{"id":291027,"date":"2024-05-09T17:11:43","date_gmt":"2024-05-09T17:11:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/project.co\/?p=291027"},"modified":"2024-06-10T15:51:03","modified_gmt":"2024-06-10T15:51:03","slug":"project-closure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/project.co\/project-closure\/","title":{"rendered":"Project Closure Complete Guide (Definition, Process, Checklist)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Last updated on 9th May 2024<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article we\u2019re going to go through everything you need to know about project closure. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Opening projects can be really exciting, and so can working on them, but project closure doesn\u2019t get talked about as much. However, it\u2019s still an important aspect of successful project management<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Closing projects correctly can help you to learn from any mistakes so you can avoid repeating them in the future. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A great project closure can also increase client satisfaction. After all, this is the last communication you have with them, so it should be organised and professional. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ready to find out more about project closure? Let\u2019s jump into our complete guide!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is project closure? (Definition)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Project closure is the last step of managing a project. This is where you finalise all of your tasks, make sure all of your deliverables have been reviewed and completed, and achieve final sign off and approval from stakeholders and\/or clients. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s also an opportunity for reflection. You can review your project and find out what went well and what you would change if you were to start the project again from scratch. This can help to inform future projects and ensure things run smoothly in your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This process of reflection is one of the reasons why project closure is so important. But it’s equally important to have a formal project closure process so that you optimise resource utilisation, ensure customer satisfaction, and minimise risks that could arise with leaving a project open-ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project closure example<\/strong>s<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

There are several reasons why you might close a project. Here, we\u2019ll take a look at 5 project closure examples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Objectives have been achieved<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re managing projects correctly then this is hopefully going to be your most likely reason for closing a project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When all objectives have been achieved, and you\u2019ve completed everything you needed to, it\u2019s time to close the project and move on to the next one!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Risk mitigation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also essential to close projects so that you don\u2019t expose your company to potential risks and unresolved issues. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Issues that could occur from projects being left open include: stakeholder confusion and communication errors, financial implications (caused by things like tying up resources and ongoing project maintenance), and even scope creep.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Resource optimisation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As a project manager<\/a>, you likely already know that active projects take up a lot of time, costs, and resources. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your project is complete, it\u2019s important to close it fully so that you can free up those resources and make them available for other projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Changing scopes<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s so important that projects remain within the scope originally agreed upon. Scope creep<\/a> can be really damaging and result in extra costs and disgruntled clients. If a project scope has changed so much that it doesn\u2019t resemble what was initially agreed upon at the start of the project, then it\u2019s best to close the project and open a new one. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, if you started a project for creating blog content for a client and the direction shifted towards creating an explainer video. The change to the project scope is so vast that it\u2019s essentially a different project – so you might as well treat it like one to avoid confusion! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re using a project management tool, like Project.co<\/a>, this is super easy to do. On our platform, you can easily delete or complete a project at any time. If you\u2019re closing a project because the scope has changed, we recommend marking it as \u2018complete\u2019 instead of deleting it, because then you\u2019ll be able to access previous information if you need it.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you still have uncompleted projects on the task, Project.co will remind you of this to make sure you\u2019re still happy to mark the project as complete. When you do so, you\u2019ll see a lock symbol appear next to the project name. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Next, you\u2019re going to want to open a new project. This is also easy. You just hit the +Create New button at the top of the page.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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You can link to your previous project in the project description to remind everyone why this new project exists. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Team recognition<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Closing a project is – more often than not – a sign of a job well done, so it should be a cause for celebration! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whenever you successfully close off a project, be sure to give your project team the recognition they deserve. According to our Employee Engagement Statistics 2022<\/a>, almost 20% of people say they never, or almost never, receive any recognition at work<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to close a project (in 5 steps)<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

1. Confirm completion with the client or stakeholder<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The first step to closing a project should be to get confirmation from key stakeholders or clients that they are indeed happy to consider the project complete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

All this takes is a quick message to ensure everyone is happy and has no more feedback to share or changes to make to the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project.co\u2019s Discussion tool makes this simple: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It works just like any other messaging platform and ensures that all of your messages remain in one centralised location. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019ll also have the entirety of your project conversation to scroll back through, dated and time-stamped. This is perfect for auditing or reviewing past project performance. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Conduct a project review<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Next, start reviewing your project with a critical eye. Ask yourself: <\/p>\n\n\n\n