The goal of any manager and any company that wants to succeed is to carry out its projects successfully. It is still necessary to have the right methodology in terms of project management to achieve the set objectives. A project is built step by step following a precise order, with a competent team, defined and controllable costs, relevant allocation of resources, etc. This requires organization and the use of management tools such as dashboards and Gantt charts for real-time monitoring of task progress. Project management therefore requires following crucial steps that we will detail below.
What is project management?
The project management includes a set of actions aiming at controlling its progress. The steering allows to better manage the constraints, to respect the deadlines and to have a global vision of the progress of the project.
In concrete terms, project management requires a good knowledge of the project’s scope and the ability to monitor it easily thanks to the indicators defined beforehand and the dashboards.
In fact, project management covers several aspects: controlling the budget and adjusting it if necessary, choosing the right manager capable of supervising the project team, monitoring whether the forecasted schedule is respected and whether the project can be delivered on time, and knowing how to take the appropriate decisions if risks are identified.
The 7 steps to follow for an efficient project management
1. Defining the project is the starting point. It needs to be anticipated in a clear, precise and realistic way. A vision that responds to the real needs of the company will generate a better adhesion of the actors. Similarly, if the project and its objectives are well understood and accepted by the team, it will generate higher productivity. It is therefore essential to determine:
- the issues ;
- objectives;
- priorities ;
- resources;
- Budget;
- deadlines ;
- skills to be implemented ;
- the roles and responsibilities of each.
2. Allocating resources is an important task because it allows you to assess the resources needed to accomplish a particular task. What skills do you have for the project? Do you need to recruit? If recruitment is necessary, establish processes to facilitate the integration of new employees. Human resources management is a determining factor in the success or failure of a project.
3. Deploying an action plan is essential to allow you to track and see the progress of tasks step by step. It provides a framework and organizes all the actions to be carried out over a defined period. You can use a management solution to help you, such as a management tool to view your action plan.
4. Budgeting allows for better cost control. Often, unforeseen circumstances can cause the budget to be exceeded. When developing your budget, include thresholds and alerts that will allow you to react effectively.
5. Organizing meetings is essential for regular follow-up. This allows for a review of progress and upcoming tasks.
6. Valuing the work of your team is a step that should not be skipped. In the field of project management, the involvement and motivation of employees are the key to success or failure. It is therefore necessary to know how to manage them well and motivate them to get the best out of them.
7. Taking stock after the project is implemented is an excellent way to learn what worked, what was difficult to achieve, what could have been handled differently, etc. This assessment is crucial for the management of future projects.
A tool to improve
project management ?
Benefits of using project management software
Managing a project requires the use of a project management tool adapted to your needs. It allows you to distribute tasks, to have an optimized organization, to have a better control of delivery times and to establish a good communication. With all existing planning tools, such as Ganttthe work will be distributed fairly among each member of the project team within achievable deadlines.
In addition, the software at your disposal really helps you in the distribution of tasks by identifying the people who carry large workloads and those who have less. You can also closely monitor the project and find solutions in case of difficulties.
Finally, the task visualization provides a better overview of the team’s overall activities. Management can only be effective in monitoring people and their work.
To conclude, the launch of a project must be carefully prepared by showing organization and relevance in the choices to be made. It is a matter of surrounding yourself with competent collaborators who must be motivated and involved. It is also necessary to equip oneself with effective project management tools and to opt for management methods that have proven themselves.
