Keep your projects from getting out of hand
How can you keep your projects from getting out of hand?
Planning a project may seem very simple at first glance. You may say or think: “it’s just a to-do list”. No, far from it! People who are experts in project planning really squirm at such a notion.
Indeed, if you don’t have a good procurement and work schedule, it would be difficult to deliver your projects on time.
A project schedule should be seen as a tool to express what needs to be done, by when? And in what order?…Do you think it is always simple?
Given the complexity of many industrial projects, it is a reality that teams will face challenges during execution: methods, processes, interfaces between lots, priorities…etc. These challenges will require the analysis of deviations from the project baseline. Therefore, it is critical to have the appropriate planning techniques, processes, and tools in place to quickly remedy this hiccup and ultimately bring projects to completion. Unfortunately, this level of standardization and rigor in planning is not always addressed.
According to the Project Management Institute (PMI), ineffective project planning and management procedures cost companies around the world $1 million in lost revenue every 20 seconds. In addition, because of these errors, nearly half of all projects fail to meet their deadlines and more than one-third fail to meet their objectives.
SOME PLANNING CHALLENGES
1- Inexperienced project personnel
The number of inexperienced project managers and planners continues to grow in all industries due to general turnover and competition for talent. This lack of basic knowledge and business acumen often results in difficulties communicating project challenges to stakeholders or, worse, they go unnoticed, which can lead to very costly delays.
2- Failures related to risk management
Most of the time, project risk is only talked about in the beginning, but it really goes away once the project gets going. Most of the time, engineers are more worried about emergencies than taking strategic steps to manage risks. And all the way through a project, tried-and-true planning methods can help companies predict and reduce risks related to the schedule.
3- Sectoral variables
Different standards or compliance requirements that vary by industry present additional planning difficulties. To accommodate these differences, it is essential to comprehend the processes used by each industry and implement planning techniques.
4- Unexpected problems
Even if risk management procedures are used throughout a project, problems or risks that were not expected to happen could still happen. So, it’s important to be able to solve all problems as soon as possible if you want to keep to the deadline and keep the client happy.
5- Profitability
One of the first effects of bad project planning and scheduling is on the project’s profitability, which can affect a stakeholder’s interests and reputation.
As a professional who works on projects, you probably already know how to plan. It may seem hard to take on the challenge of rethinking your planning practices with new tools and methods, but can you afford not to in today’s competitive world?
For any clarification or advice on project planning, do not hesitate to contact our services. We will take the time to discuss and support you in integrating solutions for the management of your projects.
