5 Red Flags That A Tech Project Is Delayed Due To Resource
Following the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 came the Great Resignation of 2021. Three months into 2023 and the market is still holding 300,000 more vacancies than it did three years ago [1]. This means that organisations across all industry sectors are in fierce competition for the skills that they need, often resulting in the tech industry experiencing project delays.
Keeping projects on track requires the early identification and resolution of red flags. Many project red flags have the same root cause - insufficient resources. A project can only run to time, cost, and quality if it is adequately staffed. Expecting to deliver to stated KPIs without the necessary workforce stands as much chance of success as writing your business case in invisible ink and expecting it to be approved.
Slippage against milestones
Whether you have started missing milestones or are forecasting to, there is a high likelihood that you are insufficiently resourced. If you are experiencing resource constraints, sustaining a vacancy or training a replacement, this needs to be factored into your plan.
Likewise, if you planned your resource schedule based on the 100% availability of all personnel, then this could be the cause of your frustrations. You need to be realistic in scheduling resource availability, otherwise, you are setting yourself up to fail.
Insufficient tools or materials
You cannot deliver a project if you do not have the necessary tools or materials to do so. Rectifying the shortfall is essential to progressing the project and may require specialist support which must be engaged at the discretion of the PM to keep the project on track.
Communication issues
Communication issues are a barrier to successful delivery. They must be identified early, and correct lines of communication established and rigorously implemented. Failure to do so can result in extraneous work being performed, tasks being double-tapped or missed altogether.
Communication issues can create morale issues within a team and result in the project outcome bearing no resemblance to its original requirement - and that is in the unlikely event that it is ever delivered at all!
Budget constraints
Successful projects deliver to their stated time, quality and cost parameters. They must be appropriately costed at the outset with viable risks such as changing requirements and specialist tech skill costs included.
Often, costs spiral when inadequate oversight is maintained to ensure that value for money is being achieved or when team members are over-allocated or unavailable at the correct point in time. There may be a temptation to mask issues by allocating additional budget to resourcing which can help a project to complete to time and quality, but with a severe impact on cost.
Technical difficulties
Many quality issues can be overcome by spending more time on them or by allocating more funding to resolving them. Whilst this can result in a quality outcome, it is likely that the project will exceed its budget or deliver late.
All of these project red flags are a sign that you are insufficiently resourced, either in terms of the number of people committed to the project, or that the balance of skills is not aligned with the needs of the project.
There is a simple solution to overcoming these issues, and this is to employ a hybrid method of resourcing your project. Instead of relying entirely on the availability of permanent employees, bringing in contract staff to deliver specific elements can maintain project control and deliver significant efficiencies. These technical specialists can focus on areas where internal skills may be lacking or where particular experience will accelerate delivery.
If you are beginning to identify some of these red flags on your own project, Addition can help you to resolve them with a resourcing solution specifically tailored to address the root cause of your issue. We offer a range of services that are proven to improve productivity whilst offering exceptional value for money.
Contact Addition+ today to take the stress out of resource management - get your tech project back on track!
Call us: 0330 024 2273 I Email us: hello@additionsolutions.co.uk
Keeping projects on track requires the early identification and resolution of red flags. Many project red flags have the same root cause - insufficient resources. A project can only run to time, cost, and quality if it is adequately staffed. Expecting to deliver to stated KPIs without the necessary workforce stands as much chance of success as writing your business case in invisible ink and expecting it to be approved.
Slippage against milestones
Whether you have started missing milestones or are forecasting to, there is a high likelihood that you are insufficiently resourced. If you are experiencing resource constraints, sustaining a vacancy or training a replacement, this needs to be factored into your plan.
Likewise, if you planned your resource schedule based on the 100% availability of all personnel, then this could be the cause of your frustrations. You need to be realistic in scheduling resource availability, otherwise, you are setting yourself up to fail.
Insufficient tools or materials
You cannot deliver a project if you do not have the necessary tools or materials to do so. Rectifying the shortfall is essential to progressing the project and may require specialist support which must be engaged at the discretion of the PM to keep the project on track.
Communication issues
Communication issues are a barrier to successful delivery. They must be identified early, and correct lines of communication established and rigorously implemented. Failure to do so can result in extraneous work being performed, tasks being double-tapped or missed altogether.
Communication issues can create morale issues within a team and result in the project outcome bearing no resemblance to its original requirement - and that is in the unlikely event that it is ever delivered at all!
Budget constraints
Successful projects deliver to their stated time, quality and cost parameters. They must be appropriately costed at the outset with viable risks such as changing requirements and specialist tech skill costs included.
Often, costs spiral when inadequate oversight is maintained to ensure that value for money is being achieved or when team members are over-allocated or unavailable at the correct point in time. There may be a temptation to mask issues by allocating additional budget to resourcing which can help a project to complete to time and quality, but with a severe impact on cost.
Technical difficulties
Many quality issues can be overcome by spending more time on them or by allocating more funding to resolving them. Whilst this can result in a quality outcome, it is likely that the project will exceed its budget or deliver late.
All of these project red flags are a sign that you are insufficiently resourced, either in terms of the number of people committed to the project, or that the balance of skills is not aligned with the needs of the project.
There is a simple solution to overcoming these issues, and this is to employ a hybrid method of resourcing your project. Instead of relying entirely on the availability of permanent employees, bringing in contract staff to deliver specific elements can maintain project control and deliver significant efficiencies. These technical specialists can focus on areas where internal skills may be lacking or where particular experience will accelerate delivery.
If you are beginning to identify some of these red flags on your own project, Addition can help you to resolve them with a resourcing solution specifically tailored to address the root cause of your issue. We offer a range of services that are proven to improve productivity whilst offering exceptional value for money.
Contact Addition+ today to take the stress out of resource management - get your tech project back on track!
Call us: 0330 024 2273 I Email us: hello@additionsolutions.co.uk