The Importance of Managing Resources for Ensuring Project Success

Suppose you are a project manager, working sincerely and whole-heartedly for making the project successful. After the completion of some necessary activities, e.g., project planning and scheduling, your main focus will surely be to find out the resources that you will require for carrying out the project activities properly.

Resources can be of different types, such as people, materials, equipment and other supplies. For instance, in a software development project, you will need programmers, software engineers, system analysts, office staffs, as well as a convenient office place, computers with high configuration, internet facilities etc. The project manager must ensure about the availability of these resources.

In some cases, the project manager identifies that the project is heading in a wrong direction. Deadline is approaching very fast, available budget is getting exhausted; however more than 50% of project activities are still unfinished. In this moment of severity, the project manager has two options; he has to make arrangements for the appropriate training for the team members to enhance their capabilities, or he needs to hire skilled personnel. Promptness in decision making is largely required in this case for the project manager.

Again, choosing right people for the right job is not a very simple task. The project manager must have the capability to determine the appropriate skill level necessary for a particular activity in the project, and also to match people to those skills. To hire the perfect staff, the project manager should make sure to define the roles properly, arrange interview and test the candidates. He should also be careful about the budget, because hiring skilled people may not always be achieved in a cheaper way.

The project manager must guarantee that the team members are respected properly. Without getting proper attention, admiration and respect, the team members in a project will not try to give their 100%. Furthermore, the project manager will have to utilize his motivation skills properly. He must encourage his team members to render their best effort, and remunerate them whenever they do something special. He must also try to empower the team members and ensure their participation in all sorts of decision-making process. This will ultimately increase the overall productivity and the project will lead towards success.

Ensuring better workplace environment is another important thing that must be carefully taken care of by the project manager. Experiments have suggested that people’s performance and their job satisfaction are seriously affected by the room size, furniture, equipment, temperature and humidity, brightness and quality of light, noise and most often the degree of privacy available. If the project manager fails to ensure good working condition, it may become really costly for the project. Staff turnover will increase, and more money should be spent on recruiting and training of new staffs. There will be the possibility that the project will not be finished in time.

The project manager must also ensure the optimal utilization of the available resources. Sometimes it is seen that some members of the project team spend their official time sitting idly, while other members work incessantly and find very little time to relax. The project manager has to set the duties and responsibilities of every member of the team and continuously monitor them. He must also ensure that all the members of the project team are 100% committed to achieve the project goals and objectives.

The project manager should also be careful about utilizing non-human resources. He must make sure about the regular supply of materials and equipment required for the project. He must also confirm about the better quality of these resources, which is extremely necessary in a project.

The project manager has to communicate well with the project sponsor to make sure about the availability of funds. The sponsor must be knowledgeable about all the potential obstacles, risks and other necessary issues on an on-going basis. This will make sure about the availability of the resources in a timely manner.

Lastly it can be mentioned that managing all sorts of resources in a proper manner is absolutely necessary to ensure the overall success of the project. The project manager must give appropriate attention in this regard.

[Source]

Risk Management: A Serious Concern for any Project Manager

One of the most important jobs of a project manager is to predict any sort of problems or risks that might hamper the project progress. These sorts of risks can be a serious issue when they affect the project schedule or quality of project outputs and eventually the project will fail. That is why, the project manager should always be concerned about the proper identification of possible risks and the most effective ways to avoid those risks, or when necessary, drawing up plans to minimize their effect on the overall project.

The project manager, in course of time, may have to face different sorts of risks.  Specifically, there are some risks that are serious enough to affect the project schedule or budget, even the   resources. For example, skillful and experienced staffs may leave the project in a crucial time when their services and contributions are vitally required for the project success. There may also be the cases when the competent staffs remain absent due to serious illness. Again, it may also be the case when the project sponsors come forward and suggest about some urgent changes in project requirements or project goals when more than 50% activities of the project are finished. Sometimes cutting-edge or newest technology may create unexpected problems. It is also possible that budget is identified as inadequate after completion of a major portion of project activities. The project manager should always remain alert about these risks and be prepared for the possible solutions.

