{"componentChunkName":"component---src-templates-blog-post-js","path":"/why-should-you-use-a-project-tracker/","result":{"data":{"site":{"siteMetadata":{"title":"Catwomaniya"}},"mdx":{"id":"14281c83-2c1a-5038-8554-547fce3f5c83","excerpt":"Statistics show that no matter how hard you try, your project is probably going to fail. To be a little more specific, only  2.5% of companies  complete their…","body":"function _extends() { _extends = Object.assign || function (target) { for (var i = 1; i < arguments.length; i++) { var source = arguments[i]; for (var key in source) { if (Object.prototype.hasOwnProperty.call(source, key)) { target[key] = source[key]; } } } return target; }; return _extends.apply(this, arguments); }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutProperties(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded); var key, i; if (Object.getOwnPropertySymbols) { var sourceSymbolKeys = Object.getOwnPropertySymbols(source); for (i = 0; i < sourceSymbolKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceSymbolKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; if (!Object.prototype.propertyIsEnumerable.call(source, key)) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } } return target; }\n\nfunction _objectWithoutPropertiesLoose(source, excluded) { if (source == null) return {}; var target = {}; var sourceKeys = Object.keys(source); var key, i; for (i = 0; i < sourceKeys.length; i++) { key = sourceKeys[i]; if (excluded.indexOf(key) >= 0) continue; target[key] = source[key]; } return target; }\n\n/* @jsx mdx */\nvar _frontmatter = {\n  \"title\": \"Why should you use a project tracker\",\n  \"date\": \"2021-04-04\",\n  \"description\": \"\"\n};\nvar layoutProps = {\n  _frontmatter: _frontmatter\n};\nvar MDXLayout = \"wrapper\";\nreturn function MDXContent(_ref) {\n  var components = _ref.components,\n      props = _objectWithoutProperties(_ref, [\"components\"]);\n\n  return mdx(MDXLayout, _extends({}, layoutProps, props, {\n    components: components,\n    mdxType: \"MDXLayout\"\n  }), mdx(\"p\", null, mdx(\"span\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-wrapper\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"display\": \"block\",\n      \"marginLeft\": \"auto\",\n      \"marginRight\": \"auto\",\n      \"maxWidth\": \"512px\"\n    }\n  }), \"\\n      \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"span\"\n  }, {\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-link\",\n    \"href\": \"/static/092a84c402bcb8b57190d3f75e3276b2/01e7c/s79.png\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"display\": \"block\"\n    },\n    \"target\": \"_blank\",\n    \"rel\": \"noopener\"\n  }), \"\\n    \", mdx(\"span\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"a\"\n  }, {\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-background-image\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"paddingBottom\": \"50%\",\n      \"position\": \"relative\",\n      \"bottom\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\",\n      \"backgroundImage\": \"url('data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAABQAAAAKCAYAAAC0VX7mAAAACXBIWXMAAAsTAAALEwEAmpwYAAACZklEQVR42k1SW08TYRDlF/lHTHz0gQQCLVJuRsutFFEugcSIGlQSSYwaEUy4BUSFQnfZbvcCLUnZiMrNIAqFbrtLoYmJD+wcZ7c18nCyZ76dOd/MN6fML5jkF7OoYfhFEwEpi5tyDs2KhTbVQoduoVO3EWaEtOJZUMl5OXWSW/OvNgufaDplHJBP4CBqoj7GiXHLEwtpNu6s2uhOnKInUfy6cM/aWbyZhZtYNLCSRbVg/hdkQlVLGVz/kKbKyAk1rJho4048sTUbPck8Bo0CBhI2hdUc+jh2/7Uxv80X10k2GmXb69InsGBjLEc3eOwWKU3h2AkqFjJo59t7189wf+Mczw0bS9smxrfOKaTkqG8tw5fYuJss4Bbn9+pHmN/N4JFxjqooCzbxmJWLR2QcF2CfZhBcNPAgaWFQ+YFr41sYSx0gurmPZ8kMumQTU7qCyfgEDWt7eKJnMBKdw97mSzxMFVAleCObVBHNYii2TWPqJn1MqXix8RPl0/u40j+P8fg0TSYEalzYw4Sm4vvOLkZUg4bfj+JtfBlPZZECn3aoOvKL3zDHgjxuTcxC+ewuVc58o46FLXolzNJjWUfPzDu8Th1i7ss2JsRRmjY+Q07/QTePe0/6iiExQhURE1enDsi3nHYXU+yQHxOBmO1tuF48Rot8gjerIg1o+7yYUwys59GvHfKW8+jiuJOt1Krl0RAvoF4yUbtyecslH7qolUq2UW0E9d/oXD0r2YaRLHJX0LMNb9j1YoBr/Jd9yB1euMQFc4fN6rC/nGYl67CJnZBuOeESXN6qWU5QsRwW83L9pdoSLv4CXP1vanMAwicAAAAASUVORK5CYII=')\",\n      \"backgroundSize\": \"cover\",\n      \"display\": \"block\"\n    }\n  })), \"\\n  \", mdx(\"img\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"a\"\n  }, {\n    \"className\": \"gatsby-resp-image-image\",\n    \"alt\": \"Project management Infographic\",\n    \"title\": \"Project management Infographic\",\n    \"src\": \"/static/092a84c402bcb8b57190d3f75e3276b2/01e7c/s79.png\",\n    \"srcSet\": [\"/static/092a84c402bcb8b57190d3f75e3276b2/12f09/s79.png 148w\", \"/static/092a84c402bcb8b57190d3f75e3276b2/e4a3f/s79.png 295w\", \"/static/092a84c402bcb8b57190d3f75e3276b2/01e7c/s79.png 512w\"],\n    \"sizes\": \"(max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\",\n    \"style\": {\n      \"width\": \"100%\",\n      \"height\": \"100%\",\n      \"margin\": \"0\",\n      \"verticalAlign\": \"middle\",\n      \"position\": \"absolute\",\n      \"top\": \"0\",\n      \"left\": \"0\"\n    },\n    \"loading\": \"lazy\"\n  })), \"\\n  \"), \"\\n    \")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Statistics show that no matter how hard you try, your project is probably going to fail.