Do you find that most bigger IT projects run behind schedule and go over budget? That was my experience when I was the head of operations and finance. And from talking with other business executives, it seems like a common experience. While technology can be complicated, that alone cannot explain this problem.
As this was important to understand for the success of Skyriver IT, a number of years ago, I started researching the problem to figure it out. While the answer surprised me to a certain degree, it also made a lot of sense.
IT professionals are typically task oriented and they have not be trained in project management best practices. So if you ask most IT professionals how long it takes to set up a new server, they will tell you about four hours... and they are right. The problem is that this estimate only includes the time it takes to do the actual setup once everything is ready.
A more accurate estimate of the total time includes time for possible problems with equipment (which are pretty common) and working with third parties. When you add in those things, setting up a server takes seven to eight hours, not four.
Using best practices in project management ensures that someone takes the time to think about what resources are needed when and allows time for vendor management. This means that estimates are more accurate and projects get done on time and within budget.
So if you are choosing an outsourced IT team, be sure they have strong project management skills. If you have an internal team, it is worth the investment to train them on project management. This will greatly increase the accuracy of project estimates and allow your team to stay on time and within budget.
Better Project Estimates
Skyriver IT regularly trains its IT professionals on project management best practices to ensure project estimates are accurate. If you would like to learn more about how we can help you keep your IT projects on time and within budget, please contact us.
