A Remnant Guide on Project Management

(How to Survive Remote Teams, Deadlines, and Inadequate Communication) Š 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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Table of Contents Chapter 1: Avoiding Common Pitfalls Page - 6 ● Common project management challenges Chapter 2: Getting Started On the Right Foot Page - 7 ● Identifying Scope, Goals, and Objectives ● Approaching the Project ● Beware of Scope Creep ● Setting a Realistic Budget Chapter 3: Creating an Effective Team ● The Project Lead ● Individual Roles ● Staying Involved

Page - 9

Chapter 4: Encouraging Collaboration ● Collaboration Tools

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Chapter 5: Managing the Problems ● Priorities ● Workflow ● Communication

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Chapter 6: Conclusion ● Risk Management ● Solution

© 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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In today's competitive workplace, the ability to deliver projects on time with clients' expectations is vital. In fact, one could say that the organization that fails to follow through on project delivery can have a hard time surviving in the long term.

A strong project management principle should be the first priority for companies that results to minimize risks, streamline project delivery, reduce cost, and increase overall customer satisfaction. But project management is not all about only assigning tasks, forming the project teams or buying the latest software. It implies more than that. “Operations keep the lights on, strategy provides a light at the end of the tunnel, but project management is the train engine that moves the organization forward.� ~ Joy Gumz

Successful project management is a synergetic approach to manage project processes from beginning to end, ensuring that resources, time, and money are allocated in the most efficient way.

Š 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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The project management landscape is changing. With an increased emphasis on efficiency, reporting, and newfound stress on the information technology industry, being a project manager today is radically different than traditional.

Below are some surprising statistics that reveal how project management is performing across industries today● Over 1 in 3 (34%) projects have no baseline.

● For every $1 billion invested in the United States, $122 million was wasted due to lacking project performance ● 50% of all Project Management Offices (PMOs) close within just three years. ● Barely over half (56%) of project managers are certified.

● 97% of organizations believe project management is important to business performance and organizational success. © 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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● 80% of project management executives don’t know how their projects align with their company’s business strategy. ● 44% of project managers use no software, even though PWC found that the use of commercially available PM software increases performance and satisfaction. ● 49% of organizations have a project management training program in place.

So here, I am sharing some practical tips and strategies for effective project management. Let's go inside;

© 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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"I feel that the most important requirement in success is learning to overcome failure. You must learn to tolerate it, but never accept it."

~ Reggie Jackson

With the proper planning and vision, organizations can erase many of the common pitfalls associated with managing a project. These mistakes can deflect project progress. Awareness of potential issues that can lead to missed deadlines and wasted time is vital to beat the battle.

Common Project Management Challenges: As project management is complex and carries many resources, project failure is a real threat. Some of the biggest mistakes in managing a project include; Š 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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● ● ● ● ● ●

Inability to keep the project on schedule Not identifying the full scope of the project Failure to maintain financial visibility Failure to clearly define objectives and goals Confusion with priorities Inadequate definition of team member roles

Avoiding these common mistakes, your business can reach to the next level. By implementing a successful project management tool, you can avoid these challenges.

Recent surveys conducted by Nielsen suggest that as much as 70% of projectrelated delays can be avoided before a project begins by implementing a planning phase.

By taking the time to prepare, you and your team will be more likely to overcome potential mid-project challenges. Consider the following: © 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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Identify Scope, Goals, and Objectives Clearly: Due to tight deadlines and other factors, there is always pressure to begin executing before objectives and goals are defined. From the outset of your project, be ready with the following documents; ● Understand the client’s needs and expectations. ● Determine the goals and objectives of the project and define what makes a “successful” completion. ● Clearly define what is in (and out of) scope.

Effective Ways to Approach the Project: There are many ways to approach any given project, but they are not all equal.

Does your organization have a standardized project approach in place?

Consider developing a solid Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for each project category so that you can ensure everyone involved in the project knows where to start and what to do next.

Beware of Scope Creep: Scope Creep is the tendency for the scope of a project to grow larger and more ambiguous as the project progresses. A clearly defined scope can help in preventing this. The more specific is the goal statement, the fewer risks on what needs to be accomplished.

Set a Realistic Budget: Always determine your budget based on the project scope and project costs, including hourly rates and actual hard costs like hardware/software purchase, taxes, shipping, etc. Don't forget to optimize real-time budget analysis.

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"Effective leaders help others to understand the necessity of change and to accept a common vision of the desired outcome." ~ John Kotter

The Project Lead: Every project should have a dedicated project lead or project manager who serves to facilitate collaboration, address challenges, and keep the project moving forward. A successful project manager carries the following skills; ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Communicates well with team members Ability to assess individual strengths/weaknesses and effectively allocate resources Possesses sound organizational and project knowledge Effective problem-solving and conflict resolution skills Ability to accept feedback and learn from setbacks Understands the importance of the “people side” of project management

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Individual Roles: Assigning the right people to the right tasks can make a project successful. The most effective project managers must have the ability to make smart, informed decisions when choosing a project team.

