Project management software training might not seem like the most fun activity lined up on your calendar. After all, you might be thinking that if you can click a few menu options and get a Gantt chart on the screen, that’s good enough.
We have delivered thousands of hours of project management tool training, in-person, virtually and through self-study online classes and we can tell you that knowing how to drive your software is a skill that pays off – often literally.
There are lots of very good reasons why it’s worth learning how to make the most of enterprise project management systems. Here are five of the benefits we often see from our students.
1. Better decision-making
McKinsey predicts that data will underpin every decision by 2025. Project management tools provide a lot of the data that is used to make decisions. Whether you subscribe to working in an earned value management environment, or simply use the default dashboards that come with your product, it’s important to know what data is available to you.
Project leaders should understand where data comes from, what influences it, how it is shaped for display on reports and how to create their own reports tailored to individual needs. The richness of information outputted does depend on the quality of data going into the tool. Seeing how inputs shape data and how that is used for decision-making can vastly improve the way you choose what action to take. Tools like Deltek’s products make it easy to make the right choices.
Being data-driven for decision-making enhances your career because you can evidence why particular steps are recommended. Ultimately, making better decisions should lead to greater project success, more repeat business and greater customer satisfaction. Everyone wants to work with the project manager who delivers their projects on time, on budget and to the required scope!
2. Reduce overwhelm
Three quarters of employees report feeling overwhelmed when working with data, in a survey conducted by Accenture. Data overload contributes to the workplace stress felt by 61% of employees. As an individual, or someone responsible for a team, those statistics are concerning. Are you putting yourself more at risk because using your tools is a confusing, overwhelming experience?
Tailored, practical project management training can boost your confidence when navigating complex systems. When you know what to do, why and when, the overwhelming feelings fade away. You’ll have more time to invest in other activities, and reduce your overall stress levels. Feeling better about work is a career enhancer in itself.
3. Minimize admin time
Project management work does involve an amount of admin. How many times have you been asked to create reports as a slide deck, or cut the data in a different way for an exec presentation at short notice?
Tools can do a lot of the project management admin for you – if you know how to use them. Grab screenshots of dashboards and schedules to drop into slide decks, or set up automated reporting to export what is required as a PDF and email directly to stakeholders.
When project team members update their own tasks, the software reflects progress in real time. No more chasing for status updates or manually updating lists of milestones. Project schedules can dynamically reflect the latest status and any impacts that has on delivery.
Workflows automate the process of getting items approved, whether that’s risk mitigation activities, documents or estimates. You won’t have to shepherd items through a process because it happens automatically.
Learn how to set up all the relevant functions of your project management tool and win back some time in your calendar.
4. Improve stakeholder confidence
Stakeholders want to know that the detail is covered. A high-level, woolly project report is simply going to create more questions.
Confident stakeholders feel better about standing back and letting you lead the project in the way you want. You have to deal with less micro-managing and benefit from trusted relationships with stakeholders where your recommendations are taken seriously and questioned less. They will also recommend you more, which is definitely a career boost!
5. Improve your own confidence
Many project managers tell us they are worried they aren’t doing things right. Our trainers regularly listen to students who are concerned that they don’t have everything under control.
Often, the situation isn’t as bad as the project manager thinks. Good project management practises, combined with the right systems and processes, create confidence. The best tools support the way you want to work and make it easy for you to do your job.
With the right tech (that you know how to use), you’ll have a better understanding of what’s happening on the project and how you can influence that as a leader. You’ll feel more confident because you’ve got things documented – even if they change later.
Confidence is a career-changer. Feeling like your project is under control allows you to focus on other aspects and dive into issues with clarity instead of feeling like everything is always on fire.
So how do you get the career benefits that come with knowing how to operate enterprise project management software like Primavera? The easiest way is to go on a Primavera training course, or to find another software course that will help you learn the tools in use in your organization.
Now you know the benefits of investing in project management tools training, perhaps you’ll agree with us that it should definitely be on your calendar and can definitely be a fun and profitable way to boost your career!