1 – Be careful about taking the manufacturer’s specifications as the final word. How equipment and systems are used, installed, monitored, and linked to other systems could affect their behavior during actual use. Discuss your environment’s details with the manufacturer to get the most realistic picture of what everyday usage will be like.

2 – If you’re modifying anything in an off-the-shelf piece of equipment or software, the original specifications shouldn’t be used as-is. Instead, determine how user expectations should be revised to match the changes you’ve made.

3 – The specifications of raw materials don’t always translate cleanly to the specs of a completed product. Be sure your team takes the time to do sufficient product testing before using early-process specs to calculate the final numbers.

4 – When rolling out information to end users, be sure to clearly delineate where your team’s specs end and manufacturer’s specs begin. This is especially important when it comes to troubleshooting—mistaking incorrect expectations for an actual problem could send you off on a wild goose chase.

5 – Some systems and pieces of equipment are designed to stop functioning if the minimum specs aren’t being achieved—it’s often a fail-safe measure. If your daily usage might impact the item’s operation, be sure to discuss the issue with the manufacturer before making a purchasing decision.

6 – If there are interdependencies in your final setup, confirm how any variation in one component’s specs might affect the rest of the system. Unexpected shutdowns could lead to lost productivity, and malfunctions might even cause wide-scale damage.

PMAlliance uses a team of highly experienced and certified professionals to provide project management consulting, project management training and project office development services.

Staffing levels. If reviewing recent projects highlights less-than-optimal results due to insufficient staffing, work with your team on potential solutions. Leveraging temporary or consultant support and modifying project timeframes or scope are common fixes, but innovative teams will likely find additional ways to address staffing concerns.

Division of responsibilities. Is it time to shake up the status quo? If you see that you’ve been doling out the same tasks to the same people, consider giving a few of your best performing junior-level team members some new challenges. At the same time, try offering your more experienced pros a change of pace to keep them sharp.

Vendor relationships. Even if your vendors are meeting your needs, now is the time to see if there are still issues you’re struggling to overcome. Do your vendors have the best connections to address potential supply chain issues? Are time zone differences causing more effort than should be necessary? Have they experienced staffing issues of their own? Look for ways to streamline your operations through the support of your vendors.

Cyclical challenges. By reviewing projects in batches, you may discover repeating cycles that set your team up for difficulty. If you’re consistently tackling the most complex projects during times when your resources are lowest—over the holidays when more folks are out of the office, or perhaps it’s in the first quarter when the year’s funds are still being approved and released—you might consider talking with stakeholders to develop a different kind of schedule for future projects.

PMAlliance uses a team of highly experienced and certified professionals to provide project management consulting, project management training and project office development services.

1 – Say it early. Unless it’s an issue you’re certain can be handled internally without any detectable effects on stakeholders, you’re best off sounding the alert early. End users and supporters are more likely to be amenable to solutions that impact timeframes or final objectives if they can see you’ve been proactive and upfront with them.

2 – Say it clearly. Now is not the time for buzzwords or vague project-speak—confusing your stakeholders will only make them more unhappy. Instead, plainly state the issue, along with its triggers (if you can). Misunderstandings certainly won’t build support for whatever solution you implement, so lay out the facts in understandable language.

3 – Say it without blame. The urge to point fingers may be strong, but now is not the time to indulge it. Even if a vendor completely dropped the ball and botched your project to smithereens, it’s better to deal with the issue professionally—and with the vendor directly—than to air your grievances far and wide. Explain the probable cause of the problem in broad terms (e.g., manufacturing delays, supply chain shortages) but consider keeping the details within your PMO.

4 – Say it with a solution. You may not have completely formulated a plan to deal with the problem yet, but framing the issue along with a possible resolution will often go a long way toward maintaining stakeholders’ confidence in your team. Be sure to delineate where the plan is still in development, so you aren’t inadvertently setting expectations you may need to revisit later.

PMAlliance uses a team of highly experienced and certified professionals to provide project management consulting, project management training and project office development services.