3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GETTING YOUR PROJECT BACK ON TRACK
Is your project overdue or running over budget? Are you finding it challenging getting your project back on track? You’re not the first to say this and you certainly will not the be last. We want to help you! We recommend following these 3 simple steps to assist with getting your project back on track.
- Identify the problem. Identify why the project has moved into the problems that it has. Problems can be addressed and managed in a control manager. Most frequent problems we come across are…
- Scope creep. The project has begun to add deliverables which were not initially included in the brief. We would always recommend looking at what you are currently attempting to deliver versus what you initially set out to deliver. What looks like a small change in a meeting 6 months ago might have had major repercussion down the line.
- Specification creep. Again, small modifications in specification can have a major impact on the entire project.
- Poor contractor performance. Have certain contractors failed to deliver their key deliverables? This is likely to have knock on impact on the project schedule.
- Assess the project’s status. A clear minded and honest assessment about the current status of your project and the issues affecting it can provide a clear idea of the project’s immediate status and outline any important constraining factors. These may include:
- Current budget status.
- Current delays and/or contractual disputes.
- What is currently still running in the project and when it is due to finish.
- Who is working on the project, including who is controlling or managing it.
- Correct the errors! Once you know what the problem is and where you are now, it is possible to begin correcting some of the errors, modifying the processes and starting to make progress again! In some cases this may be relatively simple and involve changes to the management team and applying for additional finance to cover some of the extra costs incurred. However, in more challenging examples, it can sometimes be necessary to introduce a separate rescue project to take the existing project from its current status through to being back on track.
If you are involved in a project in which you are having significant issues and would like to find out more about your potential options, then why not have a look at our project support consultancy.