Business Project Proposal Template

Business project proposal - Whether it's a strategic or an operational project, make a thorough business plan before starting it. Clearly define your statement of work and come up with a good business case: what would be the costs, the benefits, and what is the best approach to consider.

Teamwork increases productivity, so identify the best collaborators that you can rely on, beginning with sponsors and suppliers and getting to your actual team and customer account managers, who you consider are a good fit to sustain this specific project.

Make a list of the project requirements and assess the risks and issues that may interfere with the smooth running of the project, as well as the actions you can take to diminish them.

The final step is the actual execution of the business project, which includes a timetable and the project tasks that you are considering. Last but not least, developing a communication plan can help focus your message and reach your target audience.

Where to next?

You can now Download your mind map and use it to communicate with your stakeholders.

It can then become the basis for detailed planning and scheduling.

Project Name

Enter your project name


Begin by typing your project name into the Central Topic.

Risks & Issues

Issue log

Issue

Add a project issue and grade its impact by clicking an icon below:

1. Currently blocking progress
2. A workaround exists, but the solution is not known
3. The solution is known but is not implemented
4. Temporary issue that may solve itself

Risk Log

Risk

Add a project risk and grade its impact by clicking an icon below:

1. High probability / high severity: control is essential
2. Low probability / high severity: control is essential
3. High probability / low severity: control is preferable
4. Low probability / low severity: we may accept

Control

Add a control action for this risk

Type in a short summary of the action.

Options include:

• Doing something to reduce the probability of occurrence
• Doing something to reduce the severity of impact if it does occur
• Having a contingency plan to follow if the event occurs
• Accepting the risk and living with it

Activities & Schedule

Activity

Type in one or more project activities.

Examples include:

• Requirements collection and analysis
• Research and problem-solving
• Design and architecture
• Completing deliverables
• Acceptance testing and feedback
• Support and maintenance

Communications plan

Key communications events

Project review

Include a project review?

The project review meeting takes place once the project has been closed, and examines the processes that led to both success and failure in the project.

Add a description of the meeting goals in the Notes panel

Quality reviews

Include quality reviews?

If you have specific quality criteria to meet or have a quality regime in your organization, you may need to conduct periodic reviews to ensure that the project could pass an audit at any time.

Add a description of the meeting goals in the Notes panel

Risk and issue reviews

Include risk and issue reviews?

You should periodically review project risks and issues, to ensure that new risks are not emerging and that issues are not being left unaddressed.

Add a description of the meeting goals in the Notes panel

Stage planning

Include stage planning meetings?

If your project is large, or if you are using an Agile methodology, you may need regular planning meetings to schedule the project in stages.

Add a description of the meeting goals in the Notes panel

Kick-off meeting

Include a kick-off meeting?

The meeting ensures that the project team and key stakeholders all have the same goals, know what the main elements of the plan are, what the processes and rules are, and what part they will play.

Add a description of the meeting goals in the Notes panel

Communication & collaboration tools

Tool

Add a communication/collaboration tool.

Examples include:

• Physical meetings
• E-mail distribution lists
• Instant messaging and virtual meetings
• Local or cloud-based file sharing
• Online project management tools
• Online discussion boards
• Collaborative tools

Requirements management

Known exclusions

Exclusion

Specify an exclusion from your project.

Examples are:

• Major changes in scope or specification
• On-site support
• Troubleshooting related systems
• Managing other subcontractors
• End-user training
• Replacing consumables

Known requirements

Requirement

Add a specific requirement
Prioritize them with an icon:

1. Must have - an essential requirement
2. Should have - preferred, but a temporary workaround would be acceptable
3. Could have - include if easy and all the Musts and Shoulds are complete
4. Want to have - can be left for the future

Requirements Management

Requirements management technique

Add a requirements management technique

Techniques might include:

• Using a process for discovering requirements
• Maintaining a master list of requirements
• Writing testable and measurable requirements
• Establishing a formal process for agreeing on changes to the requirements

Stakeholders

Others

Stakeholder

Add other stakeholders

Think about people who:

• Share the resources that the project will use
• Will gain or lose from the project
• Manage staff you might need
• Support or oppose the project
• Are in a position to influence the project

Partners and suppliers

Partner/Supplier

Add a partner or supplier. You can add their service or specialty in brackets after their name.

Project team

Team member

Add a team member

For example:

• Project managers
• Core team members, who stay with the project from beginning to end
• Extended team members, who help only when needed
• Specialists and experts
• Support services and administrators

Users

User

Add a user or user representative, such as:

• Typical users
• People who represent groups of users
• People who will be testing your product or project

Customers

Customer

Add a customer representative.

These might include people who:

• Define and agree on requirements
• Monitor progress
• Resolve issues
• Accept deliverables

Customer account manager

Account manager

Add an account manager

Sponsors

Sponsor

Add a project sponsor

Business Case

Strategic fit

Justification

Add a strategic reason for this project.

Key benefits

Key benefit

Type in a key benefit from this project.

Examples include:

• Creating new opportunities
• Gaining a competitive advantage
• Solving a key problem
• Developing new knowledge

Estimated costs

Cost

Type in an estimated cost

For example:

• Internal staff costs
• Contracted labor costs
• Outside services
• Capital costs and materials
• Opportunity costs - what else will not be done

Statement of Work

Assumptions

Assumption

Type in an assumption

Examples include:

• Resources will be available
• Technology will work reliably
• Materials costs will stay the same
• Another project will finish on time

Constraints

Constraint

Type in a project constraint

For example:

• Production line 1 is not available
• Design resources must be released by September
• Salary budget cannot be increased

Resources

Resource

Add a key resource that your project will need.

For example:

• People
• Equipment
• Materials
• Services and expertise
• Short term finance or capital investment

Milestones

Milestone

Type in the name of a milestone for your project.

For example:

• A strategic decision
• Signing an agreement
• A key meeting
• Acceptance of a deliverable

Deadline date

Enter an approximate target date for this milestone.

Deliverables

Deliverable

Type in a project deliverable

For example:

• A key document or agreement
• Some equipment or working software
• An event, such as a demonstration or training