Analyzing the likelihood and consequences of these risks is something with which the project manager must always be careful. He/she should make a rational judgment about the probability and also the severity of these risks. The consequence of some risks will be catastrophic, while some risks will create tolerable or insignificant problems. Proper analysis of these risks is absolutely vital to avoid the project failure.

As a project manager, I always make sure about listing all possible risks that may create serious problems. I also make sure that this list is updated in a regular manner. Moreover, I also keep record about the possible strategies that I may adopt for managing these risks efficiently. I always set priorities to the risks so that I can decide which type of risks I would address in an urgent manner. This planning always helps me to take necessary actions in an appropriate manner in case of emergency situations.

There could be many possible and effective remedial solutions for a particular risk. For example, the project manager must ensure that the team really works effectively and everybody understands each other’s job. Hence, the problem of staff turnover or staff illness can easily be handled by just reorganizing the team. In case when appropriate staffs cannot be hired, the top management and project sponsors should be immediately involved and deadline for finishing the project can be extended when required.

Communication is always important when managing any sort of risks in the project. The project manager should organize formal and informal meetings with the top management and project sponsors, as well as all the team members so that important ideas regarding risk avoidance and risk minimization may come out from them. One particular idea from a team member may become extremely useful for managing certain risk in an efficient manner. Assistance from external consultants may also be considered in case of necessity.

Another important job of a project manager is to ensure about monitoring the risks regularly so that he/she can assess the effects of the risks and see whether the remedial actions are proper or not. In case of necessity, he/she can change the risk-minimization plan and take different course of actions that may seem appropriate in any particular situation. In a large project where there are hundreds of minor risks, it is not possible for the project manager to manage all the risks at a time. In this situation, he/she should delegate authority to the team members and try to focus only on major problems. At the end of the day, the project manager will be ultimately responsible, so he/she should monitor regularly to make sure that every team member is doing his/her job properly.

In short, the success or failure of a project largely depends on how well the project manager handles the issue of risk management. Therefore, the project manager must always be careful and try his level best in order to tackle all sorts of risks in a successful and timely manner.

[Source]

6 Steps to Focusing on Your Constraints

Every project has at least one constraint. That is the theory of constraints. Constraints are part and parcel of every project. It is a misconception to believe that project managers are not aware of constraints. The truth is that they are so used to constraints that they take them for granted. ‘For granted’ I use here not with its general meaning. We take for granted things favorable as coming to us without our effort. Constraints too come to us without effort on our part and sometimes in spite of our hard work to avoid them. So, as project managers, our traditional and conventional thinking is that project constraints are an essential part. We must learn to live with them. The worst of this thinking leads to the idea that there is, of course nothing to do even if these constraints totally fail the project.

What ? You don’t agree. Take ten project managers of your choice to a dinner. Make them speak their mind. You will sure be patting me on my back.

The problem has more to do with our conventional thinking and our upbringing in general. We are programmed to believe that problems and hardships are part of life. They are inevitable and we need to live with them. Very few of us are brought up to deal with them. When the economies are looking down we talk about cutting costs, and creating a lean organisations. We never look for ways to increase sales because it is more comfortable to go with the trend. When it rains and our roof is leaking we are taught to move the bed elsewhere. We never want to find a way to fix the leak.

When things get delayed due to our bad ways we try to fix not the problem but the effect. Or we try to find something easy to fix. When you are late to meetings, you try to blame the timing. You never want to learn to get up early and manage time effectively. The bottom line is that conventional wisdom has not taught us to look the constraint in their face.

Even when we are truly enthusiastic about doing ‘something’ about the constraints, bottlenecks, limiting factors or whatever they are referred to as, we tend to use the same paradigms or the same thinking we are comfortable with. The greatest lesson I have learned as a project manager who is obsessed with getting projects to move without friction is that most of the problems are within us – in our attitudes, our beliefs and the frame of reference we have created. Subconsciously we resist change. We need to settle to the idea that the challenge is beyond our control.

