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Project Management

Imagine Business Solutions lives Marketing Project Management. Over two decades of leading marketing projects, we have experience percolating ideas to completion.

 

There is more to Project Management that checking items off the to-do list. While keeping the project's documents current is an important step, Project Management involves developing and clarifying the project scope and monitoring it to know when scope creep occurs. Scope Creep may extend the timeline/budget or potentially derail the focus.

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It is not uncommon to uncover additional deliverables during the project's journey. The proverbially 'oh yeah, can we add…' will likely require more time or resources to accomplish the task. When these instances occur, it's essential to consult with the team and stakeholders, identify the effect on the schedule and share the impact with the stakeholders.

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Any changes to the Project's Scope may affect the Project's Plans. Keeping a keen eye on the project elements is one of the critical benefits of having a dedicated project manager. The Project Manager's role is to manage the project:

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  • Keep all parties informed

  • Identify risks, formulate a plan to prevent

  • Realize when a risk elevates to an issue 

  • Maintain all documents

  • Project accountability 

  • And more

 

Let us break Project Management into four simple steps: develop, plan, execute, and finalize. 

project management illustration showing project management steps – develop, plan, execute, deliver

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Project Management

Overview
Step 1 - Develop
Step 2 - Plan

Step 1 - Develop the Project

Define the project: purpose, benefits, and impact on staff will help the project manager manage the project and their team.  

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  • Gather insight

  • Define Scope

  • Determine milestones 

  • Prepare the Project Charter 

  • Meet with department heads to understand their take on the project

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Obtain the Stakeholder's approval of the live Project Charter. 

Step 2 - Plan the Project

Build out each milestone into smaller steps. Prioritize each phase of the project to keep the project on the timeline. Evaluate the resources for each step. Summarize this into a worksheet for sharing.   

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  • Develop the project team 

  • Create a budget 

  • Gain team’s commitment

  • Establish a Communication Plan for the project

  • Share the plan with Project Sponsor, and work through the approval process

  • Host kick-off meeting with the Team, Project Sponsor, and Stakeholders - obtain consensus to plan, addressing any initial concerns

Step 3 - Execute
team evaluating a project

Step 3: Execute The Project

Start working on the project. Be sure to check in with your vendors and team regularly to keep everything moving forward according to the plan. While your team is getting started, now is the time to organize your documents and get meetings scheduled for successful completion.

Project Documentation

Determine where is the best place to store all your project files. Share access to the necessary files. This level of transparency helps all parties stay on task and allows them to own their role in the project, including speaking up if they have any questions or concerns. 

  • Project Charter

  • Plan

  • Budget Tracking

Project Meetings

Set up and invite the key players to each meeting. Communication is a critical element of having a successful project. Asking the right questions, reading body language, and understanding when problems arise will help to address challenges early. 

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  • Team Standups: We like to kick off the week with a quick team standup. The objective of this meeting is to motivate the team and get the week started on the right foot. Each team member has an opportunity to review their next steps and address any concerns they may have in accomplishing them. 

  • Stakeholder Updates: Determine the frequency of these meetings (or emails) to keep your stakeholders informed of the Project’s progress. Depending on the project's complexity, these communications may be bi-weekly or monthly and may change in frequency the closer to the end of the project. 

  • Project Owner: These check-ins are typically more frequent than Stakeholder meetings and involve more detail. 

  • Vendor Management: It is best to think of these meetings/communications as you do with your immediate team. Knowing potential risks as early as possible helps eliminate them from becoming issues. 

Monitor Project Progress

Reviewing and testing items as they are complete to ensure accuracy and a quality product. Checking off the To-Do list and following through on open items make all the difference in meeting deadlines.

Risk Management

Within the Project Charter Risk Management section, we identify the Risks, rank them as potentially occurring, and develop a course of action should they happen. When a Risk becomes an Issue, we take action, monitor it, and bring it to the project stakeholder's attention due to the impact of timeline/budget/scope changes.

desert road showing the word start

Step 4: Deliver the Project

We define project completion at the beginning of the project. Project delivery is one of the most important steps as it labels the project as a success or a failure. As we reach the end of a project, we must review each milestone to ensure we met the project objectives and everything is performing as expected. 

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Obtain project approval from the project owner and stakeholders. After this stage, we will finalize the live, working documents to conclude the project and archive them for reference in future projects. With each project, some learnings occur. Capturing learnings is essential for all to realize and grow. 

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Hosting a Wrap-Up meeting will allow the team to have closure and celebrate the project's success. It also provides excellent insight into the team’s take on the project and captures their perspective. 

The Imagine Difference

Imagine Business Solutions has successfully produced many projects and knows when to escalate stakeholders' attention. We respect the time and keep a keen eye on the budget. Time is a factor that we do not get back. Understanding when and whom to connect with to keep the project moving forward is helpful to all parties involved. 

 

One of the biggest learnings we have experienced is the importance of individual check-ins. Some people do not feel comfortable speaking up in a meeting setting. Checking in with individuals one-on-one gives them a comfortable space to express their likes and dislikes. Establishing a good rapport with each team member allows them to feel safe and connect with you individually, which results in a stronger relationship and yields to the overall success of your project. 

 

In April 2022, our owner, Tamara, received her Google Project management certification. She is now working towards completing her Project Management Professional certification through the Project Management Institute. Imagine Business Solutions is ready to assist you and your team manage projects. We are open to a single project relationship or on an ongoing basis. Contact Imagine Business Solutions today for the next steps.  

Step 4 - Finalize
Program Management
person managing schedules on computer

Program Manager

Generate Engagement, Build Loyalty

Build programs, and products for the company to grow and prosper. Whether a new development or a rebranding, I have experience creating and building successful programs. Define the audience, the solution the program solves for the audience, and where and how the audience will engage with the program are helpful information for a successful launch and necessary for continual growth.

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Google Project Management certificate available upon request. 

  • Branding

  • Event Management

  • Team Creation

  • Marketing Communications

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