What is the role of a project manager in the tech industry? Do you rely on project managers to help you achieve your goals? Project managers are put in place to manage and organize development schedules and assign tasks to engineering teams with a singular goal in mind.
A pair of key challenges that project managers face are scope creep and delays in the development and launch process. How a project manager prevents scope creep and costly delays is key to their success and the success of your tech company.
Truss is here to help you better understand your operations and how you can build a team that will ensure you achieve your goals without delay and maximize profitability. We are here to help you build that team with global remote talent from Central Asia and other parts of the world that can help you reach your destination.
Contact Truss today to learn more about our global hiring platform and how we can help you find talented project managers!
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5 Steps for Project Owners to Avoid Scope Creep and Delays
There are many things that derail a development project — and project creep and delays are two common issues that tech companies face. Project managers are essential in minimizing the impact of these aspects of development.
Scope creep is the expansion of a software development project’s goals that go beyond the initial or overarching goal. This can occur when changes are made to the project — whether it be add-on features, improvements, or errors that need to be fixed — without proper planning. When there is too much scope creep involved with a software development project, it can lead to missed deadlines and budget overages that have a negative impact on the financial success of the project and a business.
Here is a better look at a few steps that project managers can take to avoid scope creep and expensive delays to a project:
1. Provide a Clear Goal and Outline for the Project
The first step to avoid scope creep and expensive delays is to establish a clear goal from the very start of the project. Provide development teams and stakeholders with a clear and concise goal for the project along with a detailed outline — or statement of work (SOW) — that outlines specific tasks that must be accomplished and the metrics that will determine success. Project managers can facilitate this part of the process by clearly defining all the necessary requirements for this project and creating a work breakdown structure (WBS) that breaks requirements down into more manageable tasks and silos for developers.
2. Establish a Process for Change
Change is an inevitable part of software development, and improvements and fixes to the product are important to long-term success — but changes to the software and products must be carefully monitored and controlled to avoid errors and delays that can lead to higher project costs. Project managers need to establish a strict process for change with formal requests, approvals, and tracking for all changes with comprehensive documents that reflect potential changes and the impact they may have on the overall success of a project.
3. Provide Clear and Concise Communication
When you undertake a project that works across multiple departments and levels of a business, clear and concise communication is critical to the success of a software development project. Project managers must maintain communication between development teams and shareholders, to communicate desired or necessary changes to the project goals. The clear and transparent communication of updated goals helps avoid unnecessary and costly changes to a project that impact the bottom line.
4. Track and Analyze Progress
A common question that stakeholders are always asking is — what is the status of Project X? Project managers are responsible for tracking, monitoring, and analyzing the progress of a development project. Analysis of key performance metrics — like budget, timeline, and available resources — allows project managers to see the signs of scope creep before it becomes too costly. Tools like Gantt Charts and Kanban Boards can help project managers visualize and share progress updates.
5. Provide Clear Expectations and Training
Maybe the most important step a project manager can take to avoid scope creep and errors is to establish clear expectations for everyone involved with the project from start to finish. When everyone understands their own responsibilities and has been trained to understand scope and risk management, expectations can be better managed. A key aspect of this responsibility for project managers is to know when it is the right time to say no to changes and add-ons that impact deadlines and costs.
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Hire Remote Project Managers with the Help of Truss
Where do you find project managers with the skills you need to avoid scope creep and costly errors? Are you struggling to find project managers that meet your skill and budgetary requirements? Truss may be able to help you find the perfect fit with a global hiring platform.
Truss provides global hiring and Employer of Record (EOR) services in Central Asia and other emerging markets around the world. U.S.-based tech companies can provide Truss with a list of skills and requirements that meet their needs and we will find and recruit potential candidates that meet those expectations, and after you have found the right fit, we will assist your team with onboarding and management of your global payroll. As an added benefit — Truss has the capability and experience to serve as your Employer of Record, managing your global workforce to ensure you remain compliant with the local labor laws.
Contact Truss today for more information on our global hiring platform for tech companies!
