One of the project management techniques that IT project managers need to learn is keeping the project on schedule. Here are five ways for IT leaders to help them in effective project schedule management:
1. The project manager and the team.
There is nothing more important than appointing the right manager for the job. Find someone who understands what the developers are doing and who respects them as they are. Effective leadership is crucial in the success of any project. It is also important that the manager understands the weakness of his members and guides them to effectively perform their tasks. When you have found the right leader, support him with the right team members – skilled people suited for the job. By doing such, the manager can effectively do his job such as monitoring and looking out for problems.
2. The project scope.
Strip down the project. Most project managers cut almost half of their project scope. They work on the remaining scope and start with three things until the work gets done. They assign the tasks to the members, prioritize them and set up guidelines when needed. IT people work and focus on one task at a time and work on a project management scheduling program to help guide them in the completion of their tasks.
3. The monitoring of the project.
It is important that the project manager is aware of what is happening at all times. Regular monitoring is a part of project schedule management. Check if the progress of the tasks, ask for progress reports and work on communicating with the team members for any problems or issues that they may encounter.
4. The use of project management software.
Among the project scheduling tools that you can use is the Nutcache’s time management tool that is a part of their project management program. Every detail of the project is documented. It includes a Web-based project management schedule tool that can greatly assist the project team. All the stakeholders, e.g., programmers, clients, decision makers, can easily track and follow the project.
5. Manage change.
Learning how to manage changes that may adversely affect the project completion is essential in keeping IT projects on schedule. Spend more time on defining the scope and laying the groundwork and when the client suddenly makes requests that aren’t part of what was agreed, suggest for a second phase that will make its own scope and budget. Create milestones to help keep track of everyone’s progress. Always track the time spent in completing the major parts of the project.
To become effective in project schedule management, a project manager needs to keep track of the team, the project scope, and the tasks. It is also necessary that he knows how to manage unforeseen changes so that he can deal with them as soon as he can. Knowledge and experience in a project management software such as Nutcache’s project management program can greatly help him, too.
