Full Sail Partners Blog

For professional services firms, having a reliable project planning tool is critical to ensuring projects are profitable. In a competitive landscape, successful project execution hinges on the effectiveness of project planning, driving the need for firms to invest in tools that not only meet but exceed expectations. Therefore, a project planning tool needs to be intuitive for users and must improve project scheduling and resource planning.

With Deltek Vantagepoint, project planning has been taken to the next level with a focus on the features and functionality that project managers need. This advanced tool is carefully crafted to specifically cater to the distinct needs of project managers, making sure it not only meets, but also anticipates their requirements. Here are some key features of Vantagepoint that will assist project managers with delivering successful and profitable projects.

Start Early with Templates

Getting a project off to a good start needs a bit of an early boost. Luckily, Deltek Vantagepoint helps out by offering practical ways to help plan things out early. Here’s what you need to know to get a head start.

• Successful Delivery: This starts long before contracts are signed so consider creating the plan when the project is first entered in a Pursuit Stage. Vantagepoint offers a variety of methods that can be used to efficiently create a preliminary plan.
• Project Templates: Firms can create multiple templates for use in creating new project records or when adding structure to a project. Using Project Templates allows users to quickly add the phases of work that are typical for the projects.
• Projects Used as Templates: Firms can create Project records that can serve as templates for creating new records. These records can hold typical Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) elements like Project Templates but can do much more. The records can serve as a plan template that will allow the user to instantly create a plan with Schedule Durations, Generic Resources, and Planned Hours.

Aside from the ease of creating a project plan, planning the project in advance allows professional services firms to proactively manage pricing and resourcing.

Keep the Schedule Updated

Keeping the project schedule updated is a pivotal aspect of effective project management, and Deltek Vantagepoint equips users with powerful tools for this purpose. The plan Gantt charts are a great tool for managing the dates in a plan. The Schedule Tab allows planners to visually manage dates, durations, and dependencies for project delivery phases. Users can also adjust the project schedule from any level of the project by simply dragging and dropping the timeline bars and reviewing the Critical Path on demand, ensuring a clear understanding of key project dependencies.

Beyond the convenience of schedule management, the real-world impact of keeping the schedule updated becomes evident in staffing discussions. Maintaining an accurate and current schedule is a crucial reference point for conversations surrounding short- and long-term staffing availability. By staying on top of the schedule, project managers can better address staffing needs, optimize resource allocation, and enhance overall project efficiency.

Anticipate Resource Usage Curve

The keystone of true resource planning is predicting resource demands as they will likely occur. All project delivery phases have a ‘curve’ that should be reflected in the resource plan. Deltek Vantagepoint’s Project Planning allows users to plan the hours differently in specific time frames. With the Distribute Hours feature, users can take a more precise approach to planning resource hours over specific date ranges by using hours or percentages per day.

This level of granularity in resource planning is not just about meeting requirements; it's a strategic move to decrease the chance of resource clashes. Understanding the intensity of resource usage during different phases of a project becomes a proactive measure to minimize conflicts and optimize resource allocation. By anticipating resource usage, project managers can navigate the intricacies of resource planning with precision, ensuring easy and efficient workflows that align with project objectives.

Review Performance Against the Baseline

The Baseline serves as the bedrock, outlining the assumptions upon which the scope, schedule, and budget of the entire plan are built. Saving the Baseline at the right time allows users to review the deviations and project the final outcomes.

Deltek Vantagepoint not only facilitates this review but also enhances it by allowing users to compare Baseline values with Estimate at Completion (EAC) values. This comparative analysis can be conducted seamlessly across various platforms, including the Plan, Dashboards, and the Project Review feature. This multi-faceted approach to reviewing performance against the Baseline ensures a complete understanding of how the project is progressing in relation to its initial assumptions.

Take Control of Your Project with Deltek Vantagepoint 

Deltek Vantagepoint Planning and Resource Management allows professional services firms to collaborate and analyze project performance from the pursuit through closeout. Maintaining the plan throughout the life of the project improves financial performance and enhances communication around schedules and resource needs. Furthermore, by using this advanced tool, project managers can proactively minimize resource clashes by anticipating resource usage and ensuring project objectives are met. Take control of your projects today!