How to Tackle that Growing List of IT Projects
As your business grows, so does your project to-do list. We often find ourselves dedicating most of our time to the daily aspects of our businesses, rather than focusing on long-term technology solutions that could have great impact on our business. But perpetually pushing IT projects down the road results in you spinning your wheels. When you’ve got a CEO breathing down your neck to see actualization of your wish list items, you need IT project management tips that will help you get the results you need.
Stay On Time
Staying on time is easy to say, difficult to enforce. Part of this is found in the realistic parameters of the goal itself. Are the expectations realistic or does the timeline set you up for failure? Keeping track of time, setting the right expectations and ensuring that all parties are fully aware and onboard with the goals is a surefire to stay on time. In fact, PMI’s Pulse of the Profession report shows that 58% projects are completed when the benefits are well-understood by key players.
Stay On Budget
IT spending can be tricky. IT project management requires strategic IT thinking to consider the short and long-term implications of technology implementations. This is particularly key when you report to a CEO, CFO or Board.
Like time, IT budgeting needs realistic expectations. Business spending on technology is on the rise. Gartner says global IT spending will reach $3.7 trillion in 2018. But how much of that will be over budget? The PMI report says that less than 60% of projects will be on budget.
So set targets and check-in points to keep your budget on track.
Minimize Scope Creep
Scope creep, of course, is the death of many projects. As parameters and goals shift off any particular problem, the likelihood of completion plummets. Scope creep can appear for ad hoc projects or short fixes that needed long-term solutions. This is when a project hasn’t been well-considered.
By making time to dedicate careful attention to the tasks at hand, particularly those regarding IT, you can minimize the scope creep that lowers your chance of project completion.
Related: 3 Things Great IT Consulting Can Do For Your Business
Expect Transparency
Communication is one of the great failures in many organizations. When you’re rolling out a project, constant communication is paramount. At any given time, you need to be able to report where you are in your project phase, how you’re doing on time and where you are with regard to budget. For that, all parties need transparency, working toward your technology goals.
Focus on the Endgame
There’s no room for drifting focus. The endgame is what matters, and to ensure successful IT project management, you must focus on a strong finish, even if you have hiccups along the way. Never lose track of goals. If, for example, you’re migrating your team to the cloud, there is no room for shoddy workarounds or cutting corners. The strength of your technology systems is the endgame.
Protect Investment
And of course, you must protect your investment. You can underspend on technology just as easily as you can overspend. Neither will get you where you need to go. When the executives want answers for spending and assessments on outcomes, you want to ensure that you’ve taken the necessary steps to build systems modularly and wisely protect your investments. In this manner, you can give each IT project the dedication it deserves and within the holistic vision your business needs.
Related: Grow Your Executive Team with vCIO Services
Above & Beyond IT Project Management
This is how KJ Technology approaches all our projects. Whether we’re migrating clients to the cloud, making security enhancements or improving internal communication, we take IT project management to a new level of success. Let us sweat the details, while you take the credit for a job well-done.
Call KJ Technology to learn more about our IT project management services.
