Project Software and other technology tools drive many business functions—from the routine to the critical—and project management is no different. There are a number of platforms out there to help teams keep track of their project activities. Some systems help with scheduling labor, others with resource allocations, and still others focus on budget adherence. A…
project management tips
Break Down Your Project Silos
April 17, 2018 by
The silo mentality can be a serious threat to a project. It closes team members off from each other and stifles the flow of information. The ability to make good business decisions, develop resolutions to problems, and even properly identify issues are all diminished if cooperation among cross-functional groups is hampered by organizational project silos….
No Integrated Project Plan? Beware the Risks.
March 28, 2018 by
The development of an integrated project plan is crucial, particularly when your project involves disparate sub-teams. You might have internal stakeholders carrying out important tasks, such as when the IT department tackles infrastructure upgrades necessary to support a new software platform, or a business unit must revise their existing workflows to accommodate an expanded production…
Resource Risks Project Teams Must Address
March 8, 2018 by
Project resource management is a big component in many projects, but there are some resource risk areas that even very experienced PMs may sometimes overlook. Because these issues can cause big delays and budget overruns, teams should put a priority on identifying and mitigating resource risks early in the planning process. Leveraging internal staff is…
What Can a Project Charter Do for You?
February 28, 2018 by
At the beginning of each project, everyone brings their own list of requests, goals, and expectations. Through the early discussions about resource availability and time requirements, those factors are distilled down to what the project will actually deliver and when each phase will be completed. Expectations are set, the objectives are defined, and timelines are…
5 Questions that Uncover Project Problems
February 21, 2018 by
Executives and other plan sponsors often have difficulty gauging how well a project is faring. From their somewhat removed vantage point, they likely don’t know if everything is on track at any given time. They don’t typically have detailed insight into how each of the critical paths is being managed from day to day, for…
Wrangling Project Communication Issues on Your Team
February 16, 2018 by
Projects that have clear and ongoing project communication issues eventually become plagued with problems. You’ve probably seen it before: The people responsible for managing schedules and monitoring progress are seen huddled in a corner solving problems, but the issues they’re working on and the solutions they’re developing to address them aren’t always communicated outside the…
Managing Sensitive Projects: Include These Skills On Your Team
February 8, 2018 by
Now and then an organization may encounter sensitive projects. It might be confidential internally, such as initiatives that will result in the relocation of a portion of the company or lead to a reduction in the overall workforce. On the other hand, projects could be sensitive outside the business because they are intended to change…
Align Project Results and Expectations
January 31, 2018 by
Have you encountered a project that didn’t turn out the way stakeholders thought it would? Or maybe you discovered that different groups—project team members, leadership staff, sponsors, and end users—each expected different things. Why does this happen? And what can you and your team do to avoid it?
Causes of Project Scope Creep
January 31, 2018 by
Project managers can usually spot scope creep once it appears, but by that point the damage has already begun and it’s a challenge to get things back in line. Sometimes the hardest part of fixing a problem is knowing why it happened in the first place. That’s the case with teams that find themselves hindered by a scope that has grown out of control.