Fortunately, there is a new way to look at the problems affecting the systems. First,the new approach requires to look at constraints in terms of systems concept. It is all about analysing issues as part of a whole. This will free you from the mentality that constraints can be bypassed or ignored. Next, the new approach necessitates a totally different attitude to constraints that goes direct on the face of conventional wisdom. We learn to think that constraints can be analysed objectively and they can be effectively dealt with. Put in another way, constraints can be acted on and changed in such a way that projects are run without friction.

Sure it is a new paradigm. New set of beliefs that need much repetition and emphasis before it makes any effective bearing in your ‘fossilized project thinking’.

First, though, what are systems amenable to this new approach?The systems are not just our projects that we are given to manage. They could be anything in which organized effort is used to produce results. Multinational organisations, governments, local authorities, functional divisions of commercial and non-commercial entities are all taken as systems. In the final analysis, a family or even an individual is a system that qualifies to benefit by this new approach.

The new approach to focus on constraints has five essential steps with an additional sixth stressing on making the domesticated monsters genies springing from Aladdin’s lamp.

STEP 1 – IDENTIFY THE CONSTRAINT

Constraint is anything that prevents the system from achieving its goals as documented. Naturally enough, according to this simple definition, constraints can be of myriad types and nature. Fortunately they all never occur in one system or at least at any one given time. Before an attempt to identify constraint, it is necessary to realize their many types. I am not going to elaborate much on the aspect of classifying constraints as we are much too familiar with it. Our conventional wisdom has given us a good tool kit to analyse the constraints to such an extent that we need no reinvention of the wheel. There is one inherent problem in this analysis, though. It is again the mindset or attitude with we do the analysis. With new approach we analyse the constraints as something that we can deal with. This new thinking will give a whole new leverage to our systems and their destiny.

Constraints are not just static, non-dynamic blocks on the road. Like anything else in life, they are what they take them to be. Even in a strictly material sense, it remains the fact. Let me make myself clear with an example. Time is a common constraint that operates on the resource side of the system equilibrium. When considered in a conventional sense, the problem of lack of time may be identified as a reason for making changes in factors totally irrelevant in identifying the real issue. You may consider revising the specifications that will not be ‘seen’ by the client as a way of dealing with this constraint. You might have the nerve to negotiate the project scope with the client or press for new budgetary allocations. All these solutions are offsprings of the traditional paradigm that time constraint can not be dealt with.

Now, let’s have a look at how the process of constraint identification take a different dimension with the new thinking. New thinking is that constraints can be acted on and changed or modified.

Faced with a time constraint, how many of you as project managers have you ever stopped to answer this question: How do we define this particular time constraint we have ? Is it a problem with time absolute in a universal sense or is it about number of useful goal units we produce? If it is about goal units, what should I look at closely ? Is it a problem about my team not working at the optimum rate? If I identify suboptimal performance of my team as the time constraint, will it help?

Yes. Answer is a big yes. When you face the problem as part of the system and as something that can be changed, the way you identify the constraint will change.

I can quote many examples to prove the point. Remember all those nagging constraints that you had to deal with in your project management life ? Could they be interpreted differently in a more actionable way? What could have been the result?

It requires team effort. First, it has to do with the share values and beliefs of your team members. When the situation is analysed as a team, more valuable insight will spring. The most e

So, the method is simple. Change your thinking and change your team’s attitude towards constraints. Find the constraint using the conventional wisdom, but interpret it in the empowered new thinking. You will find, I bet, ways to identify constraints that will facilitate adjustment in the systems that will require no sacrifice on the part of stated goals.

