How Investing in Project Management Training Can Save Your Business Money
You may feel like project failure is something that happens to large organisations – and it’s certainly the multi-million pound losses of Government projects that make the headlines. But smaller businesses are also at risk from poorly managed projects. Whether you’re effective and efficient is not related to size – a successful project can drive revenue, improve productivity and bring a range of benefits to any size of organisation. But how do you achieve this?
There are a number of challenges faced by small to medium organisations when considering project success. There may not be an established process for project management, or a dedicated project manager. It may not be clear what methodology is to be used, and senior stakeholders may not understand the benefit of the time spent on project management. So what’s the answer?
Making sure that your business invests in project management training can transform project performance. Using a tried and tested methodology such as PRINCE2 will give your projects clear structure and allow you to understand and mitigate project risks. If you’re planning to introduce these, where do you start?
It’s important that anyone who may be managing a project is given project management training, as methodologies such as PRINCE2 rely on a consistent approach across the business and the use of standard terminology. Of course PRINCE2 certification will give you confidence that your people are reaching a comparably high standard.
Of course, it’s sometimes harder to spare time away from the office for PRINCE2 training when teams are smaller so you may need to consider alternative ways of training. For example, PRINCE2 evening classes are an ideal way for people to achieve PRINCE2 certification without taking time away from their day-to-day work. Or, PRINCE2 virtual training or PRINCE2 eLearning allows staff to complete a course without leaving their desk and often at the time of their choosing.
It’s worth considering who receives project management training in your organisation. In an ideal world, project management is a full time job, not something completed alongside someone’s other responsibilities, but it’s also important for others in the organisation to understand how projects are being managed.
Senior stakeholders are important for project success – they may need to priorities projects, sign off budget, or manage the impact of change on the business as a whole. Making sure they understand the methodology being used is critical, so they understand the information with which they will be provided. Of course, sending your senior management on a complete PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner course might not be the best solution – but a brief overview session will allow them to understand the basics and play their part in project success.
In conclusion, whatever the size of your business you’ll benefit from project management training for your staff.