Project management is challenging. Use these 5 tips:

 Only 27% of projects succeed. With the myriad digital tools and software solutions available across the project lifecycle, why is this number so low? It isn't for a lack of insight.

Take the findings from a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Here, they found project management alone  generates around £156.5 billion of annual Gross Value Added (GVA)* in the United Kingdom.

Yet, statistics reveal that only 2.5% of companies  see their projects through to completion. Does your organisation fall under the remaining 97.5%? 

With all these facts and figures, the importance of successful project management is out of the discussion. But, how can a team deliver a project successfully? This is where a tool to support project managers can make all the difference. 

How can project management be better supported?

The PwC study found that tools that support project management increases both project performance and customer satisfaction. Yet, the reality is that 75% of project managers still do not use it. 

Wondering whether or not the investment is right for you? Here are five areas that benefit from the implementation. 

1. Clear communication

A study by the Project Management Institute (PMI) found that almost a third of projects  fail due to poor communication. Flawless team communication is key for successful project management.

HR managers know that a project is akin to a set of dominoes. When one part falls out of sync, the rest follow suit.

To prevent this from happening, there must be a system for communication in place to ensure issues are recognised and resolved before they become stumbling blocks. 

Keep organisational records and change histories of all past projects that team members can reference to find policies and best practices. If such a repository isn't available, it's easy for team members to inadvertently repeat past mistakes. 

In addition to internal communication, project stakeholders should also establish clear lines of conversation with customers, as well. For instance, if a team needs to say "no" to a task it knows it can't complete, it should do so immediately to avoid over-promising and under-delivering. 

A tool that supports project management, such as the new checklists on HR software can ensure all team members involved know their tasks and necessary steps for project completion while you track their progress. Moreover, the onboarding process features allow team managers to define, assign tasks and track progress.

2. A reliable host service

Your internal project management tools are only effective if they're up and running. Relying on internal networks alone is iffy at best. What if the server goes down? 

IT downtime costs businesses around $1.5 million per year. The good news is, a web-based provider will turn your downtime into uptime with a secure and reliable host service.

By using an external tool for project management, you will save costs and time that may arise from IT failures without having to worry about a data breach. Your team members will also have instant access to the mission-critical data they need to make lightning-quick, real-time decisions both in the field and at the office. 

3. Seamless data sharing

Your organisation could have a robust rollout strategy in place, a defined schedule for deliverables and the key partnerships required for timely completion. Yet, unless all stakeholders are doing their part to contribute to the overall dynamic, the project could sink.

This doesn't only include the project staff, but also extends to the SMEs and suppliers, as well. An HR manager can help assign each employee to the right role to ensure congruency.

Once they're placed there, timely communication is critical to making sure everyone knows expectations, timelines and key checkpoints.

A software tool can help bring everyone online and establish a central repository for all file sharing, updates, schedule changes and customer interaction.

As additional support to teams, kiwiHR facilitates information sharing across the organisation and among teams with an integrated resource management system.

You can also define the tools and resources available and assign them to the desired team for project completion. This can be done in the "Company Overview" section where you can list and showcase tools and inventory.

4. Thorough planning

Once a week conference calls aren't enough to propel a project toward successful completion. Rather, there should be a daily dialogue around what each team member is working on to identify pain points and define a clear path forward.

The same research carried out by PMI shows that the average schedule overrun is almost 70%. You can avoid this by accurately planning and tracking working hours and overtime with kiwiHR’s time and attendance system.

In the initial stages of a project, planning helps to create a visual timescale that is both realistic and reliable. It's here that managers create cost estimates, document milestones and define deliverables.

Other key elements of the project plan include a full list of resource requirements, along with steps to mitigate and resolve project risk in the event that tasks slip.

Using successfully completed projects as templates, managers can leverage planning software to create drag-and-drop timelines. These help accurately predict end dates and set budget estimates. Templates can be created, shared with the right people and due dates can be set using kiwiHR's onboarding checklists.

5. Robust risk management

There will be concerns, issues and setbacks with even the most smoothly executed project. To make sure these don't snag your progress, create a risk management plan that clearly defines every liability that could occur. Right next to each one, list an actionable step toward resolution.

Keep the plan in a convenient location so all stakeholders have quick access to it. Update it regularly as required and file each upon project completion as future guides.

One risk might be the fact that your team may suddenly become short-staffed.

You can avoid any surprise absences or staff shortage in the middle of the project with kiwiHR’s absence management software. You can also limit the number of days off on certain dates to assure your project is done on time. Worst case scenario, you can also bring in more human capital onboard and easily immerse them into the project with effective onboarding.

Successful project management begins with you

As an HR manager, you're used to helping everyone fill their designated roles and curating teams that work well together. You know customer expectations, can work under pressure and are inspired to drive employee achievement. 

You also know that successful project management requires a software solution that delivers. That's where kiwiHR comes in.

Our online HR software isn't limited to streamlining HR processes. It also helps improve communication across the organisation, increases project transparency and saves time and money with optimised and streamlined information sharing.

Familiarise yourself with all the HR software of our tool. Then, sign up to try it for free yourself and let's take that next step together.

Simplifying HR processes is easier said than done. Know how we get it done by starting your kiwiHR free trial!