By definition, a more efficient project is going to be a better one. A more efficient project is going to have cleaner results. Happier clients and employees. A better bottom line. So why is it that a lot of projects end up feeling like they are mired in mud?
Well, it may just be that the project manager hasn’t had enough experience to know what some overall best practices are, or perhaps hasn’t looked through all of the possible ways to improve overall structuring. Five are included below, and involve project and portfolio management, making goals more manageable, keeping the right work to break ration, reducing managers and meetings, and going mobile when applicable.
Follow Through With PPM Best Practices
Typically, companies that reach a certain size will have larger projects, and they may need additional business resources to help them deal with all of the necessary details. That’s where having access to project and portfolio management software, or even PPM teams, will have an effect on project efficiency. Particularly when multiple things are occurring simultaneously, a dashboard portfolio view is seriously important.
Make Goals More Manageable
A lot of what can make a project more efficient is if you break the process down into smaller steps. This is a very common way that successful managers can improve the overall performance of a group. Because people aren’t so overwhelmed with the idea as a whole, they can accomplish smaller tasks, check the box off of the checklist, and move on to the next thing. Even the psychology of it is super helpful to people who are prone to becoming anxious about big projects.
Keep the Work To Break Ratio On Target
Research shows that there is an ideal work to break ratio. And as much as you might want to fight against it, saying that there is time wasted or that you now better, the holistic data says that if you follow along with that proportion, the quality of work will be the best, and the project will therefore get done that much more quickly.
Reduce the Managers and Meetings Effect
Two of the biggest time and resource wastes when it comes to project efficient are managers and meetings. Managers don’t actually do anything in terms of physical output, and meetings usually go over material that could be packaged more efficiently on an individual level.
Go Mobile When Possible
A final way to increase project efficiency is by allowing yourself and your co-workers to go mobile. There’s no need to sit behind desks anymore, as all of the information available on the internet is now easily accessible through smartphones and tablets. So allow people to work on the move, and watch your efficiency improve!