed budget spreadsheet breaks down this allotted budget by milestone and addresses the following points:

Three milestones and seven associated tasks.
Employees responsible for tasks.
Employee hours and pay rates.
Materials quantities and costs.

This document encompasses the project budget estimating the total cost for the Operations and Training plan: Project Budget.

4 – Creating a Statement of Work

When my team hires a vendor to complete a project milestone, I’ll create a Statement of Work (SoW). This legally-binding document defines what we need from the vendor and what they need from us, so everyone knows what’s expected. It helps ensure that we’re on the same page regarding the scope and expectations of the project.

In the procurement process, the project manager may need to work with vendors or contractors to obtain products or services needed for the project. To effectively manage the procurement phase, it is important for the project manager to have a clear understanding of what is expected from the vendor or contractor. This is where a SoW comes into play. It’s a document that outlines the specific products or services that the vendor or contractor will provide to the organization. It is typically created during the contracting phase after the vendor or contractor has been selected. The SoW serves as a guide to help ensure that the vendor or contractor is delivering what was agreed upon in the contract.

The SoW should provide a clear and concise description of the products or services being delivered, as well as the timeline for delivery and any other relevant details. It should also include a description of the vendor or contractor’s requirements and needs to properly perform the agreed-upon services. The SoW is a living document that evolves as the project progresses, and any changes should be clearly documented and communicated to all relevant parties.

As part of the Plant Pals Operations and Training plan, we selected a vendor to install supply chain management software and equipment. In order to ensure the vendor can successfully set up the proper systems, I need to prepare a SoW. For this engagement, it should contain the following elements:

The vendor will configure inventory and fulfillment tracking software for the Office Green team. This includes auditing existing Office Green software and developing optimizations.
The vendor will also install the new software on all Office Green devices and equipment (laptops, mobile devices, and hard drives).
The vendor will install fulfillment equipment in Office Green’s warehouses.
The vendor will create training manuals and a maintenance guide for the software and equipment.
The vendor will meet with the Training Manager and the HR Specialist to explain the training manuals and answer questions.
The vendor should complete all tasks within two weeks (10 business days).
The vendor is not responsible for training other employees or ongoing maintenance.
Office Green will pay the vendor once they have completed all of the work.

Hence, the completed SoW includes these details:

Purpose statement explaining the desired outcomes for the SoW.
List of in-scope items includes major activities the vendor will complete.
List of out-of-scope items includes activities that are beyond the contract’s scope.
Expected deliverables describing tangible and intangible outcomes of the vendor’s work.
Three milestones that define the major benchmarks the vendor must reach to complete the work.
The estimated hours needed for completion, assuming eight-hour work days and five-day work weeks.
Estimated date of completion from the start date listed in the SoW header (April 12).
The payment terms on which all parties agree when the vendor will be paid for their work.

This document outlines the SoW for the selected vendor within the Operations and Training plan: Statement of Work.

5 – Creating a risk management plan

Next, I’ll assess potential risks to the budget and schedule, like staffing shortages or shipping delays, and record them on a risk management plan. Identifying, evaluating, and preparing for specific risks helps us keep the project on track if things go wrong.

A risk management plan is an essential part of project management as it helps to identify potential risks that may impact the project’s success and outlines a plan to mitigate those risks. The plan usually includes a risk identification matrix that identifies risks that may affect the project, their likelihood, and their potential impact on the project. The mitigation plan describes the actions that will be taken to reduce or eliminate the impact of those risks. Creating a risk management plan is not a one-time task; it is an ongoing process that the project manager should take part in throughout the project’s life cycle. As the project progresses, new risks may emerge or risks identified earlier may no longer be relevant. The risk management plan should be updated regularly to reflect any changes in the risks identified or the mitigation plan.

The risk management plan is a living document that stakeholders can reference when they need to understand the project’s risk profile and the plan to mitigate those risks. It helps to ensure that the project stays on track and that potential problems are identified and addressed before they become major issues. By and large, a risk management plan is an essential tool for project managers to manage risk effectively and ensure the project’s success.

As a project manager for Office Green, I’m responsible for consulting with team members to identify and prepare for potential risks for the Plant Pals operations launch. I determined that there are two main risk types I need to plan for, and my team identified three possible risk scenarios for each category:

Going over the project budget:

Each delivery truck costs $16,000 more than initially quoted: My team estimates a 50% chance this risk will occur. If it does, Office Green would pay $32,000 more than expected for their two delivery trucks.
A product vendor charges a higher rate than expected: My team determines a 20%-25% chance this risk will occur. The budget impact would be approximately $17,000.
A product vendor loses a product shipment: My team estimates only a 5% chance this risk will occur. A lost shipment would cost over $25,000.

Falling behind the training schedule:

Our Training Manager gets sick and misses a week of training: My team estimates a 5%-10% chance this risk will occur.
We cannot hire enough employees in time to train them before launch: My team estimates a 20%-30% chance this risk will occur, and it could delay the project by over a month.
More than 50% of employees quit after a difficult training process, leaving the company short-staffed: My team estimates only a 5% chance this risk will occur.

For this purpose, the risk management plan I created meets the following criteria:

There is an objective that summarizes the purpose of the risk management plan and what it’s designed to do.
There is an executive summary outlining project goals, milestones, and potential risks.
Each of the budget and schedule risks has the correct inherent risk level (the measure of a risk calculated by its probability and impact).
The risk management plan explains how each of the budget and schedule risks will be mitigated.

This document encompasses the risk management plan for the Training and Operations plan of the Plant Pals service: Risk Management Plan.

6 – Creating a communication plan

When it’s time to train employees, I’ll need to manage various communications among stakeholders. My communication plan will track senders and recipients, communication goals, key dates, and other details. That way, everyone gets the right information at the right time.

