Project management is becoming an increasingly popular topic in business as industries grow more complex. It always helps bring direction and leadership to projects, ensuring that everything is done on time and within budget.
Managing workflow and having efficient processes are crucial to productivity and profit for any business. The project manager’s role is to streamline such processes and ensure that project teams remain productive in an evolving workplace.
Ineffective project management practices render organizations inefficient and are why 30 percent of business projects fail to meet set targets.
So, how can you standardize management processes and boost project performance? Here are some practical tools to manage your projects.
A PMO Team
Let us first answer, what does PMO mean? A PMO or project management office is a team or department of employees dedicated to managing the workflow and teams in all departments.
This entity may be a more expensive tool, but it can boost productivity and profit if established correctly.
A PMO team can help to set efficient workflow processes, standardize expectations, stimulate communication and connection among the team, and mentor employees.
Process Standardization Templates
There are templates for standardizing processes available that are customized to fit specific industries.
Although these online templates can be a good starting point, you may have to create your template if you need something more customized. Automating processes as much as possible should help eliminate delays and obstacles in the workflow.
RACI Charts
RACI stands for responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed. A RACI chart lists all the tasks on a particular project and assigns a person for each role: responsible, accountable, consulted, or informed.
This tool helps employees take ownership of their roles and meet responsibilities. It further enables project managers to keep projects on track and allows the team to communicate clearly throughout the project.
Platforms for Project Management
There is a wide range of free project management software available online. These can be customized to fit the needs of your teams precisely.
The great thing about such platforms is that they can be accessed from devices anywhere globally, making them ideal for remote teams. Such platforms make tracking productivity and outcomes easy, as well as assigning tasks to employees.
Shared Calendars
Calendars are an excellent way to inform employees of deadlines and establish some forethought into upcoming tasks and projects. By having shared calendars, all parties can be notified when changes or delays happen.
These also help all parties understand the timelines of various moving parts in a project. For example, a content calendar helps social media managers know when to expect publishable content based on when the photographers or editors are expected to finish.
Video Chat
In today’s business world, having the ability to video chat with people anywhere in the world is a must. It provides businesses with numerous opportunities for collaboration, and the technology is highly scalable and cost-effective.
These are great for remote teams and check-ins without scheduling a full-on conference room situation. Be sure to find a secure service, so your video chats remain private.
Desktop Management Interface
There is often a lot of moving parts and details involved in managing a project. Sometimes, it is necessary to get a quick snapshot of the main points in a project.
A desktop management interface allows you to customize what information you’d like to have and present it in an easy-to-read manner. These are great for sharing with top-level executives who may not have the time to care about minor details.
Keep up with the Modern Business World
Today’s business world is changing fast, and project managers need to keep up with the fast-changing management trends and technological advancements to succeed. These complexities are the main reasons why successful project management is a massive challenge for most businesses. But if you are serious about making your projects a success, you should leverage the discussed project management tools and incorporate them into your daily practice.
Follow Businessblogger for more!
