Use Three Techniques When Customers Don't Meet Deadlines

To meet deadlines, it is essential that you are well organized and that you plan in advance. It is also crucial that you are genuine in the projects that you set yourself, and that you create environments, both internal and external that support the success of those projects. The following is a list of techniques to help you efficiently fulfill your deadlines.

Many project managers face situations where they are asked to meet tight deadlines with very little, if any, margin for slippage. Then the customer introduces additional challenges by not meeting their own deadline commitments. It is frustrating, but you can respond by proactively utilizing risk management, issues management and communication management to your best advantage.

Manage Risks

When you have a sense that the customer is not going to meet their deadlines you can raise a risk and look for ways to manage the risk. Ideas might include extra staff, extra sponsor commitment or resetting customer priorities. The customer can help with the risk plan which will give them some buy-in to help you be successful. This process also helps from a communication standpoint to better manage expectations.

Manage Communication

Proactive communications can help your users better understand their role and the impact of delays. For instance, do they really understand the need for timely feedback on requirements and the impact to the project if they are late? Do they understand the dates that they will be needed so that they can better plan their time? You can raise this as a risk and communicate the risk and risk plan to manage expectations. You might be surprised how much help it can be just to communicate proactively and raise visibility of the potential problem.

Manage Issues

If the customers end up not meeting their dates in spite of your communication and risk management plans, you may have an issue that needs to be addressed. Issues management (problem identification and resolution) needs to be performed. Get your team, management, and stakeholders involved. Ask your manager for their input in resolving the problem that is now impacting your completion date. Get more accountability from your managers and the customer managers to help resolve project deadline concerns. Your managers and sponsors are also the ones in a position to manage priorities to get the work done. If the problem cannot be resolved perfectly, at least you are continuing to manage expectations.

Summary

Although it appears that you are being held accountable for events and circumstances that are not within your control, you do have control over the processes you use to manage the project. Manage risks and issues proactively and utilize your manager and your sponsor to try to get everyone focused on meeting the aggressive deadlines. You also have the ability to manage expectations through proactive communication. You should especially point out cause-and-effect relationships of missing project deadlines.

By utilizing disciplined and proactive project management processes, you at least have a shot of success, and you do a much better job of managing expectations and getting the customer to be a part of the solution - not just the problem.

Source : articlesbase.com