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A project is on hold: what to do?

23.05.2018
A project is on hold: what to do?
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In order to be successful on the market, every modern business should have a website presenting its priorities, brand credibility and product/service quality. It is not a challenge now for high-skilled web developers to create amazing sites according to the specific clients’ requirements. However, behind the web development process lies a lot of work from a whole team that needs to be well-organized and professional as well. Sometimes unexpected changes occur during the middle of the project. If they are great impediments to project completion and bringing about ultimate goals, it is necessary to put your project on hold. We’ll look at the most common reasons that web projects risk failing, how to avoid a crash and restart a workflow.

Reasons why a project is put on hold

On occasion, even the experienced project managers who are always serious about their job and who have perfect project plans struggle with project failure. The reasons for a project going on hold may be quite different, since every case is unique and every site needs different solutions. We compiled the most common reasons to help you understand what may be the root of the problem. Here are just a few reasons why a project can get put on pause.

  • priorities go unmanaged
  • stakeholders change their objectives
  • major new features
  • internal reorganization
  • lack of resources
  • setting unrealistic deadlines

What to do to set your project in motion

Going on hold can be challenging and frustrating for both sides. When this happens, it's time to work together and create a new, updated plan. The good thing is that with new information and advice from colleagues comes new strength and new opportunities to refine and improve your teamwork.

As we’ve already mentioned, every site has its own unique features and needs specific solutions, so there is no “magic button,” no one sure-fire fix to all web projects that go on hold.

But don’t get discouraged. Although no one may like having to take a break during the busiest time in a website’s development, it gives the whole team a chance to step back and revisit your initial objectives. This matters because the original vision of the project allows you to reevaluate how your benchmarks have now changed, what mistakes were made and where you should be now.

Now more than ever, clear communication is crucial. If a project is put on hold, there are some barriers to progress, and you should work through them and spend extra effort restarting the project. Before trying to do anything else, take the time to learn as much as you can. Be concise and clear: discuss in depth with your team why their project is on hold. Learn about the team’s opinions of the project and of each other. This process is absolutely crucial to help your team not to lose trust and stay on track. Total information awareness is the best way to mitigate bad feelings.

The decision-making process may take a couple of hours, a full day, or, sometimes, a week. All this time is given to create an updated plan in response to changes, including new deadlines. If needed, conduct another meeting with the most important stakeholders (like the sponsors), a project manager, senior team members, and maybe a technical expert to provide insight into the plan’s feasibility.

Remember that full credibility is key here. Any hesitation or procrastination will have a negative impact on team commitment and their morale. Keep your team positive to bring the work to successful completion. Certainly it is better to avoid similar unexpected things. At InternetDevels website development services company, we constantly work on providing the best web projects on time and within budget, with no extra expenses. The experienced PMs thoroughly estimate each project and always do their best to see positive results of a completed work.

If you’re looking for a sophisticated and responsible web development team, you have already found it. Contact us to start work on your future project today!

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