By Aaron Pippin, PMP; Sr. Project Manager, Fios, Inc.
In a large, quick, or complex project many hands are involved. Quite often groups develop into silos and information to other groups working on a separate part of the e-discovery review is lost. Obviously it is important that the service provider communicate with the client. However it is equally important that the client communicates internally. It is estimated that 80% of a project is communication. A trained and seasoned project manager will know they need to develop a communication plan which details who is involved in the communication( Point of Contacts/decision makers), type of communication, and how often.
Make sure the POCs are included in all communications. By holding weekly if not daily (depending on the case), status conference calls with all the correct decision makers five important information elements are kept on the forefront of the project:
1. Work actually being performed
2. Timelines involved to complete the work
3. Priorities are set for multiple jobs (if needed)
4. Risk decision making is employed
5. Cutting cost of potential unnecessary work
Follow up the phone conversations with a summary email to the POCs. Also, if a request comes from someone other than a POC/decision maker, the service provider project manager needs to relay the request back to the decision maker so that their internal team knows what is being asked and can provide the correct direction to proceed. By communicating internally and with the service providers, a partner relationship can develop, and everyone is always on the same page and alternatives may be brought to light which may lead to a better business need solution.
Filed under Discerning e-Discovery, Home Page Featured, Uncategorized.