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"To be a little more specific, only \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://medium.com/crowdbotics/hips-dont-lie-15-project-management-stats-you-can-t-ignore-6f655060ef30\"\n  }), \"2.5% of companies\"), \" complete their projects 100% successfully. Yet the cost of project failures is staggering. \"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"But, the good news is, failure, and how it affects you and your project\\u2019s overall success and profitability is controllable. If you can catch, or even predict, failures early enough, you can execute damage control measures and prevent them from completely derailing your project and its profitability. You can even use them to improve your project.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"How can you catch or predict failures early?\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"A project tracker is a snapshot of your entire project. It gives you and the project team a clear picture of how the project is performing, where the weak spots are, and which areas need the most attention.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Following is a list of reason for project failures\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"1: Lack of transparency\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Everyone involved in the project, from the stakeholders and executives right down to the project managers and team members need to know what\\u2019s going on in the project. If people can\\u2019t see what\\u2019s going on, or aren\\u2019t kept up-to-date with progress, they lose interest, lose faith, and lose control of the project.\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"2: Failure to spot warning signs\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Projects don\\u2019t fail without warning. Missed deadlines, scope changes, lack of engagement from the team, and rising costs are common red flags that are usually raised when something\\u2019s not right. If you can\\u2019t identify these red flags, you can\\u2019t do anything about them \\u2013 until it\\u2019s too late and the project has failed.\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"3: Inadequate resource allocation\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Improper resource allocation is the reason why 10% of projects fail. If you can\\u2019t see what your team is working on or how they\\u2019re performing against the project goals, you can\\u2019t possibly know how or where to allocate resources to ensure deadlines and expectations are met.\"), mdx(\"h3\", null, \"4: Lack of structure\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Your project is like a journey. The structure of your project is therefore like a map that provides direction and keeps you on the right track. You may encounter some unforeseen stops or diversions, but a good structure will get you to your end destination. Without it, you\\u2019ll get lost in project failure.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"A project management process like this will give you and your project a solid structure to work from. It\\u2019s your map. It will help you plan, set-up, and work through your essential project management tasks and ensure you don\\u2019t miss any vital steps during the execution of your project.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"A good project tracker gives you a top-level insight into every aspect of the project.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"It provides a level of transparency that allows you to analyze and measure performance, monitor time spent on tasks, spot potential problems, and track progress towards end-goals.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"With one quick glance, a project tracker will enable you to:\"), mdx(\"ul\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"Immediately establish the status of the tasks within your project; what\\u2019s behind, what\\u2019s on track, and what\\u2019s teetering on the edge of failure\")), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"Instantly spot budding issues and fix them\")), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"p\", {\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, \"Effortlessly update team members and stakeholders with deadlines and goals\"))), mdx(\"p\", null, \"It doesn\\u2019t matter whether your team is experienced or you\\u2019ve just finished onboarding them. Problems and issues have nowhere to hide with a project tracker.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Are project trackers really necessary?\"), mdx(\"ul\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, \"\\u201CSome may ask why tracking project progress is even necessary. After all, it can seem like an administrative overhead\\u201D *\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"This is very true.