Without a Process in Project Management, All Efforts May be Wasted

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Few projects succeed without challenges. However, you can strive for a higher success rate by relying on well-designed and effective process management. In fact, once the project process is made clear, project progress management will no longer be a difficult task. As a project manager, the first thing to focus on is the following nine key process points.

Project Definition

The value of project definition lies in the fact that the project sponsor and other relevant parties convey their expectations for the project. A clear project definition includes the following aspects: project objectives, project returns, the project scope, all expected project deliverables, cost and time budget targets, major difficulties and assumptions, the description of the project's dependencies on other projects and high risks, required new technologies, and major issues in the project. The project definition is to include as much specific information as possible in the project description or charter, get it approved by the relevant parties, and then the project officially starts.

Contract and Procurement Management

No matter how much influence and power you have in your company, your influence on subcontractors and project members will be relatively small. Establishing a successful outsourcing relationship requires time and energy. In order not to delay the project schedule, you should address all contractual details promptly and sign all contracts in time. If you plan to outsource a certain part of the project, the refinement of this part of the work is the starting point for you to implement project control. Record these detailed contents, evaluation and acceptance standards, all relevant requirements, and necessary time planning. The project definition information must be included in the contract, and the relevant responsibilities should be determined as early as possible. Discuss these requirements with all the suppliers you consider, so that your project expectations will be clear among all parties.

Project Planning, Execution, and Tracking

As a project manager, by formulating robust planning, tracking, and execution processes, you can establish the foundation of project control. Letting project team members participate in planning and tracking activities can win their support and increase their enthusiasm. Experienced project managers often encourage members to participate on a large scale and pool everyone's strength through the process. When everyone sees how their efforts and contributions to the project are recognized, members develop a sense of ownership. When project members regard project work as their own responsibility, project control will be much simpler.

Change Management

The most common problem in technical projects is the lack of management and control over changes. To solve this problem, it is necessary to enable an effective change management process in all aspects of the project. Develop a change flowchart approved by all parties, which reminds the project stakeholders that changes will be carefully examined before being accepted, and establishes strict acceptance criteria. When reviewing a change proposal, pay attention to whether the proposal has a clear and comprehensive description of the change. If the description is unclear, send it back. For technical changes, conduct thorough technical review, because the proposer may not be able to comprehensively judge the problem.

Risk Management

The risk management process allows you to develop a comprehensive plan, identify potential troubles, and mitigate major risks. To achieve twice the result with half the effort in risk management, it should be carried out simultaneously with project planning. When decomposing project work, pay attention to the inappropriate understanding of project activities. When assigning project tasks and conducting evaluations, look for risks. When resources are scarce or insufficient, or the project work depends on a single person, be aware of the existence of risks. Analyze the difficulties that the project work will encounter, and encourage all those involved in the planning to imagine the worst-case scenarios and potential difficulties.

Quality Management

There are two types of project quality standards: global quality standards implemented in the industry and quality standards unique to the company or project. If your company implements or accepts quality standards, pay attention to what these standards require of you and your team. Specifically, these standards may include ISO 9000 standards or Six Sigma, and then determine the quality inspection checklist, quality control process and related requirements, and integrate them into your project plan. The written steps, reports, and evaluations that the project must comply with are a strong motivation for team members, and standardized processes are more motivating and reliable than impromptu instructions.

Problem Management

It is inevitable that problems will arise during the implementation of a project. In the early stage of the project, a process for project problem management should be determined. Establish a tracking process and record the current problems. For project managers with not much power, the value of the problem tracking process lies in grasping real-time information on the status and progress of problems. Once the person responsible for the problem commits to a time limit for problem solving, you can publicly communicate updates on issue resolution transparently. Whether the person responsible for the problem is a member of this project or a member of other projects or departments, no one is willing to have their name under the scrutinizing eyes of others at any time. The public problem list gives the person who has it a certain degree of influence and control.

Decision Management

There are decisions to be made all the time in project management, and quick and appropriate decisions are crucial for project control. Even if the project manager has a lot of control, collective decision-making still has many benefits, because joint decision-making can gain more internal support and the effect will naturally be better. Set up a decision-making process with the project team as early as possible. The process should include the following steps: 

1. Clearly state the problem to be solved; 
2. Involve all those who need to participate in the decision-making and those who will be affected by the decision to win team support; 
3. Review the project statement with the project team to achieve a common understanding; 
4. Discuss the decision-making criteria (such as: cost, time, effectiveness, integrity, feasibility); 
5. Determine the weight of each criterion with the project team; 
6. Set a time limit for the decision; 
7. Conduct brainstorming to generate as many decision-making ideas as possible within the specified time; 
8. Screen through a collective voting method and score and prioritize them based on the agreed weights; 
9. Try to adopt the first-ranked result. If there is no objection, end the discussion and start implementing the decision; 
10. Write the decision into a document and communicate the decision result with team members and relevant parties of the project.

Information Management

Information is a very crucial resource, and how to manage it deserves careful consideration. Some projects use an information management system to store project information; some projects use collaboration platforms to maintain project files and use email as an auxiliary. No matter what method you use to store project data, ensure that all project members can obtain the required information at any time. Store the latest project files in an easily accessible location, mark them clearly, and delete outdated information in a timely manner.

Project managers often encounter various problems during project management. If you want to make the project easier, obtaining PMP certification may enhance your process management capabilities, which can help you learn project management processes more systematically and find more management methods.