We are finally turning in our official Design Document for the project at the beginning of next week.  This document will include aspects from our Problem Statement, Requirements Document, and Preliminary Design and bring them all together to form our guidelines for the rest of the year. 

I think it is important to have a plan and to stick to it, but I also think it is extremely important to understand that nothing is set in stone.  Not having a clear, concise, and well thought out plan at the beginning of a project is a recipe for conflict and low productivity.  Having goals and a clear path to those goals helps move work along and ensures everyone has a clear idea of what our team is working towards at each step of the project.  

It is impossible to see the future though, so we need to be prepared to deal with unexpected hurdles and roadblocks that may change our plan, and to not get discouraged in the process.  As long as we’re prepared and willing to put in the work now to make a good plan and persevere in the future when things don’t go exactly according to that plan, this design document will serve as a roadmap to our team’s success.