In order to meet business goals, project managers rely on reliable project management methodologies, each of which carries its own standards and frameworks. Although using a single approach as a way of streamlining their procedures can be tempting for a project manager, this is usually not suggested or efficient, as no two tasks are precisely the same.
Successful project management is part art, part science that allows project managers to adapt their approach to their current project’s specific needs. However, no matter what particular approach or system you use, there are many project management techniques you can use to advise and lead your project. Below we take a closer look at those tactics.
- Fully comprehend what the project means to be successful.
A project manager has several different roles that fall within the project life cycle’s various stages or processes: initiating, preparing, implementing, managing and monitoring, and closing. The project manager takes a project from inception to execution in each of these stages. Usually, “success” means that the project is delivered on (or under) budget, on time, within the specified framework and resulting in deliverables of high quality.
“The project leader will then establish the key performance drivers of the projectbased on such standards —that means, anything has tomove smoothly for the conclusion of the project,” says Emerson. If these are established, it is merely a case of matching the project management components and building them into your plan.”
- Understand the complexities and limitations which could influence success.
While a project manager needs to consider the success criteria of their project, Emerson states that it is also necessary for them to recognize any obstacles, risks, or limitations that could impact their chances of success. There are several specific potential project limitations in your strategy to be mindful of and factor into your plan. These include;
Scope: What is (and is not) precisely included in the Project?
Time: What timetable are you supposed to stick to?
Cost: What is the cost estimate that the project needs to keep inside?
Resources: What equipment and human resources are available for use at project completion?
Stakeholder Satisfaction: What is the ultimate aim or purpose for the customer to be happy that the project needs to meet?
Quality: What are the project standards to be evaluated?
- Switch into PMBOK.
If you grasp the criteria and conditions of the project’s progress, it is crucial not to draw judgments as to how the project can proceed. Link to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) to guide your project before implementing your strategy.
“It’s important for the project manager to know Project Management Body of Knowledge, the importance of each piece, its planned use, and how to use it to develop the best project management strategy,” Emerson says.There are 10 main fields of this expertise, including:
Time: Procedures needed to handle the project’s completion in time
Scope: Procedures involved to make sure that all the work – and only the work necessary to effectively complete the project – is used for the project plan
Risk: Methods for the recognition, analysis, preparation, and evaluation of project risk
Costs: Mechanisms involved in preparing, monitoring, and tracking costs to ensure the project is within the budgeted amount
Control of stakeholders: Processes appropriate to define, assess, and efficiently address stakeholders and their interests in project decisions and implementation
Human Resources: Methods for planning, managing, and directing the project team
Communications: Procedures needed to ensure effective and timely coordination of project details
Procurement: procedures used to obtain products, resources, and reports from outside the team and organization of the project
Quality: Procedures and practices for ensuring that the project meets the requirements on which it was carried out
Integration: Integrating procedures and practices through the nine key fields of expertise
- Document the procedure you proposed in the necessary papers.
Armed with the information you have gained up to now; you can start drawing up the papers that will eventually lead your project. Two of the most significant include:
- A statement of project scope, including a comprehensive summary of the activities needed to execute the project on time and under the budget.
- A project schedule, which is a formal template used to direct the implementation of a project. This schedule should contain supporting documentation, such as the communication strategy, which defines a project’s communication cycle.
Emerson emphasizes the value of developing a comprehensive communication strategy that first-time project managers will easily overlook. She explains a scenario in which a project team operates through several time ranges, which may introduce itself as a challenge to successful communication.
“By planning and performing a strategy for coordination that encourages access the information timely for the team of project management, a fundamental progress feature will include: ‘Make sureall members of the team have the compulsoryproficiency to help their work forward,’ she says.
- Stay flexible.
Even after the work has finally kicked off, Emerson states that recognizing that project scope is not a static document, is crucial. It ought to be a living document that, while maintaining guardrails for the project, also has the capacity to develop in order to address the project’s changing needs.
“Smart project leadersknow that the most techniquessuitable for the management of a project can accelerate the entireplan,” she says. “Project managerhas to considerthat: What’s happening?At this point in stage what essentials to be done? What is it that helps or hinders me? What is there I need to do?And what tools, expertise, or project management competencies can benefit me?How can I get these to work? This includes not only understanding the project management theory but also learning how to implement them.
There is essentially no one project management method or strategy that is sure to be entirely successful on any project you oversee. Every project may need a specific approach, and it is up to the project manager to evaluate the requirements of the project and elaborate on the plan that best suits those requirements. You can take PMP certification training to get understanding of all those strategies and become a better project manager.