Introduction
There are various types of software consulting services today to serve the needs of the rapidly growing software industry. One of these services is IT project management consulting where businesses are provided with expert project management advice.
Such services review the existing project management processes and capabilities, identify any weaknesses, provide recommendations for better processes, and support their implementation.
This article discusses what exactly is IT project management along with insights on the various ways to manage software projects including IT project management consulting.
What Is IT Project Management?
Research shows that organizations that undervalue the use of project management for driving change tend to have 67% higher chances of their projects failing. This is why IT project management has grown into an important part of any software team today.
It refers to the process of planning, organizing, and overseeing projects for software development to ensure that all the complex tasks within the project get completed successfully. Many software projects work based on the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
IT project management helps to make sure that the key objectives of SDLC are achieved such as accelerating the production of programs and streamlining the work of development teams.
To elaborate, the SDLC has seven stages that include Planning, Requirement Gathering and Analysis, Design, Implementation, Testing, Deployment, and Maintenance.
By adopting the use of the right IT project management practices and using the best project management software, IT project management can increase the odds of a project’s success while also executing much faster. That’s why we will dive deeper and discuss more about IT project management consulting.

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IT Project Management Methodologies
Some of the popular IT project management methodologies include:
Agile
Agile is a project management principle that is focused on being adaptable because of uncertainty in projects. As a result, Agile project management strategies focus on having flexibility and iteration by working on shorter cycles to get a quality product faster.
As per the 14th Annual State of Agile Report, 95% of organizations report using Agile development methods.
Waterfall
Waterfall is a more traditional methodology in which projects run sequentially. There are fixed stages for the project such as requirements gathering, analysis, design, coding, testing, and deployment.
In this methodology, we can move to the next stage only once the previous stage is completed.
For instance, large projects with detailed projects might benefit from using this approach as it helps the work to stay on track and helps in maintaining clear communication. This shows effective stakeholder communication is essential for aligning goals, expectations, and timelines.
Scrum
Scrum is a popular framework that is used by software development teams and is based on agile principles. In this approach, the teams work on short cycles such as a two-week sprint where there are features that need to be delivered.
To keep the members accountable, there are also daily standups along with a dedicated scrum master who facilitates the various processes.
Kanban
Kanban is based on the idea that visualizing the progress the team has made through various stages leads to high efficiency.
For instance, a software company may benefit from Kanban by organizing tasks into various stages such as To Do, In Progress, Testing, and Done.
This helps to clarify the entire workflow and team members can see where each task’s situation is along with who is responsible for each task.
Lean
Lean is a concept that has gained popularity after its use in Toyota’s production system. The key idea behind lean is to minimize wasteful activities that overburden the team and resources.
Therefore, lean has clear guidelines for removing practices that don’t provide value. This system can have a great impact on teams who are struggling with efficiency issues.
Software for Project Management
Research shows that among the highest-performing projects, 87% use project management software. Using technology roadmaps for projects provides a clear guide for IT projects, aligning technical developments with strategic goals. Some popular project management software include:
Jira
Jira is a tool designed for software development teams who use Agile methodology such as Scrum. It is great for the process of planning and tracking software projects. It also provides a visual representation of the team’s workflow.
Asana
Asana provides a full work management solution that is tailored for enterprise companies. Beyond only tasks, Asana is focused on connecting all the goals with the business strategy.
Furthermore, the tool can integrate with other tools to help keep the work organized in one platform.
ClickUp
ClickUp is a productivity platform that helps teams to collaborate and draft plans. It is designed to easily share updates with other team members and can help automate business processes without code too.
Monday.com
Monday is a great tool for small businesses to help improve and manage the operational efficiency within teams.
The platform has been designed with features that primarily work on three functions including tracking projects, reporting data, and facilitating team communication.
Trello.com
Trello is a Kanban-board-style project management software. It is a visual tool that helps to manage or track any project.
Users can create lists, and cards to get a clear view of who’s doing what. Additionally, users can add attachments and files to the different tasks as well as create various automations.

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How to Manage Your Software Projects?
Effective IT project planning ensures smooth execution by laying out clear timelines, responsibilities, and milestones. Based on the needs of an organization and its current situation, there are different ways to manage software projects. Some of the most important ways include:
Hire a Project Manager or Product Owner
For companies that are interested in keeping the IT project management process in-house, hiring a project manager or product owner is an excellent option.
Consultant roles in IT projects are vital as project Managers help to oversee the project by assigning tasks and ensuring that the project gets completed within the time and resources allotted for it.
Their key tasks include setting project goals, assembling the team, guiding them, and resolving any challenges that block their progress.
On the other hand, product owners can be viewed as advocates for the customer. Their main job is to make sure that the customer’s pain points and needs are clearly defined and communicated to the development team.
They help to prioritize the product backlog, create user stories, and ensure all the requirements are clear. Overall, they lead the product vision and decide what is essential to serve the customer.
Depending on the situation of the organization, they might consider hiring either a product manager, product owner, or both.
Outsource Project Management
Outsourcing has today become a commonly used strategy that helps companies to scale their teams rapidly while maintaining lower costs and more efficiency.
By choosing the right outsourcing partner, an organization can quickly gain access to an expert team who have the necessary skills and capabilities to manage an organization’s software project.
Since project management requires specialized expertise, outsourcing can be beneficial since developing this expertise in-house can take a lot of time.
In comparison, having a team that has already demonstrated their knowledge of various best practices and tools will help to drive the success of software projects much faster.
Before choosing an outsourcing partner, organizations should identify their specific needs and research potential vendors that will help deliver on their requirements.
With there being cut-throat competition today, especially small and medium-sized businesses can gain the value of IT project management while being more cost-effective than having a full-time employee for the same duties.
Consult Your Project Management with Future Code
The benefits of IT consulting are that it can significantly boost project efficiency by offering expert guidance, strategic insights, and optimized solutions. IT project management consulting can help provide expert guidance and experience on how to move an organization’s software projects to success.
Research by McKinsey and the University of Oxford on large-scale projects shows that lack of project management can be costly. On average, such projects ran 45% over budget, 7% over time, and delivered 56% less value than predicted.
Working with a software project management consulting service can help avoid such a problem and ensure better project planning that leads to cost optimization. On top of that, implementing robust project risk management techniques allows teams to proactively address challenges and minimize disruptions.
For instance, such a service can help to identify the potential risk areas where overspending might occur and provide recommendations before the project starts which will help save costs. As a result, organizations can identify many areas of potential resource waste and avoid it.
Furthermore, project management consulting companies help to provide an objective perspective by assessing the situation of the project and providing solutions to any roadblocks.
Working with Future Code, we jointly analyze and research the processes in your company before we present a recommendation to ensure you that the solutions will help to provide maximum value for your software projects.
By partnering with us, we can help you increase team effectiveness, streamline processes, improve quality, and help to create scalable systems.

