Using Project Management Internally to Boost Efficiency

Project management is the means by which you fulfill every step, every deliverable, every obligation to your clients, keeping you to task and allowing them to see and track progress toward milestones and completion of a project. It can be beneficial to your internal procedures to manage them the same way you handle outward-facing work. Using project management tools to track, perform and document your internal processes can help you work more efficiently.

We normally consider the process of project management as something that is revenue-generating; that impacts client satisfaction and therefore is only considered in relation to them. Because internal processes don’t have paying customers’ eyes on them, we don’t normally keep tabs on the details in the same way.

Instead, however, consider that the same things that keep the details of your client project running smoothly, like organization, communication, scheduling, collaboration and reporting could help your behind-the-scenes run more effectively and efficiently as well.

Imagine the efficiency of applying those project management principles internally to ensure that workload was assigned uniformly and timed out realistically so no one was overwhelmed - and there was ample time to bring in extra staff or hire subcontractors to meet the need.

Imagine the accountability - both individually and company-wide - when each individual has access to both the “big picture” plan for your business and the smaller internal steps necessary to bring each part of it to fruition. Everyone would be aware of who was responsible for what - and when - so that when things slow down or go off track, the cause can be identified and the problem remedied.

Imagine the productive flow when documentation and standard operating procedures are captured so details are not forgotten and output is consistent. This can bring about a new level of collaboration when employees are given the capacity internally to better plan and execute both new and repeatable tasks on a day-to-day basis. When the whole company is working from the same framework, feedback can be utilized to improve the internal system into a well-oiled machine.

The tools you choose to help with project management are important. It may be logical to begin using whatever system you use to manage your client projects and pivot the focus inward. Whatever system you choose should be in alignment with the type of business you’re running, be it service, sales, or manufacturing. Each industry has favorite project management tools - it’s worth your time to research which are popular in yours and evaluate them in relation to your particular business. Some technology-based solutions go so far as to offer industry-specific templates to help you get started more easily managing those factors that most impact your business’ productivity and profitability, be it personnel management, inventory control, scheduling, event planning, or shipping.

As you can see, project management isn’t just for outward-facing work. Used internally, you become the recipient of the value of the system - and the rewards of higher proficiency, greater accountability, and the resulting profitability that is certain to follow.

How could managing your company’s internal workings like a client help you achieve greater efficiency?