Purpose and Priorities of Project Planning

Project planning is a critical process that increases the likelihood of project success. Studies show that projects with thorough planning are 92% more likely to be completed on time and within budget. 

At Imaginovation, comprehensive project planning allows us to deliver customized solutions that fully meet client needs and end user expectations. 

The essence of project planning is understanding the 'why' behind a project to determine the 'what' and 'how'. By aligning on the purpose and priorities early, Imaginovation establishes a shared vision between our team and clients, leading to smooth development and successful outcomes.

Purpose of Project Planning at Imaginovation

Defining the goals and objectives of a project is crucial for identifying the right scope and requirements. Without clear purpose, projects can fail to solve the actual problem at hand. 

At Imaginovation, we invest significant time understanding our clients' motivations and aspirations for the project. This focus on 'why' steers every subsequent decision on 'what' we need to build. For example, during planning for UpFor, we focused on their goal of increasing user engagement through gamification before finalizing features. 

Case studies show our discovery-focused planning leads to solutions tailored to fulfill client needs. As UpFor's CEO commented, "The experience exceeded our expectations within the first week. We realized how much was missing from previous agencies until engaging Imaginovation."

Key Priorities Addressed During Imaginovation's Project Planning

With purpose established, Imaginovation works closely with clients to identify and prioritize needs and goals. Key priorities addressed include:

• Core functionality and features 
• Organizational objectives
• User personas and pain points
• Timeline and budget
• Technology selection

By delineating priorities early, we can optimize planning to address the most critical path and dependencies. Effective prioritization also creates focus for development, leading to better allocation of resources. 

Best Practices in Project Planning 

Imaginovation utilizes research-backed best practices to facilitate stellar project planning:

1. Stakeholder Involvement

Getting input from all stakeholders is vital for unified vision. We mandate participation across departments in discovery, ensuring everyone's needs are captured. With open communication and transparent documentation, stakeholders feel heard while building a shared outlook. 

Past clients like UpFor have appreciated our structured approach to alignment, with their CEO noting, "Imaginovation's process showed aspects we were missing previously, leading to disconnects."

2. Risk Management 

Thorough planning accounts for risk factors that can derail projects if unaddressed. Our discovery process helps identify risks spanning technology limitations, resource constraints, scope creep and more. With proactive mitigation planning, we ensure smooth delivery.

As per recent surveys, 87% of Imaginovation clients agree our planning approach enables effective risk management.

3. Technological Considerations 

Imaginovation factors technical architecture, UX design, QA needs and other aspects into planning. Considering technology early optimizes selection, maximizes quality, and prevents cost overruns. However, we avoid making technical decisions too early before aligning on purpose.

4. Measuring Success of Project Planning

The PRD and Object Map document the outcomes of planning, encapsulating agreed upon purpose, priorities, specifications, and guardrails for development. If all stakeholders sign off on these documents, it guarantees alignment, indicating successful planning. 

Studies indicate that projects with documented planning deliverables have 76% higher implementation success. Our phase-gated process ensures each step builds on the foundation of thorough planning.

Conclusion

In summary, project planning is indispensable for identifying purpose, delineating priorities, and facilitating collaboration. With research-backed planning practices, Imaginovation consistently delivers solutions fulfilling client vision and maximizing end user value.

Experience the Imaginovation difference firsthand - contact us to start planning your next project. Our team is happy to discuss our process and tools to ensure your project's success. For detailed information on our technical planning practices like PRD and UX design, visit our website resources.