When it comes to the fast-paced world of digital marketing, there’s always something more to do. And when you’re juggling a million tasks at once, it can be hard to maintain a consistently high standard of work. But delivering great strategy and content is essential for any digital agency. You just don’t have to do it on your own. That’s where project management comes in.
A project manager’s job is to take all the abstract details and tasks of a project and line them up in a logical, actionable path for the rest of the team to follow. They’ll oversee the trajectory of whatever project you’re working on and make sure every milestone is hit perfectly and on time.
But if you’ve never employed project management before, you might be confused as to which skills, and accountabilities are required from a professional standpoint. We’re going to clear that up.
What Is Project Management?
Project management is the backbone of many successful digital agency teams around the world. It serves the purpose of strategising the most efficient system possible for tackling a project and providing members of the team with clear KPIs and goals to hit in a scalable, realistic, and methodical way.
Employing project management to supervise a project can not only help your team be more productive, but it can also boost employee morale and increase job satisfaction. Some of the other benefits of having a project manager include:
- Keeping your team aligned
- Saving time
- Making tasks more successful
- Allowing for measurable milestones and progress
- Helping with organisation
Without a project management system, it can be difficult for even the most organised of teams to assimilate their skills and work through a task list in an optimised and consecutive way.
For this reason, project management has become an indispensable aspect of business team productivity across the globe. And thanks to the rapid progression of software tools, digital agencies no longer need to rely exclusively on human project managers to perform this role, there are tech tools available, too.
The Different Methodologies of Project Management
There are many different approaches to project management you can take. Some of the most popular ones include the following six types:
Scrum
Also known as the “Sprint” methodology, this approach to project management uses a two-week-by-two-week timeframe to focus on executing tasks. Ideal for teams of 10 or less, the Scrum methodology is led by daily “scrum” meetings where the progression of assigned tasks is assessed collaboratively.
Waterfalls
The Waterfall methodology is simple and straightforward. Drawing inspiration from a waterfall, this approach involves moving down from one project phase to the next, focusing on the next only when the previous one has been successfully completed.
This methodology works well for smaller teams who work on linear projects such as those in the construction industry. It is a reliable and effective way to tackle large or small projects.
Kanban
The word “Kanban” means billboard in Japanese. Based on a visual system, the Kanban methodology involves creating a tangible framework of columns that represent different legs of a project.
Within each column, there can be individual tasks represented as flyers or sticky notes. Those notes get shifted along the columns to show their level of completion and are then discarded when complete. This methodology is great for gaining visual insight into otherwise complex projects.
A Kanban board can be physical or digital. It tends to work best for larger teams, or the employees that prefer the continual approach to task mastering.
Agile
The Agile project management approach is flexible and evolutionary. Similar to the Adaptive method, Agile management focuses on early delivery and is open to changes should the need arise.
The Agile practice originated in software development and other professions where sudden changes may naturally arise and need reworking. It is great for highly collaborative and dynamic teams who thrive on flexibility and fast-paced progress.
Adaptive
As the name suggests, the Adaptive project management approach is defined by adaptability and flexibility. Inspired by the inevitability of change, this method uses a flexible framework to anticipate risk and re-evaluation throughout the project process.
To use this approach effectively, a team needs to have strong communication skills and be able to work collaboratively with each other.
Lean
The Lean methodology’s focus points are minimising waste and maximising value. Using the three M’s (Muda wastefulness, Mura unevenness, and Muri overburden), the Lean system aims to reduce these various forms of wasted energy by implementing more efficient workflows.
Project Management Tools For Digital Agencies
If you’re looking to introduce more efficiency and organisation to your team, you have two options. Hire a project manager. Or utilise a project management tool that automates structure and strategy to your respective project.
Smaller digital agencies might not always have the budget or space for a project manager, but that doesn’t mean you have to go without their skills any longer. These high-ranking PM tools can help:
- Productive
- ClickUp
- Monday.com
- Screendragon
- Wrike
These project management apps are all designed to support teams in the process of streamlining task administration and boosting productivity. Some of them are designed with specific methodologies in mind, while others can be applied to any preferred approach.
Whether you are hiring a project manager to work for your business full-time, or simply utilising the digital tools available online, there are always ways to create more efficiency in your workforce.
Employ Project Management To Streamline Your Digital Agency
Project management plays an integral role in driving momentum within professional teams. We all know how quickly a productivity plan can turn chaotic without the right amount of structure – and using project management tools can help prevent that disorder from ruining important projects.
A great project manager possesses strong communication skills, collaboration skills, an eye for detail, and excellent interpersonal skills. From software tools to employees, your digital agency will be better off with a project management system at its helm.