The Money Files

I know we’d all like to rely on our PowerBI or Tableau reports, or whatever data source you use for tracking business metrics, but those reports are only as good as the data that goes into them.

That goes for our project management tools as well. If you’re looking at a resource chart trying to work out how to manage capacity over the coming weeks, you’d better be looking at the right inputs. When the underlying data is wrong, it can throw off your scheduling.

But why is data wrong in the first place? No one goes into work and knowingly types in incorrect figures just to make your day difficult. If you’re worried about the integrity of the data, or you want to do an audit check, or even just highlight the importance of getting it right to your team, here are some places you can look.

Human error

Let’s start with the most obvious: Incorrect data input by project team members can lead to inaccuracies in schedules, budgets, and resource allocation. Manual errors in data processing causes more headaches, in my opinion, than anything else.

While we’re on the topic of how humans type things in, let’s talk about inconsistent data formatting. Without standardised data entry methods, inconsistencies such as different date formats or unit measurements can impact data integrity.

Software Errors

How much downtime does your project management tool, or any other data repository that you use, have? How often do you have to raise tickets?

I heard about one team who had been successfully navigating around a bug in the system they used, and talked about how they were managing as if it was a badge of honour – don’t do that! Raise a ticket with the right support team and get it fixed. You never know what kind of impact a bug is having behind the scenes.

Even the best project management software may experience a glitch from time to time that could mean you lose data or it gets corrupted. This can happen when you are syncing data or updating project information, for example importing a spreadsheet from one system to another.

Sometimes we also see issues where multiple users are trying to access or modify the same document or data set where version control hasn't been used. That gives you multiple versions of the same information and no one knows which is the correct one.

External factors

Sometimes it's factors beyond your control that cause problems with data. If you have a network failure, for example, and you're in the middle of doing a data sync, that might affect the inputs. Even hardware failures, the blue screen of death, or losing a USB stick can cause problems (not that you store anything on external drives, right?).

Data integration

In my experience, one of the biggest issues with making sure your data is correct across all systems is how the interfaces work. If you are building interfaces between various systems you have to make sure that the testing is adequate. Whether you are integrating your project management software with financial planning software or a resource management tool or whether you are taking project data out of a scheduling system and putting it somewhere else, it has to be accurate.

Another issue is where the data is being exported from one system in one format and needs to be in a different format for another system —this is particularly relevant with dates.

Identify which system is the single source of the truth and make sure the integrity of that is maintained.

What other issues do you have with data integrity and how do you get round them?

I’m taking a quick break from my mini-series on resilience in project teams as I’ve been doing some thinking recently on how to improve the project management software we have. You might know that I wrote Collaboration Tools for Project Managers so the changing landscape of software products is something I try to stay close to.

One of the conclusions I’m coming to is that tools don’t do everything. As a result, we have to integrate with other products. The software is powerful, but it just can’t/shouldn’t do everything, or you end up with a hybrid product that is rubbish at most things and does everything badly. So integrations so you can use best of breed products is the way forward.

Integrations extend the functionality of your project management tools, and here are 4 benefits to consider.

1. Streamlined workflows

Double-keying data? No thanks! Integrations between apps allow you to automate the flow of information between tools. Need to get that timesheet data into a financial tool? There’s an integration for that. Need to bring in actuals from the accounting software? No problem, we can feed those into the project budget and forecast.

Integrations reduce manual data entry and minimise the risk of human error. And they remove some of the boring work too – win win!

2. Centralised information

How many tabs do you have open? It’s no fun switching from dashboards in one tool to review benefits and then back to the PM tool to enter the actuals, and grabbing stuff from all the places. Bringing in what you need saves time and centralises the data so your team has everything in one place. That should help with transparency and reporting, plus saving time so you don’t have to log in to so many apps in the morning.

For example, integrate with your cloud storage or file-sharing software and then you can access the relevant documents directly within the project management system. To be fair, that isn’t even hard if you’ve got cloud file storage – just add a link! Done!

3. Improved collaboration

You’re in your PM tool but you need to flag something… do you have to leave to go to a messaging app or email? It’s better if there is an integration within the tool so your relevant threads can appear linked to the project task, risk or issue etc. If your tool doesn’t have native messaging, integrate it with whatever tool you do use so that status updates can be sync’d across platforms in real time, so the whole team can see what is going on.