STEP 2 – MAKE DECISIONS

Identified constraints need decisions to act on. It is not an overstatement to say that new way of thinking must be given priority here. We need a framework to make decisions. There are seemingly two such framework working here. One dictated by the old paradigm of taking constraints as static roadblocks, which makes the whole decision making process less effective in terms potential ability to change the outcome. The new new thinking will help make decisions about steps to be taken to change based on the assumption that constraints can be changed for the better. Old thinking tries to engineer out the problem while new concept look for ways to engineer in. In other words, it is matter of deciding to remove it or work on it and work through it.

When, in one of the projects I managed, we faced a situation in which the output of an expert programmer was a stumbling block which was affecting the momentum of the entire project. Given the essential nature of the programmer’s output, we have two options in the traditional thinking. One was to hire one more programmer or to slash the project scope. Both options were to engineer out the problem.

We applied the new empowering approach. We needed to work in and engineer in. We had a few brainstorming sessions with the project team. There was only one condition: No one was allowed to find solutions which would affect the scope or budget. Surprisingly enough, we hit it on the head. The programmer analysed his workload and found some programming that other programmers can handle with little training. Two programmers agreed to undergo training and compensate for the excess. Little under two week, crippling constraint disappeared. No one thought of revising project scope or budget.

As the example pointed out clearly, it is the decision we made that matter. Every decision has a support framework of our attitudes. Our attitudes are shaped by our experience, beliefs and our values. If, as the project manager, you can influence your team to have a real shift in their attitudes, outcome will be greatly changed.

Therefore, never ask what decisions you made about the constraint. Always inquire the predominant thinking that went behind the decision, instead. Weaker foundations do not support strong structures.

STEP 03 – MAKE THE SYSTEM SERVE THE DECISION

Decisions will only be meaningful when they are backed by actions. Decisions to be effective, all members must agree to work on them. Looking back, it may not be difficult to find many decisions you never acted on. In dealing with constraints, the third step is the commitment of your team to go with the decision. Everyone needs to realize the logic behind the decision and why they should back it.

It is all about system orientation and commitment. As we discussed above, the new way of focusing on the constraint looks at constraints as manageable. Decisions made with that outlook facilitate action. Action oriented decisions will remarkably increase a team’s involvement and responsibility for what is decided to do.

This is a simple truth that has a profound effect on project success. Your members will go with you as long as your decisions can be interpreted in a tangible form while specific outcome is well defined. Another equally important factor is the team’s collective perception of the validity of this output. This perception can only be made possible by enlightening your team members to the contribution it makes to the whole system.

Our new thinking will help. Constraints, when seen as manageable entities, everyone is empowered to action. Nothing works like success. So build a successful track record and your team will coordinate and support.

STEP 04 – MAKE THE MAJOR CHANGES

The fourth step in focussing on constraints is all about making necessary systems adjustments. As we are well aware, a change in one component will unsettle the system as a whole. Be prepared to face it. In systems theory, we talk about a point of equilibrium in which the system settles to stable state when a change is made. When dealing with the constraint, we have to make changes in several major components. These changes will make the constraint disappear and host of other constraints appear. Systems anyhow will settle to a stable state.

It is not the simple commonplace actions that are necessary to deal with constraints in the new approach. We need massive actions. Major changes as never expected before. These changes need courage and determination to work on. If a decision is taken to allow some of your project members to telecommute as part of dealing with a project constraint, you will inevitably make major changes in company’s work policy. These decisions will involve tough negotiation with other departments. You, as a project manager, will have to convince your superiors about your decisions’ relevance and importance. The real test of a project manager is his level of proficiency in getting the consent of all involved in implementing major changes.

Situation is not simple. It is a new way of thinking that others are not very comfortable with. They, at least subconsciously, are trying to settle in old groves. Temporary states of instability of the system could make anyone go crazy and lose patience. Nevertheless, if you have the right vision and if you know what you are doing, you will overcome all the difficulties. You will be the winner.

STEP 05 – RECYCLE THE PROCESS

As we saw earlier, constraints are not static roadblocks that we can simply remove and contend that they will never come again. Project constraints are highly dynamic and do appear in many forms with varying level of difficulty and severity. That is the very reason for applying the fifth step of repeating the process.

