One common problem organizations encounter is the existence of multiple concurrent plans for a single project. Between the various cross-functional groups, from accounting to engineering to HR, you may discover there are too many schedules in use. With all these timetables floating around, how can you trust any of the resulting progress estimates? The true status of each activity soon becomes a big question mark. Sound familiar? It’s the “many truths” problem and it could doom your project to failure.
documentation
What Project Information Do Executives Want?
Every PM strives to provide the executive team with useful data. Unfortunately, it isn’t always clear what kind of information an organization’s leadership group wants. Some executives have expressed an interest in being involved at each stage of a project’s lifecycle, while others prefer to be updated on the highlights and leave the details to someone else.
DOCUMENTATION: CLEAR, RELEVANT & CONCISE
DOCUMENTATION: CLEAR, RELEVANT & CONCISE Project management documentation proliferates at a startling pace. Before you know it, your current project’s files are stuffed, you have a stack of documentation boxes to prepare for storage, or you’re stuck sifting through thick folders from past projects in search of important information. Before the amount of documentation flowing amongst team…
Regulatory Oversight 101
Projects of every size and in any industry may sometimes require regulatory oversight or approval. Working with a regulatory body has the potential to affect every facet of your project, from where documents are archived to how long a particular activity must take. Regulatory oversight may seem daunting at first, but some basic research and…
Skillfully Combining Hard Copies with Electronic Documentation
The shift to electronic documentation is in full swing, but hard copies haven’t been rendered obsolete quite yet. An efficient project may be best served by skillfully combining formats and allowing project management team members and stakeholders to access materials in the way best suited to each type of document. Understanding how materials are used, distributed and…
Project Management Documentation Tips: Forms & Templates
Forms and templates are the foundation for many types of project documents. Rather than putting unnecessary effort into creating new forms for each project, the use of existing forms and templates can streamline your project’s documentation requirements, and allow your team to focus on higher-level objectives. A variety of resources are available to you when…
Project Management Documentation Tips: Electronic vs. Hard Copy
The shift to electronic documentation is in full swing, but hard copies haven’t been rendered obsolete quite yet. An efficient project may be best served by skillfully combining formats and allowing team members and stakeholders to access materials in the way best suited to each type of document. Understanding how materials are used, distributed and archived will help you determine the best way to use each format’s benefits to your advantage.