How to Save Time on Projects

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On projects, there's always too much to do. When you think you don't have enough hours in the day, then read these 5 tips on...

How to Save Time on Projects

The more time you save at the beginning of your project, the more time you'll have left at the end. So check out these 5 top tips:

1. Look at Dependent Tasks
It's just as important to see the big picture as well as the details. Understanding the overall purpose and goal of the project allows you to make decisions and resolve issues that arise.

If you have linked tasks in your plan with a finish-to-start relationship, then think about whether you really need to wait until the first task finishes, or if there is an opportunity to move forward with the second task early.

For example, if you have two tasks called "write requirements" and "design solution" and they are linked in your plan, then do you really have to wait until 100% of the requirements are written before you can begin designing the solution? Maybe you can start the overall design when the requirements are 80% finished. If that's the case then the overall elapsed time for the project will be shorter.

2. Get Rid of Unnecessary Tasks
When you first write your plan, you'll be writing a task list under the impression that everything is achievable, so you'll include all of the tasks you can think of that might need to be included to deliver your project.

However as the project progresses, things change and you'll becometime constrained. It's then that you need to review the list of tasks in your plan and cull anything that isn't absolutely necessary to deliver as part of the project. Some of those "nice to haves" will have to go.

By the way, you don't have to delete the task - but instead just move it to a "Post Project Completion" phase so that once the project is complete, you have some odds and ends to tidy up. This will save you time and make sure that what's delivered is the real "meat on the bones" and not the necessarily the whipped cream on the top!

3. Add More Resources
Are there tasks or deliverables that anyone can do without specialized training? Can you add more people without tripping over each other? If so, then bring in more people and delegate those non-specialized tasks to them-it will save you considerable amounts of time.

4. Outsource Where You Can
If you have confidence in a third party to get the work done, outsourcing part of the project can be a huge timesaver. You might outsource to an external organization, independent contractors or even another department. Just make sure that they take responsibility for the work you give them and include them as through they are a core part of your team. Make them feel loved and don't treat them differently to your full timers and you'll get a lot more out of them.

5. Help Your Team Save Time
Watch everything your team do and where you see inefficiency, help them improve to save time. Also, teach them to delegate their tasks to others, so that they can work smart with their time.

Give them the right tools they need to do the job quickly. React to their needs immediately and make sure they are never "waiting on you" to do their job. If you give your team the right direction, support, tools and love then they will save you time on projects and make your job easier!

If you'd like a toolset that helps your entire team to save time on projects, then try ProjectManager.com.