The project needs a system or mechanism to constantly go through the process of identifying constraints quickly and apply the necessary thinking. With experience, your project team will become experts in applying the new thinking.

Remember you never want to be the creator of another brand new constraint: Delaying the application of the new thinking or taking proper actions.

STEP 06 – OPTIMIZING THE CONSTRAINT

The new thinking reinforced by new paradigm, no doubt, will elevate you and your project to a powerful new level. Your team will learn the value of changing their mindset. A new paradigm will take its place.

There is one more step that you can take. It will make you a ‘super power’ in dealing with constraints. If you take your thinking to the next higher level, you will find a way to make the constraint a facilitator. That is by optimizing your constraints.

[Source]

Necessity of Involvement of Top Management and Project Sponsors in the Project Management Process

The role of top management and project sponsors is absolutely vital for the success of any project. The project manager must ensure their active involvement in every stage of the project so that they can add real value to the project and seriously contribute for its success. Especially in all sorts of decision making process, their involvement in a proper and timely manner must be ascertained.

Before starting any project, the job of project planning, scheduling and project costing must be done in an efficient manner. The project manager must sit together with the top management and project sponsors in order to get their suggestions and recommendations so that the whole planning process becomes successful. Specifically in budgeting and scheduling, their opinions must be given proper value. Otherwise, in case of necessity, they will not come forward to assist the project manager so that he/she can get out any disastrous situation that will lead the project towards ultimate failure.

Again, the project sponsors should comprehend the full scope of the project, both from technical and business point of view. The sponsors must be knowledgeable about the progress and obstacles of the project timely and regularly so that they can act effectively whenever necessary. They must render their helping hand to the project manager which may boost his/her confidence and this will make him/her capable of contributing significantly for the success of the project.

The top management or project sponsors can assist the project manager in many different ways. For example, they can make sure about the availability of necessary resources in a proper and timely manner. In certain cases when the budget is running down, they can ensure the availability of necessary funds for the smooth progress of the project. Whenever the project manager feels that the complete project will not be finished within the deadline set previously, he/she can start discussing with the top management or project sponsors and try to make them convinced about the necessity of increasing the deadline. Their participation and overall support is really crucial to make the project a successful one.

The business owners or project sponsors must be proactive and always make sure about backing the project manager’s decision even publicly. This will establish the authority of the project manager regarding the issues like making decisions about hiring appropriate staff. This sort of authority is absolutely vital to maintain discipline between the team members. All should keep in mind that it is the project manager who is ultimately responsible for the success or failure of the project, so his/her authority must be properly established in the project.

Risks are common in every project. The success of any project totally depends on how efficiently these risks are handled. Proper risk management always requires top management support. They must acknowledge the reality of these risks properly and must assist the project manager so that he/she can make effective steps to minimize the effects of these risks on the project.

In some cases, it is also seen that the top management or business owners, sometimes even the project sponsors poke their nose in every single matter which ultimately hampers the smooth progress of the project. The project manager must come forward in this regard and sincerely try to convince them so that they can rely totally on him/her for the success of the project. The project manager will have to take their ideas and suggestions, but must limit their involvement in project activities.

In my project management career, I always tried my best to ensure the total participation of the top management and project sponsors in major decision-making processes, which always ensured my confidence regarding running the project activities in a successful manner. Whenever I felt necessary, I always consulted with them and informed them about any serious issue, and their suggestion and ideas always helped me to proceed in a confident manner. I always believed that the proper communication with them and their participation would make me free of tension.

Hence, it can be concluded by stating that the project manager must make all sorts of major decisions regarding a project after informing the top management and project sponsors in an appropriate manner. It is only the active participation of business owners and project sponsors that can guarantee a project’s success. That is why, the project manager must give proper heed in this regard and try his/her level best to involve them in the project.

