Project Controls: A Quick Guide

Project Controls: A Quick Guide

Project controls are a set of tools, techniques and processes used to help project managers measure and control the six project constraints: time, cost, scope, quality, risk and resources. They address the following: schedule management, scope management, quality management, risk management, time management and resource management. Project controls are set up throughout the project life cycle and can take many forms. They can be established using traditional project management techniques like a RACI matrix, a work breakdown structure (WBS), the critical path method (CPM) or even a project charter. Project controls act as a means to identify when there are problems and bottlenecks and to break down data on the team's hours worked against the budget spent.

Project controls are key to a strong project plan and help align the project with the organization's strategic goals. They also help answer important questions about the project, such as how much will the project cost, how long will it take to complete and what is the value or quality that the project will deliver. Project controls are a combination of project management tools and people, and are addressed in the next section. Project controls are about managing project scope, cost and timeline. To do this, it is important to have the right project manager, project team, data and review and change management in place.

Free project management templates can help you establish project controls, such as Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) and Project Budget templates. WBS is a tool to break down the project scope and split it into small, manageable tasks. Project Budget templates set a limit for spending and are ideal to monitor costs and establish project controls.