Skip to main content

Issue Management by Plan and Process

Issues are omnipresent in a project. A Project Manager needs to always begin with a plan that would define the activities and business rules that may be used to manage or control issues. To create a concrete plan you need to first identify the issues and classify it into some types based on its impact or priority. 

 Majorly all issues may be classified into these four categories namely.
  1. 1) Major Problem: These are problems that could bring your project to a standstill and requires immediate attention and action. For example, A technical failure in a computer system can be classified as a major problem as it would cause the shutdown of the system. 
  2. 2) Concern: These are problems that may not have any instant repercussions but may balloon into something big if left unattended for long. You need to be aware of them constantly to make sure they do not develop into a major problem. A fine example would be a shortage of materials or delays in a dispatch that is not bringing a supply chain to a stop but is still important to be rectified before materials get over or dispatch is rejected.
  3. 3) Situation: This problem is one that is purely situational standpoint and can be a concern or major problem based on its impact. A problem with the staff of your suppliers would be classified as a situation issue. 
  4. 4) Opportunity: These are just issues that are unforeseen but are positive in their impact. An opportunity for a successful promotion will be an opportunity and not an issue that requires solutions.
Finding your way to managing most issues
These are just the tips on how you can prepare to manage the project issues before they demolish your project.
  1. a) Provide a system of reporting. There is a need to provide a process or tool that allows reporting of an issue as it may get forgotten during the busy times of a project. Reporting an issue also requires notifying others so they can keep you updated whether the issue remains or is resolved. 

  3. b) Create a log on everything. Detailed records have to be maintained of the process as no part is too small or insignificant. Logs can sometimes hold the key to the solutions of the issue and be a key reference for future use. 
  4. c) Give prompt report. Swift reporting is important as time lost is an opportunity never taken to resolve an issue before it becomes too difficult or expensive. Some times delay can result in loss of the project itself. 
  5. d) Resolve the issue promptly. Reporting is not the solution. Prompt reporting should be followed by prompt resolutions. Delaying working on the issue is like inviting trouble onto yourself. 
  6. e) Make sure to escalate appropriately. Resources are key to finishing a project in time and properly. Spending them more than required to resolve an issue is an unnecessary waste. On the other hand, not giving enough resources would prevent timely recovery from the issue by creating roadblocks. 
  7. f) Validate issue status regularly. Issue statuses are important to keep a record. Resources need to be reassigned if the issue is resolved as keeping resources assigned on a resolved issue would itself be constituted as an issue. 
  8. g) Notify everyone frequently. Issue statuses should be shared with everyone, the same way as the status was shared. To prevent allocating resources by someone else they need to know the status as resolved.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Prioritizing the Requirements every day

Getting the right work done at the right time There is a technique that should be gaining traction soon as it provides us with a solution on what to do now while sitting in the office. We should be able to decide whether we should do this task or some other one. The trick lies in dividing the task on the basis of the requirement. Lets see it in action. From the current tasks at hand you should see whether this task is a "Must be done now", these are tasks that must be done urgently and are non-negotiable. These are usually jobs with strict time deadlines near by or the ones assigned by the upper management with the command to be done urgently. Then there are tasks that “Should be done when possible” which boils down to tasks that need to be performed and it is better to do them sooner than later unless you have tasks of the previous variety. These are tasks assigned to you by your managers or supervisors and form the basis of your work in the office.   The next se
Post a Comment
Read more

Design Thinking

It can be a process where a simple napkin and a pen can be used to make an entrepreneur out of any person. One of the best benefits comes from the initial idea generation via brainstorming. A process that used efficiently, allows people with multitude and variety of ideas to collaborate together to generate one brilliant game-changing solution. The way brainstorming can work well is to allow people to develop individual ideas and solutions before working in a group and combining the ideas. Having a conservation with your target base is important to get the idea clarity and know more about the users to get insights. Making prototypes of your ideas and getting the feedback will also allow you to get your idea running and sometimes it allows for interest to develop among those people for the product before actual work has begun. It can also help you avoid ideas that are poised for failure. A good idea would be to develop a business canvas model for your idea. It can used so well with
Post a Comment
Read more

Peacemakers in a Conflicting situation

Peacemakers are great tool that can be used to manage the conflicts between two people, corporations and even nations. They are able to do that by giving incentives for cooperation and removing the competition between the two parties. Although a point to remember is that third party interventions are not always unselfish and motivation behind their participation has to be verified. The childhood story of the fight between two monkeys for an equal half of a cake and a cunning fox comes to mind, where the fox kept on pieces of cake to make them equal and putting them in his stomach until none of the cake was left. Yet if a intrinsic or even extrinsic motivation is given to third party conflict resolution, we could believe the peacemaker would be satisfied and focused in resolving the issue without ulterior motives. Self-interest is always paramount in all the parties and it has to be recognized and handled. Thus the aim of anybody would be to develop a sense of co-operation among all.
Post a Comment
Read more