How do you effectively track project dependencies and ensure project timelines are met.

Pathan Irfan Khan

Matt Lynn-PCG

@Pathan Irfan Khan I have a lot of clients that either ask this question or flat out say they don't want to manage it. At the end of the day the most important project management tool is the project manager. Too many people (IMO) think they want to setup a schedule and never look at it other than a couple milestones. This is not project management. Every day, every event, every surprise situation, must be reflected, updated and continually updated in all schedules. IF you do that properly, while also updating and adjusting any new dependency etc. then the dates are reliable and met.
This question is a bit of a loaded one so I'm not 100% sure what you're looking for but I'd say the next step after PM 101 as I describe above, is using the tool effectively by deploying reports and dashboards filtered to things that are due, almost due, past due, due next week etc. This way everyone isn't trying to manage all things at all times. See the key that too many miss is that 1.) You can manage many sheets from one report without going to those reports and 2.) If you're dependencies are setup correctly and maintained daily as I mentioned in PM 101, then updating and adjusting one or two tasks/dates you may in turn be changing hundreds of tasks and assignments to many people. Since they now have their own dashboards/reports they're also being communicated to with that simple change(s) in the single report.

Many people get hung up on the first step… "I don't want to … I'm too busy to " and they don't listen to the sum of it all and how to scale and collaborate not only with their teams but with themselves. Doing PM 101 is automatically doing other parts of their job without any additional effort.

That a fair response or were you looking for something different? Not sure as context was limited.

Matt Lynn-PCG

@Pathan Irfan Khan I have a lot of clients that either ask this question or flat out say they don't want to manage it. At the end of the day the most important project management tool is the project manager. Too many people (IMO) think they want to setup a schedule and never look at it other than a couple milestones. This is not project management. Every day, every event, every surprise situation, must be reflected, updated and continually updated in all schedules. IF you do that properly, while also updating and adjusting any new dependency etc. then the dates are reliable and met.
This question is a bit of a loaded one so I'm not 100% sure what you're looking for but I'd say the next step after PM 101 as I describe above, is using the tool effectively by deploying reports and dashboards filtered to things that are due, almost due, past due, due next week etc. This way everyone isn't trying to manage all things at all times. See the key that too many miss is that 1.) You can manage many sheets from one report without going to those reports and 2.) If you're dependencies are setup correctly and maintained daily as I mentioned in PM 101, then updating and adjusting one or two tasks/dates you may in turn be changing hundreds of tasks and assignments to many people. Since they now have their own dashboards/reports they're also being communicated to with that simple change(s) in the single report.

Many people get hung up on the first step… "I don't want to … I'm too busy to " and they don't listen to the sum of it all and how to scale and collaborate not only with their teams but with themselves. Doing PM 101 is automatically doing other parts of their job without any additional effort.

That a fair response or were you looking for something different? Not sure as context was limited.