Despite the size of a project, no matter how big or small it is, it will involve costs. And having money ready at each instance of need is very rare to be seen unless the project has been supported by rich investors. So, having a planned budget before the initiation of a project is extremely necessary as even a slight disturbance in the budget can result in making the whole process chaotic. As a project manager, you have to stick to the budget, because, at the end of the day, you are the one who will be accountable for any disturbance or vice versa. So, you need to make sure that the budget is accurate and the project is sticking to it.
In case you have created the budget wrong or a certain process of the project took more money which you didn’t foresee, in that case, you will have to communicate with the stakeholders asking for more money for the project. Even if you decide not to approach the financial department, there is no way your project would be able to see the light of the day. That’s why the project manager needs to make the project budget Accurate and correct.
This article is going to vent into the subject to give you a comprehensive view of the importance of a budget. But before going into that subject, let’s take a look at what you mean by project budget?
What Is A Project Budget?
The project budget is the estimated amount of money that is going to require to complete each phase of the project. It is a crucial variable of the project as it helps the project manager to set expenditure expectations. Furthermore, it is crucial for getting project approval, measuring performance and having money at disposal while required in the certain phase of the project. It is a document that is required throughout the project to continuously monitor, review, and up to date throughout the entire project.
Nowadays, there are plenty of project management tool that allow the project manager to create a budget without any error. The A.I. of the tool determines different activities and predicts the accurate amount of budget that is going to be required for the completion of the project.
Components Of A Project Budget
The project budget contains all the necessary details of the activities that involve expenses. Here are the main components that are included in a project budget.
Labour cost: Employees’ salaries, benefits, payroll taxes and other variables.
Materials procurement cost: The cost of the resources, services, equipment, and supplies that will be required in the project.
Under these categories, the costs are further divided into two categories. they are,
Fixed Cost: these costs will not change throughout the project as they are mostly predetermined costs.
Variable costs: these costs might vary or change in the future based on the activity.
The costs are determined for each project activity and are given an accurate timeline. These details come in handy and are very critical when it comes to tracking the performance of the activities of the project.
Importance Of Project Budgets
The project budgets are required for the completion of the project efficiently as well as effectively. It is designed to,
- Assist with the decision making process. It helps the project manager to decide whether the project will complete with the given costs that are going to be required in different activities of the project.
- It allows the project manager to have clear communication with the stakeholders that involve finance. With the help of an accurate project budget they can relay information about how much money will the project requirements and when will it require.
- Give a clear idea to the project manager by helping them to work out whether the project is going according to the plan.
Conclusion
Managing the budget in project management tool is the most difficult task of a project manager. However, by having an effective project management tool, the project manager can budget with accuracy. With an accurate budget at their disposal, they can complete the project without causing any inconveniences. So, having an efficient and effective budget is extremely important in project management.
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