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The Principles Of Flawless Project Management in 2020

This year has presented a number of unique challenges for every business. No matter what sector you operate in, or who your key audiences are, 2020 and the seismic impact of the global pandemic have shaken processes and people to the very core. All businesses are having to innovate and find new ways of doing things - but to guide those tricky decisions, the best course of action is always to follow an established plan of action. Much may have changed within the business, political and economic landscapes, but sound project management still has a tremendous value in providing a framework to allow you to pivot and accommodate all the new challenges and demands of doing business in 2020.

 

Map Out Your Scope

 

Defining the scope of the project and the deliverables you need to achieve is always the first step in effective project management. It's all too easy for 'mission creep' to occur, where distractions sneak in and dilute what you were originally trying to achieve. Taking the time to carefully set out the end goal and the milestones along the way also makes communication with delivery partners, stakeholders and suppliers much smoother. Whether you're mapping out an infrastructure project with a partner like Jointline, or planning the launch of a new website, getting people onside is half the battle - and a well-defined project scope will certainly help to support this. 

 


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Assemble Your Team

 

Your project will need a team to deliver it, and what you want to achieve is a mixture of people with different skill sets. In the case of a smaller business without many staff, that may well include some functions which have been outsourced, such as marketing. Diversity is a real asset here, as the more different viewpoints that you incorporate, the more likely you are to find out any design flaws in the structure of the project from the outset. During this process, you need to ensure a mix of soft skills as well as practical ones. 

 

Find The Right Tools

 

You'll need to support your project with tools such as a cloud based project management system, such as Basecamp. You should also think about how you segment and distribute communications on the project, perhaps using a robust CRM system with an integrated email program like DotMailer. Successful project managers know that half the secret lies in keeping people informed and these tools can also help with functions such as producing progress reports. Take the time to fully train on the system so that you understand the ins and outs and have minimized the learning curve that can be encountered when working with any new software. 

 

Remember To Wrap Up

 

After completion of any project, the final important step you need to keep to is conducting a project review. This is vital to capture any learnings and have a basis to make adaptations going forwards. You can set up an online survey to capture some quantitative data, as well as holding an in-person meeting for qualitative data. Identifying and correcting issues ans celebrating success should all be on the agenda. 

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