Milestones is the intermediate goals that manage the progress of a project. Milestones not only make it easier to manage schedules, but they also serve to keep employees motivated.
On the other hand, many people may have trouble making good use of milestones.
In this issue, we will focus on the basic information you need to grasp as a project leader, such as how to write milestones, points to keep in mind, and how to manage them.
- “I want to create effective milestones and utilize them in project management.”
- “I want to grasp the progress of the entire team.”
- “I want to manage project information in one place.”
If so, this article will not only give you an overview of milestones, but also enable you to manage the entire project information easily and effectively.
Contents
What is a milestone?
This section introduces the overview and types of milestones. It is a basic knowledge in project management and is a must for project leaders.
Overview of milestone
Milestone is originally a term for a marker placed at regular distance intervals. In business, milestones are used as a dividing line or intermediate goal to manage the progress of a project.
For example, milestones in an application development project include “do basic design”, “start development”, “test operation”, and “release”.
If detailed goals are set by milestones, the project can proceed without losing sight of its direction. This is why milestones are frequently used in long-term projects or projects with complex processes.
Types of milestones
There are 2 types of milestones: “those that are set backward from the project due date” and “those that are set based on the quality of the work”.
For example, when milestones are set based on due dates, release dates and progress meetings become milestones. On the other hand, when setting milestones based on quality, shipping decisions and quality checks are set as milestones.
Since the way of proceeding changes depending on which process is used to set milestones, use the appropriate method for each project.
What is the difference between a schedule, task, and goal?
A term that is often mixed up with milestones is schedule, task, or goal. Below we explain the difference between each.
- Difference between milestone and schedule
- Difference between a milestone and a task
- Difference between a milestone and a goal
A schedule is an overall schedule in a plan, while a milestone is a midpoint in a plan.
A milestone is a goal and a task is a work. In other words, a milestone is a goal point that can be reached by completing multiple tasks.
A milestone is also a goal, but it is also an indicator when looking back on the process. In other words, they serve to clarify the progress of the project.
Thus, milestones are set to know where you are in relation to the final goal, and they have an important role to play in keeping the team on track.
3 advantages of using milestones
When managing your schedule, setting some milestones will allow you to check your progress frequently. Below are 3 advantages of using milestones.
- Easier schedule management
- Maintains motivation
- Quality can be managed
The larger the project, the more uncertain the future tends to be. Milestones will clarify the steps to the goal and make it easier to manage the schedule.
Long-term projects have a long road to the goal, making it difficult to keep employees motivated. Therefore, it is important to set milestones and share intermediate goals to be achieved.
If milestones are set based on the quality of work, quality can be managed in detail at each stage of the project.
Thus, by setting milestones, the project can proceed efficiently and the quality of work can be maintained.
4 steps of how to create milestones
Here we will show you how to create milestones in 4 steps. Use the following steps to improve your company’s project management.
(1) Set a due date
To begin, you need to set a deadline for your project.
Set the deadline with a reasonable amount of leeway, taking into account the possibility that some problems may occur in the project. Next, set the points (milestones) that must be passed by the project deadline.
If milestones are set in detail, you will be able to regularly check the current rate of achievement, which will help keep members motivated. Therefore, for long-term projects, it is recommended to set milestones in 2- to 4-week increments.
(2) Set tasks
Next, identify the tasks required for the project.
Once the tasks are identified, the specific number of man-hours will become clear and the schedule will be easier to set. Furthermore, the relationship between tasks and their order of priority will also become clear, allowing you to proceed with the work more efficiently.
Since this is an important process for achieving milestones, set tasks so that there are no omissions.
(3) Set the person in charge
Next, assign a person in charge of the task.
Milestones are not the end of the process; they are only effective when you confirm that they are being executed as planned. Therefore, it is necessary to distribute the tasks to the members so that the burden is not unbalanced to a certain part, and to grasp whether they are progressing according to the deadline.
However, if each member manages tasks individually, it takes time and effort to share the progress with another tool. To manage tasks on a team basis easily, use a tool like Stock, which lists the tasks of each member and includes a chat function.
(4) Create a gantt chart
Finally, create a Gantt chart.
