Project engineers suffer from multiple tasks at once. It may look overwhelming at times, particularly when you might have 10 to 20 active projects under your control.

It really is imperative that project managers understand the status of each project, their urgency and deliverables. In addition, it seems the better you are as a project manager, the more projects you will need to handle at once.

Once you manage multiple projects it is vitally important that you understand the final time deadline (the delivery date) and the overall budget.

Ultimately, your client is interested in a couple of things, when can I own it, and how much does it cost. If you can satisfy time and budget constraints, milestones (according to the client’s expectations), you may be ‘held in high esteem’ by your client.

As a way to manage and juggle this many projects, it is vitally important that you understand 5 things …

The final deadline and budget (

The significance and priority of the project

The entire tasks – High Payoff Activities, and Low Payoff activities.

Activities which can be delegated or outsourced.

Your role as a project Engineer / manager.

1. In order to effectively manage multiple projects, you must understand your total workload , and compare the projects deliverables. Normally, this is done utilizing a project planner, or project management tools such as for example Microsoft Project. Once all projects are considered, hopefully not absolutely all deadlines and deliverables aren’t due simultaneously. The Tip is to find out the REAL deliverable date. Often when a client is asked when they need to project completed, they will have a buffer built-in so they can ‘sit on it’ for a short while. If you establish the real activities that will follow the ‘deadline’, you may be able to safely extend the ultimate date with your client – with no detriment. If this isn’t the case, at the least you will discover out the importance of the final date.

2. Not absolutely all projects are as important as each other. Some projects have other consequences, and tasks that can’t be achieved without the delivery of the initial project. Without sounding callus, you certainly want to take care of your most important clients who have constant work flow and pay well and promptly. In most cases, it really is these most valued clients that needs to be looked after as priority number 1 1, because they are your ‘bread and butter’. . Keep them happy and your business should continue steadily to motor along. As well you will need to take good care of new clients and also require millions of dollars in future work for you depending on your performance. They’ll usually not display all their cards to you, so the best thing is to make sure you take care of them and meet your deadlines. Ultimately you do not desire to spend 100 hours on a project that is only worth 50 hours payment. It is fine balance between current and potential future work. The secret is to recognise project importance early , and their future work potential.

3. Within many projects there high payoff activities and low payoff activities. High payoff activities are the ones that will get the most benefit out of there completion, and low payoff activities don’t generate an excessive amount of benefit at their completion. The tip is to recognise which activities / tasks are high payoff activities right at the start of the project. It really is these activities that should be given the priority and attention they deserve. Low payoff activities could possibly be either tackled later, or delegated to others (it is important however to monitor the progress of low payoff activities otherwise they might be forgotten before end – or at a critical time). Constant updates to the entire task schedule is an excellent way to stick to track and monitor your progress on each project.

4. You don’t want to spend your valuable time on low payoff activities that you can do by others. Project management can be about delegating or outsourcing activities that are better completed by another person. Sometimes it is easier to outsource a ‘time consuming complex design’ to a specialist in the field, while you manage the process and the entire project. The old saying “if you need something done right you have to do it yourself” is not always the case in engineering and project management. You need to recognise and do a cost analysis on your own time and cost on their cost (and delivery time). While they’re completing the task, you could be working on or managing another high payoff activity, that will ultimately allow a standard timely delivery of the project.

5. As a project manager, you should be generally ‘managing’ the project, and really should not be ‘in the trenches digging the holes’. That is the job for the ‘soldiers’ or workers under your control. It is however important that you understand their skills and what they must be delivering for you. By ‘staying on サンタクロース　トナカイ ‘ of this element (periodic meetings and minor milestones), reduces the frustration of you having to ‘check and change’ their progress. It is your responsibility to provide , which means you should ensure everything are moving ahead in a timely manner, and communicate effectively and regularly with your team, as well as your client.