Did you know 39% of organizations don’t provide project management training? That makes it pretty hard to manage or even understand an efficient project management workflow.
After all, if you’ve ever worked on a project, you know how important it is to have a plan. From start to finish, you need a clear idea of who needs to do what and by when. This is where project management workflows come into play.
At its core, a project management workflow is a set of steps that guides you through the different stages of a project. With a well-thought-out workflow, you can ensure that your project runs smoothly from start to finish. If you’re unsure where to start, keep scrolling through this step-by-step guide as we show you how to create a project management workflow that works for you.
Whether you’re working on a small project or a large one, we’ll walk you through the process of breaking it down into manageable tasks and mapping out the steps needed to complete each. We’ll cover everything from defining your project’s goals and scope to assigning tasks and monitoring progress. Let’s get started!
Project Manager Responsibilities
When developing a project management workflow and managing business projects, the responsibility usually falls on the project manager (if there is one). After all, it’s the project manager’s job to oversee project planning, implementation, and tracking from start to finish.
This includes establishing project objectives, coordinating with team members, tracking progress, and managing budgets. In addition to developing the project management workflow, there are several other responsibilities that a project manager might have on any given project. These could include:
- Identifying and managing risks: Part of project management involves anticipating potential issues and developing contingency plans to address them
- Setting deadlines and schedules: A project manager needs to establish deadlines for each phase of the project and ensure that everyone is on the same page
- Communicating with stakeholders: A project manager needs to keep everyone informed about the project’s progress and any issues that arise
- Managing team members: Project managers are responsible for assigning tasks to team members and ensuring that everyone is working together effectively
- Monitoring and controlling budgets: A project manager needs to keep a close eye on project expenses and ensure that the project is staying within budget
Ultimately, a project manager is the person who ensures that a project is completed on time, within budget, and to the satisfaction of all stakeholders. Developing a project management workflow is one part of this larger responsibility.
What is Workflow in Project Management?
For any beginner project managers out there, simply learning about your project manager responsibilities might not be enough. For example, you might wonder, “What is workflow in project management?”
Workflow refers to the steps required to complete a project from beginning to end. It defines the process flow used to achieve the following in a project:
- Design
- Plan
- Execute
- Monitor
- Control
- Deliver
The workflow in project management is essential for improving efficiency and maximizing productivity. Team members can focus on their specific tasks and responsibilities by breaking down the entire project into smaller, more manageable pieces. This makes it easier for everyone to collaborate and work together.
At the core of a project’s workflow is a project management plan, which outlines the entire project, including its:
- Goals
- Timeline
- Budget
- Resources required
Once you have the project management plan, it serves as the basis for creating a workflow that matches the project’s specific needs.
Therefore, workflow in project management serves as a roadmap, guiding team members through the entire project lifecycle. It clearly explains who is responsible for doing it and when they need to finish the task. It also helps identify potential risks, critical paths, and dependencies that could impact the project’s success.
Benefits of Workflows
Are you unsure why this is so important? By using workflows, teams can streamline their project management processes and create a clearly defined path for completing tasks. That’s not all, though. Here are some of the biggest benefits of workflows for most projects.
Increased Efficiency
One of the primary benefits of workflows is that they help improve efficiency and productivity. A workflow can help you identify bottlenecks and other issues that may be slowing down your project by providing a clear and organized way of handling tasks. This, in turn, makes it easier to determine the best course of action for increasing efficiency and keeping your project on track.
More Consistency
In addition to increasing efficiency, workflows help ensure consistency across your processes. By providing a set of standardized steps for completing tasks, workflows help create a unified approach to project management that all team members can follow. This helps ensure that all tasks are completed in the same way, regardless of who is handling them.
Better Communication
Workflows can also help improve communication between team members. By providing a standardized approach to handling tasks, workflows make it easier for team members to understand each other’s roles and responsibilities. This leads to fewer misunderstandings and helps ensure everyone is on the same page throughout the project.
Clearer Accountability
Workflows also help establish clearer lines of accountability for everyone involved in the project. By defining a clear set of steps for completing tasks, workflows make tracking progress easier. Not sure who’s responsible for each task? Check the workflow. This helps prevent confusion and ensures that everyone knows what is expected of them.
Improved Quality
Finally, workflows can also help improve the overall quality of your project. By providing a standardized approach to handling tasks, workflows ensure you complete all steps consistently and thoroughly. This helps ensure that your project meets or exceeds the quality standards.
How to Create a Project Management Workflow
Now that you know what a workflow is and what your project manager responsibilities are, are you ready to create your first one? Using software like WorkOtter can help streamline this process.
However, if you don’t have access to WorkOtter (yet), there are still some general steps that can guide you in creating an effective project management workflow. Read through these steps when developing your project management strategy. Then, we’ll explore how WorkOtter can help when managing business projects.
