According to a report by the Project Management Institute*, employers will require nearly 87.7 million individuals serving project management oriented roles by 2027. IT is one industry where project management has continued to play a prominent role and comes into its own when developing and implementing tested software solutions and projects for customers. It is therefore very important that both customers and software partners have a clear and common understanding of what a good project manager looks like.

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What are the customer’s expectations of a good project manager?

A customer is typically looking to their software partner for an experienced project manager who can deliver:

  • A smooth running project that fits into their work schedule and does not complicate the day to day running of their own business.
  • A project that delivers the expected business benefits, is delivered within budget, on time, to the agreed scope and is of superior quality.
  • Regular updates on the status of the project and provide early warning of potential obstacles.

What are the software partner’s expectations of a good project manager?

A software partner, such as TVision Technology is looking for the customer to assign a project manager to work together with their software project manager to deliver:

  • A smooth running project that does not impact other projects within the software partner’s portfolio.
  • A project that will generate revenue for the business.
  • A project that delights the customer which down-stream, generates further projects for the software partner.

Bridging the gap between the software partner and the customer

Consequently, a software partner and a customer are looking for different outcomes from the project. A customer is looking to implement a software solution which will deliver specific benefits for their business. Whilst the software partner, equally focused on enabling its customers to realise and enjoy business benefits from the software, also strives to generate revenue for their business, achieve high customer satisfaction and in turn, generate further business revenue in the future.

The role of the software project manager is therefore, to bridge the gap between the software partner and the customer. They must act on behalf of the project first and mediate between the requirements of both the software partner and the customer. The ultimate aim is to build trust and confidence of both parties.

Skillset of a good project manager

A good project manager, like any good manager, should have a wide array of weapons in their “skillset arsenal”. These include:

  • Team Leader – a good project manager is expected to take the lead in the project.
  • Communicator – a good project manager should be able to communicate effectively with a wide range of different stakeholders.
  • Organiser – a good project manager is an optimal planner. They have an excellent overview of the project and know how best to use the time, resources and budget available.
  • Resource Manager – a good project manager will have an overview of the project and will know what resource is available and when.
  • Controller – a good project manager always knows if the project is on time, in budget and has an understanding of the key issues facing the project.
  • Techie – a good project manager doesn’t need to know all the technical details of the project but should have a good understanding of the general processes and technical background.
  • Task Manager – a good project manager always knows what tasks need to be done next.
  • Risk Manager – a good project manager knows the consequences of actions and is able to assess and communicate them to both the software partner and the customer.
  • Social Worker – a good project manager is able to listen to the different human resource needs within the project and handle them pragmatically and empathically.
  • Marketing Manager – a good project manager is the chief advocate for the project. They can communicate the key benefits and selling points of the project to both the software partner and customer and ensure that everyone is onboard and on message.

The TVision Approach to Project Management

The team at TVision is driven to enable its customers to truly reap the benefits of their software and enjoy both the implementation journey as well as the destination. In order to help our customers understand our approach to project management, we have produced a Project Management manifesto. Click here to download your copy and find out more about how TVision can make your project a success.

By Sarah Hardwick, TVision Project Manager

* PMI (2017). Project Management Job Growth and Talent Gap 2017–2027.