Success with the right project team

The SME WieMachtManDas GmbH is facing a major challenge; in recent years, they have grown so quickly that the original processes can no longer handle the volume to be processed. The management quickly decided that the processes had to be realigned and a new ERP system had to be introduced. The management passes the decision on to the next level of the organisation’s hierarchy.

The next day, the heads of the various departments sit together at their regular management meeting and are at a loss. Although the project is important and limited in time, none of the department heads can release one or more employees to tackle the project. However, everyone is aware that without the project the problems will get worse and that the requirements can only be defined with the internal employees.

What now?

Let’s do a project

Does this situation sound familiar? In today’s world, companies have to constantly reinvent themselves in order to remain competitive. A company needs new products, processes or even distribution channels to meet customer expectations. A simple idea can quickly develop into a project that can take on unforeseen proportions if it is not set up correctly.

To start a project, you first need a clear goal. Often projects fail at this early stage, because if the goal is not clearly defined, the wrong team members are selected. Clients should first consider whether the project is aligned with the strategic goals of the company and whether the goals are clear to all stakeholders. It is worthwhile here to finance a pre-project that analyses the approach and the goals before the actual project is started.

Once the project has been clearly defined, the right project team can be put together, which should also be part of the pre-project.

The best are only the best if they are the right ones

Every client wants only the best members in their project team. A project stands and falls with the team. But what does it mean to have the best members?

The best are only the best if they are also the right people for the project. The selection of the project team must be carefully considered. The following questions should be considered:

• What skills are needed?
• Is the expertise available and accessible?
• Can the expertise and knowledge be obtained externally?
• What knowledge or skills are only needed temporarily?

When putting together the team, in addition to these questions, the balance between internal and external employees must also be considered. External employees are often seen as rivals who are interested in joining the company. To prevent this, not only clear communication helps, but also considering which experts and skills are only needed temporarily.

‘Too few people on the project can’t solve the problems – too many people on the project create more problems than they solve.”
– Management wisdom

When putting together the team, you should take your time and get the necessary support. Wrong decisions at the beginning of a project become more and more expensive as the project progresses, so it’s worth avoiding them at the outset.

The search for a needle in a haystack – how modern technology can help

The goal is clear, the requirements for the team are defined, so what’s next? If internal resources are exhausted or already in the team, it’s time to find external experts. Many SMEs reach their limits here. Often, their own network is asked to find suitable consultants or freelancers for the position to be filled. However, this takes a lot of time. You have to ask each individual person directly, you have no way of comparing them and can only rely on the information provided by the network. But how accurate is it?

With today’s technology, there are enormous possibilities to support this problem. Here I would like to point out two trending technologies:

• Blockchain: Thanks to blockchain, data can be stored securely and cannot be changed. When searching for suitable resources, you want to be sure that the person can actually do what they promise. To do this, you get the appropriate references. References stored on the blockchain can be provided immediately and are guaranteed to be genuine and unaltered.
• Machine learning: Machine learning is already used in the search for personnel to filter applications and identify suitable candidates. The technology is constantly evolving so that it can also be used to search for external resources. Thanks to machine learning, it is not only possible to filter for suitable skills and expertise; the system can learn over time and with the processing of large amounts of data and make suggestions as to which other people might be suitable for a task.

If not now, then when?

‘Nothing good happens unless you make it happen”
– Erich Kästner

Have you started your next project? What is preventing you, the missing resources? Projects can be started at any time. It is important to understand which resources are needed when and how you can find them. Start your project with the right team – the first step to a successful project.

Priska Burkard

Priska hat über 15 Jahre in der Finanzindustrie gearbeitet, wo sie nationale und internationale IT-Projekte für Großbanken mit großem Erfolg geleitet hat. Ihre Karriere in der IT-Welt begann sie als Quereinsteigerin in die Software Entwicklung. Ihre Fähigkeiten und ihr Fachwissen ermöglichten es ihr, nicht nur für internationale Projekte zu arbeiten, sondern auch in Hong Kong verschiedene Rollen im Projekt- und Produktmanagement zu übernehmen. 2016 verließ sie die Finanzindustrie, um sich auf den Aufbau ihres eigenen Unternehmens zu konzentrieren. Als Geschäftsführerin SKILLS FINDER AG und von TechFace setzt Priska ihre Erfahrung, ihr Wissen und ihre Leidenschaft ein, um Frauen zu unterstützen eine zielgerichtete Karriere in der Technologiebranche zu verfolgen, und sie mit Unternehmen zu verbinden, die sich für Vielfalt und Integration einsetzen. Darüber hinaus half sie beim Aufbau von "Girls in Tech Switzerland", einer globalen Non-Profit-Organisation mit dem Ziel, Frauen für die Tech Industrie zu gewinnen und zu halten.