Monday, June 12, 2017

How To Properly Manage A Project

By William Meyer


The first thing and the most important when starting any project is to define the scope. You should know what it is that you are trying to accomplish or create. So, you will have to go back to your objective. You have to get the definition from your boss to clarify everything, including the scope.

Determine the available resources that can help in achieving the right output. What you need to know is the overall amount that is allocated for it including other resources such as equipment and so on. If the job description involves product management then know that resources are not controlled by you but you need to manage it.

The schedule is important to know when it will start and the date to finish it. Developing the plan requires flexibility especially when it comes to time. Deadlines need to be fixed in advance. If there is a need for overtime just to achieve the output then ensure that resources are sufficient for it.

Be sure to assemble your team for that particular project. Get them together and start a meeting or dialog. All of them must be experts in their own right. Their expertise is the reason why they are part of the team and your main job is to manage that group of people. You have to assure that you are working with the right people.

Detail each step. Know the major components in completing it. Prioritize each task based on its complexity. To make it successful, everything must be managed well such as the people and other resources. Break down the large items into smaller ones to simplify the steps.

Assign a certain individual or team in charge of the different components. Work with the individuals involved then talk about the details to attain the necessary goal. All the people must understand the process including the cost limitation and it should support the overall scope. You must write down the steps needed to discuss the complexity of the tasks.

Another is developing the preliminary plan. You have to assemble the necessary steps of the plan. A good way is to have a precedence table to identify the order of the items. Identify the critical path based on the network diagram and focus on it. Sequence the activities correctly and determine the core issue to address it immediately without affecting the results.

A baseline plan should also be created. Do it by collecting the feedback on the first plan from your group and stakeholders. Adjust the timeline or the schedule to meet the target time. There are adjustment to be made to the plan to acquire the targeted outcome of the projects which are assigned to you.

You have to know that resources which involve time, talent and money assigned to a certain project may not be enough. Your job as a manager is make use of all the resources, limited or not. If it is impossible then be ready present a case and request for changes to be liquidated. Never wait until problems or troubles to happen before you take some actions.




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