Whether you are implementing a hardware or software rollout, projects are a key activity in IT management.
A successful project is not hinged just on technical IT skills but requires organization and communication.
This skill set may fall outside the remit of any of your team, and this could be the perfect opportunity to hire a virtual assistant to complete your project.
Why Manage A Project?
No matter what methodology you follow, project management is in place to ensure that things get done promptly. It tracks every activity and ensures that each member of the team stays on track.
Project management raises concerns and flags risks, and also provides answers on how to deal with them. It provides a timeline for how long the project should take and offers contingency plans should things go awry.
The Project Administrator
The skills are needed to ensure a project runs smoothly often not found in the project manager but the project admin.
The manager is responsible for the overall project, but the day-to-day today, organization and administration fall to someone with the office skills, such as a virtual assistant.
It is quite common for an IT team not to have a strong administrator as this isn’t within their remit, so rather than hiring a full-time member of staff, bringing in a virtual assistant to complete project management tasks makes a lot of sense for the business.
What Skills Do VAs Bring?
Organization
Although it is often considered the underdog job, strong administrative skills are hard to come by. It’s more difficult than it sounds to keep track of every piece of project paperwork, so organisation is a skill you require from a virtual assistant.
Someone with a proven track record in this industry will easily be able to cope with the level of organization required.
Attention To Detail and Communication Skills
A good virtual assistant has a high level of attention to detail. Noticing something as a small error can easily prevent it from becoming a huge problem.
It is also important that the person nominated to deal with the project administration can effectively communicate with people on all levels.
From staff to stakeholders, suppliers, and workers, there need to be clear instructions and the correct information passed around. Unclear information can lead to delays, jeopardizing the whole project.
This means that the person in the project admin role should also be able to stand firm and not be afraid to have uncomfortable conversations and ask questions.
Automated Task Assignment and Monitoring
Virtual assistants can leverage project management software to automate the assignment of tasks to team members.
By defining roles, responsibilities, and deadlines, VAs ensure that every project element is accounted for. As tasks are completed, the automated system updates project timelines, providing real-time visibility into progress.
Automated task tracking minimises the risk of tasks falling through the cracks and eliminates the need for constant manual follow-ups.
This streamlined approach empowers project managers to focus on strategic decision-making rather than administrative oversight.
Data-Driven Decision Making
VAs bring a data-driven dimension to risk management in IT projects. They can compile and analyse historical project data, identifying patterns and trends associated with risks and their outcomes.
This data-driven insight empowers project managers to make informed decisions and allocate resources judiciously to preemptively tackle potential risks.
By incorporating data analytics into risk management, VAs enable project managers to adopt a proactive stance, leveraging past experiences to optimize risk mitigation strategies.
This evidence-based approach contributes to the overall success of IT projects and enhances the organization’s project management practices.
Incorporating virtual assistants into the risk management process elevates the project team’s ability to anticipate and handle challenges, ultimately leading to smoother project execution and higher success rates.
Real-time Progress Updates
Through automated notifications and alerts, virtual assistants keep stakeholders informed about project progress.
Whether it’s sending out regular reports, milestone achievements, or deviation alerts, VAs ensure that everyone remains up to date without overwhelming them with excessive communication.
This real-time progress reporting helps stakeholders identify potential bottlenecks early and provides insights into the project’s overall health.
Virtual assistants act as information hubs, ensuring that the right people receive the right information at the right time.
Expectation Setting
It is vital that expectations are made clear as soon as the project commences. With clear boundaries and a chain of command that defines responsibilities, staying on track can be easier.
The VA is responsible for taking control and ensuring that everybody knows what they are doing and when it is expected. This information will be followed up, checked off as progress and reported back to the project manager regularly.