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...Common Pitfalls in IT Project Management
IT project management can be a challenging task. And even with the right strategy in place, common mistakes can derail progress. Here are some of the most frequent pitfalls:
Poorly Defined Goals
Without clear and specific goals, a project is bound to lose direction. It is easy for teams to get sidetracked when they don’t have a solid understanding of what they are working toward. To avoid this, start with a well-structured project brief and ensure everyone understands the key deliverables.
Inadequate Resourcing and Planning
Insufficient funding, staff, or tools will hinder progress and may cause delays or even failure. Moreover, poor planning often results in mismanaged timelines, budget overruns, and overlooked tasks. That’s why successful projects require a detailed plan that includes everything from staffing needs to timeline expectations. You can also consider offshore software development for that.
Lack of Communication and Collaboration
Communication breakdowns are one of the easiest ways to stall a project. Teams must work together and keep everyone in the loop about their progress, challenges, and changes. A lack of communication leads to misunderstandings and missed opportunities. Make use of collaborative tools and hold regular meetings to keep all team members informed and engaged. Promoting a culture of openness is key to minimizing the risks of miscommunication.
Ignoring Risks and Uncertainties
Risks are part of every project, and ignoring them only increases the chances of failure. Whether it is a technological hurdle, a market change, or unforeseen issues, risks can throw off your entire timeline. Failing to anticipate potential issues often results in reactive, rather than proactive, problem-solving. So, having a risk management plan in place allows the team to identify potential challenges early and develop mitigation strategies.
Unrealistic Deadlines
Setting deadlines that are too ambitious can pressure teams to work under stress, leading to mistakes and lower-quality output. That’s why it is important to consider the scope of the project and the capacity of your team before setting deadlines. On the other hand, unrealistic timelines often result in missed deadlines, burnout, and a project that doesn’t meet its original goals. Always set achievable goals with buffer time to ensure quality work and avoid unnecessary pressure.
Inadequate Stakeholder Engagement
When stakeholders are not actively involved, it can lead to a lack of buy-in and misunderstanding of project goals. Regular updates, feedback loops, and involving stakeholders in key decisions help keep the project on track. By fostering a collaborative relationship with stakeholders, you can ensure their support and align the project with their expectations.
Not Having a Plan B
Sometimes, things don’t go as expected. Whether it is technical failures, resource shortages, or shifts in market conditions, having a backup plan is essential. Not having a Plan B leaves you scrambling when issues arise. So, always have an alternative strategy in place for critical project components. This will allow you to adapt and continue working toward the project goals, even when facing unexpected obstacles.
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FAQs
What do you mean by IT project management?
IT project management is the process of planning, organizing, and managing the development of software projects. It uses different project management principles to make sure that projects are completed with the right allocation of resources within the intended time. Because proper resource allocation in IT consulting ensures that the right talent and tools are applied at the right time for optimal project outcomes.
What is an example of IT project management?
Let’s take an example of the development of a new mobile application that uses AI to provide insights into users’ physical health. In such a case, the IT project manager would work across various steps such as planning and defining the project goals, creating a timeline, and setting a budget.
They would then work to assemble a team including developers, designers, and testers who have the necessary capabilities to complete the project.
Once the team starts the work, the IT project manager would monitor progress regularly while also solving any issues that arise. This entire process leads to delivering the mobile app within time and on budget.
What is an IT project manager?
An IT project manager is a professional who looks after the planning, execution, and monitoring of software projects to ensure they meet deadlines and are completed within the budget.
They also manage the team members involved in the project and make sure that all the performance metrics are met.
What does an IT project manager do?
There are various responsibilities of an IT project manager including:
- Setting project goals and milestones with deadlines
- Creating detailed budgets for each project
- Managing team members and resolving conflicts
- Assigning tasks to different team members
- Presenting project plans to executive leaders
- Tracking the progress of team members based on key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Identify project risks and mitigate them
Why is Project Management important?
Project Management is important to meeting the objectives of the project with efficient resource allocation through structured and tested frameworks.
Around 70% of all projects fail to deliver what was promised to customers. However, by implementing project management processes, this failure rate can be reduced to 20% and below.
Therefore, to maximize project success, project management is important.
How to manage IT project risks?
The first step to managing IT project risks is to identify all the potential risks based on analysis. Once these risks are identified, it is essential to categorize the impact of each risk and what likelihood they have of occurring.
The experts then need to create a mitigation plan that addresses these risks along with responsible people to solve them along with deadlines. Finally, it is important to monitor the progress made in minimizing their impact.
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