While negotiating with our prospects and clients, we were frequently asked about the role and necessity of a Project Manager. We saw that they had the wrong impression of what a project manager actually does and didn’t fully recognize how important of a part project management plays. In order to get all the benefits of utilizing a Project Manager, it is important to identify and understand a situation when one is needed.

Let’s consider several cases.

You have a range of projects

or

You want to create a website or mobile app from scratch.

Please check our previous articles  “How to Start Your Website” and “4 Steps to Starting a Mobile App Development”.

These cases lead to the situation when a Project team or even several teams will be involved. The Project team may include a variable number of members based on the project requirements. For example, a Graphics Designer, Front-end developers, Back-end developers, iOS/Android developers, QA engineers, System Administrator, SEO specialist etc. could be brought in, if necessary. The role of the project manager here is to plan and coordinate work flow in order to make the process as smooth as possible. Some aspects of the project can only be executed one at a time or simultaneously. In a nutshell, the Project Manager’s responsibility is to organize the process efficiently in terms of time and a worker’s ability to accomplish a specific task.

But what if you have several tasks to handle or a list of bugs to fix?

You have a small project.

Isn’t it easier to address the issues directly to the developer? Our answer is a resounding “No”, and here is the reason why.

In most organizations, unless you have a Dedicated team or professionals (more about Business models can be found here), then team members are not assigned full time to any given project, but only part time. Human nature, unfortunately, is such that we tend to focus on the activities that we are reminded of – those that seem “urgent”. In this case, a Project Manager takes control over the work being done on your project so that it gets prioritized above other activities that they have been tasked to do, allowing the project to progress.

The Project Manager’s role in our company consists of handling the overall responsibility for the successful planning, execution, monitoring, control and closure of a project, regardless of the size or scope.

Sincerely,

Itera Research team