Every year, the pace of business picks up just a little more, creating an environment that is fast-paced. It is essential to try to stay ahead of the innovative trends and ensure that you do not fall behind your competitors. With this growth, the pressure on project managers increases, with the need to keep all new business developments firmly on track.
As a result of all of this, there has never been a greater need for excellent project management. This means that those who have already completed their APM ChPP or any of the other training courses for project managers who can help you with the necessary qualifications will find themselves increasingly in demand. It is reported that around 93% of organisations use standardised project management practises. However, only 58% of them actually fully understand the value of doing so.
The importance of project management training
It is fair to say that not every project management course is created equal. There are a variety of different types of certification available, and the knowledge gained from these is vastly improved when it is put into practise in the field to gain valuable experience. There are a number of challenges for every project manager, regardless of the field in which they work.
It is important for organisations to focus on all aspects of project management and ensure that they offer access to training. Choosing project management courses that will give their project managers and project teams the skills needed to deal with a range of different issues is vital to getting the best out of your budget.
4 Critical Learning Outcomes for Project Management Courses
People-centred problems
This can be an issue within any organisation, but it is particularly problematic within larger organisations. It is essential that a project manager is able to coordinate the workload and skillset of a large and often very diverse team. There can be a range of different issues that can occur within this type of setup: personality clashes, differences of opinion on how best to complete certain tasks, or simply divisions within a department. As part of their role, a project manager needs to create a working environment where it is not only possible to ensure that there are high levels of productivity but also where discussions are conducted in a civilised manner. This will help to move the project along rather than cause issues that can harm it.
Management of resources
Both human resources and time need to be managed efficiently within a project in order to help ensure the success of the project. The more resources there are that need managing, the more important it is for a project manager to have a comprehensive plan that will help them move the project forward at all stages and also drive the overall success of the entire project.
Budget
It is highly unlikely that the budget for a project will have been set by the project manager but rather that the stakeholders of the project will have decided on a budget that they then provide to the project manager. It will be the responsibility of the project manager to be able to balance high-quality output within that budget in order to deliver the desired outcome from the project.
They will also need to allow for space within the budget for any unexpected costs that may occur as a result of delays or requirements to source alternative suppliers, etc. In some instances, it may be possible for the project manager to return to the stakeholders if the budget falls short of permitting the required work for the project as set out by the stakeholders. However, they must be able to show exactly how they have reached this decision.
Scope creep
This is one challenge that can have a huge impact on the entire project in respect of all of the different aspects of the project. When the stakeholders of the project come back to the project manager with amendments and changes that they would like to see happening within the project, it is the job of the project manager to keep this scope in check. Scope creep can be something that happens on a more gradual basis, one little change at a time.
Whilst each individual change may not make all that much difference to the budget and timeframes of your project, when you add them all together this can really add up. This is why the project manager needs to keep their eye on the project and ensure that it is dealt with before it is too late. Scope creep is probably the biggest way that projects can end up losing money, falling off course, and even failing in the long run.
When there is no strong project management in place, it is possible for a business to find ways in which they can overcome all of the challenges that they encounter along the way, and they can even bring their own innovative ideas to the market. However, when a team is required to work through a project without a dedicated project manager at the helm, there is a good chance that they will have a lack of focus and objectives that are unclear. They may still reach a conclusion with the project, but it will not have the efficient outcome that the business might be hoping for.
Choose your course carefully
If a company wants to ensure that they stay ahead then they need to make sure that they are offering the right project management courses to their employees, ones which will help to foster great business leadership as well as strategic capabilities that will help to streamline all of the processes that can help them to achieve success with their projects.
Making sure that the project management courses that you choose look at all of these critical learning outcomes is essential. This will help to ensure that your project managers are capable of undertaking all that a project might throw at them whilst still ensuring that they bring the project in on time and on budget with a successful outcome.
