Do All Projects Need Project Management?

When something needs to be done that involves a number of stakeholders or resources, there can be a temptation to skip any kind of project management framework if it seems unnecessary.  What counts as “unnecessary” though can vary from person to person and company to company, but in general, it might be viewed that a group of tasks is too small to warrant the effort.

I’m going to argue, however, that regardless of size, project management is always worth the effort.

Why We Need Project Management

Before I get into the detail, let’s just discuss where project management methodologies wouldn’t be used, then we can get to where they should be employed.

For example, to ensure we don’t get too trivial, we can happily ignore minor tasks such as boiling a kettle, buying biscuits or moving a desk from one office to another. Let’s get those out the way – I’m not saying project management has a role to play in such tiny matters.

However, if you find yourself with a number of tasks that need to be done in order to complete a job (or dare I say it, ‘project’), then we need to think about using project management principles.

For example, years ago I remember a manager decided that six developers needed to be moved from one office to another one, just a few doors down the corridor. It seemed trivial and so the current office manager was asked to do it.

Easy then, move all the desks, plug them in and carry on as normal.

The new office was empty, so it was simply a matter of moving desks and equipment, and the time was set. On Monday morning, everyone would unplug and move.

The day came, and the team moved into action. All computers were unplugged; the desks were moved, and then everything was plugged in again. However, the computers, which had been connected to wi-fi, could no longer find the network.  This was a pretty devastating problem for a group of developers.

After much scrabbling about under desks and through roof panels, it was discovered that the walls here contained insulation that stopped the wi-fi in its tracks. So, back to the old office.

A day wasted.

Of course, checking these things before they’re done seems obvious, but without a plan, even the obvious things get missed.

If it had been planned as a project, then these things would have been discovered before the move began and the day wouldn’t have been wasted.

For example, at the beginning of a project, you would ask the following questions:

What are we trying to do?

What is it we’re looking to do here and why? In the above case, we’re seeking to move the development department to another office, which seems very simple, but other questions will highlight the need for proper planning.

What do we need?

What does the department need when it gets to the new office? In this case, they need access to the network, enough power sockets, good lighting, phones, and other equipment. If this had been run as a project, then all of these things would have been noted and checked.

Something else would have come to light, too. This department was part of another, and they, therefore, shared resources. Simple things like kettles for drinks, a fridge, whiteboards, flipcharts and other items that they currently took for granted. They might seem trivial, but to some, they’re important.

Of course, in our example, we would have discovered that we didn’t have network access and so would have had to find a way of providing that.

Can we do it alone, or do we need help?

Because network access was necessary, someone should have been tasked with ensuring it was available in the room. When they discovered it wasn’t, they would have then had to work out the cost of providing it. This would need help from other departments such as IT and purchasing.

How long will it take?

When we knew about the problems with network access, we would have then been able to give a realistic time to move, rather than sticking a pin in a calendar.

How much will it cost?

With a list of required equipment, we could also give a cost to the move which would then have given us some critical information. We’d actually know what the budget was for the move in real figures and therefore worked out if it was worth it.

Project Management Saves Time & Money

As can be seen above, involving a project management methodology, even a very simple one, would have actually saved time and money. In the case of the above, at least six developers were out of action for most of the day. When managed properly, equipment and staff costs will have been considered, and the expense of new IT equipment would have been seen to be tiny in comparison.

When projects are scaled up, and even more staff and resources are involved, it’s even more critical to use robust methodologies such as PRINCE2 which is designed to offer a processed-based method for project management and is widely used and supported UK-wide.

PRINCE2 is designed for all kinds of projects, and while it might not be justified to bring the entire weight of it to bear on small projects, even by cherry-picking parts of it, you can ensure that even tasks that seem trivial can be managed properly to ensure money and time aren’t wasted.

The Case for PRINCE2 Training

There are many PRINCE2 resources available on the Internet, and anyone can gain a good understanding of what’s needed to ensure projects run smoothly by reading up on it, but nothing quite prepares you like a proper training course where you can interact with your peers and have a tutor on tap.

The case for training when dealing with things such as small office moves is probably a weak one, but for larger projects, it can be extremely useful indeed.

PRINCE2 offers a standard, consistent approach to the whole process, with a controlled start, middle and end and regular reviews against a plan.

This process is baked-in, and it ensures constancy across any projects you may be planning, whether large or small, and it also means any other PRINCE2 qualified practitioner can understand and take on the project if help is needed.

It can be argued, then, that most projects require some kind of framework if they’re to be successful. Even small ones that, on the face of it, might seem too small to bother with, can benefit from being planned and managed just like any other project. In the end, the cost savings alone are usually enough to warrant the time investment in planning correctly.