Critical Chain Method, a New Perspective for Project Management

We all have been working on projects in different industries, with widely different scopes and resource constraints. We are proud of our achievements as project managers and we often have an idea about what was behind the success or otherwise of a project. But, the truth about all projects across all industries, is that 30% of all projects are cancelled before delivering their goals. Functioning projects, on the other hand, fail at an alarming rate to deliver project goals or fall far behind their scopes. The sheer waste of money due to cancelled and failed projects amount to millions of dollars across the world. The bottom line is that, the advances made in project management are not on a par with those in other industries such as technology and communication. Underdelivered goals, overrun budgets, overrun schedules and unhappy clients are frequent manifestations of projects as we have best known.

Improvement in any human endeavor is possible only if we are courageous enough to critically analyze our rate of success. Though unpleasant, we need to accept the reality that we have a problem in project management. How well we define the problem will determine the eventual solutions we find.

When asked why so many projects fail, the responses received do not show consistency. Commonly stated reasons are the uncertainties lying outside the system and considered beyond control such as bad weather, suppliers problems and bureaucracy at government level. Some attribute failure to conflict between senior managers and project managers. Reference to the well documented reasons for project failure testify to but one thing: there is no commonly agreed cohesive set of factors contributing to project failure that we can learn from. Interestingly though, they all imply two common characteristics of all projects. First, all projects assume that projects deliverables can be precisely estimated and operations, exactly implemented. Consequently, any deviation is considered as a weakness at the planning stage. The next crucial assumption is the undue reverence to the system. The project system itself has never been doubted but accepted as trouble free.

Dr Goldratt, proponent of the Critical Chain Method, put the problem, for the first time, in the proper context. He asked what problems, in the system, cause so many project failures. He pointed out a direct relationship between project failure and the system used.

In order to understand the relevance and importance of Critical Chain Method as an alternative to the Critical Path Method, let’s first have a look at the various attempts taken over the past 40 years to improve project performance. As Dr Goldratt himself points out, previous solutions predominantly focused on increasing the detail at each level of a project. Earned value and derivative cost schedule control systems, for example, produced hundreds of pages of procedure and thousands of activities, with some activities of few hours in duration. Unsuccessful results made the project planners to create more detail and activities as solution. It activated a vicious circle, in which the fundamental belief that the project failure is caused by insufficient detail, drive managers to load project with ever increasing details. Results were the mounting costs, ever expanding schedules and project, at most, failing to meet essential technical requirements.

Furthering the subject of previous solutions, we find none of the solutions so far advanced to be effectively dealing with the uncertainty inherent in any project. Traditionally, what we are accustomed to as a measure of reducing uncertainty, is to put more effort into estimates, on the one hand, increase project detail and depth on the other hand. Again the same scenario of ‘more documentation and more detail’.

Finally, all attempts at solving project performance problems could be described as trials to improve implementation while the system itself at fault.

In this backdrop comes the new theory, sometimes known as a method or concept, Critical Chain Method of project management, CCMP. Though it can not be thought of as a panacea for all ills of modern project management, evidence from its implementation in projects point to the following benefits in contrast to traditional Critical Path Method.

Following the Critical Chain Method of Project Management, the biggest achievement is improved project success demonstrated by projects completed on time, within budget and full scope, while helping improve business growth. Most projects following CCMP were reported to have been completed in half the time that similar projects took in the Critical Path Method.

The debate about the usefulness and practicality of Critical Chain method against Critical Path method is not yet over. However, there are several key problems inherent in CP method and CCMP has shown promise. Though the existing evidence of success does not prove the theory of Critical Chain Method of Project Management comprehensively, as a competing new theory and solution to ever present problems of Critical Path Method, it is advisable that today’s project manager go beyond his comfort zone and restructure his ‘thinking’ in line with CCPM. We must never lose chance of a critical evaluation of a promising new theory, however ingrained in convention we are.

