Should all project issues be reviewed with the client or just the issues that effect cost and the schedule? As a billable professional services project organization, management advocates only sharing good news with the client. If we have to absorb a cost or work overtime on account of an issue, this is kept invisible to the client. In my previous company, we informed the client of the "real" status rather than managing them. Saving Changes...
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Mark Price PerryBusiness Driven PMO Evangelist| BOT InternationalOrlando, Fl, United States
Dear Anonymous, managing projects in a professional services organization can be a little bit different than in an internal project organization. PSO organizations use both approaches and there are pros and cons to both approaches. Was your previous company also a PSO? Though many prefer the approach of your previous company, if the PSO intends to absorb the cost and overtime to keep the project on track and there is no impact to quality and risk, then management has a point. Keep the customer happy, honor the commitments that have been agreed to, and inform the client when they need to be informed. Often times the PSO will have an agreed to communication process with the client that sets the expectations and guidelines. Hope this helps. -- Mark Perry, VP of Customer Care, BOT International Saving Changes...
Anonymous
I agree with Mark. It does depend. If the situation was caused by the PSO and it can be dealt with effectively and internally it might not make sense to inform the client. On the other hand letting the client know that a situation arose that you handled for them with no project impact might be a positive for the PSO. It might also be the right thing if it would help the client to understand the problem so it does not happen again. Saving Changes...
Robert PennSr. Project ManagerAlexandria, Va, United States
Personally, I prefer letting customers know both the good and the bad. That way, if they hear about problems for another source, they know what's going on and don't wonder if I'm hiding something from them. However, I have also learned not to tell my customers everything or engage them in all the project details because they usually don't have enough knowledge to know which issues are normal and being resolved and which indicate the project is in trouble. I once had a customer who wanted to be plugged in so we copied him on all the email traffic until we realized he was telling his management the project was at serious risk of failure because he saw all the details of "making the sausage" but didn't understand that the issues were normal and being resolved as they came up. Saving Changes...
