Our guide to a seamless project journey

Project management is a constant thread in all our digital projects at Studio Republic. It doesn’t often take centre stage but it is a core function that works tirelessly behind the scenes. But, what is project management all about? 

Firstly, at Studio Republic there are two of us that work as Project Managers, myself (Sasha) and Christina, and we’re responsible for overseeing a project from start to finish following the waterfall methodology. We scope the entirety of the project and offer a fixed fee and time-stamped roadmap to ensure agreed outputs are delivered on time and on budget. We’re involved in every step of the project journey, so having a clear plan mapped out is essential.

In this guide, we’ll take you through our personal rule book of how we ensure the ultimate success for every single website or design project.

Project management principles

Our project management approach is based on three key principles. These are the building blocks that take us through each stage of the project journey and help us create a fantastic experience for all of our clients. These principles are: 

 

Transparency

This is crucial for every single project through being completely open and honest from start to finish. This means we have clear expectations set out and can create an effective and collaborative work space by regularly liaising with our clients. This transparency also filters down to the internal project team so each staff member is on the same page and is properly briefed. 

 

Communication

Directly aligning with transparency is the second principle – communication.  We set up weekly meetings with our clients to catch up on deadlines, answer queries and provide project updates, providing a steady flow of communication. This keeps everyone up to speed on where the project is at and supports the close working relationships we pride ourselves on.

 

Collaboration

Finally, we have collaboration. Our belief is that the best projects are built on a collaborative relationship. The client is involved every step of the way from the initial scoping workshop to key sign off points. Collaboration ensures involvement, which inevitably means that we are able to meet every requirement with full transparency. 

Practical project management tips

With our three principles setting the foundation for a quality client experience, we can next apply our practical tactics for delivering a seamless project journey. These steps are the glue that hold all of our projects together and mean we can meet (and exceed!) clients’ expectations every time.

 

Know your goals

A project’s goals act as our north star, guiding us to where we want to be. So, we start each and every project with a scoping session where we delve into the project goals, the client needs and understand core deliverables. We run scoping sessions for design, UX and development so every single base is covered and a roadmap can be produced that details every aspect. Scoping is a critical part of the project process and we won’t kickstart one without it!

 

Organisation, organisation, organisation!

Both myself and Christina have multiple projects on the go at any one time, so our organisation needs to be unshakable. We are the driving force ensuring all projects stay on track, so we need to continually maintain key documentation on resourcing, project overviews and forecasting. Meticulous planning keeps us focused on the detail and gives us the gift of flexibility, so we can step in for one another if needed and still not miss a beat.

 
Always be on time

Sticking to schedule is always the aim. This is why our project roadmaps are such an effective tool to pinpoint core deadlines and lay out realistic timeframes for us to follow. We know that the delay in any work will have a knock-on effect so staying on time means staying on track!  


Be flexible 

When working in project management, you’ve got to be adaptable and learn to roll with the punches. As much as we’d like, sometimes things don’t always go to plan. It is inevitable that there will be unforeseen changes but being flexible means we can face any curve balls confidently and proactively. A fresh approach can help us find new ways of meeting project goals; we might just go a little off-piste to get there.

 

Invest in quality tools

Finally, the backbone to any good project is having a software that enables us to have full oversight over everything. For us, that’s Productive. It allows us the schedule projects, book time in with our team and clearly breakdown deliverables. We can also keep a keen eye on budgets through time logging and tackle any bugs through technical support boards. Having quality software streamlines our processes and elevates the way we manage projects.

Summary

To sum up, whilst we have set processes in place for ultimate project success, we know that no process is perfect and we are continually refining our steps. Our aim as Project Managers is to deliver a product that exceeds client expectations which is on time and on budget. This empowers us as an agency to create more transformative digital projects for charities that will amplify their purpose and support ethical business.