Project management planning in a downturn

Project management in a healthy economic can be relatively straightforward because companies have the resources to invest in IT infrastructure and the cost of inefficient processes is often masked by large revenues, Software Testing Solutions (STS) has said.

However, when firms are forced to cut back in a downturn, it can become extremely difficult to bring a project in on time and under budget.

Cutting back on people is a simple way of reducing overheads but the company warned that the instability and "perception of weakness" it can create ultimately makes recovery "extremely challenging".

Substantial cuts to infrastructure can bring down IT budgets but again there are long-term consequences, it added. Companies must carefully and realistically weight the likely impact of reduced IT spending on their growth objectives.

Finally, there is the option on reducing development spend. This can "certainly reduce costs" but STS warned that it will also reduce delivery and could result in a smaller market share.

Ultimately, however project managers balance their resources, STS said the key to successful project delivery is time because "time is money".

STS is a South African-based firm with operations in the UK, Africa and the Middle East.

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