One of the main challenges a digital delivery team can face is balancing the quality of the output with the time and budget of the project. Quality and budget often create the largest impact on the speed of delivery, and whether or not the project meets the client’s deadline. In a start-up environment, budget can be especially tight, creating an even bigger challenge.
After speaking with some of the Project Managers we work with, I’ve put together five tips to improve delivery on budget and on time, while minimising any compromise on quality.
1. Balance Design and Development
We work with a number of PMs and Producers who have experienced this challenge. Design is all about the art, and we have heard from many Creative teams that excellent ideas and art take time, thought and iteration. The impact that this often has on a project is less time for development, which is imperative to functionality. As a result, this can often push back a deadline for a project.
It’s important from the start that both the design and development work collaboratively, and have a full comprehension of the deadline and constraints between the two teams. Although both teams may have some excellent ideas, ultimately the work delivered is for the client and the deadline is set for the business objectives of the client. The client must take priority, and working together can lead to innovative, functional solutions within the time frame.
2. Understand the Client’s Business Objectives and Requirements
A full comprehension of the client’s business objectives and requirements is essential for planning and fleshing out the project. Accurate planning of a project increases the likelihood of delivering on time, as it incorporates any risk or issues and troubleshooting time.
It is essential that the PM has all requirements needed, and that the business objectives have been taken into account, before the project kicks off. If there any grey areas of a project, they must be addressed ASAP, or they risk cropping up in critical stages of the project and consequently having a huge impact on delivery time.
3. Allow Time for Testing
Unfortunately, project/product testing can often be overlooked in delivery. This is very risky, especially when dealing with User Experience led projects, because it’s very unlikely that a project will be delivered successfully first time round with no testing.
You should allow enough time for a few rounds of testing. Remember, after the first round of testing it will take time to amend the project and then repeat the process. More complex projects may require several rounds of testing. Leaving the testing until last minute and then discovering amendments are needed can have disastrous effects on delivery time.
4. Have Room for Contingency and Make a Plan B
Contingency minimises risk, so to minimise risk enough time must be allowed to look at alternative options and assess all possible outcomes of a project. A good PM can identify where to add contingency and how much contingency to add to each part of the project. A project with no contingency is extremely risky, and a project that runs into trouble without contingency is highly likely to have a late delivery.
5. Relevant Experience: If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix it!
A great PM often has expertise on the area/platform of project delivery with grounding in the nature of the project. If the project does run into any trouble, an experienced PM will have the know-how to apply a solution and get the project back on track.
Experienced PMs in the project field will also often use templates and platforms that they know will work with previous proven success. This cuts out the time it takes to build new platforms and processes which removes the impact on the delivery time.
The balance between on-time and on-budget delivery is delicate, and can be especially difficult to manage in a fast-paced start-up environment. Let us know if these tips are helpful or if you have a few of your own to add!