Introduction

Careful planning is the key to a successful telecommunications cabling installation project. Taking the time to develop a well-defined plan before a project starts will help to deliver a proper installation on time and within budget.

Larger and more complex projects require more time to plan. It is difficult to manage loosely defined objectives and the efforts of a large project team over an extended period of time.

The purpose of a project plan is to provide:

• An understanding of the work to be done and how the cabling installation fits into the overall project.

• A list of project objectives.

• A list of specific tasks.

• A project schedule to track time and resources.

• Staffing assignments and project responsibilities.

• Identification of potential roadblocks and strategies for addressing them.

• Definition of the documentation forms and procedures used on the job.

• A tool for managing the project.

• A way to get commitment from the project team.

This chapter describes the components of a project plan and outlines how to use the plan to more effectively manage the project.