Project Management’eur

This post will discuss the need to keep project stakeholders up-to-date during the life of a project, and how the web-based application Project Management Tool for the Real World can facilitate this process, which we will refer to as the application.   The attached video will demonstrate how to use the application for this purpose.

During the execution and monitoring of a project, a Project Manager must be sure that the stakeholders are kept up-to-date about project progress and any changes to the project, such as due dates, changes in scope, or any changes in the details. Everyone involved must have a clear understanding of the expectations in terms of what is to be delivered, when and at what cost.  At the start of the project these expectations may be set out in a Project Definition document.   This set of expectations may be used as the project description in  the application, and can be updated as necessary throughout the life of the project by the Project Manager.  If there is a Project Definition document, this may be uploaded to the documents section of the project, and new versions can be uploaded over the original as necessary.  This may be done by the Project Manager or another individual who is assigned to update the document.  In both cases, stakeholders who view these items in the application will be assured that they are viewing the current version of the expectations.  The Project Manager and/or the document author  must take care to be comprehensive, organized and clear in the presentation of this set of expectations, keeping in mind that people will be making decisions based on this information.  The expectations must be laid out thoroughly and in language that is understandable by the stakeholder audience.  Well though out Project Definitions can minimize questions and revisions, and ensure that stakeholders have the information they need in a timely manner to support their decision making process.

Alhough projects need to be somewhat flexible to be able to handle unforseen changes, the Project Manager must be mindful of excessive “scope creep”. An individual “minor change” may not be a big deal, but when compounded to excess it can grossly effect project completion time, project resources, and project budget.  Keeping all stakeholders in the loop from inception with effective communication and sharing of project details will help to mitigate scope creep.

In the application, when viewing a project description or a document record, the last updated date and time is displayed so that any stakeholder viewer can quickly see if there has been an update since his/her last view.

Based on the project description, the Project Manager will create tasks in the tasks section of the project.  These tasks can be assigned start dates and due dates, and have progress records logged to them, which are also automatically time-stamped.  Again, this progress log information should not be short and terse, prompting a lot of follow-up to determine what is really going on.  If it is believed that the task cannot be complete by the due date, this should be documented as early as possible to avoid the stakeholder frustation of having to make last minute adjustment decisions.  The project manager can then update the due date and  description, if rqeuired, reflecting the current conditions.

The task record allows for the updating of the task description, as may be required after a project description update.  It allows the storing of an hourly rate for the task.  When a task progress log is entered, the number of hours worked is also entered so that cost-to-date information can be calculated.  The percent complete can also be updated.

Task logs may be entered at any time, but it is recommended that this be done on a schedule, such as daily or weekly unless there is critical information that must immediately be disseminated.  Stakeholders will then know when to expect updates and view the updated status of their projects.  They may in fact wish to schedule meetings or teleconferences to discuss project status after the updates have been entered.  Every stakeholder will be able to view all aspects of the project that they have been given permission to view by logging on to the application during the conference.  Then in a coordinated fashion, with everyone having access to the same current project status information, they can make whatever adjustments are necessary.  The Project Manager can record changes in the project, tasks, or documents.

When viewing a task in the application, the percent complete is displayed graphically with color coding to indicate whether a task is proceeding on schedule, may be falling behind,  overdue, or complete, providing a quick indication of tasks that may need attention.

The Project Manager will have access to drill-down and printer friendly reporting that includes cost roll-up by task, project, and project owner (customer).  The drill-down report will help the Project Manager determine if all updates have been completed on schedule and show the color coded percent complete as described above to highlight tasks needing attention.  The printer friendly version may also include the detail of the task progress logs.  The printer friendly version is in HTML format and can be saved and emailed to stakeholders who desire a comprehensive report on the project status.  This will give a stakeholder a quick view of the cost-to-date that may be available before their internal accounting systems have produced the information. Learn more on managing project stakeholders with a 30 day free trial.