Project Management has always been viewed as optional or something that is nice to have. Our experience tells us differently. We view Project Management as one of the most important factors in the success of any project.
Consider the top 6 reasons for project failure and consider how Project Management can mitigate these risks.
1. Incomplete/inaccurate requirements
Project Managers own requirements. They may not always be the people that generate them, but if the requirements are not completed or are not fit for purpose then it is the Project Manager’s responsibility to ensure that the requirements are completed correctly prior to the start of the project or moving to the next phase of the project.
2. Lack of user involvement
To mitigate the risk of lack of user involvement, we need to know which users need to be involved, why and how.
A Project Manager ensures the client has included the correct persons in the project team and that they are assigned time-sensitive, accountable tasks.
3. Unrealistic expectations
Unrealistic expectations can be caused by many reasons and a large majority of them will not be attributable to the Project Manager. However, the Project Manager works closely with the sales and project team to ensure that any unrealistic expectations are addressed such that the overall success of the project is not jeopardized. It is the Project Manager that defines whether the expectations of the project are fit for purpose.
4. Lack of executive support
Senior exec buy-in is not directly the responsibility of the Project Manager but by defining the objectives and expectations of the project in such a manner that they become fundamentally important to the business owners of the project executive support is significantly increased.
5. Changing Requirements
Requirements can change because the business environment changes, the business users come to understand what they are asking for is not what they need or because of misunderstandings about what the requirement really is.
By standardizing and utilizing a rigorous approach to defining requirements changes are minimized but more importantly any required changes in requirements can easily be accommodated without placing the entire project at risk.
6. Lack of Planning
Planning is owned by the Project Manager.
In the real world, most projects are planned by setting a go-live date and then reverse-scheduling the project from that date to try and fit everything in. This implementation date constraint is often outside of the control of the project team.
What the Project Manager can and must do is define what they need to do, who and what they need to do it with and how much effort will be involved.
Project management requires more than a methodical approach to planning and guiding project processes. It requires the personal discipline and commitment from every member of the project team and project managers that hold these members accountable.
Zuna’s project management services are included in all of our implementations. In addition to these services we offer project management services for organizations implementing ERP software through another vendor but are requiring client-side project management.
