Fail to plan, plan to fail - The importance of quality staffing and planning in project management

A simple but foundational truth

The accuracy and detail of project documentation and the degree to which things are thought through can seriously affect a project’s delivered outcomes. That’s why having good people and a good plan in place are vital for project success.

Quality project management is about having a lot of plates spinning at one time, and making sure each is getting the attention it needs to keep on spinning at the same rate as the others.

There’s a time-honoured concept known as the time-cost-quality triangle which posits a relatively simple but foundational truth: you can do something well, but it probably won’t be fast or cheap. And conversely: you can do something fast and cheap, but it probably won’t be good.

Unfortunately, quality is sometimes sacrificed in the name of a shorter timeframe and a tighter budget. Don’t get me wrong, the answer to this issue is not blowing out your project’s budget or timeframe – it’s making sure that you’ve got good people working on it in the first place.

"Quality project management is about having a lot of plates spinning at one time, and making sure each is getting the attention it needs to keep on spinning at the same rate as the others"

Having the right people is key to balancing time, cost, and quality

The design phase is absolutely crucial to good project management

The design phase of any project is key. It, more than any other phase, cannot be compressed or accelerated. If you put in the time and effort during the design phase at the start of the project’s life, that time will more than pay for itself down the track when you don’t have to blow out your budget or make other negative concessions to meet a deadline.

Be wary of diminishing returns though – past a certain point putting more time into design phase optioneering can end up as time wasted and value conceded. Once again, having experienced project managers onboard can help you strike the right balance.

For all I’ve said about how crucial it is to find the right people for your project, staffing a project can sometimes be easier said than done! However, RPS has experienced and capable project management teams all around the country, including here in Melbourne.

The outcomes we deliver, and the quality of those outcomes, improves with every project we work on, and recent investments in our own project and program management digital tools like myProjects are taking things to the next level. 

Read more about our project and program management services here, or get in touch to discuss your project needs.