Executing just one project successfully can sometimes be a challenge. As a trusted project management consulting partner for businesses in a number of sectors, we know that driving a rolling list of projects to successful completions is even more demanding. It requires strong skills, full buy-in from the entire project team, unfailing support from sponsors, and a proven methodology.
Another important element in project success is consistency. Internal silos are one frequent roadblock when it comes to carrying out project activities in a consistent manner, but there are a number of reasons enterprises find it difficult to implement a shared set of practices and processes.
If you’re struggling to achieve the project results you want, consider some of the ways a more consistent approach can help you reach a higher level of project success.
1 – Consistency ensures everyone on your project team is doing things the same way
Bringing a group of professionals together and expecting them to work toward shared goals can create a lot of unnecessary confusion if there aren’t basic guidelines in place to keep the various disciplines moving in the same direction. Everything from how data is reported to the way project controls are utilized should be consistent from one individual to the next and from one initiative to the next. If improvements to existing processes are identified, upgrades can then be leveraged by the entire group. This approach delivers better project outcomes over time and also allows you to more clearly see how process changes affect your project results.
2 – Consistency enables you to have the data you need, when you need it
Success at the individual project level as well as the higher portfolio level are both tightly linked to consistent data management practices. It’s important that everyone on your team gathers, stores, and updates data in the same way. Even the deletion of data should be governed by a single set of standards. When it comes to data, this consistency gives you, your stakeholders, and your leadership team confidence that the information the business is using to make strategic decisions is accurate, complete, and reliable.
3 – Consistency keeps stakeholders and sponsors engaged
A haphazard approach to communicating with stakeholders across the various projects in your portfolio will almost certainly lead to weak engagement and could even put one or more of your initiatives in jeopardy if your erratic messages causes a sponsor to disconnect from their project. A consistent stakeholder engagement strategy eliminates those issues by providing a strong foundation for two-way communications, reinforcing stakeholders’ confidence in your team’s ability to respond to potential risks and concerns, and to keep their priority projects moving forward.
4 – Consistency reduces the influences of bias and subjectivity
Implementing processes that persist across the entire portfolio of projects helps you avoid the negative impacts that can occur when decisions are made based on personal preferences, favoritism, or fear. Consistency in the way data is gathered, in the way projects within the portfolio are prioritized, in the criteria used to approve projects for execution, and in the protocols that guide risk management and other core project activities removes these subjective factors and enables your organization to make impartial choices based on verifiable data.
5 – Consistency boosts your continuous improvement efforts
If your organization is focused on increasing its project success rate, on delivering better ROI over time, on driving down costs, and on expanding its knowledge base, then consistency in your approach is critical. When your methodology is uniformly used, you can then accurately understand trends, identify opportunities to improve, and gauge how well your team is performing.
PMAlliance, Inc offers project management consulting, project management training and projec