Project World - page 5
The more complex the process, the lesser the chances of achieving high-performing results, as individual efficiency is inversely proportional to process complexity. The reason for the increasingly growing complexity is simple: Businesses are becoming more and more dynamic, and operations such as helpdesk management, invoicing and customer relations are becoming less predictive, making it extremely challenging to foresee the next set of steps and efficiently model or create a process template. Traditional BPM (business process management) solutions are, at best, restrictive, and continuing to rely on them for constantly evolving process rules can be a risky business move.
Let us delve into some of the more critical business processes:
People learn three ways – visual, auditory and kinesthetic. But by far, according to a Forbes article, “the most important part of our brains taking in new stimuli is visual.” Here’s one example that clearly illustrates this point: Between an infographic and a large block of text, the former is far easier to digest. This is also one of the reasons behind the use of visual tools in project management software, e.g., the project management Gantt chart.
As an enterprise expands in scope, workload increases. Automation of repetitive work becomes mandatory, as a consequence. Because of the scalability and cost-effectiveness of cloud-based software solutions, among other things, to improve the efficacy of a company’s workflow, cloud implementation is one of the first considered options.
Prepping for a boxing match is no walk in the park. A lot is dependent on the game plan. And if the plan isn’t carefully thought out, barring a lucky punch come show time, a defeat isn’t too far behind.
Project management success is largely dependent on the individual and collective contributions of the people comprising a company. If staff workload is not properly managed and allocated, the dominoes start falling – some team members juggle their time between projects, all the while trying to keep a work-life balance, others don’t meet deadlines because they’re not equipped with the right set of skills or competencies to get the job done, changing priorities up workforce frustration a notch further, and the list goes on and on.
Marketing fuels the success of any business. Even if you do offer the best product or service in the entire planet, without marketing, the likelihood of your business failing before taking off is greater. Marketing isn’t necessarily an easy endeavor. It’s not a one-time event, either, but an ongoing and dynamic process that grows and evolves as the market evolves. Even big and established brands like Coca-Cola, McDonalds, Starbucks and Nike continually engage in marketing activities to maintain the edge they’ve built through the years in their respective markets.
From low end to midrange to high end, the IT market is teeming with a whole slew of project management software to choose from. Having a lot of choices, however, isn’t always a good thing. Analysis paralysis isn’t a pretty thing. And then, there, too, are buyer’s remorse and finding yourself stuck with a software system that may not withstand the test of time.
The efficiency and speed at which work is carried out via the invention of the conveyor belt and the introduction of robots in factories are just two of the numerous business process automation benefits manufacturing organizations enjoy today.
As it stands, business process automation has gone beyond factories, and with the growing importance of the Internet in the way many companies conduct their businesses, the ability to respond to customer requests and buying patterns, or turn an aberration into a marketing win in real-time can score a huge differentiation edge. Differentiation, particularly in this highly competitive marketplace, is another of the many business process automation benefits companies can bank on.
It’s no secret that project management benefits go beyond just the client. They extend to the project manager, the team, the company, its other clients, even third-party vendor partners. Efficiency, customer satisfaction, team development, better flexibility, increased competitive edge, more opportunities to expand the company’s services, client confidence, lessons learned – there’s no denying that the project management benefits to be gained are many.
You may insist that it’s not a requisite, but it pays to have a trusted tool that reaps the benefits of project management software to facilitate project planning and analysis.