Foresight and Timelines

All eCommerce project managers should implement a reasonable and achievable timeline and then stick to it. Timelines should be based on a number of varying factors which are both specific to the business and to the digital agency, such as market events (for example, Black Friday) for the business and User Persona Interviews for the agency. Factors which influence timelines should be outlined clearly and then discussed and resolved into either a singular or phased deadline approach. Depending on the other business operations, sometimes it may be wise to actually pause project commencement until stakeholders can make a more solid commitment to the deadline, this reduces the risk of missed timelines and failed projects.

Suggestions and Problem Solving

Business analysts should consider the project & business objectives before making suggestions on functionality. They gather a project brief and then suggest actions which should be included/excluded to drive achievement of said objectives. There may be uncertainties around the specific direction an organization should take when considering its goals – it’s the role of a business analyst to suggest and then justify reasoning behind their solutions in an effort to provide the best options to the business and then align the actions of all people involved. A good business analyst provides insights and proof behind their suggestions so that there is no uncertainty.

Budget Management & “Must Haves”

Digital projects are different from other projects, such as building a house, because they are more fluid and can change once the project has commenced. While this is a great opportunity to adapt on the fly, it can also cause problems when organizations begin to get excited and want to include as many functionalities as possible before launch. It’s the role of experienced project managers and business analysts to consider the value that added functionalities will bring vs. the budget/time increase and then suggest viability. It’s easy for inexperienced digital agencies to accept all new functionality requests throughout the project with a focus on total project budget, as opposed to looking from a business perspective and focusing on the best solution and long term relationships.

Stakeholder Management & Accountability

Good Digital Project Managers keep their own team, as well as the client accountable for timelines and materials. Experienced project managers will keep all stakeholders in the loop and up to date with timelines so that the project is delivered on time. They’ll let the client know if delays on their end will impact the project deadline and they’ll follow them up to ensure this doesn’t happen when possible. It’s important that project managers focus on the project as a whole and act accordingly to ensure the project is delivered to the agreed scope and timeline.

Having a team of experienced project managers and business analysts working on your eCommerce project, like the team at Designpluz, will ensure your project is not only delivered on time and within the agreed scope and budget, but also to the best possible standards within the market, driving business objectives and sales.