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| NEWS |
| Automating your Project Management Process |
Ever felt that your project management processes and methodology can add to project overhead, delays and cost overrun if not implemented properly? What if it could all be reduced without compromising the effectiveness of the process or methodology?
In current environment, project management methodologies such as PRINCE2, PMBok or homegrown are often implemented manually using myriads of documents. Manual processes can often carry big administrative overhead. And I’m sure, we’ve all experienced projects that suffer from a lack of visibility over the status, budget and resources, as information is buried and lost inside the documents. Furthermore, more often than not, the information produced isn’t even a real-time version of the truth! And finally, the lack of flexibility
and scalability within methodologies and processes creates unnecessary difficulties that we could definitely do without. The result?
Budget over run. Time delay. Inefficient utilisation of resources. Poorer quality of work.
Why not automate your project management process?
What does that mean?
Conceptually, its quite simple. You shift from having to manage everything yourself on your computer and in your head, to a software database or tool that does most of the managing for you. Surprisingly enough, for many companies, automated management means using excel sheets, word documents and using a project schedule. However, automation goes far beyond that!
Standardise the project process
Within the same organisation, business unit, and sometimes even in the same project team, managers will use different terminology, methodologies, processes and templates. Hence it is critical that we standardise the process for each project, and if possible the organisation. Standardisation reduces overhead, as it allows for the streamlining of how projects should be done.
Standardisation through automation involves having a set mechanism to capture and present all relevant information. This can be achieved through a series of forms that cover all the necessary areas of a project and its processes. Each form can comprise of a set of fields so that all relevant information is captured in a standardised manner. This means managers don’t have to invest hours into reinventing wheel on what information to include, which processes should be implemented, and what template to use to present information.
Capture information in the smallest possible unit
In a project we need to capture information on risks, issues, tasks, resources, lessons, deliverables etc. Quite often these are done qualitatively in unstructured text, where a manager will need to manually update this information. Furthermore, if needing to present the information in another format, he or she will then have to copy and paste information, which then is manipulated and rewritten.
By automating the process of capturing of relevant information, it is best to capture it in its smallest unit possible. Why? This allows the information to be sliced and diced. It is crucial that both qualitative & quantitative information is captured in its basic form in all areas, allowing information to be presented in easy to read tables, graphs and diagrams.
Automated workflow to manage information
One of the largest sources of overhead is due to the fact that the workflow is manual; hence hours are spent emailing and following up on the status and health on various aspects of the project and its budget. Even then it becomes difficult to gain visibility on the true status of the work being done.
Automated workflow means that all elements of the project, i.e. schedule, risk, issues, documents budget, tasks etc are maintained centrally. Thus they can be constantly updated and passed to one another by workers and project managers, maintaining version control, all while it is tracked centrally. Why is this so great? You don’t have to spend hours trying to find out the status & health of their work! And if such an efficient method of tracking isn’t enough, this process also ensures real time information, improving the integrity of the data multiple times over!
Customisable views for different roles & responsibilities
As a project manager, you’re aware that your boss doesn’t want to see the status on each task, and your workers don’t want to see a high-level status reports. It is essential that all stakeholders are only provided with the information that is relevant to them. However this is a painstaking process.
Having a tool that offers customized views that only display relevant information to stakeholders them is necessary to avoid confusion. For example, a worker just wants to know their tasks and do their timesheets, hence that all he or she should see and be able to access. Alternatively, an executive only wants to see high-level reports on project health, status and budget. However you and other managers want to detailed status, what employees are performing well, where budget variances are arising, what the critical path is, but also have your own tasks and action items. Hence customisable views create correct visibility at all levels, maintaining accountability and avoiding confusion!
Automated reporting from single source of information
Often, project reports are produced by collecting similar data from multiple sources and different points in time. The problem? You will end up receiving confilicting information with multiple versions of the truth. Manual reporting often ends up compromising accuracy and fails to provide a real time picture: both are required to make crucial decisions for a project. Furthermore, manually producing the reports can be a slow and frustrating process.
Automated reporting will source its information from a single source: This means data only needs to be recorded once, and hence reports contain the one truth. Tracking the status of all elements of the project (i.e. risk, tasks, resources etc) should be automated, hence you don’t have to spend hours following up on the status & health of everyone’s work! Instead at a click of a button you can produce reports showing you how your costs & budget, time & schedule and employees are tracking. Furthermore you can slice and dice the data however you wish to view it!
But automating is too much effort, too expensive, and will take too much time!
Unfortunately, often we as manager will make decisions for the short term, how will an investment in automating project management process affect my P & L? Saviom provides an automation tool that will be implemented within weeks, is easy to use and budget friendly.
Saviom’s automation tool will bring process and resource efficiency that will equate the initial outlay costs, within a matter of months. Risks avoided and issues dealt with create money savings that may potentially otherwise be disastrous. The benefits aren’t just directly monetary either. By maintaining your projects on time and budget, you will improve your brand & quality image amongst clients, and a feeling of success amongst employees. Saviom’s automation creates a more visible project and transparent work culture. Finally more efficient work structures, and visible achievable goals are empowering for employees, improving their job satisfaction.
And at the end of the day what can be more important than optimising efficiency in processes, accountability in your employees, integrity in your data and visibility over your projects?
<u>Saviom is the answer to automation </
What we have discussed is the foundation on which Saviom was built. This is just an insight into what Saviom is capable of. |
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