Problems In Project Management

Project management mistakes

A lot of companies potentially faces countless mistakes that affect projects, cause delays and, in some cases, contribute to complete project failure.

These are some of the common project management mistakes that happened in the ‘Rehabilitation and Expansion of Cairo International Airport’ project and how they were resolved:

1. Employing a project manager lacking experience

Knowledge of running status meetings, developing a project plan, managing risks and issues, and dealing with stakeholders is crucial to the successful outcome of the project.

Solution:

Whenever possible, Senior PMs can be shadowed by a junior counterpart.

This way, the new PM learns the ropes while on the job and in turn, the experienced PM

Expecting software to solve problems

Specialist project management software can help with everything from project planning to task and time management, team collaboration and reporting Project management software is a tool and on its own will not solve problems.

Solution:

Problems are solved by people, not software.

9. Not following a process

Many projects start with a fanfare and a great deal of optimism only to get bogged down and struggle for months and years without delivery.

Solution:

It's important to know what needs to be done, the order in which it will be done and the key milestone along the way.

10. Working from outdated information

It’s not uncommon to build from outdated and incorrect information. Errors discovered later in a project are costly and time consuming to correct.

Solution:

Field staff should regularly verify that all contractors on site are building off of current information. Keeping contractors and subcontractors up to date by making sure they have seen the latest drawings and information.

11. Ignoring quality control

Quality should be a primary concern at all points of a project, but it tends to get overlooked when numerous tasks need to be completed simultaneously.

Solution:

Project management is a team effort. If the PM fails to get to know the team, then the team members may not feel as though they are part of the team. Knowing the team can foster better communications, cooperation, teamwork and trust.

17. Refusing to ask for help

One of the most common mistakes made by inexperienced PMs is the belief that asking for help will make them seem incompetent in the eyes of their peers and management. Refusing to seek out help can result in schedule slippages, and cost overruns. If the PM delays too long in seeking help, the number of options to correct the problem can diminish.

Solution:

The owner should encourage PMs to ask for help at the earliest possible time, but not to expect the owner to be the dumping ground for all problems that the PM cannot resolve.

18. Believing in saviors and