Balancing crucial aspects of complex project management – scope, time, money, people – is one of the most strenuous tasks for any project manager. Any complication or obstacle results in sub-optimal performance and lowers productivity & returns for the organization.
To help put critical elements in perspective, here is an outline of five common project management challenges that many businesses face in their due course.
Undefined goals and shifts in scope When objectives and targets are not clearly defined, the entire project and team working with it suffer. It is essential to ask the right questions at the right time to establish and communicate clear goals right from the onset of the project. Also, when the project’s scope extends beyond its original objectives, it takes a toll on the stipulated budget and deadlines of all stakeholders. It becomes necessary to evaluate each request and understand the consequences of implementing it.
Inadequate team for the project A specialized project may require a special skill set for some of the team members. Employee performance evaluation can help a project leader understand the competencies of the team members and their ability to pull off the tasks and recommend additional training, hiring, or outsources of additional staff if needed.
Geographically dispersed project teams In many cases, the entire project of an organization is worked on from different offices; either from the or from different countries. In today’s global economy, information needs to be communicated as promptly as possible making a centralized approach imperative. Efficient communication at the right time with everyone involved in the project is crucial for its successful completion.
Overworked and mismanaged resources The biggest challenge for any project manager is to utilize resources optimally and see that they are neither over-booked or under-worked. Many demanding projects require more resources than they have to execute the project.
Another common challenge associated with this is managing the timeline for the project. When the project has fewer resources than actually needed, project timelines are extended beyond an acceptable time frame. When resource allocation becomes a challenge, it becomes a top priority for project managers to understand the demands and devise a system to effectively use resources so that the project is completed at the scheduled time.
Also, resource conflict is a major issue when people are assigned several projects at the same time. Those with high expertise in specialized skills may be demanded more, causing bottlenecks across various projects. When projects compete with each other for resources, it creates a snag in the successful completion of projects.
All of the aforementioned challenges can be handled quickly and easily by implementing effective employee performance evaluation software. If you need any insight on how we can help your project team become more efficient and productive, contact us today.
