What are project deliverables?
Project deliverables are specific measurable end results that you’re aiming to produce at specific points during your project. Your biggest project deliverable is typically the final product, service or report you’re trying to create, but large projects often include smaller project deliverables throughout the process. Unlike milestones or goals, a deliverable must be specific, measurable and well defined. Part of leading projects involves determining how to balance the bigger picture with the incremental goals and deliverables that ensure your overall project is a success.
Project deliverables can be concrete objects, such as a finished product ready for sale, a constructed building or a mobile application. They can also be reports or documents such as finalized expense reports or a project progress report detailing the work completed on your project at a specific point in time. You might also have intangible project deliverables, such as an employee training program completed by a specific date. The specific project deliverables you include depend entirely on your individual project and industry, so there’s no set deliverables that everyone uses.
Some specific examples of project deliverables include:
- A formal governance document created at the beginning of a project defining who is responsible for each part of the development process
- A gap analysis report detailing the strengths and weaknesses of your business compared to local competitors
- A formal proposal or presentation to show to clients to explain your processes and ideas before the actual work begins
- A prototype or beta version of your final product before the final version is complete
- A document detailing the quality control measures you plan to use during future production
- A security audit that ensures your internal or customer data is secure
- Completed plans for a future project that has not yet begun
- A market analysis detailing current trends in your industry
- An automated system designed to take over duties formerly completed by employees
Internal vs external project deliverables
Project deliverables can be grouped into internal and external categories. The essential difference between the two is who gets to see the end product.
External project deliverables are the things that you need to produce for a client or other external stakeholder. This includes the final project objective, but it can also include things such as a collection of signed licensing agreements that you need to submit to the client before proceeding on the complete project or periodic formal progress reports you need to submit at different stages of the project.
Internal deliverables are kept entirely in-house, so the end client never sees them. This type of deliverable includes any specific items or goals created to help you complete the project, such as accounting records, tax documentation or competitive analysis reports.
The project manager’s role in creating deliverables
A project manager with expertise in creating deliverables can help divide a project into stages and assign specific achievable goals for each stage. Your project manager helps keep the entire project on time and on budget, and developing appropriate deliverables is part of this process.
When hiring a project manager, the ability to plan and direct the project from start to finish is an important qualification. You should find someone who can answer the interview question, “What are deliverables in relation to this specific project or industry?” as well as someone who can set out milestones and create timelines. Communication skills are also important for a project manager working on developing project deliverables because unclear communication could cause problems when it’s time to execute the tasks necessary for completing your deliverables. Everyone on the team should understand what each deliverable entails and how the deliverables fit into the overall goal of the project, and a good project manager facilitates this kind of team effort.
The steps to developing good project deliverables
Developing good project deliverables can be done in a few simple steps, and you should complete these steps as early in the process as possible. This is best done during the project planning phase of project organization, before you start scheduling tasks or allocating resources. Adding new deliverables to the process after you’ve begun is likely to add time and money to the overall project.
These are the four steps to help you create and define your project deliverables:
Step 1
Determine your objectives and what project deliverables can get you there. Ask stakeholders to define what they want out of the overall project to help you narrow down the specifics of the project. A qualified project manager knows what questions to ask and can identify what specific physical documents or defined processes are necessary for every step.
Step 2
Define the acceptance requirements for each potential deliverable and gather the needed supplies to accomplish each one. During this stage, you need to specify the exact criteria for each deliverable so everyone on the team is clear about the desired end result. The more details you include, the more likely it is that all stakeholders will be satisfied with the results.
Step 3
Develop a timeline for each deliverable, making sure you give adequate time to complete each one before the next is due. In many cases, earlier deliverables must be completed to enable later tasks. For example, a deliverable of collecting all pertinent permits and licenses by a specific date is required before a team can start working on the deliverable of constructing a new building.
Step 4
Create a process to assess and approve of each deliverable as it is completed. You want to be able to quickly determine if the deliverable has been met so the project can move to the next step.
Tracking your project deliverables
When it comes to tracking your project deliverables, there are plenty of tools to help you manage this part of the process. You can use spreadsheets, printed documentation and industry-specific software to manage your project and its deliverables. Tracking provides a record of the project milestones, delivery dates, costs and approvals during and after the project.
Consider using software specifically designed for project management. This type of program helps you create your project plan and track everything from resource allocation to team member activity. Project management software gives you the ability to see the overall picture for your project and the fine details. You can also input completion goals for each individual deliverable. Cloud-based programs let team members access the status of each deliverable and see the next steps from anywhere, which can be useful if you have team members working outside a central office or from home. Project management software designed to work on a closed network may help keep sensitive projects secure.
Managing project deliverables in changing circumstances
Managing project deliverables can get complicated, and an experienced project manager knows how to balance the production of specific deliverables with the long-term goals of your project. Choosing and identifying key deliverables for your project is part of scope management, which involves determining what things are truly necessary and which things can be adapted or eliminated to streamline the entire project. Your project manager should also be able to create a schedule of status reports and reviews to ensure that goals are being met. If deadlines are missed or unexpected costs arise, the project manager can adjust the schedule or budget to adapt to the new conditions.
Project deliverables FAQs
What is the difference between scope and deliverables?
Your project scope is the overarching outline of the steps in your project, while deliverables are the tangible or intangible end products of different stages in the project. Your scope might include a detailed timeline, a project objective statement and the expected milestones for the project in addition to the deliverables you need to produce at specific points along the project timeline.
What is the difference between goals and deliverables?
Goals are the outcomes and benefits that you expect from the project, so they are a more high-level concept than deliverables. Your project goal may be to bring a new product to market, while the deliverable includes developing a formal production process, making a prototype and producing a specific number of final products by a specific date.
Why are deliverables important in project management?
Deliverables help keep your project on track and ensure that the final goal is achievable. Project managers decide which deliverables are necessary to reach the end goal and create a timeline for each deliverable.