A communication plan is a crucial component of project management, as it helps the project team and stakeholders stay informed and updated about the project’s progress. The plan should identify the different types of communication that will occur, including the audience, frequency, and method of communication. This can include regular status updates, progress reports, team meetings, stakeholder briefings, and other types of communication that will be necessary to keep everyone informed.

It’s important to note that a communication plan is not set in stone, and the project manager may need to adjust it as circumstances change throughout the project. For example, if a major issue arises, the project manager may need to increase the frequency of communication to keep stakeholders informed and ensure that the project stays on track. Similarly, if a task is completed earlier than expected, the project manager may choose to decrease the frequency of communication on that task. Ultimately, a communication plan should be flexible enough to adapt to changes, while still providing a clear framework for communication throughout the project. This helps ensure that everyone is informed, engaged, and able to work together effectively to achieve project success.

Now, as part of the Plant Pals Operations and Training plan, my team will need to organize and host training sessions for employees. We want to make sure that a majority of employees are properly trained to use the new software and equipment before sending the first round of Plant Pals test batches to customers. Since our employees will need to learn several different processes, training sessions will take place over a period of ten days. My team has just over three weeks to prepare before the sessions begin.

As the Plant Pals project manager, I’ll work with my team to plan and execute the preparations for the training sessions. One of my tasks is to build a communication plan to help you manage all the different kinds of communication that happen during the project. As we began planning the training sessions, I identified the key teams and stakeholders who will need to communicate about the event, including the Core Team, which is responsible for planning and task coordination. These tasks include communicating with stakeholders, preparing the schedule, reserving space and equipment, training the employees, and more. Directly involved team members are an Administrative Coordinator for scheduling and communication with other Office Green teams, a Human Resources Specialist for hiring and training protocol development, and a Training Manager for running the training program on the established protocols and refining training processes. The other members of the core project team (the Financial Analyst, Fulfillment Director, Quality Assurance Tester, Inventory Manager, Customer Service Manager, and IT Specialist) will attend team meetings and are available to pitch in if I need them.

Additional stakeholders with whom my team needs to communicate include:

Software and Equipment Vendor: Members of my team will need to meet with the vendor to learn about the software and equipment so they can create an effective training plan for employees. This meeting must take place before the end of the vendor’s SoW.
Human Resources: They can help with training plan development and provide support during the training sessions. My team will want to communicate with them regularly (but not daily) and on an as-needed basis.
Facilities: They’ll reserve and manage the spaces and equipment needed for the training sessions. A member of my team needs to keep them updated and informed of any changes to requirements.
Print Shop: The vendor who will install the software and equipment is also creating training manuals. One of my team members will need to coordinate with the print shop to make copies of the manuals for each training session.
Office Green employees: They need to be informed of the necessary details about the training sessions, and feedback should be solicited from them through a post-training survey.
My Manager: They want to be kept informed of my team’s progress but don’t need to know every detail. I already communicate with them regularly, so I can update them at one of my weekly meetings.
Senior Leadership: They should be informed of the training outcomes (and CC’ing the manager when doing so). The Director of Operations and the Director of Product (the project sponsor) want to be kept informed but don’t have much time for meetings.

Therefore, the communication plan I built for this purpose addresses the following elements:

The goal of the communication and recipients I need to communicate with.
The types of communication I need to have with my recipient (planning meetings, planning check-in, training, informational update, status update).
The frequency of communicating with each recipient (daily, weekly, one time).
The sender or owner of the communication (who from the team should share or communicate about this information: me or someone from the core team?).
Key dates for communication (when should this communication happen?).
The delivery method for each type of communication (in person, phone call, email).
Some resources and notes of important details and information to help reach communication goals.

This document outlines the communication plan for the training sessions of the Plant Pals Operations and Training project: Communication Plan.

Organizing the project artifacts

Finally, to ensure all project planning documents, also known as project artifacts, are well-organized and easily accessible, I’ll create a project plan in a central location. This will enable my team members and stakeholders to quickly locate project documents, and it will serve as a reference for retrospectives and future project planning. By consolidating my documents in one place, communication will be streamlined, making it easier for everyone to find the information they need.

As the project manager for Office Green’s Plant Pals Operations and Training plan launch, I want to keep all my planning documents organized in a single centralized location. That way, I can easily share information and track the status of the project’s many moving pieces. My project folders and labels should be clearly organized to provide visibility, continuity, and accountability. I’ll also have to make sure that my team members and stakeholders can access linked documents as “viewers”.

Hence, I created a project plan in a spreadsheet document encompassing the following elements:

Project details are mentioned at the top of my Dashboard tab.
Links for all documents with their descriptions are listed in the Dashboard tab.
Tabs for the completed Gantt chart (Project Schedule), Budget, Communication Plan, and RACI charts.
Link to a shareable folder containing all of the project documents and resources.

It’s worth noting that the project plan is a living, dynamic document. As a project manager responsible for leading the successful delivery of projects, it’s my duty to update it on a regular basis throughout the course of a given project to add more documents and tabs as needed. I’ll also review it frequently to make sure it is well-structured and organized for my team.

This document compiles all the main project artifacts of the Plant Pals in one central place: Project Plan.

Next steps: Execution and closing phases

With the planning phase complete, the Plant Pals project is now ready to move into the execution and closing phases. In the next steps of this project, I’ll dive into the details of how we put the plan into action, track our progress, and make necessary adjustments along the way. Lastly, I’ll wrap up the project by evaluating its success and identifying areas for improvement. Therefore, I invite you to join me in Part 3 to discover how I bring the Plant Pals project to a successful conclusion.

Please refer to Part 3 for more information on these project phases: Plant Pals – Part 3.

Featured image by Freepik. Used for display purposes.
Last updated: March 13th, 2023.