End-to-End Planning as a Tool for Synchronizing Participants in a Large Project

Abstract

This study examines through planning (also referred to as end-to-end planning) as a structural mechanism for achieving systematic coordination among multiple participants in large and complex projects. Despite decades of methodological advancement in project management, the failure rate of large-scale initiatives remains persistently high: only 35% of projects worldwide meet all goals and timelines according to PMI (2025), and 78% of large projects experience schedule overruns. The research applies a systematic literature review combined with comparative case analysis to identify coordination failure patterns and evaluate how through planning resolves them by integrating Integrated Master Schedules, Program Increment Planning, cross-functional cadence systems, and project resource coordination into a single cohesive framework. Drawing on cases from the technology, infrastructure, and public sectors, the study proposes the Synchronized End-to-End Planning Architecture (SEPA), a five-layer operational framework mapping strategic objectives to team-level execution. The findings confirm the hypothesis that through planning, when implemented as a deliberate coordination architecture rather than a scheduling exercise, significantly reduces misalignment between project participants across all lifecycle phases. Project managers, PMOs, functional leads, and senior leadership in organizations managing distributed multi-team initiatives will find the framework practically applicable.