When a web project arrives the first thing which takes into count are the services needed by the customer, costs and delivery date. All this would be very simple if you do not consider some variables such as: real time for handling the tasks, problems that may arise during the project and your team’s capacity. Previously to the beginning of the project everything is possible in a given time, the job will be the most demanding and efficient of all, your team will give their full potential and effort. Sadly all this, is far from reality and is shown when you get to the delivery date you always need "another 5 more minutes" to finish.

During the project, problems always come up in unsuspected moments, with different causes and consequences. But when a deadline is broken these problems are bigger, details are not valued and delivering becomes the priority completing a project with many mistakes that later have to be repaired.

A good way to reach the deadline is to generate a work plan, setting priorities and knowing your own limits. The efficiency of the work deals with the amount of time it takes to do a task, is not the same to place an estimate based on real efficiency than one based on our "believed" capacity. Problems always come up making that 30 minute task into 3 or 4 hours. Always place a time to complete tasks comfortably, nor use this idea to waste time or not working right. This time provides for any problems that may occur during the project, and can be solved with the necessary calm and efficiency.

Generate estimated mini-times and divide tasks for each stage of the process helps control the final time and also the weakest and strongest parts of the project. Knowing this, during the process, we can support on the weaknesses and get back some of the lost time to finish the project on schedule. It will also serve as a "map" to review and see why the problems took place and then take the necessary measures and avoid them to re-emergence. Not only you will be warned about problems but also be able to help your team organize and improve their performance within their areas.

Do not accept complicated projects beyond your ability within the requested time, it’s a way of avoiding this problem. Rejecting a paid job is difficult and takes discipline, but you must keep in mind that "money does not replace time."

In the end, every project is different from the other and each will have its challenges and difficulties but the idea is to be prepared, organized and avoid as much as possible to reach an extreme situation, where your work is not valued, efficiency is not adequate and have unsatisfied customers.

Source: http://www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/07/28/passing-the-holy-milestone-how-to-meet-deadlines/