7 Reasons Why You Need to Outsource a Project Manager for Your Project

If you have doubts whether you actually need to hire a Project Manager for your project or still believe that main PM’s responsibilities are centered around creating tasks and checking how things are with them (which, obviously, you can do all by yourself), then this article is for you.

Trying to debunk the theory that having a PM is just another expense that can truly undermine your budget, we have gathered seven major reasons why having a PM is a must. If you want to have a successful project developed within the established time and according to the business owner expectations, read on: we’ll explain how a PM can be an answer to these needs.

Seven reasons why your project needs a PM

1. PM is translating clients’ needs to the developers.

You might surprise but clients and developers always speak different languages. Even if their mother tongue is English, they do not always understand each other right. 
Clients and business owners speak the language of business. They know everything about the business processes inside their company. They know what their clients need and how the solution for their business must look like. And when communicating, they use this knowledge as a starting point.

Meanwhile, developers have mastered the technical language. They easily communicate about difficult technical matters and can deliver complex concepts.

However, these are two different languages, and a Project Manager is the one who translates the expectations of clients to the developers in a way they will understand. 
A lot of PMs have prior experience in an IT industry, and that is why they know both languages and can explain thoughts and ideas easily.

2. A PM is the one conducting the talents.

To explain myself here, I will use the example of a conductor. No matter how talented the musicians are and for how long they have played in this orchestra, without professional supervision, they are not likely to start playing at the same time and keep the rhythm throughout the whole piece.

They need a conductor that will organize them and supervise along the way. They have all the talent needed to perform well. But that is not the only key to success.

The same applies to the software development process. Developers might have a huge experience under their belt, but without correct supervision, they might deliver a product that does not exactly comply with the client’s expectations. To achieve the desired results they need a supervisor to help them at all stages. Not because they lack expertise or knowledge, but because project management is always at the core of every successful business.

3. A PM ensures complete transparency of a process.

One of the major responsibilities of a PM is to create detailed reports on the progress the team is making at the time being. This ensures that a customer has total control over the process and understands what exactly he is paying for and whether his help is needed.

This is extremely helpful especially when it comes to outsourcing a team of developers.

4. Project Manager works on improved communication.

Without a Project Manager, the chances of miscommunication during the development are rather high.

We are all people, we think and perceive things differently. Therefore, it is extremely helpful to have one person in charge of building the bridges between a client’s message and the way the team understands it.

Just think about it: if a business owner expresses his great business idea to a team of five talented IT minds, chances are they will all see and hear him differently. As a result, each one of them will do his best to implement the concept and deliver a high-quality business solution only to find out in the end that what the client wanted was far different from what they delivered.

On the contrary, teams that have a Project Manager in charge are likely to develop exactly what a business owner wants. A PM has a wide range of tools to use for improved communication and ensuring that what he heard, understood and passed on to a team is the same thing a client meant.

He leaves no room for miscommunication, and that is a leap toward successful development.

5. Project Managers are responsible for timely product release.

Having the product released on time is what every PM strives for. Whatever you agreed on at the beginning and however much time you dedicated to the development, he will stick to that for the initial release.

Besides, if along the way you as a client decide that something is missing from your business solution, you can discuss it with a PM without having to disturb the whole team and add it on top of the discussed features.

6. PMs ensure that no team members waste their time.

The goal of a PM is to make sure that the client is only paying for the time a team spends on development. No idle waiting expenses.

Therefore, he organizes the process in such a way that the whole team is spending time wisely and perform their duties instead of waiting for new tasks to be assigned.

7. PMs strive to reduce business risks.

There are tons of risks and pitfalls appear during the development process, and a Project Manager can prevent many of them.

For starters, a good PM will take care of proper time estimation. As a result, he will reduce the risk of unexpected expenses that come up in the end.

Besides, a qualified PM knows what methodology fits best for each individual project. The problem is that when a wrong methodology is chosen, the risks of additional costs and time spent growing.

Read also: Crysberry’s Lean Software development: 12 management principles

Among other risks you can eliminate by hiring an outsource Project Manager for your project, are the risks associated with poor communication. As already mentioned above, communication is the king when it comes to the teamwork. And in order for the team to meet the set goals and meet the client’s expectations, communication must be nothing short from perfect. And with a PM, consider it all done!

By no means, this article is diminishing the skills and expertise of the business owner. In fact, we believe that as a person with a great business idea in mind and impressive entrepreneurial skills under your belt you know your product as good as no one else does.

Moreover, you know the niche, the market, and understand what the processes should look like. And that is why, hiring a highly-qualified PM can be an excellent way to free your hands and let you focus on establishing proper business processes, while this professional will do his best organizing the team and supervising it.

Trust a highly-qualified PM with your product supervision. And to know that this person is a real pro, make sure that he or she has the following qualities.

Six characteristics of a good Project Manager

You will recognize a great PM by these qualities:

1. Good scheduling skills. 
   Being able to organize a schedule for a whole team is crucial. As time management is at the core of Project Management. So, it goes without saying that a good PM has truly mastered this art.
2. Cost management. 
   A highly-qualified professional can create financial reports to help the client see the real numbers behind the project. He can organize the schedule of the team to minimize the expenses and ensure that every team member works.
3. Excellent communication skills.
   No good PM can live without proper communication skills. It is his direct duty to make sure that both sides understand each other clearly. Communication must be carried out with the help of emails, social media, personal meetings, conferences, and newsletters.
4. Perfect task management. 
   Organizing a proper schedule is not everything a good PM needs. It goes hand in hand with good task management.
5. Strong leadership.
   A PM has to lead a whole team. So, he must be a good natural leader able to take the lead and guide a group of people toward a common goal.
6. Good decision-making skills. 
   An ability to make proper decisions right away is critical. Plans do not always go smoothly and being flexible while leading the whole team in is crucial.

These are but a few core values and characteristics of a good Project Manager. As you see, you cannot afford not hiring a professional of this kind for your project. Without him managing all the tasks, your project might not end up being as successful as it could be.

l.sidorenko