We often get contacted to fix broken IT projects. Once we’re involved, we often see common themes emerge.
For those who are charged with overseeing the project, having a few clear strategies in mind at the outset can make all the difference.
Here are things to plan for to keep your IT project on track.
Build a team
A project manager will likely be assigned to oversee the project via the vendor. However, it is essential that the customer have representation to provide proper oversight, as well.
From our experience, we find it’s best for customers have their own project manager. This gives two varied perspectives for managing the project.
End-users must have a voice at every step of the planning and implementation phase. They have unique insight into what is needed, what isn’t needed, and what’s actually practical from an operational aspect.
Decide what 100% completion means
The vendor and the customer may have very different views of what 100% project completion means. Before the project begins, set a target goal everyone agrees on.
This ensures everyone understands the expectation, and it limits miscommunication.
Set project metrics and targets
Incremental targets help the entire project team stay on track. It also creates an opportunity to identify gaps early on.
As a group, consensus should be made on metrics for tracking the targets and the incremental milestones. This helps build accountability and trust between work groups.
Ask questions
Team members should feel free to ask tough questions. Even if you have limited experience overseeing an IT project, questions can educate you to the various components and processes of a project.
If questions cannot be answered, project members should be tasked with finding the answers.
Again, this keeps the project running smoothly and helps avoid future roadblocks.
Whatever IT project comes your way, it’s important to both vendor and customer have transparency about the project scope and processes.
If you need help moving a project forward or getting one started, please contact us. We value the opportunity to partner with organizations to meet their IT needs.
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