Step 1: Define the Project Scope
Before you start planning, it’s important to define the scope of your project. This includes identifying goals, resources, and stakeholders. A clear understanding of the scope will help you create a roadmap for the project and stay on track throughout its duration.
Step 2: Break Down Tasks
Once you have defined the project scope, it’s time to break down the project into smaller, more manageable tasks. These tasks should be specific, measurable, and achievable within a given timeframe. You can use a tool like WorkOtter to create a task list and assign them to team members.
Step 3: Create a Timeline
With the tasks identified, it’s important to create a timeline for completing them. A timeline helps you stay on track by setting deadlines for each task and ensuring the project remains on schedule. You can use a Gantt chart or a simple spreadsheet to create a timeline and track progress throughout the project.
Step 4: Assign Team Members
You should assign each task to a team member with the skills and resources necessary to complete it. Consider the availability and workload of each team member when assigning tasks. Using WorkOtter, you can assign tasks to team members and track their progress.
Step 5: Monitor Progress
As the project progresses, it’s important to monitor the progress of each task. This allows you to identify issues and adjust the project timeline or task assignments. WorkOtter provides real-time tracking of tasks, so you can monitor progress and make informed decisions.
Examples of Project Management Workflows
Want to see what this looks like in real life? Looking at diagrams for workflows is helpful. However, here are three examples of project management workflows in different industries.
Engineering Workflow
The engineering field requires you to pay special attention to managing engineering projects to ensure they’re finished on time, within the amount of money allowed, and with the best quality. This means that managing an engineering project involves steps like:
- Planning
- Designing
- Creating
- Checking
- Action
Project managers in this field must use fast and flexible methods and creative thinking in their work.
Banking Workflow
The banking industry also requires efficient project management workflows to streamline the implementation of new financial projects. In the banking industry, project management workflows involve:
- Identifying goals
- Creating project plans
- Assigning appropriate resources
- Tracking project progress
- Testing the end product
As banking operations evolve, project management workflows keep pace by employing innovative AI, machine learning, and automation strategies.
Educational Workflow
The educational sector requires projects that combine learning outcomes with technology to enhance the quality of education offered to students. By implementing project management workflows, educators can monitor the progress of their projects and ensure that they align with academic standards.
Examples of educational project management workflows include:
- Goal setting
- Resource allocation
- Risk management
- Post-project evaluation
These workflows have the added advantage of improving teaching methods and student outcomes. So it pays to pay special attention to the project management workflows to ensure the best outcomes.
Get WorkOtter
Are you tired of managing your projects with traditional tools such as spreadsheets or sticky notes? As mentioned, diagrams for workflows might help. However, it’s best to use project management software instead.
WorkOtter is a cloud-based project management software system designed specifically for project managers. The best part? We’ve got our own Gantt, Kanban, Agile, and other tools to make every project manager happy.
Basically, it simplifies the project management process while being less expensive and completely secure. With WorkOtter, you can end the chaos, cut through gridlock, and streamline your processes. Here are a few features to expect when using WorkOtter.
Critical Path
WorkOtter’s Critical Path feature is a powerful tool that helps you identify the most critical tasks in your project. It calculates the shortest possible project timeline. Then, it determines which tasks need to be completed on time to achieve your goals. By identifying tasks on the critical path, you can focus on completing them on time to avoid delays.
Capitalization (CAPEX)
This feature tracks the capital expenditures of your project. It’s an essential tool for financial management and helps you analyze your project’s profitability. With this feature, you can allocate project costs accurately to account for all expenses correctly.
Program Management
The Program Management feature helps you manage multiple projects simultaneously for larger, complex projects. It’s a centralized hub for tracking progress across your projects, enabling you to anticipate issues and take corrective action.
Earned Value Management
The Earned Value Management feature is a reliable tool for measuring project performance. It compares actual progress against planned progress to determine if your project is on schedule and budget. This feature provides a clear view of what’s happening on your project. This allows you to take corrective action if your project is not meeting your expectations.
Resource Management
Need to manage your team’s workload? This feature helps you assign tasks to team members, track their progress, and ensure that they have the resources they need to complete their work. The result is that you can reduce overburdening and ensure each team member works to their full potential. Talk about a great project management strategy.
Request Access & Demo
A solid project management workflow is crucial when managing business projects. It helps keep everyone on the same page and ensures tasks are completed efficiently.
WorkOtter offers an excellent solution so your business can streamline its project management process and achieve its goals. With our user-friendly interface and comprehensive features, we’re here to simplify the complexities of project management.
If you want to see how WorkOtter can help your organization, contact us today for a demo. Let us show you how easy and effective project management can be with WorkOtter.
