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Project Management ResourcesProject Management is perhaps best described as the discipline of defining and achieving targets while optimizing the use of resources (time, money, people, materials, energy, space) over the course of a project (a set of activities of finite duration). Creative professionals in all disciplines often struggle with the challenges of project management, due largely in part to the abstract, change driven nature of creative projects. Whether it be revision driven design work, a deadline oriented ad campaign, or a detailed web development project, the advantage of centralized communication with clear objectives and milestones is critical to the success of any project. Successful project planning begins with the proper assignment of the following resources: Having proper tracking systems to properly utilize resources throughout a project is key in keeping projects on track. TimeEffective time management is fundamental to utilizing all other project resources. Break-downs in time management are the most common failure behind overdue or over-budget projects. If a project manager fails to properly manage time on a project, all other project resources are affected; money and people go underutilized while materials and energy sit stagnant. Effective project time tracking is critical to project success. The use of online timesheet software can be an extremely valuable asset to managing time on a project, particularly in cases where managers are able to monitor budgeted time versus actual time spent on a project. MoneyMost people are familiar with the adage, "Time is money". Successful creative project managers are mindful of the fact that people, materials, energy, and many less tangible project management resources are also "money". Budget shortfalls on a project are rarely the result of one massive cost over-run, but more often project margins and budgets are blown as a result of several smaller over-runs relating to multiple project resources. These additional expenses are often incurred in the early stages of a project, but can be easily overlooked until a project budget is maxed out. Flexible project planning and project management tools designed for estimating along with easily accessible project tracking measures throughout the project are essential to delivering a project within budget, or changing the scope of a project before a project goes over budget. PeopleOf all the project management resources that must work together, people are not surprisingly at the center. People have the greatest impact on the success of any project, whether the impact is positive or negative. Ultimately in project management, one person - the project manager, must manage the various people involved on a project to make efficient use of all of the project management resources (time, money, energy etc.) that he has responsibility for in order for a project to be delivered successfully. The project manager is responsible for everything from overseeing initial project planning, to regular project tracking and status reporting, project time tracking, and ultimately, the final execution of project deliverables. Having the ability to run frequent personnel reports to ensure that everyone involved on a project is on top of their individual assignments is key in order for a project manager to have an accurate picture of where a project is truly at - particularly since people are not as easily measured as dollars or minutes! MaterialsMaterials can be thought of as any of the tangible products required to piece a final project together. Thoughtful project management means accounting for all materials initially required while considering additional materials that may potentially be needed. Materials are often overlooked on projects that fail, as one neglected item can easily be responsible for the project going over budget or being delivered late. Where time slips by slowly (seemingly), and people are less tangibly measured, project materials are commonly undervalued or overlooked in the estimating and project planning stages of failed projects. Completing a materials sheet listing all potential project cost items at the start of a project is an effective way to ensure that material costs aren't overlooked. Tying estimating in to the development of a materials sheet by listing estimated costs (using quoted estimates wherever possible) for each item on the list of required materials is also advisable. Having an expense reporting system or process so that project personnel can easily update a central cost sheet makes it easy for project managers to (a) track project expenditures to ensure that items are within the of the scope of the project, (b) compare expenditures on materials versus their initial estimate, and (c) approve expenditures on items so that vendors are paid on time and personnel are reimbursed where required. See expense management for additional resources on managing materials costs. EnergyIn scientific terms the concept of energy can be generally defined as "the capacity of a physical system to do work". This definition can also be applied to project tracking and project management tools, where capacity relates to the amount of workflow that a firm or project team can manage at one time. Energy is unquestionably the most variable of all project management resources, particularly for creative project management. While it may be possible to estimate the amount of energy and resources required to execute and deliver a project, defining the amount of energy required to come up with a creative idea is inherently more complex or abstract. Having a clear understanding of who is working on what, as well as the priority, stress and deadlines of active workflow is key to evaluating potential energy in order to handle future as well as present capacity. Having easy access to historical records of project time and energy expended on similar work as well as similar clients or other project variables will improve project planning at the estimating stage and help to ensure that capacity is not underutilized of over committed throughout scheduling of multiple resources and projects. For additional tips on managing energy and capacity, refer to the article "Handling Capacity" in the FunctionFox resources section. SpaceIn a creative project environment where the project "space" is not one specific jobsite, the management of project space is an integral part of clear project communication. Particularly with an increasing trend of virtual teams and virtual project environments, the need for a centralized communication hub or common project drop space has become increasingly important. Project managers that take advantage of web-based project management software have the ability to communicate with project team members, control time and materials and maximize the energy and utility of project resources. Related topics:
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"Our PR and Design Agency looked diligently for a time and project tracking software application, only to find it right here in our own backyard. TimeFox paid for itself within weeks. Now we are accountable to our valued clients, we know how long we've worked on projects, and invoicing is a snap! I thank that little Fox every morning when he greets me upon log-in." Maggie Kerr-Southin Artemis Creative Communications "TimeFox allows us to track our time more accurately by removing any/all objections my employees had to entering their time. More accurate time entries leads to better data for future project estimates because we have more accurate historical data. Better estimating leads to higher profitability and happier clients. All this leads to better profits and a happier CEO — me." Shannon Carter Cartis Group "I needed a better time tracking system than the manual way we were doing things. I knew we weren't charging for all the "little" things and "quick" tasks like emails etc. We absolutely love your product. Learning to use it was so easy and it makes billing a snap. Thank you for developing such a functional tool. It's definitely making us more money." Allison DeFord DeFord Designs |
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