When the word productivity is mentioned, many people wonder whether it is really so crucial in project management or just another buzzword that many people like to use these days. In short, productivity is the most important parameter to take into account in order to really make a project a success. In this article we will now look at what exactly is productivity? What is it, what are its benefits and how can you become a productive project manager?
What is productivity in project management?
Productivity in project work is determined by observing the relationship between the end result and the cost or time. Higher productivity means more output for the same or less input.
By quantifying productivity, we can measure the success or failure of a project. As such, it is the role and responsibility of the project manager to use the most effective methods to achieve the desired goals.
In reality, however, it's not so easy, as project managers have to keep an eye on customer expectations, juggle team resources and manage progress, among other tasks. It is also essential to manage risks and correct errors when necessary.
Why is productivity so important?
Now that we have clarified the concept of productivity, we can see that it is one of the key success parameters.
The more productive a team, the more work they can get done in the same amount of time. In other words, the more productive you are - whether it's a whole company, a project team or employees - the less time it takes to achieve the same results as others, which can give you a significant business advantage.
The concrete benefits of productivity
Now let's look at what results can be expected at project level if productivity increases.
Effective resource management
The main resources used in project management:
- the time
- the money
- the resources
In practice, in most cases there is some trade-off between the time needed to complete the scope of the project and the cost of achieving the results. However, higher productivity can optimise results, benefiting both the company or project and the client.
Faster project results
Time is a key resource in projects. With productivity and effective time management, the time required to complete and deliver a project is reduced proportionally.
Bigger gains
As we have already seen in the previous sections, higher productivity saves time and makes more efficient use of resources. This will reduce costs in direct proportion. In other words, if we perform within project costs, profits increase.
Better customer relations
There is no better way to build a healthy relationship with your customers and earn their trust than by meeting or exceeding their expectations. Greater productivity allows you to build solid client relationships by delivering projects on time and within client budgets.
Competitive advantage and more business
Higher productivity and satisfied customers boost your reputation, which can differentiate you from your competitors. It also helps us to get more referrals from existing partners. All clients will recommend productive contractors and project managers to their contacts. So greater productivity also creates more business opportunities.
Better risk management
Productivity can give you tight control over project dynamics. It also allows you to anticipate potential risks with greater certainty. Forecasting them allows you to anticipate them in advance, or to make an effective plan to deal with risk factors when they arise.
How to become a productive project manager?
Now let's look at some of the concrete ways to effectively increase productivity and project success.
Precise elaboration of processes
Accurately designing project activities and creating flowcharts increases productivity. While each project requires a unique strategy for successful implementation, a standard structure is needed.
We can tailor the framework for each client to provide personalised solutions, while building on the strong foundations you are used to. A standard framework reduces effort and increases productivity, providing guidance during project management.
Recruiting the right team
As a project manager, it is essential to select the best people to ensure that the project runs smoothly. No wonder the best companies make team members their top priority.
By hiring and training excellent people, you can expect a collaborative and productive working environment as a project manager. Without a good core team, it is difficult to make a project a success. In the long run, underperforming members can cost the project time, money and effort.
It is therefore very important to consider both human and professional aspects when selecting team members. You need to make sure that you are aware of the prospective colleague's skills, weaknesses and potential in order to decide whether he or she is ideal for the project work.
Using project management and collaboration software
Project management software is an excellent tool for planning and managing the lifecycle of a project. They're not a luxury, but they can boost productivity. It's worth choosing a version that is as user-friendly as possible and that allows the whole team to work smoothly.
Collaboration software such as Google Calendar, Asana, Slack, Trello and Facebook Workplace are suitable for any project size and model. As project managers, it's important to understand and use these tools to ensure team efficiency and that information can be effectively synchronised across platforms. Using them can save a lot of time and energy by making it easy to share information and track progress within the team.
Data-driven project management
The time for hunches is over when it comes to implementing projects. Only projects based on data can be truly successful. That's why it's important to continually evaluate project management software data and, if necessary, improve processes and make data-driven decisions.
Focus only on the important meetings
The project manager's job is to keep everyone informed about the progress of the project and to troubleshoot any problems that arise. You may need to organise a face-to-face or online meeting to announce changes or discuss a problem.
These meetings are a great opportunity to bring the team together and come up with great ideas, but no one likes long meetings, especially pointless ones.
Studies show that senior managers spend an average of 28 hours a week in meetings, while middle managers spend 21-23 hours a week on average. If we translate these into project hours, it is clear that a lot of tasks could be accomplished in this time. So productivity is reduced.
It is therefore important to consider only convening meetings that will increase effectiveness and are really worth the time spent.
Effective communication
Good communication is essential for productivity. To ensure that the work is progressing properly, it is important to keep all stakeholders informed about the progress of the project, so that we can always get quick feedback on any problems or stoppages that may arise. It also helps to assess and manage risks.
Increasing productivity through continuous training
Productivity can be developed to a high level through learning and practice. Therefore, it is important for all project managers to keep their knowledge up to date and to be aware of the tools that can best achieve results. It is also worth paying attention to the team, organising workshops to motivate them to succeed.
TIP: If you also value productivity and would like to improve your leadership, communication and methodological skills, choose from our current training courses for project managers!
In summary
Productivity is the cornerstone of any successful project. Increasing it should be a priority for all team members. It not only helps to achieve quality results, but also to ensure that project goals are met on time.
Maximising productivity through effective practices for both projects and organisations helps to achieve efficiency and cost-effectiveness. To be truly successful in project management, we need to focus and measure whether we are on the right track in our work.
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