As a project manager, you can appreciate that without the right resources, systems, and processes in place, time can sometimes be wasted on unnecessary tasks.
If you don’t have an efficient way to track progress, projects can start to slip or go over budget, which can lead to difficult conversations with clients.
However, there are a few simple tips and tricks that you could incorporate to save precious time, and improve productivity and efficiency within your entire team.
Read on to find out some techniques for adopting a more streamlined approach to project management:
Try a new system
One of the biggest causes of wasted time when managing projects is an outdated or inefficient system, whereby you have to spend precious hours consolidating information from siloed systems. Investing in the right Free process implementation tool kit or project management tool could make a big difference and even use lesser time to bring good results.
So, invest in a new system which has an easily accessible project dashboard, and stores vital information in one place, so that you can check the health of different designations at a glance. In addition to that, it could make up for the time lost due to outdated software by providing on-demand information on projects, statistics, productivity levels, and many more. This could especially be beneficial for the quick compilation of necessary information and data.
Synergist’s project reporting dashboard will flag issues that need attention immediately on opening, such as project overruns or overspends. This means that important problems will be tackled early on, rather than slipping between the cracks and causing larger issues further down the line.
Along with this, any updates to tasks or milestones are automatically reflected in financial forecasts and reports, which saves you time from updating this information manually or advising the appropriate teams. If you decide to invest in a project management tool, be sure to do enough research, as teams and projects may need different features from the tool they are using. For example, a platform like Trello may offer slightly varied features from something like Basecamp. Do the required research, find alternatives to basecamp or trello, and choose the one that would work best for your project and team needs.
Prioritisation is key
Perhaps a more obvious, but essential factor to consider when trying to save time with project management, is to set priorities correctly.
Prioritising the wrong jobs can mean that more important tasks can go off the radar and become forgotten about, meaning you may have to make them up later down the line.
Whilst you may have a clear understanding of what tasks need to be delivered and in what order, it is essential that this is properly communicated to the team, so that everyone is aware of what they should be working on and when.
Employing a system or task sheet which will give visibility to all colleagues so that everyone in the team is accountable for delivering their responsibilities on time.
Don’t micromanage
When project managing, it is a good idea to keep in mind that it’s not essential for you to get involved with every stage of the project.
Not only will micromanaging eat up your valuable time, but it can also negatively affect your team in other ways. Empowering your colleagues to deliver the tasks assigned to them, will mean that you can focus on steering the project from a top-level perspective and catch up on tasks that are essential to you.
It is a good idea to incorporate a system that allows you to easily share ideas between your team, whether this be documents or timelines. This will cut down on time spent emailing separate individuals and greatly aids creativity.
Following these simple guidelines will help you to cut down on areas where you’re unnecessarily spending time, helping your projects to become more productive.