Project engineers suffer from multiple tasks simultaneously. It may look overwhelming at times, especially when you might have 10 to 20 active projects under your control.

It is imperative that project managers understand the status of every project, their urgency and deliverables. In addition, it seems the better you’re as a project manager, the more projects you need to handle at once.

When サンタクロース　トナカイ manage multiple projects it is vitally important that you understand the ultimate time deadline (the delivery date) and the overall budget.

Ultimately, your client is interested in two things, when can I own it, and how much does it cost. If you can satisfy time and budget constraints, milestones (as per the client’s expectations), you will be ‘held in high esteem’ by your client.

To be able to manage and juggle this many projects, it is vitally important that you understand 5 things …

The final deadline and budget (

The importance and priority of the project

The overall tasks – High Payoff Activities, and Low Payoff activities.

Activities which might be delegated or outsourced.

Your role as a project Engineer / manager.

1. So that you can effectively manage multiple projects, you need to understand your total workload , and compare the projects deliverables. This is usually done utilizing a project planner, or project management tools such as for example Microsoft Project. Once all projects are believed, hopefully not absolutely all deadlines and deliverables are NOT due at the same time. The Tip would be to find out the true deliverable date. Often when a client is asked when they need to project completed, they will have a buffer built in so they can ‘sit on it’ for some time. If you establish the true activities that will follow the ‘deadline’, you could be able to safely extend the final date with the client – with no detriment. If this is not the case, at the least you can find out the importance of the final date.

2. Not absolutely all projects are as important as each other. Some projects have other consequences, and tasks that cannot be achieved minus the delivery of the original project. Without sounding callus, you definitely want to take care of your most important clients who have constant work flow and pay well and on time. In most cases, it is these most valued clients that needs to be looked after as priority number 1 1, because they are your ‘bread and butter’. . Keep them happy as well as your business should continue steadily to motor along. Concurrently you need to take proper care of new clients who may have huge amount of money in future work for you based on your performance. They will usually not display all their cards to you, therefore the best thing would be to make sure you look after them and meet your deadlines. Ultimately you do not desire to spend 100 hours on a project that is only worth 50 hours payment. It is fine balance between current and potential future work. The trick would be to recognise project importance early , and their future work potential.

3. Within many projects there high payoff activities and low payoff activities. High payoff activities are those that will get probably the most benefit out of there completion, and low payoff activities don’t generate too much benefit at their completion. The end is to recognise which activities / tasks are high payoff activities right in the beginning of the project. It is these activities that should be given the priority and attention they deserve. Low payoff activities could possibly be either tackled later, or delegated to others (it is important however to monitor the progress of low payoff activities otherwise they may be forgotten before end – or at a critical time). Constant updates to the entire task schedule is a good way to stay on track and monitor your progress on each project.

4. You don’t want to spend your valuable time on low payoff activities that can be done by others. Project management is also about delegating or outsourcing activities that are better completed by someone else. Sometimes サンタクロース　トナカイ is easier to outsource a ‘time consuming complex design’ to an expert in the field, when you manage the procedure and the overall project. The old saying “if you want something done right you have to do it yourself” isn’t always the case in engineering and project management. It is advisable to recognise and do a cost analysis on your time and cost on the cost (and delivery time). While they are completing the task, you will be focusing on or managing another high payoff activity, which will ultimately allow an overall timely delivery of the project.

5. As a project manager, you should be generally ‘managing’ the project, and should not be ‘in the trenches digging the holes’. This is the job for the ‘soldiers’ or workers under your control. It is however important that you understand their skills and what they should be delivering for you. By ‘staying on top’ of this element (periodic meetings and minor milestones), reduces the frustration of you needing to ‘check and change’ their progress. It is your responsibility to deliver , so you should ensure everything are moving ahead in a timely manner, and communicate effectively and regularly together with your team, and your client.