Overseeing an interior design project can be a taxing affair, especially since the work of an interior design project manager involves so much more than just deciding where a couch goes.
As outlined in the paper entitled “The Role and Significance of an Interior Design Project Manager in Commercial Construction,” interior design project managers often perform many tasks such as holding planning meetings where they manage design reviews. They also conduct market research and oversee construction efforts and architectural design.
Those are a lot of things to keep track of, and it is not surprising that some managers turn to project management software to help them stay on top of things. They also are not the only ones turning to this kind of software, if the numbers are to be believed. According to a report from Mordor Intelligence, a 10.17 percent compound annual growth rate is expected from the project management software market from this year (2020) to 2025.
Five Tips To Make It Simple
These types of software have become so prevalent that businesses can even find specialized ones that address the needs of the industry that they’re in. Interior design project management software is available to those who need it so that they can make sense of and stay on top of their projects. But while these software can make things easier, there are also ways to simplify projects even further. Businesses looking to further simplify their experience with project management software can follow the five tips outlined below.
1. Have the big picture in mind
It’s unhelpful to micromanage projects to a degree that colleagues feel badgered and project managers themselves feel stressed. The project management software is built to make the experience easier for you and not to stress you out. Rather than using it for micromanagement, it would be best to use it to see the project as a whole, delegate tasks that can be delegated, and then use the software to keep track of progress.
2. Come up with a template
There are some things that make projects unique from each other, but for the most part there will be a lot of similarities between them. It would save a lot of time if one already has a template in place that can then be used for other projects in the future. For instance, if the [critical path](/blog/critical-path-method-in-project-management-easy-as-ABC) method has proven effective, having it set as a template can make it easier to start on new projects rather than having to do it from scratch.
3. Automate what needs to be automated
As mentioned in the second tip, similarities exist between one project and another, and there may be tasks and processes that are now rote and expected. Most project management software will already have features that automate processes and tasks like these, so there is no need to always start the project with an empty slate. Take full advantage of these features as they are there to help out.
4. Focus on the most immediate needs
When handling a big project, there’s bound to be a lot of deliverables and tasks that need to be followed up and kept track of. An on-site project management software or a project management software online will have features that let you arrange these tasks from most to least important. Utilizing that not only simplifies the process overall, it also prevents managers from stressing out over things that they can realistically do another day anyway.
5. Keep everyone updated
With project management software, project managers have a bird’s eye view, allowing them to see how each and every aspect of the project is progressing. This is an advantage other members of the project do not have. Managers should be proactive and update tasks so that everyone is aware of how quickly or slowly it is progressing. This allows everyone to adjust their deadlines and ensures that the project moves according to schedule.
Making project management easy
With creative project management and the proper project management software, project managers can ensure that everything moves along smoothly and on schedule. There is a lot of software to choose from, but for those specifically in interior design, Binary Management is a good choice.
Binary Management is focused on interior design and helps get rid of the obstacles that prevent designer effectiveness, such as unclear requests, team disconnectedness, and a lack of automation and transparency. It provides tools and features for planning, costing, tracking, and reporting.
For instance, Binary Management can act as a business management software for designers, thanks to a costing tool that can come up with not just a project program but a full payment schedule as well. The invoice payments are even highlighted. This is on top of other features like embedded design templates, a tracking tool, and a key performance dashboard, just to name a few.
Binary Management ensures that interior design project managers have a tool that can help them effectively and efficiently manage any project that comes their way.