Painless Project Management

Project management, besides being a growing component for greater success and result –oriented solutions, is fast becoming an integral part of organizations, globally. The term ‘Painless Project Management’ refers to a careful streamlining of all the activities related to motivating, planning, organizing, and controlling of available resources. Additionally, it takes care that the protocols required to be followed, as well as the procedures for achieving specific goals, conform to the laid-down regulations.

The key and also the most common constraints of a project are scope, time, budget and quality. If successful,
project management can take the organization to greater and newer heights, else, it can break the organization. Painless project management strategies integrate the various skills required for the successful execution and implementation of a project. They come into play when a new product has to be introduced, or a new application is being developed. These tools and techniques are applicable across different sectors such as construction, banking, defense, credit cards, human resources, and so forth.

Phases of Painless Project Management:

Project Management is divided into five phases and their painless implementation can lead to greater success for any organization. These stages are:

Project conceptions and Initiation: The idea of the project is very carefully analyzed in this phase; along with the benefits that it might bring to specific processes or the organization as a whole

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Project Definition and Planning: The project charter; the approach to be followed in a project, as well as the scope of the project ; are defined in this phase. A team is then formed, which frames out the requirements and sets a
budget for the project. Listing of all available resources is also done in this phase.

Project execution: In this stage, tasks are well defined and communicated to all team members. All important project related information are generally discussed during this phase to avoid any complications in future.

Project performance and control: Herein, a comparison of the
scheduled tasks, as against the ones performed, is done by project managers.

Closure of the project: Once all these requirements have been reviewed and a specific set of goals has been achieved; the client evaluates and approves the outcome. Then, the project is closed. The success or failure of the project is highlighted by the ways in which all the processes were carried out in a painless manner, or otherwise.

Ways of Making Project Management Painless:

The most painful part of project management is connected with the development of a product or application. These steps can lead to better experiences and make the daunting process painless.

Nailing down the project details: Before a project is kicked off, you need to ensure that all requirements of key
stakeholders have been taken care of and their approval taken. The interests and expectations of these stakeholders have to be kept in mind, before the requirements are finalized.

Engaging the right people at the right time: The right people, with the right skill sets meant for a specific domain, have to be brought in during the initial
phases of a project. This ensures its seamless and successful implementation. Team members with prior experience have more knowledge and understanding, and are better equipped to handle the issues on hand. It’s essential to choose the team accordingly.

Definition of critical milestones: Critical milestones of a project can be identified as per the project phase. A real time evaluation of each project phase would enable the team to track its progress and also ensure that the work is done as per pre-defined specifications.

Keeping all communication lines open: At all stages of the project, it is imperative to have clear, consistent and transparent
channels of communication.

Management of project risks: Irrespective of the phase in which a project is, risks of failure can creep in and have to be identified. Open and clear communication channels make it easier to identify risks and also mitigate them.

Test Deliverables: All the deliverable should be thoroughly analyzed and tested at the end of every phase. For the painless implementation of all processes, efforts should be made to see that all expected results are delivered, at every stage of the project.

Project Management can certainly become painless and more impactful if the above measures are adopted and practiced by the team.