Want to know why a lot of projects fail?
The main reason why projects fail is project progress, because organizations aren’t devoting enough time to planning and tracking.
According to the Project Management Institute, companies that undervalue project management are 50% more likely to see their endeavors fail.
It’s no secret that poor planning is one of the main reasons projects don’t succeed, but good project management doesn’t start and end with planning. Good project managers also have to know what’s going on at all times, and that’s where project progress tracking comes in.
Why is measuring project progress important?
You’ll struggle to achieve your goals if you don’t track your project progress. Teams may lose sight of their objectives, causing them to miss deadlines and go over budget.
Tracking the progress of their projects is one of the most important elements of good project management. Project managers need to track project progress for the same reason pilots need flight instruments: because it provides a clear sense of direction.
If you don’t track the progress of your projects, you won’t have an idea of how far you’ve come or where you still need to go. It’ll be harder for you to manage resources and identify bottlenecks.
Managing projects is hard work in the absolute best circumstances––but without the ability to track progress, you’ll be hitting turbulence every step of the way.
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The evolution of project progress
In the not-too-distant past, managers used spreadsheets to track project progress. Data was manually entered and there was a greater likelihood of human error.
On top of that, there was always the chance that teams and stakeholders weren’t using the most up to date version of the spreadsheet.
That’s not to say spreadsheets don’t work. They do, but they’re not very efficient. Plus: one careless mistake can slow down your project or bring it to a grinding halt. That’s why many companies adopted project management software that lets them monitor the progress of their projects through features like Gantt charts and dashboard reporting.
These solutions are designed to be user-friendly and efficient, requiring far less manual entry than their spreadsheet counterparts.
How does a Gantt chart help communicate project progress?
The Gantt chart is one of the most popular ways to track your project’s progress. It gives project managers and team members a visual representation of progress in real-time.
Gantt charts also make it easier to see how tasks are connected. You can see which assignments need to be completed before teams can move on to another task or phase in the project. These benefits make Gantt charts a favorite for teams doing milestone-driven work.
Check out our guide on Gantt charts to see how you can use them with staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud.
Other ways to monitor project management
There are several ways to measure project progress aside from Gantt charts.
While great for high-level project planning, Gantt charts aren’t for everyone. Agile teams, for example, work iteratively and don’t usually follow an extensive project schedule associated with Gantt charts and Waterfall.
If you’re searching for an alternative to Gantt charts, consider tracking your project progress with:
- Kanban boards: Popular with Agile teams, Kanban boards make monitoring progress easy by showing who’s working on what, what’s been completed, and which tasks are sitting in the backlog.
- Project reports: You can use a project progress report to track important key performance indicators (KPIs). This can be especially useful if you’re managing a project portfolio and need to measure completion rates, in addition to managing customer and stakeholder expectations.
- Visual project charts: Using a project progress chart can simplify your planning and tracking process by letting you build out workflows, assign team members to tasks, and check on your project progress in real-time.
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What software can I use for monitoring project management?
The best way to track your project progress is with the help of a project management software solution.
Companies often struggle with finding a project management software solution that isn’t a one-trick pony. Too many platforms specialize in a specific area, like Gantt charts or Kanban boards, and completely neglect other ways to plan and monitor projects.
That’s why it’s time to stop using project management softwares that restrict how you track project progress. Make the jump to a comprehensive Work OS that allows you to plan and track projects on your terms.
You decide exactly how you want to plan and manage your projects with staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud. Choose between:
- Gantt charts and timelines
- Kanban boards
- Calendars and checklists
- Project charts
Every project is different, which is why you need a solution that accommodates several project management styles. We designed staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud to be easy to use, but powerful enough to meet the needs of small companies and big businesses.
We also offer a growing library of templates, including:
- Daily task tracker template: Great for keeping track of daily tasks assigned to you or your teams
- Project progress template: This project progress tracking template lets you build a visible workflow in minutes, making it easier to track your project’s progress from start to finish
- Project milestone template: Perfect for Waterfall projects, use this template to monitor the progress of your project as teams hit milestones and complete tasks in a linear fashion
These are just a few of the fully customizable templates offered by staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud. Visit our growing library to see the expansive list of templates you can use whenever you want to plan your project with a click of a button.
What if you’re managing a unique project and don’t see a template for it? No problem. You can create your own workflows using our drag-and-drop interface. You can even add a progress tracking column with the click of the mouse, so you can keep track of your project progress in real-time.
How to master project management?
Looking for a comprehensive solution that takes care of the entire work cycle?
staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud’s robust Work OS is the all-in-one solution you need for planning and tracking project progress, exchanging digital assets, and streamlining communication.
Staying current with your projects has never been easier, but don’t take our word for it. See for yourself by signing up for staging-mondaycomblog.kinsta.cloud today.
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