Key Factors to ensure success in project

As a project manager, you are completely responsible for delivering a successful project. The buck stops with you, so it is in your interest to make sure related tools and techniques are used to make this happen. Some of the following may sound obvious, but I meet these common mistakes month in month out, with project managers left scratching their heads wondering where it all went wrong.

Business Case

We should make sure that there is a strong business case, which everyone can buy into, with high-level support. The business case is the justification for the project and should list the expected benefits. This is something everyone involved in the project can focus on and the reason the project is taking place. Projects help us to move from one state to another by delivering change, product or any other desired outcome, with a business case explaining why.

Critical Success Factors

Define with the customer the Critical Success Factors that will make the project a success. Make sure your Critical Success Factors are measurable, such as a 20% reduction in the cost of raw materials by the end of the year. Use these factors at the completion of the project to measure the success. It is all that counts and the 'must have' items that the project needs to deliver. All other issues are secondary to these as the Critical Success Factors effectively form your contract with the customer.

Team Motivation                                       

A motivated team will go the extra mile and work more sincerely to deliver a project on time and a budget. Keep your team motivated by involving them throughout the project and by planning various milestones to help them feel they are making progress. Communication is key, so let your team know when they are performing well, not just when they are performing poorly.

Risk Management

The fact is that nobody likes to think about risks, especially in early stage of the project. I suggest that you make a risk log with an action plan to minimise risk and you should communicate about these risk to all stakeholders.

Project Closure

We should keep this in mind that projects have a particular period of life. A project that isn't closed will continue to consume resources. It is in the customer's interest to keep the project open so they can add new features and functionality as they think of them. At the completion of the project be firm, agree with the client that the Critical Success Factors have been met, the project delivered, tested, released and ask them to sign the project off.

Conclusion:

If you would avoid these common mistakes that project manager does. Communication is the key to success of the project. Project Manager should communicate to his team that what is happening and especially if it is too bad.