The Go To person in IT – The IT Project Manager
The saying “no man is an island” is so true when it comes to strategic thinking and action in business. You can’t always go it alone but rely on the subject matter experts (SME) to manage certain aspects of the day-to-day business, to get things done.
Without these SME’s to rely on, you have would have to wear many “hats” ranging from accounting, sales, marketing, through to customer support. Taking ownership and driving projects to a successful conclusion is what structures a business and moves it forward.
Defining and implementing business process and infrastructure without a project management function in your business means you will be responsible for managing all the tasks associated with the project; budgeting, planning, process, people, meetings, implementation, timing etc. the list goes on… which can all get on top of you very quickly.
When rolling out IT related projects it is critical to assign an IT project manager to keep things focused and on track. IT help desk are event-driven; many of these events are unplanned i.e. Help desk staff deal with calls for support as users experience problems. There are also planned IT projects that need to be implemented that are critical to support business continuity or efficiency; Server upgrades, network infrastructure upgrades, new CRM roll-out, etc. that are time critical and require participation from many business departments to succeed.
This is where the assigned IT project manager is an invaluable resource as the “go to” person for all IT projects as communication and teamwork are vital to achieve success.
Communication is critical. Ensure there are at least weekly discussions with your IT project manager that include all the key stakeholders in the project, and regular discussion of new issues between meetings. Keeping everyone on the same page will allow you to keep the project deliverables and timing on track.
It is important that the IT project manager keep the IT Helpdesk staff in the loop on the status of IT projects. This way an accurate time-line on projects can be given to anyone inquiring on the IT help desk.
Business is about teamwork, you cannot do everything alone.
Who is your “Go To” Project manager in IT?
Do you have one?
Tips
The best advice you’ll never get
- Even though you were once a developer, that doesn’t mean your developers won’t get things past you
- The project budget is harder to manage than you might think
- Scope creep happens faster than a creep, it’s more like a speeding bullet. Consider this article article about scope creep
- The project manager does not get the glory]
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- Keep the project in good standing because you’ll likely be handing it off to someone else.