Managing Smaller Projects

Tips For Managing Smaller Projects will be discussed in this article. Despite the common misconception that smaller projects are simpler to manage, they can encounter additional difficulties that a larger project might not.  Why, then, are smaller projects harder to manage?

Top Best 4 Tips For Managing Smaller Projects

In this article, you can know about Top Best 4 Tips For Managing Smaller Projects here are the details below;

Myth

It’s common to equate tiny projects with nimble, highly competent teams that can easily complete any assignment given to them. Since everyone can have an influence on the project, communication between project managers and the team is simple, morale is high, and close working relationships develop to produce a highly effective team.

Truth

In actuality, while smaller projects can be lovely, they can also run into difficulties that perhaps bigger projects don’t. Here are four typical obstacles that smaller projects face, along with possible solutions to help you overcome them.

1. Lack of Specialist skills

Lack of Specialist skills

You are less likely to have the specialized skills some duties require in a smaller project team. Since there are fewer team members, resources are more likely to be chosen for their capacity to handle multiple tasks to guarantee that the project can be finished in its entirety.

While this gives the project team more opportunities to grow as professionals, it also means that some areas will lack depth of expertise, which could put the project at risk. In this situation, project managers frequently look to outside experts for the assistance required, but doing so can raise the cost of a project.

The solution…

Early skill gap detection is important, as is providing your team with the resources they require to perform their duties effectively.   Then, you can either give each team a mentor who can teach them the necessary skills, or you can design a training program to bring the skills of the current team members up to the required level.  The ability of staff members to effectively manage and complete projects will increase as their project management skills grow.

2. There’s less experience to draw on

There’s less experience to draw on

A big project’s project manager will typically have access to subject matter experts on their team for the specialized guidance or assistance they require. The skill sets that are accessible are more thinly distributed in smaller projects, which could expose a project manager who is unfamiliar with specific project components.

The solution…

Before the project starts, the project manager needs to receive a thorough briefing and learn everything they can about the customer. Project managers must have people they can turn to for assistance because there will inevitably be some learning on the job.

3. There are fewer opportunities to delegate

Additionally, the project manager has fewer team members to assign duties to. As a consequence, it’s likely that the project manager will be left in charge of all aspects of project administration. They might feel overburdened as a result, especially if they have additional project-specific duties to fulfill.

The solution…

The project manager should carefully consider their task and be honest about how much they can accomplish right away. The use of project and resource management software can significantly reduce the PM’s workload, but if additional assistance is required, extra project support should be requested to reduce the workload.

4. You receive less support from senior management

You receive less support from senior management

A lack of senior management participation causes 33% of projects to fail, according to Capterra’s 20 Surprising Project Management Statistics.  The lack of help and attention you may receive from top management is one of the biggest drawbacks of managing smaller project teams. The probability is that your project will receive less attention the lower on the management’s list of priorities it is. This may be advantageous because it gives you the freedom to handle the project as you see fit, but it becomes problematic if you require executive support or a swift decision from a senior stakeholder.

The Solution…

A project’s success is largely reliant on the support it gets from influential stakeholders and a committed project sponsor. If that’s not the case, then this issue needs to be addressed directly. To avoid consuming too much of the senior management team, you must agree on how much help the team will require at various points in its lifecycle.

How can Cloud-based project & resource management software help with your smaller projects?

Making the switch to cloud-based project and resource management tools can be beneficial, regardless of the size of a project. Hydra Cloud gets the most of your available resources. By creating a central hub for your resource planning and scheduling, you can ensure that the duties and skills needed match, preventing resource over- and under-utilisation. Watch our complimentary demo to learn how Hydra Cloud can be of assistance.