4. Enhanced reporting and analytics

Finally, the more data you have in your PM tool, the better your reporting and analytics can be, and the more you can make use of AI. AI needs pools of data to give you forecasts or suggestions, so if your PM tool is scanty in that area, it’s hard for AI to do anything meaningful with your portfolio data.

Sync up your project data with external analytics or business intelligence tools so you can create detailed reports, analyse data trends, and monitor progress without exporting data manually. And you’ll be able to share project performance data with people who don’t have licences for your PM tools. Because that’s a problem, right?

So, integrations for the win! What tools do you link up (or what problems do you face when they don’t)? Let me know in the comments!

I’ve been looking at continuous improvement in project management this month, covering why it matters and ideas for building a culture where continuous improvement is the norm. Now I’m going to turn to look at what you have available to help, in terms of tools and techniques.

Luckily for us in project management, we have a range of tools available already that you are using across the rest of your project delivery work, and we can put those to use.

Tools for collecting feedback

First off, you have to make sure that you can collect the improvement ideas. We talked a bit about that in my last article (suggestion boxes) and there’s a lot more you can do – with techniques you will already be familiar with.

Surveys and questionnaires

We use Microsoft Forms for sending out lessons learned surveys and you could set up a form (on any platform) to gather feedback at various points in the project or simply have one on your team intranet page for people to suggest improvements when they think of them.

The trouble with ‘fill it in when you want’ forms is that you have to keep constantly reminding people it is there, so when they do have an idea they go to the form instinctively.

Retros

You’re probably (hopefully) already using retrospectives and lessons learned. Add in questions, if you don’t already have them, for the group to reflect on how project management processes could be changed to deliver better results.

Team meetings

Add an agenda point to your regular team meetings where you talk about what’s been improved, what improvements are being worked on and ask for suggestions. It doesn’t have to be every week, but once a quarter or something like that would work well as a reminder for the team.

Techniques for learning

Once you’ve got some ideas, you’ll want to dig into them and see if they stand up to scrutiny – and whether they are worth the effort to change. Luckily, again as project professionals, we have a range of techniques already in our toolboxes that help us do exactly that.

Root cause analysis

Use root cause analysis techniques (like the ‘5 Whys’) to identify the underlying causes of issues. Then you can focus in on what is genuinely going to address the problem.

Lessons learned databases

You’ve got a repository of lessons learned from each project, right? Take a look through that at the types of projects that have struggled in this area and what has already been done to resolve the problem. That should help prevent you from wasting time on solutions that have already been shown not to work.

Peer reviews and feedback

You’ve got experienced people on the team. They’ve come from different corporate backgrounds and industries, so make use of their knowledge and find out what has worked in their previous roles.

Project management tools

Don’t forget that we also have access to project management tools. Collaboration tools can help people communicate and work together to sort out issues. Planning and scheduling can be done for your improvements, using the tools you already have. Use your knowledge management systems to capture, store and share the ideas, improvements and lessons, so that everyone can benefit from any information created.

With all the resources available to us, it should be easy to make improvements to ways of working. So let’s say you’ve made the improvements, and you want to track how things are going and whether your improvements are having the impact you expected. That’s what I’ll be talking about next time.

I’ve been looking at my professional development goals for the year and while I’m not quite ready to put them out there for everyone to see, one of things I am reflecting on is continuous improvement in project management and what that means for me and my teams.

If you’ve been around project management for any length of time you will have come across continuous improvement as a concept.

For me, it means an ongoing process where teams evaluate their performance, identify areas for improvement, and implement changes that lead to better project outcomes. Sounds simple, right? The challenge I have is that even if we have the headspace to come up with the improvement ideas, we rarely have the time or the authority to make the changes.

So, what can we do? First, focus on what we can change. It’s about creating a mindset of constant reflection, learning, and evolving. And second, encourage the team to focus in on the ‘why’ of continuous improvement so the ideas we are coming up with are small enough to implement in the time and boundaries we have.

So why does it matter?