This might sound pretty simple to you. But many project managers often make the mistake of choosing members for their projects. Try the following approaches and avoid miscommunication. ● First, figure out the strengths and weaknesses of each team member. ● Then, delegate the right task to the right person based on domain expertise. ● Finally, clearly communicate each member’s role, what they are responsible for, and your expectations.

Sometimes, project managers choose their team members based on their availability or previous experience with the project. In this case, it is suitable to have a meeting with each team member to establish a relationship individually before meeting as a group.

Stay Involved Throughout the Project: Before the project begins, arrange team meetings to discuss project objectives, communicate roles, and figure out potential issues. Ask your team members whether they need clarifications or not. Being the project manager let your team members know that you are available every time whatever the problem is. At the end of the project, ask the group for feedback to identify any areas that need improvement next time around.

© 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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"Teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability." ~ Patrick Lencioni

Effective project management starts with collaboration, both online and offline. Collaborative business culture is one in which team members work together, value active participation, and share good ideas.

Also, in a proper collaborative environment, team members are loyal to each other and value the ideas of Š 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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others. When everyone is on the same page, working towards the same goal, communicating openly, and collaboration become successful.

From a survey, it has found, “86% of employees and executives cite lack of collaboration or ineffective communication for workplace failures�.

Collaboration Tools:

96% of decision-makers believe that collaboration has a big part to play in the overall success of their company. ~ Halo Business Technology

There are plenty of collaboration tools out there, many of which are free, but that doesn't mean you should use them all. While choosing a collaboration tool, remember less is more. Prefer using the most collaboration software and make sure team members fully understand how to use that tool.

Š 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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I’ve gone through some experiment and got some amazing output. Here’re some statistics that show the power of teamwork and collaboration; ● Up to 80 percent of businesses use social collaboration tools for enhancing business processes. ● 39% of surveyed employees believe that people in their own organization don’t collaborate enough. ● 54% of employees say a strong sense of community (great coworkers, celebrating milestones, a common mission) kept them at a company longer than was in their best interest ● Companies and organizations that communicate effectively are 4.5x more likely to retain the best employees. ● 33% of Millennials want collaborative workspaces ● Only 5.9% of companies communicate goals daily. ● Businesses with effective communication are 50% more likely to have lower employee turnover. ● 33% of employees say the ability to collaborate makes them more loyal ● Only 49% of the participants claimed to use mobile devices for collaboration. However, 92% of them think it is important.

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Š 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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This graph shows that 31.1% of projects completely failed, while others experienced project management difficulties.

Of course, an essential part of project management is managing the project.

And while this topic can easily be a white paper all on its own, let’s dive into some key concepts that can easily be overlooked but directly impact the success of a project;

Set Priorities: In the case of complex and lengthy projects with more than one deliverable, establishing priorities at the initial stage can ensure team members focus on the most important tasks first. This also becomes important when the project manager is handling multiple projects at once.

Take some time and figure out which project needs to be done first. So that it makes easier for your team members to identify which project/task carries more attention than others?

Define Workflow: Does the team know which task is left? Are there some tasks which must be completed before going to another task? Does the client know which deliverables they must sign off on and when to expect them? Defining the project workflow will help your organization answer those questions, stay on track and stick to the timeline.

A Gantt chart shows the start date, end date, and the duration of each task and this can be helpful for managing projects. Adopting a Project Management Software like Orangescrum can allow you to schedule and track tasks both with team members and clients. This helps to keep the workflow clear and organized.

According to a recent survey by Software Advice, 94% of participants said they relied on some kind of software to manage projects.

Š 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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Crystal Clear Communication:

Unfortunately, most of the time project managers aren't informed of major issues until the project is already delayed or over budget. This ineffective communication occurs when team members fail to communicate progress at every stage of the project.

Proper communication identifies challenges as soon as they happen. So that the team can discuss a solution or, if needed, verify the strategy. Weekly/daily status report, regular progress meetings, and communication management plan are the key elements of proactive or successful communication.

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Generally, complex projects which carry multiple dependencies or variables, often go awry. Then what's the solution? Be prepared. Always be ready with your plan ad backup plans.

Risk Management: Rather than struggling with problems reactively, find out the risks that might be the reason for project failure and be ready with a plan/methodology to fix that as soon as possible. Take a look at the project budget, scope, expectation, and think about how to execute that carefully without harming the quality. Just make one strategy that can assist in facilitating solutions and group collaboration, you need. It can save you a wealth of time in the long run.

So establish a contingency plan for handling potential problems, along with a trigger mechanism that can automatically implement the plan, and share it with the team. Get input from team members and brainstorm all possible risk scenarios. Taking the time to address potential challenges now can save you time when challenges inevitably occur.

Š 2011-2019 Orangescrum Research Lab, San Jose, California

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Orangescrum Orangescrum gives an eagle's-eye view on the productivity and progress of your projects and team In no time Orangescrum attracted small and medium businesses from an array of diverse industries, not limited just to software/consultant firm.

We took the good feedbacks as appreciation and the bad feedbacks as lessons.

We learned a lot over the period and trying to make it really powerful.

Cloud: https://www.orangescrum.com/ Open Source: https://www.orangescrum.org/ Blog: http://blog.orangescrum.com/ Email: support@orangescrum.com

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