Are you tired of looking for the best way to meet tight deadlines? If you are looking for a powerful way to organise your business projects, then backward planning may be the way to go. This simple and effective method will help you stay on track and on time, while avoiding unnecessary stress during project execution. To help you implement backward planning, we have provided some practical advice on how to get the most out of this planning method.
What is retro planning?
Retro planning is an approach to project management used to plan and organise tasks and activities in a logical order. However, its specificity is that it starts backwards from the project completion date.
This type of schedule is therefore ideal when your client sets a deadline. If the deadline is not negotiable, then it is better to use the backward planner. This will ensure that the project is not delayed and that all the specifications are met.
What are the advantages of retro planning?
Retro planning is so common in project management because it has a number of important advantages. When used properly, this method can help you to significantly improve the performance of your team.
Meeting delivery deadlines
Above all, the main advantage of retro planning is to respect the deadline. By starting with the delivery date, you can plan all the tasks to be carried out within the time allowed.
You can also determine the ideal date for starting the project. Of course, it is always advisable to add a deadline to remain flexible in case of unforeseen circumstances. This way, you will not be caught unawares, and you will have a lot of room for manoeuvre.
Check these delivery times.
It is important to note that some deadlines are simply untenable. Unfortunately, some teams realise this in the middle of a project.
The use of a backlog is a lifesaver in this respect, as it makes it possible to see this pitfall as early as the project planning phase.
Optimise project management.
Retro planning gives you an overview of the project and its unavoidable deadlines. It is then much easier to plan all the tasks and set a deadline for each one.
By calculating the best possible timeframe for each task, you can adjust the durations if necessary to ensure that the overall deadline is met.
Use resources efficiently.
You can better define the resources required by projecting from the beginning to the delivery date of the product or service.
When you plan each stage ahead of time, you assess not only financial resources but also human resources. This way, you won’t be caught off guard during the project’s execution.
How do you design a timetable for retro planning?
Certain steps must be taken if you decide to use the retro planning technique on one of your projects. This is significant because by carefully planning your project, you increase your chances of delivering a high-quality product.
Define your objectives.
The first step is of course to define your objectives. By determining the conditions for success in advance, you can better plan and prioritise tasks before you start work. Project preparation is fundamental, as it influences all the other steps in your project.
Create milestones and deadlines.
Setting specific milestones or benchmarks is the next step in creating your timeline. These will enable you to track your progress over time. These milestones inform the team whether they are meeting the deadlines and budget constraints that were established at the outset.
Furthermore, it is critical to establish firm deadlines for each step-in order to encourage employee participation and unite the team toward a common goal.
Break down tasks into steps.
Rather than having a long-term goal or an overall task at the top of your calendar, consider how tasks can be broken down into easier and faster to complete sub-tasks.
Each larger task should then be divided into manageable steps with their own deadlines within the overall timetable, with various components (research, design, coding, etc.) divided into manageable steps with their own deadlines within the overall timetable.
Allocate resources and staff.
After you’ve created your calendar with milestones and deadlines, it’s time to start allocating resources or personnel to each planned task.
It is critical to not only assign tasks, but also to delegate some testing so that everyone involved can move quickly toward completion without having to backtrack once execution has begun.
Evaluating performance
Even when final objectives are established from the start, projects may need to be modified due to difficulties encountered along the way or new developments made during execution.
As a result, it is critical to monitor team effectiveness. You can adjust your planning, if necessary, by using relevant performance indicators.
Which tool should you use to carry out a retro planning?
If you want to carry out a functional retro planning, you must have the right tool. The best solution for this is to use a collaborative project management platform.
These platforms allow you to create actionable tasks, schedule deadlines and track progress with clarity. They also allow you to track milestones and team progress, ensuring that goals are met in the most efficient way possible.
With such a tool, it becomes easy to make Gantt charts. With Gantt charts, you can better visualise the process, prioritise tasks and track performance indicators throughout your project.
Finally, your team will gain in fluidity and agility thanks to the collaboration features. These include instant messaging, video calls and document sharing.
