How Important is Project Management?
I think a lot of law firms may not understand why project management is important for their software implementations. It really is necessary to have some time to do project management. It’s necessary to keep the project timeline and costs in line. Without project management, many of the controls are left to chance. Wouldn’t you rather read a project status report so you can immediately understand where your project is versus hoping somebody has the latest update in an email chain that could be hundreds of email messages long. You’re going to save yourself time in the long run by having these controls and different check points in place.
I just started a project with a new client. I met with their project manager and talked about how we would run the project together and the framework we have for implementing iManage Records Manager for their firm. A smile came across his face. He immediately understood that our InfoCompass team knew exactly what we are doing and have a framework that is successful. The feeling of not having to worry about the project management and having to make sure things are going according to plan. Good project management can build trust with your client right away.
I have another client who is an IT Director. He said during one of our status meetings “Nitza, really appreciate the project management. You keep our project in line and you hold us accountable to all the due dates”. In his experience, he’s seen other technical consultants allow a firm to drag their feet on a project. This results in a project to drag on and on, while the technical consultant is billing you for all this time. Our client was very happy we were on top of the project. Keeping our promise to meet the deadlines and keep the framework in place so the project can continue to move forward. This is going to save money in the long run.
If you want to have your project completed on-time, invest into your project management. It’s very necessary to keep your projects on time and on budget.