A Gantt chart is a method of managing the schedule for each task in a tabular format, and is useful for progress management and process control. Once you create a gantt chart, you can visually see how long it will take to complete a task, as shown in the figure below, and you can visualize how to proceed with the project in a concrete manner.
Create a Gantt chart based on the deadlines, tasks, and people in charge of the project you have set up so far to visualize the project schedule.
3 notes to keep in mind when setting milestones
Here are 3 notes to keep in mind when setting milestones. Use the following as a guide to make the most effective use of milestones.
(1) Do not set too many milestones
Setting too many milestones makes it difficult to track the progress of the project.
The milestones required for a project depend on the approximate number of steps that need to be accomplished to reach the goal. Therefore, avoid setting them unnecessarily.
It is also important to interview members to confirm that the goals are not overly burdensome. In addition, some tasks in a project cannot proceed until certain tasks are completed, so it is important to check whether the milestones are appropriate before and after the milestones.
(2) Do not confuse milestones and tasks
Be careful not to confuse milestones with tasks.
A milestone is an intermediate point, while a task is a work that must be addressed in order to reach a goal. If milestones are treated as tasks, progress in each process will be unclear.
Therefore, milestones and tasks should be managed separately to create an environment in which the progress of the project can be regularly reviewed.
(3) Centralize all project information in a tool
For a project to be successful, all information needs to be managed centrally.
If information is centralized in one place, you will be able to access the information you need immediately, and you will not have to spend time looking for documents. For this reason, you should implement a project management tool that allows you to manage information in a centralized manner.
For example, using a tool like Stock, which manages information hierarchically in folders, you do not have to worry about information being scattered around like you do with Excel file management.
Must-have tool for project information management
Below is the essential tool for project management and information sharing.
Managing projects in Excel requires time-consuming tasks such as sharing information with members via chat or email, or finding and opening files for each update. Furthermore, it is difficult to view on a smartphone or tablet, making it unsuitable for field work or when you are often out of the office.
On the other hand, a project management tool allows smooth sharing and updating regardless of time and location, and its notifications reduces the risk of task leakage. However, since it is difficult to master a multifunctional tool, “simplicity that anyone can easily operate” is also important.
The tool of choice for project management is the information management tool Stock, which is not overloaded with necessary functions and can be used immediately even by any member in a non-IT company.
“Note” of Stock can be easily attached not only text, but also files and images such as process charts and Gantt charts. In addition, “Tasks”, which allow you to record who is in charge of a job and its due date, are also tied to the Note, so you do not have to worry about information getting mixed up.
Stock｜The best tool to manage all of information on your team
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock"
https://www.stock-app.info/en/
Stock is the simplest tool to stock information. Stock solves the problem, "there is no easy way to stock information within the company".
With Stock, anyone can easily store all kinds of information, including text information such as requirements, images, and files, using the Note feature.
In addition, by using the "Task" and "Message" functions, you can communicate with each topic described in the Note, so that information is not dispersed here and there and work can always be carried out in an organized manner.
＜Why do we recommend Stock?＞
- A tool for companies that are not familiar with ITYou don't need to have any IT expertise to get started.
- Simple and usable by anyoneStock is so simple that anyone can use it without any unnecessary features.
- Amazingly easy information storing and task managementIt is amazingly easy to store information such as shared information within a company, and intuitive task management is also possible.
＜Stock's pricing＞
- Free plan ：Free
- Business plan ：$5 / User / Month
- Enterprise plan ：$10 / User / Month
Summary of how to create milestones and best tool for project management
We have focused on how to create milestones and recommended management tools.
Milestones are not the end of the process; you need to manage them properly so that you can look back on them later and monitor your progress. However, with Excel, file management can easily become complicated, and another tool must be used for sharing.
A project management tool can be used to keep all information related to the project, such as milestones, in an easy-to-read format, and to facilitate sharing. However, since multifunctional tools tend to be complicated to operate, a simple tool that can be operated intuitively by anyone is the best choice.
In light of the above, a simple “Stock” that can appropriately manage and share information even for any member in non-IT companies is essential for managing your company’s projects. In fact, it has been implemented by more than 200,000 companies, mainly non-IT companies, regardless of industry and sector.
It only takes 1 minute to register for free, so using Stock and make your project management more efficient.
