As an experienced project manager, you may be faced with the particular challenge of coordinating teams in different departments while taking into account the unique aspects of each individual project. This complexity requires not only organisational skills, but also the ability to respond flexibly to different requirements.
Whether your team is working together on site or remotely across different departments, we will guide you through proven methods and approaches to ensure the success of your collaborative work.
Table of contents - What you can expect:
The optimal tool for every task
Optimise collaborative work
Advantages of collaborative cooperation
Expert tips for implementation
Collaborative working refers to a way of working in which several people or teams work together on a project or task to achieve a common goal. This form of collaboration emphasises the exchange of ideas, knowledge and resources in order to find creative solutions and increase productivity. Modern technologies such as cloud-based platforms, video conferencing and Project management tools support this type of collaboration by facilitating communication and access to shared documents and information.
Collaborative working not only promotes team dynamics and a sense of community, but can also significantly increase your company's innovative strength by bringing together different perspectives and expertise.
In a world where projects are becoming increasingly complex and demanding, using the right tools is critical to your success. From effectively managing stakeholder expectations to carefully planning resources and flexibly adapting to change, modern project management software like ZEP offers comprehensive solutions for every phase of your project.
As an experienced project manager, you are probably familiar with the following scenario: You have started a project, a detailed project plan The project plan has been drawn up, stakeholder approval has been obtained and now it is time for implementation. The execution or implementation phase is the most challenging project phase, especially when working collaboratively. This is where communication with your project team can easily come to a standstill, bottlenecks can occur and deadlines can be missed.
How can you counteract this? With 7 essential steps:
1️⃣ Managing expectations
To successfully steer your project through the implementation phase, you should keep your stakeholders' expectations in mind throughout the project. This requires a clear outline of the project scope, budget and resource capacity, coupled with continuous efforts to reinforce these on a regular basis. Agree with your stakeholders early on how often you will communicate, how quickly you can respond to change requests and what kind of changes should be considered or rejected.
During this phase, you are welcome to draw on data from past and current projects to substantiate your ideas to your stakeholders. The methods of the agile project management can also help to effectively control and manage your workflows and processes.
2️⃣ Manage resource capacity
Capacity bottlenecks can hinder the smooth realisation of your project. It is therefore of great importance to continuously adapt the workload of a project to your available resources. To achieve this, it is essential that you always have a Clear view of resource capacity have.
Software solutions such as ZEP also offer you support in this area. With ZEP, you can create realistic time and resource plans, assign tasks according to the skills of your team members and ensure the necessary transparency and simple prioritisation through detailed project reports.
3️⃣ Set priorities
Prioritising and identifying dependencies are decisive success factors for your project. It is therefore advisable for you as a project manager, Set prioritiesto specifically assign the most important tasks to the relevant people, departments and teams. The identification of dependencies plays a key role here, as it determines the order of completion.
With ZEP, you can assign your project work and all tasks to be completed to the respective teams and departments. This gives you a more comprehensive overview and helps you to identify weak points more quickly. Because: You can only control what you can see.
4️⃣ Allow for a time buffer
Even the best laid plans can come with unforeseen challenges. Creating realistic milestones is crucial to ensure your project doesn't stall. Always factor in potential delays, be it due to unexpected sick leave from key team members or late deliveries from suppliers. A strategic use of time buffers helps to avoid delays.
The Introduction of agile working methods can also contribute to realistic planning. By dividing projects into individual sprints, you get a better idea of how long certain tasks will take and can adjust your schedules accordingly. By using the ZEP module planned hours Define hours and services in advance for professional and detailed planning of your projects.
5️⃣ Team autonomy
It may seem challenging for you as a project manager, but by granting Autonomy for your team membersThe ability to make independent decisions about their working methods can have a significant positive impact on the quality and speed of work. A key component of this autonomy is to support your teams in their individual working methods - be it traditional project management, lean-agile approaches or a hybrid mix of both.
Software for labour and Project time tracking like ZEP encourages your project team to take responsibility for themselves by enabling them to critically question working methods and optimise them independently. This self-determined approach not only strengthens individual performance, but also makes a significant contribution to promoting a transparent and cooperative team culture across different areas of the organisation. Departments with.
6️⃣ Track progress
Effective project management requires that you support your teams at different locations and/or departments in their tasks. You can achieve this by keeping an eye on the status of your projects using dashboards or reports that reflect the most important KPIs and OKRs.
Less is often more. Only ask for the information you need to understand the status of your projects at a glance. The aim is to understand where potential bottlenecks can occur - and where not.
