With These 5 Project Management Phases, Your Project Will Be a Complete Success

Anyone who has managed a project or two before, or is even a veteran, knows one or two pearls of wisdom about the phases in project management. However, in this article we want to pose fundamental questions and provide a basic course.

What are the 5 project management phases? Is project management a process? And which tools help you manage? To start off gently into this article, let's start with a basic question: What does the process of project management look like? Start project, work on it, finish. Well, it's not that simple. If you followed this principle, you would quickly have a lot of chaos, but little final success. Experienced project managers will nod in agreement at this point and management consultants will get cold feet when they think of the rubble heaps they are occasionally introduced to - far away from structured phases.

We're giving you a loose roadmap for the phases in project management.

Something to know before we start with the project management phases

Speaking of roadmap: Before any project implementation, the selection of the phase model and the choice of the corresponding project phase plan is made. In addition to the difference between 4- and 5-phased project management, there is the difference between simple, parallel, interactive and mixed phase models. Depending on the scope of the project, the sensibility of a model arises.

• Simple phase model = One phase strictly after the other
• Parallel phase model = Phases are started simultaneously or before the previous phase is completed
• Iterative phase model = Phases and processes are repeated
• Mixed phase model = A symbiosis of the iterative and parallel model

Subsequently, the different phases and associated milestones are recorded in a project plan, which gives each participant an overview.

What are the 5 phases in project management?

From beginning to end, project management goes through many stages, with the whole being a process consisting of many smaller ones. Depending on the project phase model, you will notice different focuses. The following project management phases should be saved, as they come into action most in reality:

• Projectmanagemnt Phase 1 - Start
• Projectmanagemnt Phase 2 - Planning
• Projectmanagemnt Phase 3 - Execution
• Projectmanagemnt Phase 4 - Controlling
• Projectmanagemnt Phase 5 - Completion

You often come across 4-phases project management, which marries execution & controlling in one phase. One is not necessarily better than the other, but there are good reasons why you should divide into 5 phases. We'll reveal the justification further down.

In each phase there is at least one, often several milestones, which are seen as control points. They prevent the unnatural expansion of the magic triangle of project management. A geometric figure that is probably widely used in many business areas.

The Magic Triangle of Project Management

Milestones regularly check whether costs, time and quality are in sync. An advantage over traditional project management methods, only correcting phases at the end of a project or making repetitive processes more effective next time. Nowadays, this is too expensive and unnecessary.

To give all participants of a project - from customers to employees - an overview, a project phase plan according to Gantt is a helpful thing. You can draw it oldschool into a flipchart or use appropriate tools like Monday, Asana or Trello for digital Kanban boards. It includes the five phases, the milestones and the departments that are used depending on the phase.

What happens in the individual phases of project management?

It can be the introduction of a new drink at Coca Cola, the implementation of a new feature in the app, like ZEP our partner Trade Republic or the marketing restructuring of your project. Regardless of the size of the project: you always go through the same phases. But what happens in the different project management phases and what distinguishes them?

1. Project Management Phase: Project Start

A project always starts with the evaluation of the possible, the definition of goals and the monetary check. Many projects do not go beyond the status of the start, as they are not economical, too risky or not implementable - not to say ahead of their time. If you want to find out in detail, you should order market studies or get expert opinions.

Only after that has been checked, work packages are bundled, project methodology, costs, scope and time expenditure are determined. The advantage of this project management phase is simply to use or save efforts, time and costs meaningfully.

2. Project Management Phase: Project Planning

Now it's time to create the project phase plan and set the associated milestones. All involved teams and individuals are informed about the project and their activities in it.

In our eyes, however, the most important thing at this point is to find the right communication channels and to get the quality management up to speed. In 2020, the American analyst Mary Gerush from Forrester Resarch found that the trend is towards project managers with communicative and soft skills. You should be aware that you of course know the trade of the project, but at the same time you can act agilely in every phase and motivate all parties involved in a project in a communicative way.

3. Project Management Phase: Project Execution

Now it's getting to the nitty-gritty. The work packages and to-dos are implemented according to the specified approach method (e.g. Scrum) by the respective team members. This is where the wheat is separated from the chaff, as in this project management phase the mentioned communication and transparency have the highest value. The most important learning is essentially the recognition that project management does not depend on one person alone - namely the project manager - but on a well-functioning team.

4. Project Management Phase: Project Controlling

As we all know, several people work on a project with different expertise, who are added as part of the puzzle. Their work on the project and all processes should be kept in mind in order to be able to act quickly and efficiently as a project manager if necessary. The rapid pace of today's projects requires that controlling be given its own place; unlike in 4-phase project management.

Controlling is not a phase that queues up to the previous one, but is active almost from the start. It always keeps an eye on quality, costs and time frame. Even though we are talking about phases, project management is not about working through one thing after another, but about perfect interaction. In addition, processes are repeated within the phases, if necessary. This is particularly common in software development.

5. Project Management Phase: Project Closure

Before the champagne corks pop and the success of a project is celebrated, all those involved get together again to determine what has been achieved, to what extent the specifications have been adhered to and what has been learned from the whole project for future projects. On the other hand, the opposite is possible if the project did not achieve the desired results. In this case, there is the possibility to adjust at one point or another or to consider the project as a failure.

In order for this not to happen, the conscientious implementation of the first four phases by all those involved - especially the project management - is important. In this way, thanks to the milestones, you can always check whether the project is on the right track during the project.

What is the difference between a 4 and 5-phase project management?

Good question, simple answer. The most noticeable difference is that in a 5-phase project management the phase 3 is broken down into two separate phases. Controlling and execution, as defined by ZEP, thus take place separately from each other. This has the advantage that the first group can concentrate purely on ensuring that all framework agreements, tasks and processes are implemented in an acceptable manner. Especially in larger projects, such as the introduction of a new car, this is the more sensible variant. Many processes are repeated, which is why 5-phased project management is oriented towards these. Sideprojects can arise that improve the final result of the main project. This is called an iterative phase model, while in 4-phase project management a parallel phase model is often applied.

The application of project management phases makes sense as they allow you to work focused, constantly improve quality and plan as complexly as possible in advance. You are flexible during each phase. But remember: don't forget the magic triangle. Even if various perspectives and definitions of project management phases exist, each individual phase is essential for successful project management.

In comparison, both phase models have their individual advantages and disadvantages. For example, strictly adhering to project management definitions according to DIN 69901 is of little use, as each project has its own nature. Take it as guidance and don't forget the communicative aspects and teamwork aside from all the theory.

These tools support successful project implementation

Fortunately, Excel spreadsheets or handmade items are no longer necessary today. We introduce you to three comprehensive project management tools that will be a faithful companion.

• monday.com: With this, projects can be presented clearly, so that everyone involved knows what to do and when. Each phase model can be graphically represented. In the project management category on OMR Reviews monday ranks as one of the most popular tools in project management.
• awork: Good often comes from Hamburg, as does awork. The tool is helpful to you in simplifying project work during the individual project management phases and working independently of location. Another positive point: All servers are located in Germany.
• MeisterTask: If you like the Kanban style and want an overview of the ongoing tasks in your project management, you are well served with MasterTask. Similar to Trello, workflows can be automated and displayed in kanban style.

If you want to know more tools and their customer experiences, you will find on OMR Reviews many more tools for project management.