Task Assignments – A Project Manager’s Best Friend

One of the most important part of project management is developing a task list and assigning staff to care for specific tasks. Rather than relying on communicating project requirements as things progress, having task assignments and allocated resources ahead of time can be beneficial when it comes to hitting deadlines and staying on budget. Here are some reasons a project manager should never neglect assigning tasks.

Hitting Deadlines

When each part of a project is broken down into tasks, and each one of those tasks has a completion date, it becomes far easier to see if a project is staying on schedule or if a completion deadline is even feasible. Many of your resources may be shared with other projects. A schedule that includes task assignments and project milestones can ensure that the project you are managing doesn’t slip through the cracks.

Efficient Allocation of Resources

Task assignments keep you from overloading one person, and getting subpar work as a result, while letting someone else get away with lounging on the job. This also helps to avoid times when the project gets stalled waiting for someone to complete an assignment that has to be done before others can work. When you see an overview of everything, it is easier to know when to reallocate resources to move things along.

Track Expenses

One of the toughest parts of project management is completing the project while sticking to a budget. Sometimes staying under budget is more important to those in administration than keeping to a deadline. When that is the case, you can allocate more time consuming tasks to less expensive resource who may take a little longer to get things done.

Progress Reporting

Did someone complete a task in an hour that you had entire day set aside for? Perfect! Now you know that they can get the job done fast and assign future tasks accordingly. You can also reallocate them to help out someone else on this project. Has someone not started yet on a task that will take considerable time and is due 2 days from now? You know you need to light a fire under them to get things going. As you see how your coworkers handle various tasks, you will know how best to use them in the future for upcoming projects.

Project management requires efficient resource allocation. The best way to do that is by creating a task list and giving out task assignments. Have you found this method to be successful in your projects? Feel free to share your experiences below.