A project plan, in the traditional way, is a paper essay written by imagination. Therefore, when reality kicks in, the plan is always constrained by time, cost, and quality. Fortunately, most projects I worked on were non-linear and progressed with the feedback loop (incremental development). In my experience, there was not even a project document to initiate a project. I like and prefer that way. However, for a big project or project proposal, it is mandatory to follow at least 12 steps of project management.
In my case, most projects are software development, and initiated by a program manager. Accountability for the project control and ownership rests with me. Usually, the project definition would be the problem statement – what problem are we trying to solve? Based on the problem statement, I gathered their expectations and transformed them into feasible digital solutions which were then broken down into an ordered list of tasks using a Gantt chart with Excel. The Gantt chart allows me to monitor the progress, productivity, and performance, and adjust priorities. The progress and quality of the project are improved by the iterative process of gathering feedback and review. Resources, risk assessment, costs, and safety margin were handled by a program manager. However, this workflow is suitable only if there are one or two people involved in plan execution.