Disclosing and identification of problems within projects

Project problems – are different types of miscalculations, organizational, managerial and staffing mistakes which were made on the stage of project planning. If such issues are not disclosed at the proper time, they can cause serious project delays, over planned costs, decreasing of quality or even collapse of a project.  

Identification of project problems: First of all it is necessary to identify symptoms of the problem. If a certain symptom is defined it is necessary to understand if this symptom is really caused by a project mistake, or it is caused by some temporary circumstances; define if there are some similar symptoms. Then it is necessary to look to the root of symptoms, where actually problem may be found. Then problem should be localized (define complexity of problem, define what immediate arrangements should be taken) and prioritized.

Analysis of found problem: On this stage problem should be determined and categorized. Project analysts should gather information from different sources – direct observation, interviewing specialists involved into problematic activities, studying of documents, analyzing decisions of project stakeholders etc. Project analysts should find out how serious and deep the problem is and what further consequences it may cause.

Research possible ways to solve identified problem: There is a bunch of possible methods to solve project problems. The selection of appropriate method depends on problem's characteristics and parameters of the project. Sometimes it is required to make full stop of a project, but usually operational re-allocation of project resources (or engagement of new resources) is sufficient. The decision on the way of problem solving should be made by special commission of stakeholders after comprehensive analysis and consequences modeling.

Any project requires careful controlling to identify symptoms of problems in time. Software tool that allows management of project team (planning, allocation and controlling of tasks within project) can be helpful for project managers to monitor project progress and productivity in order to disclose problems. VIP Task Manager is a time and task planning groupware which allow breaking-down projects into tasks, assigning tasks to executors, placing tasks into task groups, and tracking course of task performance in real-time regime. VIP Task Manager is easy-to-use task management groupware which allows multiple users access one database via LAN and Internet. It features:

•  Assigning tasks to team members, tracking task performance
•  Setting timelines and priorities for tasks
• Time, quantity and cost control
•  Management of small projects, daily tasks and business processes
•  Customizable task attributes and workflows
•  Instant e-mail and in-system notifications
•  Task Tree, Task List and Scheduler (Calendar) mode
•  Multiple projects, departments, sub-teams management
•  Access rights management
• Free server part and no recurring fees

Read also a new article about process management - project management client-server software for Windows