Your project must have a definite set of deliverables that mark its end. Projects also require a finish date. Some projects’ finish dates are a touch more firm than others. For example, the Y2K bug most companies worried themselves over in 1999 had an inflexible deadline. Or consider a project that management says must be completed before a peak business period. Other projects, such as the release of a new e-mail program within an organization, can have a tendency to go on forever and evolve into runaway projects.

Runaway projects stem from loosely guarded project scope, poor planning, and lack of research. Of course, the longer a project takes to produce its deliverables, the more the project will cost. In addition, to make it personal, a missed deadline can impact bonuses, incentives, and raises for project managers and team members. The best way to reach a target date for completion is to plan, plan, plan. And then analyze the plan. And then adjust and readjust until the plan is acceptable and the team is ready to implement the technology.