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"But also completely wrong.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"While I can\\u2019t deny that keeping track of projects can be seen as nothing more than an \\u2018administrative overhead\\u2019 by some, I\\u2019m a firm believer that a project tracker is an essential tool to have if you want your project to be a success.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Let\\u2019s look at it in another way. Check out the below, eyewatering, statistics:\"), mdx(\"ul\", null, mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://www.projectmanagementworks.co.uk/project-failure-statistics/\"\n  }), \"30% of projects\"), \" fail due to poor communication\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://www.proprofs.com/c/project/project-management-statistics-facts-trends/\"\n  }), \"One-third of projects\"), \" fail due to lack of senior management involvement in crucial project decisions\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://blog.capterra.com/10-need-to-know-project-management-statistics-for-2018/\"\n  }), \"59% of U.S. workers\"), \" say communication is their project team\\u2019s biggest obstacle to success\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://blog.capterra.com/10-need-to-know-project-management-statistics-for-2018/\"\n  }), \"29% of companies\"), \" say that accountability is the biggest contributor to failure\"), mdx(\"li\", {\n    parentName: \"ul\"\n  }, mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"li\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://www.workamajig.com/blog/project-management-statistics\"\n  }), \"33% of projects\"), \" fail because of a lack of involvement from senior management or stakeholders\")), mdx(\"p\", null, \"How do you think organizations could improve each one of these statistics?\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"You guessed it \\u2013 by using a project tracker.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"My experience with these trackers were mostly good, but also tedious. I\\u2019d manually fill out each project tracker and run-through it with the project team and stakeholders on a weekly basis (or whatver\\u2019s necessary)\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Everyone knew where the project was at. We could all see the status of each task. We were able to spot the issues before they became issues, and we knew which areas of the project were over-stretched and needed extra help.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"They were a great way to keep track of where the projects were in terms of goals and budget, and also to make sure everyone was clear on progress and performance.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"But my God, they were painfully long and laborious documents to fill out each week!\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"While there\\u2019s nothing wrong with creating a Word or Google Doc and manually updating it to track the progress of your projects, it can be an inefficient use of time and it can lead to inaccuracies.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"These days, there are so many intuitive pieces of software, platforms, and tools that you can use to easily and accurately track the progress of your projects.\"), mdx(\"h2\", null, \"Choose tools that integrate\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Integrations are connections between tools that automate the transfer of data.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"For example, you might want to integrate your emails with Trello so you can automatically create Trello cards (tasks) out of emails and cut down on copy/pasting. Another example could be automatically uploading certain Dropbox files to Asana, saving you time moving files around.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"If you find yourself doing a lot of data entry, or updating multiple apps with the same information, integrations are sure to solve that issue.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"Basecamp, ClickUp, Asana and Teamwork have a similar wide library of integrations, plus Zapier functionality.\"), mdx(\"p\", null, \"For a big list of PM tools that integrate, check Zapier\\u2019s guide out \", mdx(\"a\", _extends({\n    parentName: \"p\"\n  }, {\n    \"href\": \"https://zapier.com/learn/project-management/best-project-management-software\"\n  }), \"here\"), \".\"));\n}\n;\nMDXContent.isMDXComponent = true;","frontmatter":{"title":"Why should you use a project tracker","date":"Apr 04, 2021","description":""}}},"pageContext":{"slug":"/why-should-you-use-a-project-tracker/","previous":{"fields":{"slug":"/Beginner-Guide-to-Digital-Marketing/"},"frontmatter":{"title":"Beginner's guide to digital marketing"}},"next":{"fields":{"slug":"/How-to-read-efficiently/"},"frontmatter":{"title":"How to read more efficiently"}}}}}