Six Common IT Project Management Mistakes
Tags: IT Project Management, IT Projects, Professional Advice, PRINCE2
For many, the role of IT Project Management and what it entails is misunderstood. Many a time we have heard IT Project Management called ‘easy’ or cries of, “I could do that!”. However, it is a field that requires specialist knowledge and a key skill set in order to excel. That said, there are several mistakes that can be made and which can have a negative affect on staff morale, delivery of projects, and ongoing client relations.
Compiled here are six of the most common IT Project Management mistakes:
1. Poor Project Discipline
It is all to common for project methodology such as PRINCE2, Agile etc. not to be adopted or to be improperly used, failing to utilise it to its full potential. Methodologies such as these are key to ensuring a smooth transition of any project from inception to its completion. Although many choose to implement projects without adopting a formal methodology, these projects are usually prone to more problems, poor communication and common understanding across the team and increased risk. A formal methodology should always be employed even if that means ‘cherry picking’ the key elements that will be most beneficial to your project.
2. Incorrectly Configured Team
As with any business, it is key to have the right team in order to achieve the best results. Whether that be in terms of the size or the skill set afforded to employees. It is essential all aspects are taken into account so that the maximum potential can be reached. Failing to secure the right team members, or the right number of staff, may result in breaching budgetary or financial barriers and/or producing sub-standard or poor quality work. IT Project Managers should consider the need to bring in specialist skills on a temporary basis using contractors and how best to make the most out of the internal IT talent and ensure that critical knowledge gained through the implementation isn’t lost by the organisation when the project ends due to a lack of internal staff involvement.
3. Poor Budget Control
It goes without saying that it is key to be in control of your budget. At times, it may be tempting to place your focus elsewhere, but a strong control of the finances is essential because if you lose track of your numbers, you may well lose the project as a whole. Every action taken within the project will have some impact on the finances, so project managers who fail to appropriately track and record costs as they are incurred, producing meaningful and comprehensive forecasting of the future costs, runs the risk of breaking the budget and overspending. This in itself is a failure and has critical consequences. If an IT Project Manager needs help with their budget, they shouldn’t be afraid to ask. Finance departments in all businesses would much rather spend some time sitting down and helping the PM than allowing the budget to go unmanaged or poorly managed.
4. No Risk Management Policy
It is crucial to employ a Risk Management policy when embarking on any project, including risk and issue logs, assignment of risk to ‘risk owners’ and spreading the responsibility for mitigating the risks across the team. By failing to identify potential risks and the costs that they would entail if they came to fruition poses the danger of mistakes being made and budgets being broken. It is also key that the project board and stakeholders are made aware of potential risks too, as without this information, their ability to make informed decisions will be impeded.
5. Inadequate Change Control
Change control is the single most important aspect of project governance, yet is the most commonly skipped and is not normally policed within the environment. By not producing essential items such as a Project Initiation Document (PID) and baselining it once approved, there is the risk that the budget, timescale, solution quality and the ability for the team to be successful would be impeded. Ensure that Change is managed throughout the whole project and don’t just assume Change Control only relates to the technical changes. Every change in the project scope and solution has an impact so make sure this is thoroughly assessed, logged and approved by the right people. If this changes the timescales and budget, and/or the quality of the final solution, you will be thankful of giving Change Control the attention it deserves.
6. Poor Communication
Communication is key in any aspect of life and that could not be more true than in project management. Without producing clear, detailed instructions to your team as to what is required, projects may go awry leading to mistakes or poor utilisation of time. Accurate weekly and/or monthly reports should be produced for referral to the project board/stakeholders, ensuring they are up to speed on progress and requirements at all times and therefore able to make informed decisions when required. By not maintaining a good line of communication, the risk of confusion or misdirection becomes very real and failure becomes more likely.
“originally posted by Orchid Wire”
Keith Williams - eProfile & Life Blog 