Creating a Project Plan

Creating a project plan for deploying Windows 2000 ensures a successful deployment. Although you will create a project plan that will uniquely meet your business and IT requirements, there are common elements that need to be included in your plan for it to be an effective roadmap for your project. This chapter focuses on integrating preliminary technology decisions into a project management plan that you can use to deploy Windows 2000. For more information about specific project management issues to consider when preparing your project plan, see "Planning for Deployment" in this book. Figure 2.1 illustrates some steps you can use to create a project plan.

Figure   2.1 Creating a Project Plan

Used effectively, a project plan can clearly identify specific phases of your deployment process and provide a clear and functional roadmap. While it is not necessary to follow a deployment process in a prescriptive manner — as you would an installation procedure — an infrastructure deployment process provides a conceptual framework for your Windows 2000 deployment project and makes it easier for your deployment teams to assess progress.

Many organizations already have project management methods and structures in place. To maximize the success of your deployment, follow a project management structure that is appropriate for your organization. The following sections outline a sample project management structure and then describe the project management structures used by two sample companies.

As you read through this chapter, you will find references to your deployment team, project planning documents, creating and using a test lab, and piloting Windows 2000. Table 2.1 is a list of the chapters in this book that contain additional information to assist you in developing your project plan.

Table   2.1 Deploying Planning Information Contained in this Book