IT project management will likely become a common aspect of your computer consulting business.  In order to be effective at IT project management there are some things you need to know about the role and the responsibilities.

As your client’s virtual CIO, responsible for IT project management, you have the ultimate responsibility for delivering the completed project on-time and on-budget. But there are always things that can go wrong, which of course is part of the reason that you get paid the “big bucks”. This is also why excellent IT project management skills are critical to your business success.

IT Project Management Facts

  • Projects live and die based on the execution of simple administrative details. You can’t get so involved in the actual IT work that you forget about the more mundane aspects of IT project management.
  • Smooth upgrades don’t just happen by accident. Major system changes require several weeks, in some cases even months, of advanced planning and meticulous attention to dozens of interrelated details.
  • Sweet spot clients will look to their computer consultant to step up to the plate for their IT project management needs.  
  • No matter how many times you meet with your small business clients before a major installation or upgrade, a few “oh, by the ways” are bound to come up during the project. Efficient, assertive IT project management skills will help you respond to these unplanned changes as mere speed-bumps, while still delivering on-time and on, or under-budget.
  • Regardless of whether you’re managing an upgrade to a new version of Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office, a contact management program, an accounting application or even a new fleet of notebook computers, system upgrades rarely go as smooth as you’d like.
  • Seasoned small business computer consultants, in the role of virtual CIO and responsible for IT project management, learn to spot and address potential problems before they evolve into major catastrophes.

Bottom Line on IT Project Management
As a computer consultant you need to have superb skills in IT project management.  This type of work will become very common for you as you add more and more long-term, sweet-spot clients.  Be aware of, and learn about, the issues related to IT project management and deliver stellar service all the time.  

In this article, you’ve been introduced to IT Project Management. To learn more about how you can improve your knowledge about IT Project Management, just click here now to get access to a free one-hour audio training program on 5 Easy Ways to Grow Your Computer Consulting Business.