4 Ways To Manage Multiple Projects

#1: Use dashboards

Portfolios are made up of lots of different projects and programs, and a portfolio manager needs to
see a view of what's happening on them all. Instead of going into each individual project to get the
latest status, use dashboards to consolidate reports and key metrics from each project. Then you can
see progress and areas of concern on one page. Of course, you can drill down into the detail easily if
you need more data about a particular problem.

#2: Give your teams online access

Portfolio managers are often responsible for a number of project teams. Make it easy for your project
managers and team members to do their work by ensuring they have instant access to the right files
online. It will help everyone get their tasks completed effectively and you'll be sure that you're getting
real-time reporting at portfolio level. It's easy to set up online access for staff and contractors, and if
everyone is using the same software you can roll up data to see a portfolio-wide picture of what's
happening at every stage.

#3: Use resource reports

Creating bespoke resource reports will help you balance the needs of the people working on the
portfolio. There are a number of reports in ProjectManager.com specifically designed for resource
reporting that will assist in tracking and managing project resources. This is the best way to check
that you aren't overloading one project team member, or leaving someone else with nothing much to
do. You can also see who is available to switch from one project to another-a great advantage when
project priorities in the portfolio change.

#4: Get collaborating

It might seem like many of the projects in your portfolio don't overlap, but when you look closer there
are lots of ways in which they interact with each other. As a result, it's really important for each
project team to be able to effectively communicate with the others. You can facilitate this by making
sure that they all have access to good collaboration tools.

Use project management software to help your teams work together to manage project dependencies
and conflicts. You may have to step in to help them resolve problems, but it's also great for them to
have the tools required to sort out some of the smaller issues themselves. Instant messaging, file
sharing and online discussions are examples of how you can get diverse project teams working
together.

#5: Check your tools integrate

As a portfolio manager you will deal with lots of people: stakeholders who have different priorities and
also different communication styles. And they could want information in different formats. Make sure
that the tools you use integrate with each other. For example, check that you can import task lists
created in Microsoft Word, or import spreadsheets from Microsoft Excel to feed data into your
consolidated dashboards. This will save you a lot of time and ensure that your admin overhead is kept
to a minimum.