What do you do if your customer experience project is falling behind schedule?

1 Assess the situation

The first step is to assess the current status of your CX project and identify the root causes of the delays. Is it a lack of resources, communication, alignment, or clarity? Are there any external factors, such as changes in customer expectations, market conditions, or regulations, that affect your project scope or goals? Are there any internal factors, such as competing priorities, conflicting opinions, or technical issues, that hinder your project progress or quality? By diagnosing the problem, you can determine the best course of action to address it.

2 Communicate with stakeholders

The next step is to communicate with your key stakeholders, such as your project sponsor, team members, customers, and vendors, and inform them of the situation and your proposed solutions. Be transparent and honest about the reasons for the delays, the impact on the project outcomes, and the risks and trade-offs involved. Seek their feedback and input on how to resolve the issues and adjust the project plan accordingly. Also, keep them updated on the project status and milestones regularly and proactively. By communicating effectively, you can build trust and collaboration among your stakeholders and avoid misunderstandings and conflicts.

3 Prioritize and simplify

The third step is to prioritize and simplify your CX project tasks and deliverables based on their value and urgency. You may need to review and revise your project scope, objectives, and requirements to focus on the most critical and essential elements of your CX project. You may also need to eliminate or postpone any non-essential or low-value activities or features that add complexity or cost to your project. By prioritizing and simplifying, you can optimize your time and resources and deliver a minimum viable product (MVP) that meets your customer needs and expectations.

4 Delegate and automate

The fourth step is to delegate and automate your CX project tasks and processes as much as possible to increase your efficiency and productivity. You may need to assign or outsource some of your project tasks to other qualified and capable team members or partners who can help you complete them faster or better. You may also need to leverage some tools or technologies that can automate or streamline some of your project processes, such as data collection, analysis, reporting, or testing. By delegating and automating, you can free up some of your time and energy and focus on the most important and strategic aspects of your CX project.

5 Learn and improve

The final step is to learn and improve from your CX project experience and apply the lessons learned to your future projects. You may need to conduct a post-project evaluation or review to identify what went well and what went wrong with your project, and what you can do differently or better next time. You may also need to solicit feedback from your customers, stakeholders, and team members on how to enhance your CX project outcomes and processes. By learning and improving, you can continuously improve your CX project skills and performance and avoid repeating the same mistakes or challenges.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?