The Benefits of Using a PM Methodology
If you are currently using a project
management methodology or considering implementing one in your company,
consider the following four benefits of having such a roadmap to follow.
Reason 1: It Increases the Chances of Project Success
Failure always lurks on the fringes
when something new is tried. That's what makes being a project manager
so exciting. Your job is to keep failure at bay and prevent it from
negatively impacting your projects. But, there are enough variables that
could cause problems for your project that the methodology that you use
should never be one of them. In fact, having a project management
methodology in place will absolutely increase the chances of your
project succeeding.
Why is this? Because a methodology is a
tried and true way of getting your projects done. Following a certain
methodology ensures that all the necessary steps are taken, no shortcuts
are introduced, and the work is done to the highest standard that the
company can perform. Following such a well-thought out road map is
certain to increase the chances of your project making it successfully
to completion.
Reason 2: It Increases the Amount of Time Available to Spend on Work
What happens at times in companies is
that multiple methodologies may be introduced across different groups.
This is a natural evolution that occurs as departments grow and projects
need to be complete. One department may adopt a waterfall methodology
where one phase of the project needs to be 100% complete before moving
into the next phase of the project. Other departments may adopt a more
agile form of project management where the understanding is that the
requirements and needs of the customer will unfold along the way and
become clearer as the project progresses.
Each methodology may work just fine
for each department. But, there will always be the need for resources to
be shared amongst departments. This may introduce confusion when a
resource has to switch from one PM methodology to the next and they need
to be trained on their new methodology. Having one clear, consistent
project management methodology in place throughout the entire company
will reduce the need for training people in different methodologies and
increase the time that they can spend doing the actual work.
Reason 3: It Eliminates Choices Where None are Required
There's an interesting phenomenon that
occurs when decisions need to be made on a project. There is usually
less input given into large, complicated decisions than there is for
decisions that are routine and simple. Why does this occur? Because most
people aren't necessarily familiar with the subject and background
surrounding the large, complicated decisions but they are familiar with
the context of the smaller and more routine decisions. This causes
everyone to want to chime in and give their two cents worth to the
discussion about the smaller decisions.
A project management methodology
eliminates this phenomenon from occurring. All the small decisions that
needed to have been made have been made ahead of time. The results of
these decisions have been included in the methodology and become part of
the roadmap for everyone to follow. This allows teams to educate
themselves on the bigger decisions and issues and provide input in those
areas that really matter.
Reason 4: It Allows for Consistent Reporting and Analysis
When you look in the dictionary there
are usually 2 or 3 definitions for the same word. There's nothing wrong
with that because it's the context of the conversation that aids in the
final understanding of the proper definition. Reporting and Analysis on
project progress and results do not have the same luxury. The
terminology that is used in these reports must be consistent across the
board or confusion will result.
Here's a great example that most
project managers are well too familiar with... What is the definition of
"done?" If you ask a developer, "done" is defined as he has finished
his part of the coding and is moving on to his next task. This is
regardless of whether it has been tested or not and may have to be sent
back to the developer for more rework. On the other hand, a client's
definition of "done" may be that the software he has paid for has been
up and running in his company for 3 months and all the bugs have been
ironed out.
A project management methodology will
introduce just one definition for the word "done"...and other words for
that matter which allows for consistent, meaningful, and actionable
reports across the organization.
