| The effective management of communication | | | | in employing a successful communication |
| needs to have a well-planned structure which | | | | management system, apart from making the |
| takes the challenges of communication into | | | | project manager's job a good deal less stressful: |
| consideration. It will be important for any project | | | | The first benefit is clearly the increased likelihood |
| manager to have a realistically achievable plan and | | | | of the clients' or stakeholders' needs being met in |
| structure in place at the very start of the project | | | | terms of successful project resolution. As these |
| in order for their time to be used as efficiently as | | | | needs may fluctuate as the project develops, |
| possible. The software programs utilized to | | | | revealing new possibilities, new developments or |
| manage communications must either be a | | | | greater understanding, this must allow for flexibility |
| component of or integrate with the project | | | | where possible. |
| management program. | | | | The second benefit of a solid communications |
| Although the management of communications | | | | strategy will be the fact that it becomes much |
| might be important, it is easy to become blinded | | | | easier to track the progress of the project, |
| by the complex systems needed to achieve the | | | | including logging development and forecasting |
| effective degree of management needed. It is | | | | completion dates for each of the various |
| simple and subsequently failing to appreciate that | | | | departments working as separate units. |
| communications in themselves are not the end | | | | Thirdly, as this progress is tracked and recorded, |
| but the means by which the project to be | | | | development testing, performance criteria |
| completed on time and within the projected | | | | evaluation and project documentation can be |
| budget. | | | | amended, updated and recorded accurately. |
| Any valuable communication management | | | | Finally, it should not be underestimated how |
| strategy will need to address a number of | | | | beneficial effective communication management |
| important issues, including how the information will | | | | can be as far as overall enthusiasm and |
| be collated from the various parties involved such | | | | commitment to the project is concerned. As |
| as work groups, executive management | | | | increasingly many large-scale projects are handled |
| personnel, clients, suppliers, and others. If multiple | | | | by a multitude of segregated departments, it will |
| methods of communication will be used, this could | | | | be crucial to the eventual success of the project |
| result in several alternative strategies. It is possible | | | | as a whole to ensure that each department feels |
| that time zone differences will need to be taken | | | | valued, and feedback received, which can only be |
| into account simply in terms of planning for the | | | | achieved if the project manager and management |
| collation of messages, information, feedback and | | | | executives are perceived as listening to what |
| status reports. | | | | they are saying. |
| There are perhaps four specific benefits inherent | | | | |