Why Companies Struggle with Project Management

Why Companies Struggle with Project Management

Unveiling the Challenges

In business, successful project management is often easier said than done. Companies face many challenges that can impede the smooth execution of projects. In this article, we’ll explore some common reasons why companies struggle with project management, focusing on overloaded workforces and gaps in engineering expertise.

Workforce Overload: The Culprit of Burnout: One of the primary reasons companies grapple with project management is the burden placed on their workforce. In an effort to meet deadlines and fulfill growing demands, employees may find themselves overloaded with tasks. This leads to burnout and can result in compromised project quality.

Insufficient Expertise in the Engineering Team: Projects often require specialized skills and expertise, particularly in engineering-heavy industries. Companies may struggle if their engineering teams lack the necessary knowledge or experience for a particular project. This can lead to delays, errors, and ultimately project failure.

Inadequate Planning and Scope Definition: Poor project planning and a lack of clearly defined scopes contribute significantly to project management struggles. Without a solid foundation, projects can easily veer off course, leading to scope creep, missed deadlines, and increased costs.

Communication Breakdowns: Effective communication is the glue that holds a project together. Companies face challenges when there are breakdowns in communication, leading to misunderstandings, missed deadlines, and a lack of accountability.

Resistance to Change: Companies may struggle with project management if there is resistance to change within the organization. Resistance can come from employees accustomed to traditional methods or outdated processes that hinder project efficiency.

While companies may face a multitude of challenges in project management, acknowledging and addressing these issues head-on is crucial for success. Many companies experience these struggles, so you shouldn’t feel alone; plus, solutions are available to you and your team.

UNLOCKING THE BURDEN: LEVERAGING OUTSOURCED ENGINEERING SERVICES

Companies often seek external support to alleviate the burden on their internal teams. Outsourced engineering services firms, such as Sterling Engineering, play a pivotal role in addressing several key issues companies face.

  1. Augmenting Expertise: Companies struggling with a lack of expertise in their internal engineering teams can turn to outsourced services to bridge the gap. With its pool of skilled professionals, Sterling Engineering offers specialized knowledge and experience across various engineering domains. This not only enhances project capabilities but also ensures that tasks are handled by experts in the field.
  2. Flexible Workforce Scaling: Workforce overload is a common challenge for companies managing multiple projects simultaneously. Outsourced engineering services provide the flexibility to scale the workforce up or down based on project requirements. This scalability allows companies to adapt to changing workloads without compromising project timelines or quality.
  3. Cost-Efficiency: Project management struggles often extend to budget constraints and cost overruns. Sterling Engineering Project Management services are cost-effective. We’ve streamlined our processes and optimized resource allocation to help control costs, providing companies with predictable expenses and eliminating the need for extensive in-house infrastructure.
  4. Strategic Planning and Support: Sterling Engineering brings strategic planning expertise to the table. The firm collaborates with clients to understand project goals, define scopes, and develop comprehensive plans. This strategic alignment ensures that projects are executed with precision, reducing the likelihood of scope creep and unforeseen challenges.
  5. Access to Advanced Technologies: In rapidly evolving industries, staying ahead often requires access to cutting-edge technologies. Sterling Engineering invests in the latest tools and technologies, ensuring that projects benefit from innovation and efficiency. This eliminates the need for companies to invest heavily in acquiring and maintaining their own technological infrastructure.
  6. Risk Mitigation: Outsourced engineering services provide an additional layer of risk mitigation. Sterling Engineering’s experience handling diverse projects allows for identifying and proactively managing potential risks. This, and our commitment to quality assurance, helps prevent project setbacks and ensure smooth progress.
  7. Focus on Core Competencies: By entrusting engineering tasks to a specialized firm, companies can redirect their internal resources to focus on core competencies. This strategic reallocation allows for increased efficiency and innovation in areas where the company excels while the outsourced partner handles the engineering intricacies.

In the dynamic world of project management, leveraging the services of an outsourced engineering firm like Sterling Engineering can be a game-changer. Companies can unlock the burden of project management challenges by tapping into external expertise, optimizing costs, and benefiting from strategic support. Since 1969, Sterling Engineering has been a reliable partner, enabling organizations to navigate complex projects and confidently succeed.

Visit https://www.sterling-engineering.com/project-services/ to learn more about Sterling Engineering’s Project Services. 

Sterling Engineering is certified woman-owned.

Rod Satre

Principal /Project Director

5mo

In some respects, this was an advertisement for Sterling. But what I have found in real world is that scope failure is due to each stakeholder has a different "optics" on what matters, what is relevant and how much needs to be "communicated" to the project team. Including sometime that the inclusiveness of the "team" is missing i.e. sometimes the "monkey on your back" skill set is not available and responsibilities for getting things done falls into a deep chasm of "work by others" Too many times "work by others" sinks a project because the project manager was unaware that no responsible party was ever defined and anointed. Regardless, following Sterling's ploy: I run projects on multiple subject areas and am here to help. Getting paid is my objective # 2. Helping is objective #1 good luck has nothing to do with this, "get 'er done!?"

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Steve Waszkowiak P.E.

Engineering Manager with Sterling Engineering, Consultant

5mo

The definition of an expert is someone who has done everything wrong at least once. From this perspective, I am not quite an expert yet, however can offer a unique perspective having worked with both the OEMs that make the equipment and the manufactures that use it and their production facilities. Having this dual insight about “the good, the bad and the ugly”, our team can help assess risk on the front end and include mitigation plans in the project plan. This allows our project managers to keep risks visible in the windshield ahead, instead of just reacting after seeing them in the rearview mirror….

Mike Sury

Vice President of Sales, Sterling Engineering

5mo

One other reason companies may outsource Project Management is objectivity for the project. Non biased decision making that potentially can happen internally. Please reach out if your company needs Project Management Services!

George A. Whittaker II

Risk & Quality Control Systems Manager Certified Quality Engineer(CQE), Certified Quality Auditor (CQA) AI (Artificial Intelligence)-powered problem solving, 8D ,A3, Data collection & analytics

5mo

Great points! I have to ask the questions that a typical stakeholder might have: One of the goals of the company is to maximize the value of the company for its shareholders. How is spending limited resources for consultants that do not have "Skin" in the contribute to minimizing the risk for our stockholders? Why is the in-house capability short for knowledge capital for the project? Did the company fail to hire the best and smartest people? Why is it prudent to leverage the success of the company temporarily versus pursue a permanent solution with resources the company controls? To indemnify, also known as indemnity or indemnification, means compensating a person for damages or losses they have incurred or will incur related to a specified accident, incident, or event. Should the company include this risk protection in any agreement for out-sourced consulting?

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