When the Dry Stuff Matters.....Managing Projects Day to Day.

When teams are busy defining the purpose of a digital application or service – the problems it solves, who uses it, what it looks like – the planning and execution required to make that a reality are just as important to consider… perhaps even more so.

A solid delivery process, that project managers know inside out and backwards, is the foundation upon which all successful projects are built. When project variables inevitably occur – scope, timelines, budgets – a thorough and reliable delivery framework will minimise the impact of change and allow teams to continue doing their best work.

The inherent friction at the heart of any digital services agency lies between an agile project-delivery methodology, (often favoured by clients), and a fixed price statement of work (usually produced before project initiation when many unknowns exist). The challenge for a digital services agency is to remain flexible and agile when it comes to scope and priorities, whilst still honouring the agreements and budgets as defined in the SOW.

A great project manager is someone who understands and leads teams towards the “big” picture, but simultaneously understands all the small pieces that make up the larger whole. Each of these small pieces have owners, variables, risks, dependencies… ad-infinitum. A project manager’s role is to manage all these smaller pieces, whilst not losing sight of the bigger picture.

Not all projects are the same and one size does not fit all when it comes to delivery either. But working from a solid delivery baseline, PMs will instinctively know where the give and take is within this process to address any challenges and changes that occur during a project. This is the craft of delivery.

However, understanding and delivering on this craft shouldn’t just be an ‘internal’ concern. At UIC Digital, we work hard to ensure our clients are part of the delivery journey. Whilst the lifespan of a digital product produced by UIC Digital will, inevitably, exceed the time spent building it, making the right decisions at the right time is essential to ensure a Products’ future success. A flexible and robust delivery process that everyone on the delivery team understands, including client teams, makes this possible.

The input and engagement of client’s teams – both day to day project teams and senior stakeholder/sponsor – is essential to achieving project success. Clients need to know our delivery process so they can understand their part in it… documents they receive, meetings they attend and what their contributions should be, review and sign off points, the important of meeting dependency milestones etc. UIC Digital works in collaboration with client project teams so they understand the nature and value of their input, ensuring their time and project engagement can be prioritised and frictionless as possible.