Project Management Tips for Stellar Client Relations

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Sound project management practices, frameworks, and policies can help any organization operate more efficiently. At Cardinal Path, our client work is the single most important part of our business. Along with analysis and insights, our clients also expect top-notch project management and a solid and mutually beneficial professional relationship. Sound project management practices can increase speed to implementation of recommendations, streamline problem solving and build trust.

Here are a few key sample areas that take the client relationship to the next level outside of our foundational project management tools and resources (such as budget trackers, status sheets, project plans etc.)

1) Creating project structure

For large projects, dividing the project into portfolios and assigning subject matter experts
Clearly defining lines of communication and accountability

Benefits:

High quality deliverables
Consistency
Valuable relationships
Structure

2) Define and document deliverable processes

For repeatable deliverables, document the delivery process from beginning to end
Agreement and alignment of scope and expectations for the project team as well as our clients

Benefits:

Improved deliverable quality
Higher delivery efficiency and consistency

3) Define and execute a deliverable strategy

Create a curation document which houses all deliverable recommendations and findings

All subject matter experts are responsible to keep this up to date on a weekly basis

Benefits:

Consolidation and curation of all projects delivered to date
Gives our clients an executive level view of year
Acts as a reference document for testing plans
Helps with future planning of similar projects

When properly managed, top notch project management practices can help transform narrow funnels into high-capacity pipelines. In addition, it makes our clients and teammates feel like they are our most important assets, and rightly so, because they are.