Project Management
How does your team approach a project? Do you just do it? Do you make a plan? In general, projects that succeed require project management. But what is project management? According to the Project Management Institute – “Project management is the use of specific knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to deliver something of value to people.” It requires a team to look at the end goal, otherwise known as a deliverable, and then making a plan on how to get there.
Have you and your team ever wondered why …
- a deliverable was not delivered
- an order was lost
- supplies for an order were not ordered
Back in my IT (information technology) days, I was given the task to learn a software tools called Microsoft Project. I remember looking at the tool and thinking it
was software no different from Microsoft Word or Microsoft Excel, and then I started to learn it and use it. I realized that I was wrong.
It made me realize the importance of applying project management to client orders and internal projects, regardless of the size.
Project management is a road map
I realized that to succeed one needed to create a road map otherwise known as a project plan. How to start at A and end up at Z. To take into account all the dependencies — the relationships between the many tasks and the sequence in which they are needed to be completed.
Taking into account not only the time that a task itself takes, but also the lead time that is required to complete it as well as all of the other dependencies connected to the task.
MS Project was a software tool that required me to learn to think differently. It required me to think in terms of:
- decision points
- time
- dates
- dependencies
- tasks
- milestones
- deliverables
Project management is a philosophy
By following this philosophy and thinking in such a way, it helped me avoid taking on projects that were not doable. More importantly, it allowed me to deliver projects on a timely basis by looking at them not as a whole but rather as a sum of the many parts that made it.
Understanding that a project is more than just a finished product, regardless of the industry. A project is the journey of getting from a starting point to the finish point in a planned and methodical way. A successful project requires a plan. It requires looking at the individual parts and flushing out all the details, especially time and the materials, that are needed to succeed.
What is the time in a project? When creating a project plan, you need to :
- estimate the actual amount of time it takes a person or team to complete a task
- the lead times
- the amount of time required for interdependent tasks.
For example, if you want to order a new widget, the project plan needs to consider the following…
- how much time does it take (and how many peoples time are needed) to spec out the widget
- how much time does it take to receive quotes from vendors
- how long does it take to receive the widget
- how long does it take to install the widget
If the estimates were realistic and your vendors deliver as promised, the project is on the road to being successfully completed.
What are Materials in a project? Materials are the widget as well as the pieces that are needed to deliver or install the widget.
A good plan take into account all the pieces required to be successfully completed.
I am Your Virtual Professional can help your team manage projects
As an experienced project manager, I have the ability to work with a team to develop a real timeline. A timeline that takes into account the various interdependencies to assure that a project is properly scoped out with real and attainable delivery dates.
Project planning enables a successful project which leads to a better customer service experience which leads to raving fans which leads to repeat business and a higher ROI.
I look forward to the opportunity of talking with you to discuss how, as your virtual professional, together we can make your next project a success.
Don’t let your next project end with you and your team asking WHY?