Increasing efficiency in remote project management

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The COVID-19 pandemic shook the world. Organizations worldwide were quick to respond proactively. Allaying fears of remote working, organizations jumped into action as they got most of their staff working remotely from home. A Gartner poll showed that 90% of HR leaders said employees would be allowed to work remotely even once the COVID-19 vaccines were widely available. Staff welcomed the move as it gave them more of a work-life balance. Several years later, it’s clear remote work is hear to stay.

But what about managing projects remotely? Project management combined with remote teams sounds like a huge task, but innovative cloud-based project management solutions are here to help.

Read on: Remote work -a new way forward

 

Can project managers handle remote work?

Remote working has become popular with many organizations over the past few years. What was once an occasional exception is now a common practice – with the infrastructure to make it possible. Hiring talent has become easier as there’s no location constraints and organizations save on infrastructure costs. No one will know this better than a confused project manager looking at the daunting tasks of managing remote teams.

A successful project manager must understand distant work challenges, the best ways to manage remote teams, and identify suitable project management software to overcome these challenges. Ultimately, the success of the project with on-site or remote team’s rests on the project managers shoulders.

Read on: Improve your project management skills for success

 

What are remote project teams?

Team members working on a single project from different physical locations qualify as a remote team. A typical project manager may handle single or multiple projects. In that case, they have multiple remote project teams to supervise. According to some surveys, over 87% of remote employees experience less stress and are more productive.

 

Types of remote teams

Due to globalization and remote teams working in various time zones, multiple remote working models have evolved. They include:

  • Fully remote: All team members work remotely. Staff might work from separate physical offices or homes. 
  • Hybrid teams: A few team members work from a centralized office location, while others work remotely.
  • Flex teams: Team members are co-located for some time and have the flexibility to work both remotely and from a co-located office space.

 

The advantages of working with a remote project team

Remote working has many advantages, unlike what many preconceived notions may imply. Some of the main benefits include:

Increased productivity

With a better work-life balance, 44% of staff says they were able to get more work done compared to working in an office. Flexibility in operating increases productivity.

Reduced attrition

Remote working has become a perk these days with employees preferring organizations providing flexible working options.

Reduced stress

The ability to spend time with family and friends by working from home reduces stress levels.

Enrolling top talent

Remote working opens talent recruitment from broader geographies.

Read on: Streamlining global HR management with a single ERP solution

Increased savings

Office space is expensive, and remote teams can help reduce costs.  Overhead costs are reduced further by using other Software as a Service (SaaS) tools. You can explore popular project management tools like Vault ERP, video conferencing tools like Zoom, and online cloud drives and applications such as G Suite from Google.

 

Challenges faced in remote project management

Remote working has provided a few positives over the last year. However, there are challenges abound, especially for project managers who need to view the project and its various KPIs comprehensively. Some of the challenges include:

 

Lack of up-to-date project information in one place

Inconsistent or outdated information slows decision-making, leads to misaligned goals, and hinders efficient project progress, causing confusion among team members.

 

Assigning tasks and tracking them

Without clear task assignment and tracking, projects face delays, missed deadlines, and reduced team accountability, making it difficult to gauge progress.

 

Streamlining business processes

Inefficient processes cause delays, duplication of work, and wasted resources, making it harder for teams to work cohesively and deliver quality results on time.

 

Communication challenges

Poor communication leads to misunderstandings, missed updates, and unclear expectations, diminishing collaboration and causing project delays.

Read on: The importance of communication and evaluation to growth

 

Information availability across team members

When information isn’t easily accessible, teams waste time searching for details, which hampers productivity and creates bottlenecks.

 

Lack of accountability

Without clear accountability, it’s hard to ensure tasks are completed, leading to uneven workloads, reduced morale, and poor project outcomes.

 

Tips for managing remote project teams

Some valuable tips for managing remote project teams include:

Encourage communication

Project managers should have two-way communication with employees. Open communication channels help in improving trust while working remotely.

Trust your employees

Distant working may require flexibility in setting boundaries for personal and work hours. Team members may be functioning in different time zones too, meaning all of them may not always be available. Project managers should set up schedules and task deadlines in advance so that remote team members have a clear overview. Project managers must avoid micromanagement and focus on completing tasks by their due dates.

Set clear goals and expectations

Clear communication entails project managers setting project objectives, goals, and expectations. Documentation of project information with plans and individual responsibilities helps effectively manage remote teams.

Invest in a feature rich and efficient remote project management tool

You can achieve success in remote project management only if you have the correct remote project management software. The application should house information centrally and be accessible to all team members.

The appropriate remote project management software that you choose should be able to assist you in the following:

 

Tracking and measuring remote team productivity

Time tracking software is a powerful tool for remote project managers to monitor productivity and ensure accountability. It allows managers to see how much time team members are spending on specific tasks, helping them identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies. With real-time data, managers can better allocate resources and set realistic deadlines, ensuring that projects stay on track.

By tracking working hours and activity levels, time tracking software gives insights into productivity trends and enables managers to assess team members' workload balance. This helps prevent burnout and ensures that tasks are evenly distributed.

Read on: The future of time tracking in the remote work revolution

Additionally, time tracking fosters transparency by allowing team members to log their hours and document progress. This visibility reduces micromanagement, as managers can trust the data without needing constant check-ins. The software also facilitates billing and reporting, ensuring accurate project cost tracking and budget management.

Ultimately, time tracking software offers remote project managers the tools to measure productivity, maintain project timelines, and improve overall team efficiency, even when teams are working from different locations.

 

How Vault ERP helps you manage remote teams

Vault ERP is a cloud-based application and is accessible virtually. With our Project Management Module, you can manage your projects efficiently from anywhere as long as you have an internet connection. Share and track project activities seamlessly with your team members and stakeholders.

Real-time data, with project-wide comprehensive views and critical project indicators, alerts, and Gantt chart views all make for easier collaboration.

Start using Vault ERP for virtual project management. Contact us for more information.

 

 

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