Missing a milestone is a failure, if you have a deadline you should be able to meet it if you are managing your time correctly. Being diligent of a milestone is important especially in the industry because if a deadline is missed then it can set the whole project back. If a milestone is missed then there needs to be a plan to be able to bounce back from that setback. Planning needs to be efficient from the beginning to ensure a successful project. The timeline of the project needs to be prioritized so that no milestone is missed.
I believe missing a milestone is a failure because it means the team did not meet its planned goals. Milestones are checkpoints that show progress, and failing them creates delays. It can also increase costs and reduce efficiency. Even if the project continues, it weakens trust with stakeholders. For me , missing a milestone reflects failure in project management.
In my opinion, missing a milestone is not automatically a failure. It depends entirely on the reason behind it and the impact it has on the overall project goals. If a milestone is missed due to poor planning, lack of communication, or team inefficiency, then it likely reflects a failure in execution. However, if the delay is caused by a well-informed decision to address a critical technical issue, conduct additional testing, or improve safety and compliance, then I would argue that missing the milestone is actually a strategic success. In my experience, within my research, I may need more time than given to check if a system is working properly, and if it isn't, than I would take more time to test it further. It wasn't because it was last minute or planned poorly, it is because I hold safety as my top priority for the user. In regulated industries like medical devices, pushing forward just to stay on schedule can lead to major consequences down the line, including product recalls, regulatory violations, or even patient harm. In those cases, meeting the deadline becomes less important than delivering a product that is safe, effective, and reliable. The key is transparency and communication. The key is to communicate to your supervisor, manager, or professor, that you might need more time than issued. What do you guys think? Should milestones always be treated as hard deadlines, or should they be flexible when it comes to ensuring quality and safety?
