Project management not just for projects

A high priority for every manager today is finding new ways to manage limited resources to improve levels of performance.

As leaders we need information – about the only thing we still have in abundance. Yes, we have untold amounts of information coming from all kinds of sources, but what we need is meaningful information that relates directly to operational performance. Are you completing projects in a timely manner? Are your customers happy? How do you measure performance? As a leader, do you ever wish you could be more precise about deadlines, resources and deliverables?

It is more important than ever that we optimize our investment in tools. So, with that in mind, let’s look at project management as a tool. This industry-standard business practice is a proven method of planning a project by defining tasks, defining job profiles and creating timelines to monitor the progress of tasks. Project management is an objective source of information about resource capacity and performance.

The purpose of project management is to assure that a project is managed and executed to deliver on time, within budget, while meeting all client requirements. Within the project plan are definitions of the skills required, resources who possess those skills, the estimated level of effort required of each resource to complete the project, tasks and the dependencies that define the order of execution, and, of course, the timeline for completing all tasks.

By breaking the work down and estimating the level of effort for all resources, project plans create the opportunity for more realistic timelines. Project management software can calculate the percent of utilization for all resources scheduled within a project, allowing a practical assessment of the team’s ability to deliver on time.

Aren’t these the very facts that all managers value in decision-making?

Insight into performance

The commitment to a project management discipline means that valuable data will be captured in an electronic database that can then be exported to reports that can create insight into operational performance.

Project management tools are another thing available in abundance. Projects can be defined simply using a white board and a pad of sticky notes. You may have the well-known project management software, Microsoft Project, on your desktop computer. The Project Management Institute trains and certifies project management practitioners ready to work in every industry segment.

Project management is not new, but using it as a leadership practice certainly could be viewed as innovative. Project management can be used as a vehicle for learning about operations and provides data for analysis in decision-making. The information coming from projects could produce insights on individual and team performance, quality of organizational collaboration, and so many other possibilities.

Construction, engineering, banking, and information technology are a few of the industries that have employed project management for years to define priorities in a highly competitive environment. If you see a successful road construction project, you know there is a project manager who knows exactly what people, materials, equipment and support are needed at exactly the right time. That knowledge comes from the careful preparation and administration of a detailed project plan.

But project management is not just for managing projects anymore. Project management data contains pearls that can be turned into continuous improvement opportunities. For those of you reading this who have a strong project management discipline, open your thinking to the possibility of using that data for operational review, if you don’t already do it.

Once every activity has been captured in a project list, sometimes called a pipeline, unnecessary tasks and projects can be eliminated. This will free up unused capacity to be redeployed in critical activities that contribute directly to the bottom line. Part of balancing the overwhelming workload today is to assure that we are working on the most important priorities at all times.

Placing projects in a priority order based upon customer requirements and available resources will allow leaders to focus effort on the “right work.” This means that the work being performed is critical and reduces the potential of wasting resources.

If project management can provide information to define priorities, identify waste and improve performance, what are you waiting for? If you are new to project management or thought it was not applicable to your business, educate yourself and find a project management practitioner to coach you in the process. If you are experienced, assess how well you are analyzing the data that exists in project management data bases.

Good luck and keep it simple!

Shirley Esterly is a master facilitator and systems thinker who works with clients to build sustainable business practices. She can be reached at sae@quantumwest.com.

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