Timelines and Budgets, The Role of a Project Manager

The Importance of Project Management

The role of a project manager is critical to the success of a project.This becomes increasingly true in cases where teams are large. With timelines and budgets at stake, or an undefined or unclear scope of work, an experienced project manager is the person best positioned to save the project from delays and costly overages.

What is a Project Manager and what does this individual do? Oxford Languages defines the term as:

proj·ect man·ag·er
noun
“the person in overall charge of the planning and execution of a particular project.”

Such a simple definition can be interpreted in many different ways; so the better question is, “What and who is a Project Manager at WDG?”

We view our project managers as Change Agents, influencing and transforming project blueprints into a successful website. They are organized, passionate, and goal-oriented people. Our project managers understand their strategic role in determining how our partnering organizations succeed, learn, and grow. They oversee the day-to-day operations of website redesign or development projects, handle the planning, manage the budget, and identify risks.

Our project managers are client-facing, friendly, and easy to communicate with. They are critical to ensuring both the client and their own teams effectively work together, often advocating for one on behalf of the other in order to achieve the best possible project outcome.They operate well under pressure, and are comfortable working in complex and dynamic environments.

A project manager’s role is all encompassing, from onboarding clients and internal teams, to educating and facilitating our creative and technical processes, to managing project tools and maintaining a strong communication cadence.

Managing and delivering projects on time and budget requires experience and willingness to communicate often. That means managing risk and identifying opportunity. So when a project manager pushes back on a feature that puts the project scope at risk, we want our clients to understand that it is their budget we are trying to protect. And in the unlikely event that additional deliverables or services are needed that fall outside the agreed upon scope, the project manager’s job is to ensure that:

1) This is never a surprise; and

2) That any change order represents a clear solution or opportunity, rather than a problem.

The project manager should always be the client’s trusted go-to person. If the client has questions, they’ll provide answers. That said, they’re not working on their own, nor are they firewalls between our clients and our subject matter experts. Our project managers stitch together the transition from one project phase to the next to empower our experts, and ensure a smooth and rewarding client experience. At the team level, project managers expect to work from the inception of the project to the final delivery or milestone.

In summary, the primary responsibilities of a project manager are to identify potential risks, and maintain budgets, schedules, and deadlines. They manage the ins and outs of client priorities and scope changes, and ensure a smooth transition from plan to final deliverable. We view our project managers as important and vital to our success. Our project managers are the glue that holds our team together with:

• Drafting and managing the project plan
• Managing weekly or bi-weekly status calls
• Identifying and tracking potential risks early
• Serving as a strategic counsel
• Maintaining budgets and reporting
• Ensuring that the flow of work moves smoothly to meet production and client deadlines
• Planning short and long-term initiatives based on client priorities
• Working with clients to resolve any problems
• Guiding clients through scope changes, if any.

Let’s connect and start a conversation with one of WDG experienced project managers. Get in touch with a project manager today.

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