Associations are increasingly taking on technology-focused projects to streamline operations. This not only enhances employee engagement but also helps them stay competitive in their industries! Getting (and staying) ahead is the name of the game.
However, managing these projects successfully requires a set of skills, strategies and resources tailored to your association’s specific needs.
In this article, we explore essential tips and tools to successfully manage tech-focused projects, no matter their complexity.
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1. Define Clear Objectives and Scope
Before diving into any work, you must establish clear objectives and a defined scope — especially for technology-focused projects that are inevitably layered.
This means understanding your organization’s tiered goals, pinpointing your tech needs and defining your project scope as clearly as possible. A granular outline of deliverables and timelines ensures stakeholders align. It also enables you to carry out your project scope on schedule.
To get started, ask yourself some questions about the project:
- What departments need to be involved?
- How many tasks are necessary for completion?
- Do we need additional resources?
- What are our outcome goals?
- What is our budget?
- Are there areas that need more attention based on past challenges?
Identifying core details like these enables you to put together a comprehensive plan that all team members can reference and collaborate on.
[Related: Data Governance 101: The Basics of Creating Your Association’s Data Policies and Procedures]
2. Collaborate and Inform
Thorough communication and collaboration are paramount in associations, where stakeholders often have diverse levels of expertise.
Use collaborative project management tools to facilitate communication. Asana, Trello and Basecamp are three well-known and flexible project management tools. These platforms are also great for sharing documents and tracking tasks.
Don’t forget to hold regularly scheduled meetings, give status updates and send progress reports. These keep all team members informed and engaged throughout your project’s life cycle.
[Related: Data Governance and Troubleshooting Data Challenges: Tools and Solutions]
3. Embrace Agile Methodologies
Agile methodologies (such as Scrum or Kanban) suit technology-focused projects particularly well, thanks to their iterative and flexible nature.
You can break down your project into manageable, tangible tasks. Then, prioritize those tasks based on value and complexity. You can repeat this process through all your development cycles.
Agile processes also allow for timely feedback so you can adapt to quickly changing project requirements. And when you can shift tactics easily, your projects see better outcomes and thus higher rates of success.
[Related: How To Encourage Innovation at Your Association]
4. Implement Design Thinking Principles
Incorporating design thinking principles into your project management process ensures technology solutions are both functional and intuitive.
Begin by empathizing with end users to understand their needs, challenges and pain points. This insight helps you define your unique project requirements and develop solutions that address real-world problems.
It’s also helpful to encourage ongoing testing to gather feedback and refine designs based on user input. This allows your association to create solutions that truly resonate with members and thus increase satisfaction rates.
5. Manage Risks Proactively
Technology-centric projects come with innate risks, such as pesky technical challenges and resource constraints. Cybersecurity threats always lie somewhere on the horizon, too.
Conduct comprehensive risk assessments before you launch your project, and continue these assessments throughout. You can identify potential pitfalls and develop mitigation strategies promptly, whether the risk is new or a longtime issue.
6. Utilize Technology Tools and Automation
The right technology tools and automation are your friends — leverage them anytime you can.
Project management software (like Jira — a product of Atlassian — and Microsoft Project) helps you streamline processes and consequently boost efficiency. These are some of the top tasks they handle:
- Task scheduling
- Resource allocation
- Progress tracking
- Testing and deployment
- Regular monitoring
Using these capabilities accelerates your development cycles and ensures high-quality deliverables.
[Related: How AI Marketing Tools Could Benefit Your Association’s Strategies]
7. Empower and Train Team Members
Invest in your people!
Training and development opportunities empower team members to gain knowledge, learn skills and excel in their roles. This isn’t just good news for your employees. It’s advantageous for their teams, other departments, the overall company and of course the project itself.
Make it as easy as possible for staff to access resources. You can do this by offering options to attend workshops or certification programs related to project management and technology.
Remember, the better equipped your team members are, the more they can proactively contribute to your project’s success.
[Related: Why Your Organization Needs a Learning Management System]
8. Monitor Progress and Adapt Accordingly
Monitoring your project’s progress against established metrics, milestones and key performance indicators (KPIs) will keep things on track — and you should do it continually.
You’ll be able to identify areas in need of improvement. Then, use data-driven insights to make informed decisions and address troublesome bottlenecks.
And always be prepared to adapt your plans and strategies as needed if things are going awry, or even in a slightly different direction than you want. But stay nimble! Sometimes changing your project route is a better way to get to where you need to be.
9. Celebrate Successes and Learn From Challenges
This tip might not seem as important as the rest but we can assure you it is — employee morale goes further than you may think.
Celebrating achievements and milestones throughout your project’s life cycle significantly boosts your team’s motivation. Similarly, view any setbacks as growth opportunities rather than opportunities to reprimand.
Post-project reviews or retrospectives that reflect on lessons learned are great ways to determine (or expand) future projects’ best practices. They also shed light on your employees’ positive qualities when carrying out their unique roles.
[Related: How To Turn Your Board’s Vision Into Reality]
Contact Dennison & Associates To Move Your Association Forward
Putting these tools and tips to work will help your organization confidently navigate those stubborn hurdles associated with technology projects. But we all need a little help troubleshooting sometimes — that’s where Dennison & Associates comes in.
We’ll help you carry out successful projects that make an impact while also helping you to continually improve.
Review our services to see what we can do for your association. If you’re ready to get started, contact us today!
Featured image via Pixabay
