How can you handle unrealistic project deadlines in E-Commerce?

With the exponential growth of E-commerce and its diversification into various sectors there have been instances where certain projects have been pushed with odd deadlines and the best way to lead such projects in my opinion are below; 1. Understand the project requirement, 2. Identify dependencies, 3. Connect with stakeholders, 4. Evaluate team readiness and skills requirements to deliver the expectation.

While open communication with stakeholders is essential, it's not always necessary to involve them in every minor decision. Over-communication can sometimes lead to confusion and slow down processes. It's crucial to strike a balance between keeping stakeholders informed and maintaining operational efficiency.

One thing I've found helpful in handling unrealistic project deadlines in E-Commerce is meticulous planning and prioritization. Break down tasks, identify critical components, and allocate resources wisely. For instance, adopting Agile methodologies like Scrum allows for iterative development, ensuring crucial features meet deadlines, promoting adaptability, and maintaining a high-quality end product.

Google uses the OKR method to plan and prioritize - this is what they do: 1. Setting Clear Objectives: specific, ambitious, yet achievable objectives that provide clear direction for the team. 2. Measurable Key Results: Each objective is paired with key results, which are quantifiable and measurable, ensuring progress can be tracked and evaluated. 3. Alignment: OKRs are used to align individual, team, and organizational goals, ensuring everyone is working towards the same objectives. 4. Regular Check-Ins: Google conducts regular OKR review sessions to assess progress and make adjustments as necessary. 5. Transparency: OKRs are openly shared within the company, enabling teams to understand how their work contributes to the bigger picture.

You simply dont! , Unrealistic deadlines are a common pain in e-commerce. While you can't avoid them all, you can manage them! ??Educate: Explain the complexity of the projects and what are the pain points to reach the unrealistic goals ??Build a buffer: When creating estimates, factor in potential delays and unexpected challenges. ??Set Boundaries: Learn to say "no", negotiate for resources, and protect your team from burnout. ??Document: Keep records of everything to avoid misunderstandings and improve future estimates. Remember, trust and communication are key to navigating most of the challenge.

In e-commerce anything that looks impossibile can be delivered. In my experience the most important thing is to design a compelling use case that create a unique value for the end customers, then build a solution around a unique ad targeting mechanism and chose your media channel to deliver results. For example with my early stage startup we built a new digital sales channel for travel retailers that allow them to target flight traveler during the inbound leg of their journey to sell them online the retail products of the airport stores they are heading to. We use the digital out of home channel in a novel way that expand travel retail e-commerce, as Google and Meta are not feasible for this.