Project management techniques are progressively advancing and have not yet reached their peak. Many tools and systems are being built to meet the growing demand and you are yet to see more as years go by.
Of course, these tools and systems will be rendered useless if there is no skilled personnel to use them. Collaborating effective project management tools with improving the skill level of your team is the most valuable asset a startup company might have.
What practical steps to take to improve the skills of project management teams and how can you match them with relevant tools?
1. Using WordPress Project Management Plugins
You are probably using WordPress for a business website and you are familiar with its interface, thus using this platform for project management might not be much of a problem. Fortunately, there is a wide repertoire of plugins you can use to manage your projects and stay on top of benchmarks. These useful tools can take care of a wide range of tasks, such as managing the team’s calendar.
You can also use these plugins to collaborate on projects by using them as a messaging board. Team members can leave a comment on a particular project or task and even share file attachments. Other plugins offer project managers an opportunity to manage various projects at once.
They offer a dashboard providing a holistic view of the progress of the project. If you have specialized requirements, some plugins are customizable but these come at a price. If you are willing to pay, your team might get the best project management plugin, which will enable them to work productively.
Enhanced productivity, while developing a robust digital marketing strategy that includes social media and the best eCommerce platform, will contribute to improved revenue generation as the team will be hitting benchmarks and meeting targets. Regardless of your budget, you can find trustworthy and reliable WordPress plugins for project management purposes. They will unify the workflow and keep everyone updated on what still needs to be done efficiently.
2. Be Detailed when Mapping out Workflows
As the saying goes, “if you fail to plan, you are planning to fail” This is absolutely true in project management. Give yourself enough time to meticulously plan every detail of the project and confirm these details for accurate estimates. Get a scope of the budget, human resources, and tools that will be needed for that particular project.
If you need to source third-party services or procure certain material, confirm with the supplier their price and lead times if any. When implementing a project plan, even the slightest detail that is inaccurate can ruin the entire process. It might even impact the budget and that is why careful planning is needed.
Doing so can help you identify bottlenecks earlier on in the process that might derail the project. Use all of that information you have gathered and plan to make an easy-to-read document detailing the required tasks. Assign each individual a role they will fill and give them realistic timeframes to complete the work.
Using visual graphs and charts has been found to be very effective instead of using text-only documents. There are WordPress plugins and other tools you can use to create visually aesthetic and easy-to-read charts and graphs. Remember to include contingency plans for possible pitfalls identified when planning the project for a smooth sailing workflow.
3. Establish and Monitor Project Milestones
When planning the workflow, try to set a realistic timeframe to get the job done. Get a realistic estimate of how long that certain task might take and use other information to set project milestones. For example, if you are a construction startup, gathering information on how the current weather season might affect your work is a prudent step.
You might also find it beneficial to turn to the team you are working with and ask for their input. Since they will be doing the tasks, asking them on an estimated timeframe it will take them is a wise decision. Consolidate that information with other determining factors like delivery dates of needed equipment and try to create a Gantt chart or other similar document.
There are WordPress plugins you can download and computer programs that can instantly make Gantt charts without the need to use Excel. Monitoring project milestones and benchmarks can help you see if you are on track or whether adjustments are needed.
When you see that it might be impossible to reach a certain target, initiate contingency plans to remedy it. Review the project milestones regularly with the team and try to find ways to make it better.
4. Implement the Best Tools for Maximum Productivity
There are certain categories of tools that are an absolute necessity in a startup to manage a project efficiently. The most important tool is scheduling and project planning tools that will set timeframes for each task involved. Getting the best tool of this kind will simplify scheduling tasks and updating them as time goes on.
When sourcing this tool, ensure that it can be integrated with digital calendars such as S Planner or Timetree. Another type of software you should consider getting for the team is a communications platform to collaborate and share ideas.
The platform should also have capabilities of hosting virtual meetings across a variety of devices. If you are going to use a remote workforce, this tool is of utmost importance because it is the primary communication channel.
Do not forget other tools that will make your work much more efficient such as budgeting software and apps. Using them will make budgeting for a project very easy and stress-free and all funds can be managed on one dashboard.
Try to assess the nature of each project and determine what types of tools are paramount for its success. In this case, create a positive work culture by asking for the input of other team members because they might mention crucial tools you have not thought of.
5. Be Flexible
As a startup, you have to admit that you are not experienced in managing projects and therefore, errors will occur. In the case you have been made aware of certain inefficacies in your processes, do not be too proud to readjust.
Remember, this might be the first you are doing it, so have an open mind and remain humble. Be open to new suggestions and try to ask for help whenever possible.
Since project management might be more of trial and error, do not beat yourself up for making mistakes. All you have to do is test new systems, monitor their performance, and make adjustments. To save yourself from potential big mistakes, develop A/B testing systems to see which processes and working systems are effective.
When your business grows, you will have a clearer sense of what works when developing new projects. To remain flexible, try to establish contingency plans beforehand and implement them when the primary plan changes.
Do not try to force a work process that seems to be inefficient or not working at all. When making major changes, have an open conversation with the entire team and ask for their input. The results of such conversations can contribute to profitable project planning techniques that make the best use of resources.
6. Create Comprehensive Job Closeout Reports
People learn from mistakes. So, documenting them as they happen will help you improve the systems you’re implementing. When something does not go according to plan, note it down to include it in the job closeout report. If things went well, you should also use that information to draft a report once the project has been completed.
That report should then be archived and referenced to when managing a similar project. When writing this document, you might also recall certain events that happened, which had an impact on the outcome of the project.
They might have comments about the difficulties they faced and potential suggestions on how to reduce or eliminate them in the future. You can use this report as a blueprint for other projects.
Do not skip this step or see it as unnecessary because it can help you dramatically improve within a short period.
7. Do Not Paint Things in Black and White
One of the essential things a startup should avoid is establishing a firm and inflexible company protocols right at the beginning.
Establishing definitive roles might limit the types of tasks other team members do. Instead, let them know that they might be responsible for numerous tasks and as time goes, you can consider appointing them at specific roles. When the business grows, you can then develop protocols that are binding to employees and give them definitive roles.
Doing this can also limit the flexibility of your startup. Whereas, a startup with a loose organizational structure can be advantageous. You should also have this in mind when assigning tasks, do not be afraid of giving employees varying tasks as long as they are skilled enough to do them. Also, do not have the mindset of permanently using software systems and tools.
A casual approach to running your startup can help you manage projects much better and yield greater results.
The Bottom Line
Efficient project management is the heart of any successful venture. You need to plan properly and execute the project accordingly. Have contingency plans in place just in case you need to readjust at any given moment. Also, do not put in place strict protocols that might limit your flexibility right at the start. Do not forget to create job closeout reports after the project for future reference.
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