Multi-project management: everything you need to know

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Your business is becoming more successful and you stand for the challenge of performing more than one project at the same time. The more projects …

Your business is becoming more and more successful and you face the challenge of running more than one project at the same time. The more projects you have to manage, the more complicated the assignment. Welcome to the world of multi-project management !

Multi-project management is complex!
When you have to complete several projects consisting of hundreds or thousands of tasks at once within a certain time frame, these questions undoubtedly arise: what task of which project should I finish first, how do I plan my employees who are needed for different projects, how do I avoid overloading of employees, how do I stay within the budgets set, how do I meet my deadlines.
These questions are difficult to solve if you do not act in a substantiated manner. And moreover, if you successfully address these challenges, unpredictable things can still happen like global economic change.
A Wellingtone (2019) survey in project management found that 34.5% of respondents complain that projects are barely ready on time, that 40% of respondents note that projects are never completed within budget, and that 37% of respondents report that the expected revenue is never received. PMI research also shows that companies lose $122 million for every $1 billion invested in the absence of good project management. However, it is not all doom and gloom. We give you some tips to make multi-project management easier and more effective.

 

Choosing a methodology
The first thing you need to do when you start multi-project management is choose a methodology. The methodology is a set of methods and rules that you have to use in a particular type of activity. The most popular methodologies are: Agile, Scrum, Kanban, Critical Chain, Critical Path, Waterfall, Six Sigma and Hybrid. Consider which method best suits your organisation using the specific descriptions. By combining certain methodologies, a more effective approach can often be achieved. For example, when using Agile, you can easily apply the Scrum or Kanban principles.
Wellingtone’s research also found that 53% of those surveyed believe project managers are poorly trained so the whole team does not perform well. Therefore, project managers need to retrain regularly. Therefore, consider online courses or (digital) books. In addition, there are specialized groups in social networks where you can participate in discussions and become familiar with the new trends.

 

Multi-Project management tools
After choosing a methodology, it is recommended to use specially developed multi-project management software to simplify your work and achieve your goals faster. Managing multiple projects without using software is like trying to eat soup without a spoon and a plate. We’re not saying it’s impossible, but it’s extremely difficult because our human brain is unable to process that much data.
Working in a multi-project environment isn’t as complicated as it seems : choose a reliable ‘assistant’ to facilitate your work and increase your productivity.
In a multi-project organisation, many people work on different tasks within a number of projects. As a multi-project manager, you need to communicate with your team members and control their actions to monitor the work flow and ensure progress. By using suitable software, you can easily see not only your team’s progress in real-time, but also current tasks, milestones and key priorities. These tools allow you to do the same amount of work in a shorter period with less stress. Decisions are no longer taken intuitively and the effects of these decisions can be closely monitored and if necessary the strategy can be changed. In addition, the use of software allows you to do creative work yourself that cannot be performed by a computer.
Epicflow is a cloud software that assists you to efficiently schedule and follow up projects and employees, track your work flow in real time and complete tasks according to the right priorities.

 

Gepost op March 31, 2020 at 12:36