The Target Completion Date, or TCD, is the deadline given when all phases of a specific project are to be finished. If you are involved in project management, your long-term goal is to make or exceed the TCD. Therefore, the underlying aspect influencing all project management decisions is how that decision will affect the designated target completion date.

Good project management relies on setting an attainable TCD, and analyzing the schedule of event that must take place for completion of a project, and then organizing these events in a manner that will allow all of them to be completed by the Target Completion Date. A large project with a far off TCD will be better managed by setting up target completion dates on individual phases of the larger project.

When conducting specific project management, all analysis of the schedule must work toward completion of all phases by the imposed TCD. A set target completion date is made for various reasons, some of which may be outside forces affecting the TCD while others rely upon it for continuation of other projects. A missed TCD can have a negative ripple effect throughout a project, an organization, and even be passed on to clients and clients’ clients.