project coordination

5 Signs Your PMs Might Need Project Coordination

Your company have a core group of project managers on staff. Between them, they have a team of skilled and competent professionals whose combined job is to see projects through to their conclusion. And yet, something is off. Your projects don’t seem to be getting done on time or on budget. Perhaps you need new project coordination.

In addition to project management as a service (PMaaS), the Janiko Group offers project coordination as a service (PCaaS). With this particular service, you are not completely turning over project management in its entirety. Rather, you’re getting access to experienced coordinators capable of coming in behind your team with much-needed support.

If you’ve never considered outsourced project coordination before, here are five signs that your projects might benefit from it:

1. Delays Are the Norm

It is not unusual for even the least complex projects to suffer from occasional delays. But delays should not be the norm. If they are, there is likely something going on at the coordination level. Perhaps one team isn’t aware of what the other teams are doing. Maybe the teams aren’t communicating. Whatever the case, you need help putting all the pieces together. That’s what PCaaS is all about.

You should be especially concerned if project delays continue stacking up. When one missed deadline leads to another and then another, you have a disaster brewing. A little extra help coordinating your teams’ efforts can get everything back on track.

2. Strained Budgets Are the Norm

Like project delays, budget overruns are pretty normal. But continuously operating with a strained budget is a sign that the budget office may not be tightly integrated with the project management office. There may be a disconnect between those paying the bills and those spending the money. Either way, constantly strained budgets are among the biggest concerns. Your company could be in real trouble if it doesn’t have sufficient funding to complete all of the projects on the table.

3. Lack of Team Buy-In

Project management is like pro sports to some degree. The entire project management team is made up of individuals and subgroups. For everything to work as it’s supposed to, every individual player has to buy in to what the project manager wants to do – just as players and coaches have to buy in to what the head coach wants to do. If you are noticing a consistent lack of team buy-in, you may have a problem.

Project coordination addresses that problem by getting everyone on the same page. With everyone thinking alike and working toward the same goals, there are fewer disconnects between individual team members and subgroups. And when everyone is buying in, the chances of success go way up.

4. Consistent Project Fatigue

Large-scale projects that are not properly coordinated can leave team members feeling project fatigue. This is observed in team member attitudes and words. Team members who consistently speak negatively of the project could be suffering from fatigue. Improved coordination can change things for them.

5. Lack of Management Confidence

Lastly is a consistent lack of confidence from management. If senior management is constantly looking for assurances that everything is on track, it’s a good sign that things aren’t. They are only asking because they don’t see the results. Demonstrating the results they’re looking for puts them at ease.

PCaaS is something we encourage you to consider if your projects seem to be struggling. Bringing in coordination help is not a sign that you are a terrible project manager. It is a sign that you are willing to do whatever it takes to get things done.