Effective planning and project management means laying out tasks in the right order, selecting the right products and vendors, putting the right people for the right tasks, and pushing them all to achieve a positive outcome. It requires excellent skills in organization and being on top of things.

An effective plan minimizes implementation risks and makes it easy to track progress. It minimizes wastes of time, money, and resources by minimizing reworks. It is fully thought-through and detailed, yet allows enough flexibility and adaptation. It includes contingencies and allows sufficient time for testing and user training. Any system transition is carefully coordinated to avoid operational disruptions.

To ensure a smooth process, relevant stakeholders need to get regular updates and be able to provide their feedback throughout planning and implementation.

It is important to track progress against clearly defined criteria and monitor quality and performance. However, while metrics and dashboards are indispensable, project management is primarily about people. Successful project management means putting the right people in the right place, giving them authority and resources to accomplish their jobs, and holding them strictly accountable for results. It is about creating an esprit de corps to achieve common goals and succeed together.