Topics covered: Milestones are the key events in a project schedule (project plan). Milestones deliver the information related to project health and helps in communication to project stakeholders and sponsors. Project Managers

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2.  Milestones and its benefits.
 Adding milestones to your project plan.
 Different milestones available in the system.
 Graphical presentation of the milestones on Gantt
Chart.
 Milestones on status reports.
 Portfolio view of all the projects with milestones.
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3.  Milestone signifies a start or completion of a major
activity, shows important achievement.
 Milestone determines how the project is advancing
without getting into detailed task list.
 Milestones can be used at:
◦ End of a stage to mark the completion of a work
◦ Before the end of a stage to confirm all deliverables
◦ Start of a stage
◦ Achievements
◦ Key stage gates
◦ If you think there should be a milestone, add a milestone
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5.  signifies distance traveled (key stages in a
project)
 indicates direction of travel : helps with
decisions
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Start
Travel
Reach

6. Paint office (No milestone approach) Paint office (milestone approach)
Purchase paints Purchase
Purchase brushes Prepare list of items to purchase
Purchase etc. etc. Purchase paints
Paint walls Purchase brushes
Paint windows Purchase etc. etc.
Etc. etc. Verify items purchased
Complete Purchase pending items if any
Purchase Complete
Painting office
Paint walls
Paint windows
etc. etc
Painting Complete
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7. Milestone Indicates Results into Next Phase
Discovery complete Charter is ready for
governance
Steering committees and
leadership will review the
proposals
Governance Kick
off
Planning complete Project approved and
signed off for
execution. Project
Plan is ready.
Ramping up: Resources
will be required on the
project.
Execution Kick off
Go-Live Change accepted and
used by user in
production, new way
of doing something
End user impact.
Ramping down:
Resources will be
released soon.
Post Go-Live
Execute Complete All work as per scope
is completed.
Customer satisfaction.
Release some/all
resources.
Close
Close Sign off and project
is closed.
Release resources.
Satisfaction scores.
Trip to Florida!
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8. Milestones helps with:
 Managing Changes, Impact, Work load, Finance and
Communication:
◦ Project benefits:
 What are the important activities getting completed, schedule of
completion, status, resources, help achieve the goals.
 Go slow, move fast, continue pace.
 Continue, stop, hold, take different direction.
◦ Portfolio benefits:
 Are there too many Go-Lives in month/Quarter?
 Too many for governance in month/Quarter?
 Too many moving on to execute phase resulting in more demand
for resources.
 Go slow, move fast, continue pace.
 Continue, stop, hold, take different direction.
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