4 Roadblocks Of A Remotely Managed Project

As understood in PMP and CAPM Certification course - let's look at four major roadblocks that might quickly arise on any remotely managed project. I'm sure there are many more potential stumbling blocks, but these are the most typical ones I've experienced.

1. Lack of face time

The client cannot, and does not want to, exert influence over the project manager. The terms 'consultant' and 'project manager' might give the customer and personnel at the client's location the impression that they are being ignored. However, the client frequently believes that the only thing they can control is knowing how much time the project management spends on the project and where that PM is at any given time. 'Seeing' the PM and project team assures the customer that the PM is worth the money they're spending on him and his team. When you remove visibility from the equation, you're left with a client who has no clue how much time the project resources are spending on it and maybe concerned about obtaining their money's value. It's a challenge the remote project manager must overcome, and in the absence of face-to-face engagement, they'll likely feel a greater need to provide considerable value.

Time zone issues

There may be time zone challenges to overcome depending on where the project manager is in relation to the customer. Because of the varied structure and worldwide presence of many bigger firms, this may happen in almost every employment circumstance these days. However, because there is no existing employer-employee connection with the project manager, the time zone issue might become an even greater roadblock. The aim is to be as accommodating to your consumer as possible. If they are six hours ahead of you and require a meeting at 11:00 a.m., you may need to be on the phone at 5:00 a.m. your time. Fortunately, I was just working with US time zones on a comparable issue, and the time difference was only three hours, but those 6:30 a.m. design sessions twice a week were still painful...but essential.

1. Management of other project resources

As understood in PMP and CAPM Certification course - remote project resource management is difficult enough, but monitoring resources that report to an entity that you do not directly work for can be considerably more onerous. The authority component is no longer present. Yes, you've been called in to advise, but you don't have a direct "formal" working connection with the supervisors of your project resources, so that area of accountability might be a little murky.

When managing a project with a client remotely while simultaneously monitoring the work of some of their personnel on the project, it's critical to establish certain ground rules right from the start. Meet with the resources you'll be utilizing and their direct supervisors – even if it's over the phone – to establish availability and reporting accountability. The goal is to get everyone on the same page and realize that they are accountable to you for the duration of their work on this project and that you will have direct access to their supervisor if any concerns develop.

1. Communication

Last but not least, communication is always an issue. At the start of the process, it must be determined how communication will take place when it will take place, who will initiate it, and who will be ultimately responsible for it. I strongly advise consulting project managers who work with remote customers on longer-term engagements to record how different interactions such as status updates, emails, and conference calls will take place by creating a formal Project Communications Plan.

Want to learn more about the same? Take on PMP, CAPM, or ACP Certification course today!

Richard Pierce An expert in Pmi and Iiba Certifications.