March 5th, 2018

When it comes to project management, any team will face challenges when trying to keep each project on track and within scope and budget. Successfully executing a project requires a set of broadly applicable skills and tools– especially in the tech industry. However, there are several factors to be considered to prevent your project from experiencing derailment. By taking a few precautions and having a excellent plan in place, you can lead your project to success. Here are several project management tips to help ensure your project will move along smoothly.

Time Management

Time management is a key aspect of project management and involves skills such as planning, setting goals and prioritizing for a better performance. A lack of effective time management can have a negative impact on a project in the long run. Ineffective time management can also increase stress and frustration in the project manager and the team members. The key to good time management is not work more, but to work more efficiently. This means structuring your time so that you get more done in less time. Simply avoiding distractions constitutes towards effective time management. It is important to eliminate distractions while working so you can focus on the important tasks at hand. For a project’s team members and manager, it is particularly important to possess time management skills to be successful.

Communicating with Your Team

Regular team communication helps keep misunderstandings and unclear requirements under control. Keeping your team informed in every step of the project is essential. Creating a Google document is a great way to communicate with teammates and clients. Moreover, the project manager of any project needs to be a leader to communicate effectively with all parties. The successful execution of project depends heavily on the ability of the team’s communication. Hence, communication is the function that integrates cost, scope and time to achieve a quality product. In other words, frequent, clear communication positively influences how team members view their project manager as a leader, helps control product quality and project duration, and adds to the successful risk and scope management.

Having the Right Tools to Track Projects

Essentially, project management tools employ project planning, time management resource allocation and change management. Tools such as project plans, task assignments, and project budgets enable project managers to effectively estimate, plan and track projects, and allow managers to clearly define goals and objectives. For example, Jira is a great software for tracking the progress of a project. It allows users to plan, track, and manage all software development projects from a single tool. Project management tools are also critical in the area of resources. Gantt charts and resource time and expense reporting enable project managers to assign and schedule resources, and can come in use in the areas of manufacturing and production. In all, project management tools can ultimately help companies become as competitive as possible, and set them apart from their industry.

Documenting Meetings with Clients

Project managers understand the importance of project documentation. They must be accurate and constantly updated to keep current with the project. Documenting all aspects of a project can be a difficult task for project managers, regardless of whether they’re working in an agile or flat organization. Once again, creating a Google document containing organized folders is a great tool for collaborating and communicating with clients. Furthermore, no matter your organization’s structure, the ability to record and document all aspects of a project is vital to ensuring a successful project. Multiple reports, charts, graphs, documents, change requests and status updates need to be maintained throughout the life-cycle of a project. Ultimately, documentation works to stitch all the disparate pieces of a project together and bring it to a successful finish.

Avoiding Scope Creep

Scope creep occurs when changes are made to the scope of a project without any control, and is also a leading cause of project failure when handled poorly. Measures must be taken to control project embellishment. It’s also important to ensure you and your team don’t fall victim to its unpleasant results. Be sure to understand the project visions and your priorities. Also, be sure to define your deliverables into actual work requirements. The larger your project, the more detail you should include. However, the effects of scope creep are not always negative, depending on your situation. By controlling your cost of development and by delivering on time, your project can be a success, without compromising flexibility in production.

In reality, project management is rarely straightforward, and in all, plays a vital role in any company’s success. Having the right set of tools to track analytics, requirements, change and project progress will help you perform at your best. Therefore, if you haven’t already, consider applying these tips to ensure your own project management success.