Project Management is no easy feat. Many projects often fail due to poor planning or going over-budget. Even projects that turn out to be successful can be marred with delays and strife. That’s why understanding the concept of project deliverables is of great importance to any aspiring project manager – it helps in both execution and ease of management.
In project management, understanding project deliverables and distinguishing them from milestones and objectives will allow you to deliver your project effectively and on time. We will also discuss various real-life examples of project deliverables to help you get a clear grasp on what deliverables are and how are they important?
What Are Deliverables In Project Management?
One may ask, what is a deliverable? A project deliverable is any output that’s been generated from working on a project. These deliverables can be any discrete, tangible item, such as a progress report, a prototype or a fully-fledged product.
Project deliverables play an important part in project management as they serve as important benchmarks that need to be met to finish a project. They also help in aligning goals and managing expectations – focusing on specific deliverables means that everyone has a good idea about what the project entails. Finally, they also increase confidence in the project itself, as tangible goods are a good sign that your entire project has something of value and isn’t just smoke and mirrors.
How Do Project Deliverables Differ From Objectives And Milestones?
Many people often confuse project deliverables with project objectives and project milestones. While they all seem the same, they are all separate, distinct aspects of project management that work in tandem with each other.
Project Deliverables Vs. Project Objectives
Project objectives refer to the goals, or what a project is hoping to achieve. These goals are intangible and merely serve as something to work towards. On the other hand, project deliverables are actual tangible products that emerge from the project. They help to achieve the project’s objectives.
Project Deliverables Vs. Project Milestones
Project milestones are similar to objectives in the sense that they are important targets that need to be achieved. Unlike objectives, milestones are used to gauge a project’s progress towards its goals. If goals are the end point, then milestones are the yardstick that project managers use to measure how well it’s going.
In a similar manner, milestones are not the same as deliverables because milestones can’t be given to stakeholders or clients as they are just a way to measure progress.
Types Of Project Deliverables
Project deliverables can be split into 3 distinct categories – internal deliverables, external deliverables and planning deliverables.
Internal Deliverables
Internal deliverables are output that is not seen or given to the client. However, these deliverables are vital for the entire project to reach completion. Examples include progress reports and beta products.
External Deliverables
External deliverables include all the various output that a project provides to all external stakeholders or clients. These are normally final and not subject to further change. Some examples are client reports, prototypes or even fully fledged end products.
Planning Deliverables
These are deliverables that are produced during the project management phase. They are not the final product – instead they are needed to make a roadmap that will guide team members towards the final product. A few examples of these kinds of deliverables are scope statement, competitor analysis and project budget reports.
Real-World Examples Of Project Deliverables From Various Teams
Deliverables are not always the same in every industry. Many industries have different ways of defining and producing them. Below are a few project deliverable examples from the real world:
Creative Teams
Many teams often create content for their stakeholders and clients.
- Graphic and Art Design: Common deliverables for these teams include but are not limited to concept art, logo designs, 3D models, and website layouts
- Advertising Campaigns: Teams in advertising often produce deliverables such as ad copy, visual assets, and multimedia content for print, digital, and social media platforms
Click here to see some of the top creative project management tools available online.
Professional Services Teams (Client Deliverables)
- Consulting Reports: Management consulting firms deliver client reports containing strategic recommendations, market analyses, and actionable insights
- Legal Documents: Law firms produce contracts, legal briefs, and court filings to support their clients' legal needs
Product Teams
- Software Development: Deliverables may include software prototypes, user interface designs, functional specifications, and technical documentation
- Manufacturing Projects: Product teams deliver tangible goods such as prototypes, production samples, and final products manufactured according to specifications
Take a look at our recommendations for potential software options here.
Marketing Teams
- Marketing Campaigns: Deliverables may include campaign plans, content calendars, social media posts, email newsletters, and performance reports
- Market Research: Marketing teams produce deliverables such as consumer surveys, market analyses, competitive intelligence reports, and trend forecasts
Discover which marketing project management software suits your needs the best.
Agency Teams
- Event Planning: Event agencies deliver event proposals, venue layouts, event schedules, promotional materials, and post-event reports
- Public Relations Campaigns: PR agencies produce press releases, media pitches, crisis communication plans, and coverage reports to manage their client's public image
How To Manage Project Deliverables
Getting all the deliverables out in a timely manner is not as easy as it sounds. However, there are certain techniques that can be employed to help with the process:
Clear And Measurable Objectives
Setting objectives that can be easily understood and measured is a good start since it makes it easier to set milestones and assign project deliverables to each step of the project.
Realistic Deadlines
Deliverables must be delivered in a timely manner, hence setting realistic deadlines is of paramount importance. Not doing so can lead to unrealistic expectations, as well as delays.
Clear Communication Channels
Keeping everyone in the loop ensures that no wires are crossed, and everyone knows what to do and when to deliver.
Choosing The Right Tools
Many projects management software offer many different features. Hence, it’s important to pick one that is the most suited for your project. Certain project management software can help in tracking and managing resources effectively.
Monitoring Scope
Often, a project can balloon in size and cause all kinds of problems. In order to make sure that the scope of the project doesn’t get out of hand, prioritize essential deliverables and make sure that the project stays on track and doesn’t grow into something else entirely.
What Is A Project Deliverables Checklist?
A project deliverables checklist is a list that tracks every single deliverable and makes sure they’re all completed. It may seem like a simple thing, but it’s instrumental in mapping out a project’s lifecycle, creating roadmaps or in monitoring progress.
The steps taken to make one are:
- Defining Project Goals
- Defining Project Milestones
- Assigning the appropriate deliverables to those milestones
- Account for any overlap or discrepancy
- Track each deliverable and update regularly
Summary
To summarize:
- Project deliverables are tangible items
- Project milestones are targets that need to be achieved to complete a project
- Project goals are the expected results of a project
- Internal deliverables are for the team members not for the end consumer
- External deliverables are for the clients/stakeholders
- Planning deliverables are needed for guiding the team to the final product
- The kind of deliverables needed for a project vary from industry to industry
- Submitting deliverables in a timely manner involves setting realistic goals and deadlines, selecting the right tools and monitoring the project scope and deliverables
- Creating a checklist for project deliverables is a good way to keep things on track
