What is the highest priority during the planning stage?
More time is wasted as a result of mistakes in the planning and structuring phase than due to errors in any other phase of the project. As such, the highest priority in the planning phase is to point the project in the right direction in order to avoid confusion and wasted effort at the outset. This is achieved by defining the objectives of the implementation in no uncertain terms. Is it simply to go-live or to go-live while achieving operations excellence in the company’s core competencies? Then pick an approach or methodology that directly targets this objective and commit to it. This focuses the organization exclusively on the prime deliverables and ensures that the daily priorities and strategies constantly target and reinforce the objective and the primary deliverables.
