If projects, especially large-scale projects, are your business, you know that there is a certain amount of risk involved in getting to the finish line. So many things can go wrong! The wrong specs or plans can be inadvertently approved; the budget can be revised by a person without authorization; an outdated version of a file can be followed; work can be done without the proper permits; communication can break down among team members; cost increases can sneak up; certain people can be left out of hearing new, critical information; due dates might pass without notice; and unavoidable delays might cause changes that wreak havoc unless they are monitored and compensated for correctly.
Exception Management: A Safer Way to Drive
It seems that with every new TV commercial, automobile technology makes another huge leap. Everything from automatic parallel parking, radar-assisted cruise control, back-cameras with audio warning, blind spot detection, and foot-activated rear door openers are now available.
Where’s Your Data?
So many people assume that critical project data is accessible and safe because different people on the team claim that “they have it covered” or “I know where it is.” However, in many cases, the data is not really centralized.
Documents are scattered in different people’s personal folders, their desktop or somewhere in their email Inbox, or they consist of just a plain piece of paper. All of this means that the data is really sitting on multiple information islands. Scattered information happens when people do not work in a centralized program that manages all of the data for them. What if someone leaves for the day or forever? How do others find all the information they need? Usually with a frantic search punctuated by cries of “where is it??”
TweetQuestions to Ask at the Demo
In a previous blog, which discussed how to prepare your company for a demo of project management software, such as the Spitfire Project Management System, I promised to put together a set of questions that the committee could use during such a demo.
Here are some ideas regarding issues to be addressed during the demonstration.
TweetWhat Type of Team is Your Organization?
Although all companies are unique, each company has employees who work together. How those teams work together can vary greatly. Have you taken a look at your team dynamics lately?
Does your company operate like a baseball team? Are you and your co-workers a bunch of superstars? Do you each work independently most of the time, each aware of company goals that you align with your personal goals? Does each superstar have his or her own timetable, striving to be the best at what he or she does?
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