Project Leading to Failure? 10 Useful Tips…

As a project manager, you are responsible for the overall success of a specific project. Suppose that, when 70% of the total duration of a project is complete, suddenly you realize that your project is going to fail. Being quite perplexed, you will look for probable solutions. Here are some important tips that will surely help you in this dire situation:

1. Defining Project Success Criteria and Expectations Properly
   There must be a specific roadmap for the success of the project as well as clear and realistic objectives. Any sort of mistake in this regard would ultimately lead to the failure of the project.
2. Adequate Planning
   Planning for the project progress must be a continuous process. Any sort of changes should be made in the planning process instantly whenever felt necessary.Every member of the project member should be confident about the necessity of these changes. Proper attention must be given in this regard. This process will be really helpful to minimize the possibility of project failure.
3. Improving Communication
   Proper communication is the most important matter for the overall progress of the project. The project manager has to identify whether there is any sort of communication problem between the team members of the project.  He/she should always be alert about the fact that all of the stakeholders of the project should get messages properly and in time. Moreover, he/she should always discuss with the team members and give proper value to their suggestions.
4. Solving Leadership Problems
   Successful leadership is required for every stakeholders of the project, from top to bottom. Everybody should be clear about who is responsible for what in a project. The project manager has to find out whether there is any sort of incapability in leadership that is evident from any person involved in the project, and he has to guide him properly so that all problems regarding this issue are quickly sorted out.
5. Ensuring Plenty of Resources
   The appropriate authority must ensure the quick availability of required resources (both physical and human), otherwise it will be quite impossible for the project manager to ensure that the project ends successfully. Sometimes it will be required to hire resources, and the management should take prompt decision to hire those resources.
6. Setting Realistic Deadline 
   In the case when an impractical deadline is set up for finishing project activities, it will surely lead to inevitable frustration and disappointment. That is why, the project leader should always give proper attention about setting up a completely reasonable deadline. If he/she feels that this deadline cannot be met, he/she must come forward to review the overall progress of the project and set up a new deadline, if possible. Otherwise, he/she should delegate more tasks to the project members to speed up the whole process. In case of necessity, he/she should hire appropriate staff to ensure the smooth progress of the project.
7. Being Conscious about the Budget
   If the project manager becomes certain that the remaining activities of the project cannot be finished successfully with the available budget, he/she should start minimizing the cost and become totally alert in further activities. The project manager should also make sure that the overall quality of the project is not compromised at any level while minimizing cost.
8. Ensuring Strong Monitoring
   As far as the project manager is concerned, he should always be strict enough to ensure the proper monitoring of activities related to the project. Without perfect monitoring, there are every chances that situations may arise which will lead to the last-minute surprise and ultimate failure of the project.
9. Improving Risk Management System
   Less focus on risk management would certainly lead to Project Failure & most often the point of failure would be at the tail end, so all the cost spent on it might get sunk with low or zero ROI. That is why, the project manager should review the risk management strategies regularly so that in any case of emergency, he/she can stand firmly and make quick decisions.
10. Making Certain about the Involvement of Senior Management and Business Owners
    The project manager should always ascertain the proper and timely involvement of the senior management or business owners about all sorts of decisions taken during the project period. This will assist him/her to take necessary measures when required.

Leadership in Project Management – 14 Key Principles

William Deming first introduced the fourteen key principles in his book Out of the Crisis which was published in 1986. These principles still apply to business and project management today. From long standing companies to small businesses just starting out, these principles are key components in successful business and project management objectives and endeavors.

