When managing an inspection, people from different organizations and different departments are involved and need to work together. If you work with large teams, it’s easy to get lost in the process of the unknown. There can also be confusion because of different procedures for sharing files or information, not knowing exactly who is in charge of a task or what is its status.
Before introducing five tips you can adopt to have a flawless inspection process, review the following question:
Have you ever worked in a group and heard any of the following phrases?
– Is that document in its latest revision?
– Who is carrying out this activity?
– I didn’t know that the task was incomplete/already completed.
If any of these statements sound familiar, remember these five important suggestions on how to improve team productivity
- It is fundamental to define roles and responsibilities. Take care to choose the right people for your project. Roles and responsibilities should then be clearly defined. Make sure everyone on the project team (including all parties not in your organization) knows what their roles are, what they are expected to do and when.
- As far as applicable, automate processes. Very often inspection processes are repeatable. Therefore, automating the processes prevents the management of the task from spending more time on it than is required. A simple task such as requesting a client confirmation or a team member to complete a form, can take much longer than expected. This in turn causes delays or the endless chasing of a client.
- It is important to connect people with each other so they can communicate easily. Technology, an important part of today’s workplace, can help to connect staff all around the world, in or outside your organization.
- It is important to make information accessible to all. Instead of sharing files with selected work colleagues, you should have a central online database where these documents can be uploaded. This will make sure employees can share or collaborate on updated files. Upload these documents to a searchable database to minimize the time staff spend searching for what they need.
- Have a shared work plan that engages every team member and that monitors activities and workloads. An inspection plan states who is involved in a project, what activities need to be carried out, who is responsible for completing each task and the dates they are due. No worthless project plans merely sitting on the desk but a live inspection plans always updated. It enables everyone to be clear on what is happening, thus preventing any chaos from occurring.
From a project manager’s point of view, keep everyone on the same page and be assured that every inspection or task is accounted for is key to executing a successful project with minimal stress.
