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The Three Key Aspects of Project Closure: Delivery, Summary, and Team Disbandment

How to Handle the Project Closing Phase? These Three Points Will Turn You from a Rookie to a Pro!

Have you ever encountered situations like this: The project is finished, but the client nitpicks and says the deliverables don't meet standards? Or after disbanding the team, you realize you forgot to summarize the lessons learned and end up making the same mistakes again? Don't worry — this article dives into the often-overlooked details of the project closing phase in project management, ensuring you avoid unnecessary detours!

What Exactly Is the Closing Phase?

In short, there are three main things to do:

  1. Deliver Results — hand over the final project outcome to the client, including documents and an acceptance process.
  2. Summarize Experience — review what went well and what needs improvement to build reusable strategies.
  3. Disband the Team — help members transition smoothly, so the "last goodbye" doesn't become "never talking again."

Many people think the closing phase is just a formality, but it directly affects customer satisfaction and the success rate of future projects! For example, if your project deliverables process isn’t standardized, clients might back out at the last minute; and if your project experience summary method isn’t solid, you’ll be stuck reinventing the wheel every time.

Delivering Results: Don’t Let the Final Step Ruin the Whole Game!

Delivering results may seem like a simple step, but the devil’s in the details. Take project quality checks seriously — don’t rely solely on the project manager to spot everything. Here's a real-life example: A team developed a system, but during delivery, the client noticed typos in the user manual and refused to sign off — frustrating, right?

Also, standardizing the project deliverables process matters a lot. Should maintenance guides be included? How many copies of the acceptance document should be signed? All these need to be confirmed with the client in advance. It’s highly recommended to use Ganttable to create a progress chart listing every pre-delivery step — it helps prevent missing critical items.

Summarizing Experience: Don’t Let Lessons Slip Away!

To be honest, many teams treat post-project reviews as mere formalities. They'll hold a meeting where everyone just says, “The collaboration was great,” without diving deeper. In reality, project lessons learned analysis should focus on two key areas:

  • Highlight Strengths: If someone excelled in risk prediction, their approach could be written into company SOPs.
  • Analyze Weaknesses: If delays were due to poor communication, consider enforcing table-based reports instead of lengthy texts next time.

It's a good idea to share the summary report with the entire team via email, rather than letting it collect dust on a hard drive.

Disbanding the Team: This Step Tests Your People Skills!

Last time I helped a friend with project closure, one intern in his team wanted to convert to a full-time role, but the PM disbanded the team without giving him a chance to speak. Later, that guy joined a competitor and even brought client resources with him... So the best practices for team disbandment should include:

  • Talk to each member about their career plans first, and write recommendation letters for those who performed well.
  • Farewell events don’t need to be overly formal — even grabbing some barbecue together can warm hearts.
  • If no new roles are available, keep in touch anyway — after all, the project world is small.

You might ask, “Can we use templates for summarizing experiences?” Of course! Search online for "key points in project closing phase" and you’ll find ready-made frameworks. But don’t copy blindly — personalized elements like team dynamics and client preferences need to be filled in manually.

Honestly, the project closing phase is like the last mile in a romantic relationship — get it right and everyone wins, mess it up and everything falls apart. Next time you face challenges around how to effectively complete project closing work, remember these three things: standardize deliverables, specify lessons learned, and humanize team disbanding.

As for tools, something like Ganttable can help visualize timelines, but the real core is still people!