The Benefits of Outsourcing Project Management Support

It’s time. Your company has decided it wants to integrate a system to manage the tracking of a new product. You’ve identified the project, expected outcome and key players, so what’s next? