Ever wondered what truly defines the success of a project? Is it the final product, the client’s satisfaction, or how smoothly the team worked together? While all these matter, there’s one crucial element that often determines whether a project stays on track or spirals out of control.

In this guide, we’ll break down what deliverables in project management are, why they matter, and how to manage them effectively to ensure your next project hits every mark with confidence.

What Are Project Deliverables?

Project deliverables are the tangible or intangible outcomes produced as a result of a project, meant to be delivered to a client, stakeholder, or team.

They can be physical items, reports, designs, or completed services, depending on the nature and scope of the project. These deliverables are predefined during the planning phase and act as checkpoints for measuring project progress and success.

Types of Project Deliverables

1. Internal Deliverables

These are items or services created for internal purposes like strategy documents, testing reports, or software code modules that help the team move the project forward but aren’t necessarily handed over to a client.

2. External Deliverables

These are provided to clients, customers, or stakeholders. Examples include final products, design prototypes, marketing materials, or service implementations.

Depending on the industry, examples of deliverables might be:

• A completed website for a web development project

• A feasibility study in a construction project

• A training manual for a corporate HR project

• A mobile app feature in a tech product development cycle

Why Are Deliverables Critical to Project Success?

They are the building blocks of project management. Without clearly defined deliverables, a project can easily drift off course, resulting in delays, scope creep, and dissatisfied stakeholders.

Here’s why they matter:

• Clarity and Alignment: Defining deliverables ensures everyone knows what success looks like.

• Scope Management: They serve as milestones, helping to prevent scope creep.

• Stakeholder Communication: Deliverables serve as points of contact for approval and comments.

• Progress Tracking: Each completed deliverable signals a step closer to project completion.

How to Define Deliverables in a Project Plan

To ensure your deliverables are understood by all parties and achievable within timelines, follow these steps:

1. Refer to the Project Scope

First, review the scope document or statement of work (SOW) for the project. This will give you a high-level view of what’s expected.

2. Break Down Objectives into Outputs

Translate goals into concrete deliverables. For example, if your goal is to improve website user experience, your deliverables might include a redesigned homepage, a mobile-responsive layout, and usability test reports.

3. Be SMART

Make sure that every delivery is time-bound, relevant, quantifiable, achievable, and specific.

4. Assign Ownership and Deadlines

Each deliverable should have a clear owner and deadline to improve accountability, reduce confusion, and help teams consistently meet deadlines.

Best Tools to Track and Manage Project Deliverables

These platforms help teams stay organized, maintain visibility, and meet deadlines efficiently:

EmpMonitor - EmpMonitor helps monitor employee productivity and work hours in real time.

Trello / Asana - User-friendly project boards let you assign tasks, set deadlines, and visualize progress in real time, ideal for teams collaborating remotely.

Jira - Perfect for agile and software development teams, Jira allows detailed tracking of deliverables, sprints, bugs, and version releases.

Microsoft Project - A robust platform suited for complex projects requiring Gantt charts, dependency mapping, and workload management.

Google Sheets or Excel - Still a reliable option for small teams, great for logging deliverables, deadlines, and status updates manually.

Real-Life Example

Imagine you're managing a digital marketing campaign for a product launch. Here’s what some deliverables might look like:

• A 30-day social media content calendar

• 10 designed graphics for ads

• A pre-launch email campaign

• A post-launch performance report

Each of these can be tracked, reviewed, and marked as complete, ensuring your campaign stays on schedule and delivers ROI.

Also, watch this video - EmpMonitor: Skyrocket Your Sales with Better Project Management

Summary

The specified outcomes, whether tangible or intangible, are known as project deliverables. These deliverables act as key milestones, helping teams track progress, manage scope, and meet stakeholder expectations. They can be internal (used within the team) or external (delivered to clients or end-users), and are essential for measuring project success. To manage deliverables effectively, teams should clearly define each one, assign ownership, and use tools like EmpMonitor, Trello, Asana, Jira, and Microsoft Project. Ultimately, understanding and managing deliverables in project management ensures clarity, accountability, and smoother execution from start to finish.

FAQ: Common Questions About Project Deliverables

Q1. Are project deliverables the same as project goals?

A: No. Goals define what you want to achieve; deliverables are the concrete outputs that help you get there.

Q2. Can a meeting be a project deliverable?

A: Yes, especially if it’s a key milestone meeting like a client presentation or stakeholder review.

Q3. How many deliverables should a project have?

A: As many as needed to fulfill the project’s goals but not so many that tracking becomes unmanageable.

Q4. How do you handle missed deliverables?

A: Identify the cause, adjust timelines or resources, communicate transparently, and reset expectations as needed.