7️⃣ Planning change
The fear of unexpected changes is widespread among project managers. Unfortunately, however, deviations are an unavoidable part of every project. When it comes to relapses, delays and potential bottlenecks, maintaining an agile mindset and way of working will help. Adapt your project plans to ensure Long-term project success. There is nothing worse than a stagnant, rigid project plan. Establish an evaluation process for change requests at your locations at an early stage in order to quickly determine the best alternative for implementation in your projects.
Project managers appreciate clear structures. With the ZEP Module Departments, Branches & Locations you have an additional level of structuring at your fingertips. In this way, you always have a detailed overview of all projects in all teams and locations, even in larger companies with a wide range of projects.
Another advantage of the ZEP module is that you can use individual department heads as Recipient for holiday/absence requests can be stored. This allows you to avoid the diversions via your headquarters and gives individual locations and departments more room for manoeuvre. The department head acts as an additional level for structuring the management team and can be viewed as an admin within a part of the organisation. In this way, you bring the necessary flexibility and agility to your collaborative teamwork. Have you taken our seven tips to heart, but simply have too many projects at the same time? Everything on the topic You can read about multi-project management at your leisure here.
Collaborative working offers numerous advantages that help companies to work more efficiently, be more innovative and strengthen team spirit. Here are the most important benefits at a glance:
⏱️ Time saving and efficiency
Collaborative working in real time means that feedback, suggestions and proposals for improvement can be submitted directly, eliminating the need for lengthy correction loops. This leads to significant time savings and increases efficiency, as the team can communicate faster and often without the use of many emails.
💬 Improved communication
Collaborative working promotes constant dialogue between those involved, which strengthens the communication skills of each individual. This improved communication culture can have a positive impact on the entire company.
🔍 Transparency
All team members always have an overview of the current status of work progress and understand the interrelationships. This improves decision-making and prevents duplication of tasks, as responsibilities are clearly communicated. Changes and contributions appear in real time, which increases traceability and simplifies documentation obligations.
💡 Innovation
Different approaches and the joint development of ideas can lead to new approaches that advance the project and the entire company. Collaborative tools support brainstorming and creative processes, which promotes innovation.
👥 Team spirit
The team grows together through direct cooperation and close coordination. Stronger cohesion and a shared sense of purpose not only strengthen the team itself, but also the sense of belonging to the company. This applies regardless of whether the team members work in the office or from home.
🌀 Flexibility
Collaborative working gives employees the flexibility to choose whether they want to work from home, in the office or on the move. This flexibility can contribute to the long-term retention of employees, as they can adapt their way of working to their personal needs.
🚀 Faster processing
The coordination and implementation of joint projects is faster, as lengthy coordination of holidays and attendance days in the office are no longer necessary. Correction loops and approval processes can be handled efficiently via the cloud.
Collaborative working is not just a buzzword, but a key strategy for success in a dynamic working environment. Sharing ideas, knowledge and resources unleashes a creative energy that drives innovation and fully utilises the potential of each individual. Doubts as to whether team dynamics could suffer in such a setting are dispelled by the strengthened bond and shared sense of purpose. Thanks to transparent communication and efficient work processes, misunderstandings are avoided and productivity receives a significant boost.
But how do you get started in this world of collaborative working? This is where ZEP comes into play. With our free 30-day trial version you can experience the benefits of our project management software for yourself. Manage projects, coordinate teams and optimise processes - all in a single tool.
Various tools are available for collaborative working that facilitate the exchange of ideas, knowledge and resources. Cloud-based platforms enable easy access to shared documents and files, while video conferencing tools support real-time communication and virtual meetings. Project management software such as ZEP helps with the planning, implementation and monitoring of projects, while communication tools promote continuous exchange and team collaboration. In addition, time recording and reporting tools such as ZEP enable accurate Recording of working hours and the preparation of detailed project reports.
Clear communication is crucial to ensure that everyone involved is on the same page. In addition, access to the right tools and technologies, such as cloud-based platforms and project management software, is essential. Clear goals and expectations, as well as an understanding of roles and responsibilities within the team, promote efficiency. Flexibility and adaptability are also important in order to be able to react to changes. Last but not least, a strong sense of community and a shared sense of purpose help to promote collaboration.
The objectives of collaboration in a working environment are diverse. They include increasing productivity by sharing different expertise and promoting innovation through different perspectives. Collaborative working strengthens team dynamics and a sense of togetherness, improves communication and avoids misunderstandings. It also leads to time savings and more efficient work processes thanks to real-time feedback and fast coordination processes. Ultimately, the team's flexibility enables it to adapt better to changes and challenges.
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