Beyond the obvious (we’re all trying to do more with less, because somehow the appetite to deliver change is just as big if not bigger than it always was, but with less staff), here are some formal reasons we are reflecting on:

Efficiency gains: How can we deliver projects more efficiently, reduce waste, and optimise resources? While working within the processes we have.

Mitigate risk: What have we learned from past projects that helps us identify and act on risks on future projects?

Collaborate: Generally, the conversations about improvements help teams build relationships and work together effectively. Any time spent together helps us understand more about how colleagues work and what ways of working are the most effective.

And what are we looking for?

Project professionals should be looking for ways to:

Deliver change incrementally: What are the small, iterative changes we can put in place that won’t overwhelm the team and that feel we are taking steps towards more effective ways of working? If it’s a big (potential) improvement, how can you break it down and make it into smaller steps so it can be phased in over time.

OK, if you have the time and capacity to do the change all in one go, and are confident that it’s the right thing, by all means go for it. But if you feel like doing things at a slower pace would be beneficial – and I think that’s the right approach – then go at that pace.

Empower people to take ownership: How do we encourage individuals to take responsibility for identifying and implementing changes? And the big challenge here for me is making sure that I have the time available to do the implementing!

Use data to make decisions: Let’s not dive in and make changes without having a real understanding of what that would affect. For example, in one project a good few years ago, a process was changed but it impacted teams downstream. Without an understanding of what that team did, I think we inadvertently made their lives harder until we did a proper process mapping exercise to understand how work flowed through the organisation.

You could also use data points from your project management software, feedback or databases and statistics, dashboards or reporting. Just don’t guess at what would be an improvement.

That’s the what and the why. Next time, I’ll look at how you can start building a culture of continuous improvement in project teams because it’s important to have some practical strategies as well. See you then!

Is your team a remote or hybrid team? It can be challenging to keep projects moving with the same pace during the holiday season, when availability and communication can be limited. Here are a few tips on how to stay on top of your project deliverables over the holidays.

1. Establish availability and schedules

Encourage colleagues to set clear expectations around holiday availability and working hours. For example, they can set out of office messages and identify a delegate in that message so that people know who to go for when they are unavailable.

If you have limits on how many people in the team can be out of the office at the same time, then make sure these are clear and communicated. A project team holiday calendar can make it clear when people are off (although you’ll have to get them to fill it in… always a challenge). There might be times when holidays are unlikely to be approved, for example over a go live period, so flag that in advance so that anyone who needs to book holiday can do so with enough notice.

2. Communicate across time zones

Your remote team might not include people in different time zone, but given that there are multiple time zones in Europe, the US and Australia, as well as elsewhere, even if you are working solely within one region it’s likely you will have colleagues who are keeping different hours to you.

If the holidays mean your working hours are different, make sure everyone knows this. Check that people are aware of the most appropriate ways to stay in touch. For example, Teams is the best way to get me, even when I’m travelling or otherwise out of the office, because it’s on my phone and I literally can’t escape it!

(That’s not to say you should be working on your time off, but if you are working remotely, make sure you can still be contacted.)

3. Adjust project timelines

You might want to adjust the project schedule to account for reduced productivity during December. I know no one wants to admit to being less productive in December, but if you take out time for school concerts, longer, social lunches, plus the impact of the weather and so on, you might find that productivity dips a little. If you’ve got the flexibility in the plan, consider using it.

4. Maintain team morale

The flip side of a productivity dip is a task surge. I don’t know about you, but the last few years have seen me working even more than usual during the run up to year end as we try to get deliverables completed in year.

So consider what you can do to keep morale high, if work is going to be tough. That might be a team celebration (virtually – there are lots of options you can do remotely including quizzes and games) or other ways to connect when team members are scattered and less available.

5. Ensure project continuity

Most importantly, make sure that there is continuity and that the work continues, even when key team members are out. For example, make sure that your documentation is up to date and that knowledge-sharing has happened to avoid bottlenecks. Use the pre-holiday period to review plans with the team and make sure that everyone knows what they have to do.

Whether you are a remote project manager or working with a remote team, it is possible to navigate the holiday period and keep your projects going. It takes a bit of extra effort, a little more stakeholder engagement and a lot more forward planning, but it pays off to know that you can balance work and life, have a wonder holiday period and also stay on top of your work without burning out.

How do you do it? Share your tips in the comments below!