6 Tips to Manage Your IT Project Effectively

6 Tips to Manage Your IT Project Effectively
Managing an IT project can be a frustrating experience. Unexpected delays lead to cost overruns which can put strain on the company’s fiscal bottom line – and your patience. So here are six tips to effectively manage your next IT project to keep the schedule on time and your company’s communications online.

Have a well thought-out plan. The successful completion of any project begins with preparation.

• Clearly detail its scale and scope.

• Specify what the project needs to accomplish.

• Determine if the solution needs to be deployed company-wide or just certain departments.

• Make sure you have the necessary resources to complete the project.

Develop a realistic time frame. One goal of any IT project is to minimize the disruptions in productivity so completing the project quickly is important. But it can be counter-productive to demand too much too quickly. Devise a schedule that minimizes disruption while allowing enough time to do the job properly.

Tip: If you have a hard deadline, make sure you have enough in your budget for possible overtime to finish if the project is running late.

Know your technical team. Communication is their business so open a dialogue and keep it open throughout the project. Building camaraderie at the start of a project can pay huge dividends later on because your team members will be more comfortable coming to you with a potential problem if they feel a rapport. So be sure to compliment work accomplished; don’t be the kind of manager who only talks to team members to complain or criticize.

Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Having a clear understanding of the steps involved in the project and helps you better manage – and if need be, juggle – manpower, money and resources.

Draw up a written plan. Devise a flow chart that incorporates the various steps of the project.

1. Organize the plan in chronological order.

2. Identify who is responsible for the different aspects of the project.

3. Assign team members a work schedule and time table for finishing.

The flow chart makes it easier to see what aspects happen simultaneously to facilitate allotting resources. For larger projects, there are software programs available that can create a schedule/flowchart for you.

Once the first draft is organized, go over it with your team, and anyone else who may be directly involved, to get their feedback. Make any necessary adjustments then present the plan to your boss for approval to that everyone is on the same page as far as time, budget and scope.  

The plan serves as your guide but it isn’t written in stone. You need to be flexible in case any glitches or delays occur and it’s necessary to go to a Plan B to solve or bypass a problem. However, even if a situation requires some deviation, don’t lose sight of the overall schedule, scope, and resources available.

Track the project’s progress daily. Even if it seems repetitive or slow going, cross checking daily progress against your flow chart makes it easier to spot potential issues before they erupt into full blown headaches.
Beyond serving as a kind of quality control, notating daily progress and activity creates a valuable project journal that documents the current project and that can be used as a reference for future projects.  

In addition to keeping your own notes, take the time to talk to each of your technical team members every day. In addition to maintaining contact and rapport, it is yet another way to learn about potential problems before they blow up into something major. Encourage your team to think out loud about any concerns they may have, however, remote. It’s much more efficient to brain-storm together on how to circumvent a potential problem than it is trying to put out the fire after the fact.

Be transparent. Keeping staff and bosses in the loop on the progress and successes of the IT project inspires confidence – but so does acknowledging any setbacks or delays. Being honest and transparent shows you are secure in your ability to solve the problem and keep the project on track.

No project is 100 percent problem free. But you can minimize delays, maximize efficiency, and meet your company’s goals by planning ahead, staying engaged, and meeting problems head on.