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That computer or smartphone screen you’re reading this article on was once a project deliverable. The pen you used to sign a document was also once a deliverable. Almost everything you have on your desk right now started out as a deliverable.
In fact, anything can be a deliverable as long as it follows certain agreed-upon criteria.
So what exactly are deliverables?
In this guide, we will touch on what project management deliverables are, the difference between process and project deliverables, and the benefits of using project management software to track and manage your deliverables.
A deliverable, in general terms, is a product or service resulting from a process. In the process of project management, it can be the project’s output that’s then turned over to an external customer. It can also be a document needed by an internal project team.
Deliverables are either internal or external.
If you’re managing a construction project, an example of an external deliverable is the house you build for a client, while internal deliverables can be the corporate documents you need to begin the project.
Deliverables can be further classified as project deliverables and process deliverables.
Deliverables also range in size, as small as a one-page report or as big as a 350-page final report.
All projects have deliverables, and project deliverables can only be defined once the expectations of stakeholders, the client, and end-users have been determined. Deliverables should be specific, measurable, and have realistic timelines.
They also must align with the project’s objectives.
You know the project is done once you’ve successfully turned over the final deliverable to the client. The client must accept the deliverable for a project to be considered complete or closed.
Without agreed-upon deliverable criteria, what the team thinks the client wants may not actually match what the client wants. This causes confusion and frustration in the long run. It’s the project manager’s job to ensure everyone is clear on the deliverable acceptance criteria by documenting them as part of the project scope in a statement of work.
This way, clients know what to expect in terms of the features, functions, attributes, delivery date, etc.
Objectives are the goals a project intends to achieve, and deliverables are instrumental in meeting those objectives. A project objective can be to “generate more business for the company through digital marketing.” Deliverables can then include a company website and a social media calendar for the next three months.
If you’re migrating customer data to the cloud, a deliverable can be a training program teaching employees how to use the new database management system.
Once you have the specifics of your deliverables figured out, you can start to:
In project management, milestones are goal points throughout the project life cycle. They mark the completion or beginning of a section of work, as well as keep track of the goals and objectives to be achieved at certain points in the project’s timeline.
Milestones can be inserted at any point and are used to break down large projects or complex deliverables into more manageable chunks. Used mainly as a scheduling tool, a milestone can also signal that a progress report is coming due or a major activity has started.
Milestones, which are usually represented by diamonds on a Gantt chart, break down the project’s timeline into phases. This is an example of that on the project management software TeamGantt. Image source: Author
To further illustrate the difference between deliverables and milestones, note that:
Project management process success entails staying on your project's schedule and within budget, not to mention following agreed-upon deliverable requirements.
As such, project managers must keep track of a host of things, including deadlines, inventory, budgetary constraints, resource availability, milestones, and changes to the project scope.
Other essential project management duties include coordinating with team members to ensure everyone is on the same page, performing risk assessments to keep project risks to a minimum, coaching staff, conducting training to maintain proficiency or bridge skills gaps, etc.
Project management software consolidates all the information you need in one place, which means you don’t need several standalone tools to gain visibility into your team’s goals and priorities.
Project management software offers team benefits that only specialized software can provide. These include:
Asana's Workload feature visually represents every team member’s current tasks. Image source: Author
Even better, you can start using project management software to track and manage your deliverables without spending a dime. Solutions like Podio, TeamGantt, and Airtable offer basic packages for free.
In some scenarios, you may choose to not use software, such as when you’re lacking strategy or you’re a one-person team. More information on when to use and not use software can be found in our project management basics guide.
Project managers must track and closely monitor mountains of data and tasks, from creating comprehensive reports to communicating changes, from assessing risks to making sure every deliverable is progressing as planned.
Project management software can help you track and manage all these crucial activities, meet project schedules, and keep on budget.
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