1. The focus is to remain constant with the purpose or goal of your business. Project managers as well as business managers should continuously seek methods to improve your product and your overall service. This is absolutely important for project managers to consider. By continuously striving to improve your product and customer service, you will stay one step ahead of your competition. As it should go without saying staying in business is very important particularly in today’s economy. Staying in business will provide jobs for others.
2. Life is always changing. Things grow, develop, and die to make way for new methods and new life. The same goes for business. Project managers should stay abreast of the new challenges and changes in the business environment. Some new challenges that business face every day is technology. It is difficult to stay on top of the new systems, technological gadgets, and updates that are constantly at our disposal. The challenge of staying current must be accepted. As a project manager you must be flexible and open to new challenges and changes and must act as leaders.
3. Business is constantly susceptible to inspection. This ensures your business is up to code and compliant with local, state, and federal laws and regulations. However, you shouldn’t rely on these inspections to improve your business. You need to study and be aware of the new or changing trends and practices. Do not wait for an inspection, or until it’s “too late”, to implement a new change or make improvements.
4. While cost is important for businesses, and is even more of a key component in today’s economy, the bottom line can’t always be the price tag. A key to business is not the higher price. Instead it is to minimize total cost in order to stay in competition with other businesses. One supplier for any one item can build a long lasting business relationship of trust and loyalty.
5. Project managers and business managers should always have costs and budgets in the back of their minds. While it seems as if this point may conflict with the previous principle, it is important to remember to constantly attempt to improve production and service. However, it is also important to decrease overall costs. Remember the better the production and service the less you will pay in total cost.
6. To make productive and informed workers it is necessary to have on the job training for your employees. Training should be held regularly as business grows and as practices change. This will definitely help employees stay well informed and be successful in their roles. As a project manager or business manager you should stay on top of your employees’ overall performances and address training in areas where needed. Not only will this show your employees that you care about their future at the company but that you are a leader they can count on.
7. Leadership is probably one of the most important areas of project management and business management. A project manager must possess outstanding leadership skills. A good leader should be there to supervise the employees and oversee operations in order to maintain productivity. Today leadership doesn’t stop at just employees but rather it extends to technology as well. Project managers should help improve users’ knowledge and skills as well as oversee the functionality of technology as a whole.
8. Recognize that fear is not an option. Effective leaders should work with employees and team members to remove the fear of failure and the inability or fear of completing tasks or taking on new challenges. If team members feel confident and encouraged they will ultimately be more effective and productive as well as successful in their roles.
9. Tear down walls, figuratively and literally. There should be no barriers between departments. All areas of the business to need to be able to work and communicate with one another effectively to reach one goal: get the job done. As a project manager or business manager, it is an essential part of your job to make sure tasks and assignments get done. Teamwork is the most effective tool in a business setting. In addition, you can also tear down the walls in a literal sense. More and more companies are even instituting an open floor plan which reduces segregation among supervisors, coworkers, and teams. Not only does this open up the doors of communication studies have also shown that employees feel more comfortable in an open floor plan.
10. Teamwork cannot be competitive. Do away with targets and inter-business competitions. This only drives team members and coworkers away from one another and ultimately decreases morale. Reward equally and allow praise among all employees.
11. Leadership is the ultimate key to production. The old fashioned system of setting up goals and standards is obsolete and outdated. Quotas have statistically failed in business in the past. Successful project managers can institute measures and practices of leadership and display those skills to ensure productivity rather than succumbing to quotas and standards.
12. Another crucial component that a project manager must focus on is quality. There are many different ways you can go about establishing quality in the work place. Remember that a team member will always take pride in his or her accomplishments. Do not hinder these feelings among your team members. Quality is absolutely the key to business, but creativity and craftsmanship in your team members will ensure more productivity and a happier work place.
13. Human beings by biological nature have the desire to learn. As people we want to learn, grow, and develop. This goes for our careers as well. Education and self improvement should be constantly emphasized in the work place. Project managers should show team members how they can grow personally as well as professionally. By investing and encouraging team members to learn and grow, the company ultimately grows as a business.
14. All effective members of a business are responsible for the transformation and growth of the business. The company is only as strong as its weakest link. By instituting attitudes of leadership, encouragement, and new philosophies, each team member will do his or her own share of work to help transform the company.

William Deming’s fourteen principles of business management are still very effective in the business world today. So what do most of these principles have in common? Leadership. By extending leadership qualities to team members and by applying these principles to all areas of the business, reaching company goals and objectives, regardless of how large or small, will become more visible. These principles begin at the management level and will trickle down.