Why You Should Consider Project Planning When Managing Outsourced Projects
The best projects have clearly defined goals and detailed requirements.
Before you begin planning, the following points are good to keep in mind with project planning and process.
Define the nature and the perimeters of the project.
There is no way that your provider can accomplish the job for you without understanding what you need, how you want it done, and when the deadline for completion is set.
You may even break bigger projects down into steps with separate deadlines so you can keep an eye on its progress.
Speak regularly about the progress on the project.
There is no such thing as a project that goes off without some sort of hitch.
At some point in the process, there will need to be modifications to the original model for some reason.
The more open and consistent the communication flow between you and the provider, the quicker these small bumps in the road can be addressed and resolved.
Decide how and when you will touch base.
During the initial project planning stages you can set time intervals to manage these communications.
Plan to View Drafts During the project planning stage, set times to view drafts of all necessary documents, long before the project completion date.
A quick review of the first draft of the documents will help to keep both you and the provider on track with your vision.
Solid communication together with clear and concise project planning will help to keep everything running smoothly, even when there are little things that need to be adjusted.
Managing Your Outsourced Projects Once you are further down the track with your outsourcing, you may discover a potential problem.
You began outsourcing so you could work smarter- not harder and with one or two freelancers your workload was eased, but as you added more and more your day has become so full of communicating with and managing freelance staff that you're back to square one! Exhausted and with barely any time to focus on your business the way you wanted to.
By taking the time to do some thorough project planning right at the beginning you will save you and your freelance staff a lot of heartache.
Communication:
Here's to successful project planning and your outsourcing success!
Before you begin planning, the following points are good to keep in mind with project planning and process.
Define the nature and the perimeters of the project.
There is no way that your provider can accomplish the job for you without understanding what you need, how you want it done, and when the deadline for completion is set.
You may even break bigger projects down into steps with separate deadlines so you can keep an eye on its progress.
Speak regularly about the progress on the project.
There is no such thing as a project that goes off without some sort of hitch.
At some point in the process, there will need to be modifications to the original model for some reason.
The more open and consistent the communication flow between you and the provider, the quicker these small bumps in the road can be addressed and resolved.
Decide how and when you will touch base.
During the initial project planning stages you can set time intervals to manage these communications.
Plan to View Drafts During the project planning stage, set times to view drafts of all necessary documents, long before the project completion date.
A quick review of the first draft of the documents will help to keep both you and the provider on track with your vision.
Solid communication together with clear and concise project planning will help to keep everything running smoothly, even when there are little things that need to be adjusted.
Managing Your Outsourced Projects Once you are further down the track with your outsourcing, you may discover a potential problem.
You began outsourcing so you could work smarter- not harder and with one or two freelancers your workload was eased, but as you added more and more your day has become so full of communicating with and managing freelance staff that you're back to square one! Exhausted and with barely any time to focus on your business the way you wanted to.
By taking the time to do some thorough project planning right at the beginning you will save you and your freelance staff a lot of heartache.
Communication:
- Do you communicate with your staff mainly by email?
- A weekly conference call?
- A forum?
- How will important company messages be delivered?
- Who will know what?
- How will issues be dealt with?
- How will you measure the productivity of virtual staff members?
- Will there be a weekly status report that must be filed?
- Specific tasks that must be completed on a daily or weekly basis?
- What will happen when one of your virtual staff needs time off? (Even persons who are working on outsourced projects get sick, or need time off for some reason.
) - Do you have contact with enough freelancers to ensure you have backups?
Here's to successful project planning and your outsourcing success!
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