How to define project goals

Formulating a goal is one thing, achieving a goal is another. Companies that think and work in terms of projects face this difficulty time and again. It takes more than clear words to define real project goals from a project utopia. This is because the focus is often only on the result after the finish line, but not on the way there. However, the many small milestones are often relevant in order to make it possible to check at the end: Have we achieved our goal?

All eyes on the project goals

Of course, it is important to focus on the goal. However, you should not stumble blindly towards it. Every step must be scrutinised: Will this bring us closer to the goal? Especially in projects where several people are involved, everyone in the project team takes on this control function. This allows all employees to check whether they are moving in the same direction. Without a uniform focus, the definition of the goals or objectives is likely to differ and priorities will be set differently.

In addition, various questions need to be answered that are not related to the objective but are nevertheless relevant to achieving it. What if the project is in a crisis situation? What could this look like? And how can the goal still be achieved?

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S.M.A.R.T. - e Project goals

These questions can only be answered if you have the goal clearly in mind. To do this, you first need someone to define the project objective. This is usually the client of the project. In the case of an ERP project, this is often initially: Introduction of a new system. However, this goal is usually also linked to the idea that something should change in the company. For example, more efficiency, better controlling or automated processes. When defining these objectives, for example, the existing processes and consider whether these objectives are realisable and measurable. This is the first major task of the project team - and is often reflected in ERP projects in the process analysis reflected. Although it is stated that the objectives should only be defined at the project kick-off, this is for the most part a little late. The pre-project phase is the best time to formulate objectives, as defining objectives can also determine the choice of system.

It is often helpful at this point to use the S.M.A.R.T. acronym, which shows whether goals are clearly formulated and measurable. S.M.A.R.T. stands for

Sspecific
Medible
Aaccepted
Rrealistic
Tdetermined

If we take the example of an ERP project and the aim is to introduce a new system, it could look something like this: In the new system, the time from receipt of an order to dispatch is reduced by 40%.

Special case: agile projects

Instead of a project goal in the traditional sense, agile projects define "product versions". These focus on the benefits of the product - i.e. the end result of the project - for the user. This approach sometimes also makes sense for traditional projects, as project goals can be easily derived from a product version.

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