3 essential IT project management pro-tips

A study by Geneca revealed that an astounding 75 percent of business and IT execs believe that software projects will fail for their companies.

This incredible stat reveals a dire need for professional IT project management across numerous industries. The most important IT projects streamline IT. That makes it easier to stick to your business plan.

The key is agile IT project implementation with minimal disruptions. Here are three pro-tips for pulling that off.

1. Streamline business and tech planning

No IT project finishes on time and on budget without a superb plan supporting the effort. When project planning doesn’t combine the needs of business strategy with the process of tech implementation, the entire campaign will be less likely to succeed.

Companies that focus on project management across all departments succeed more often. The Project Management Institute reported that companies with an enterprise-wide project management office (EPMO) were successful in meeting “original goals and business intent” at a 38% higher rate. Project failures were reduced by 33%.

Project plans need to blend business goals into the rollout of new technology. Without a specific end goal, IT serves as a means without an end. Companies that implement tech plans without a specific intent simply buy into the newest toys without purpose.

That’s a waste of time and resources, and it doesn’t do a thing to boost ROI.

All aspects and every department should be considered when considering IT projects and business outcomes during the planning phase.

2. Prioritize agile execution

Agility may be interpreted in a variety of ways, but in the realm of IT project management the concept of agile execution revolves around rapid and continuous delivery. 

This isn’t delivery for the sake of showing that something’s been done. Instead, agile implementation falls within the streamlined plan established to merge IT and business goals. Since simplicity is a valued aspect of agile execution, streamlined plans reduce the difficulty of rapid delivery.

Agile project management acknowledges a constantly evolving tech and business landscape, which requires extensive expertise across multiple disciplines. Close collaboration between stakeholders is a prerequisite for agile IT implementation, including frequent and efficient communication.

For agile execution to succeed, stakeholders must pay close attention to schedules, budget and work plans.

Monitor the completion of individual tasks along with larger project goals, shifting personnel to high-priority activities that satisfy current needs. Compare budget spending with the work that’s been completed on a regular basis.

One of the biggest benefits of agile IT project management focuses on continual improvement. Instead of plodding ahead with less efficient and profitable implementation, all stakeholders provide constant constructive feedback, which fine-tunes processes and strategy. This prevents projects from falling behind the always-sharp technological edge.

3. Minimize IT project scope disruption

Ideally, all projects remain within the original scope proposed by the initial plan. However, real-world implementation of IT projects will be influenced by unforeseen events, including tech advances, strategic shifts, and other industry disruptions.

These external pressures may force stakeholders to reevaluate specific aspects of the project during execution, especially when implementing an agile approach.

All potential scope changes must be discussed as soon as possible to reduce the difficulty inherent in hitting a moving target. Obtain approval from stakeholders when adding new deliverables—minor or major.

These changes must enhance the execution of IT and business goals, requiring budget and workflow adjustments.

Regardless of how well you execute IT project implementation, there’s always a point where a project risks failure due to the excessive weight of additional requests. Without specific increases in budget and workflow, changes can decimate the project, resulting in delays, ballooned costs and even worse: potential failure.