As a business analyst, how do you ensure that your project is delivered on time and within budget?

2 Plan the project activities

Once you have the project scope defined, you need to plan the project activities in detail. This includes breaking down the work into manageable tasks, estimating the time and resources needed for each task, sequencing the tasks logically, and creating a realistic schedule and budget. You also need to identify the dependencies, risks, and issues that may affect the project and plan how to mitigate or resolve them. You can use tools like work breakdown structures (WBS), Gantt charts, network diagrams, or agile methods to plan the project activities effectively.

3 Communicate the project status

Another key factor in ensuring that your project is delivered on time and within budget is to communicate the project status regularly and transparently. This means updating the stakeholders on the progress, achievements, challenges, and changes of the project and seeking their feedback and input. You also need to communicate with the project team members and other collaborators and facilitate their collaboration and coordination. You can use tools like status reports, dashboards, meetings, or online platforms to communicate the project status clearly and consistently.

4 Control the project quality

As a business analyst, you also need to control the project quality and ensure that the project deliverables meet the quality standards and criteria agreed upon by the stakeholders. This means verifying and validating the requirements, testing and reviewing the deliverables, and managing the defects and errors. You also need to monitor and measure the quality performance and implement quality improvement actions if needed. You can use tools like quality checklists, quality audits, quality control charts, or quality reviews to control the project quality effectively.

5 Manage the project changes

No matter how well you plan and execute your project, you will inevitably face changes that can impact the project scope, schedule, or budget. As a business analyst, you need to manage the project changes and ensure that they are justified, approved, and implemented properly. This means establishing a change management process that defines how to identify, evaluate, approve, and communicate changes. You also need to update the project documents and plans accordingly and track the impact of changes on the project. You can use tools like change requests, change logs, change impact analysis, or change control boards to manage the project changes efficiently.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?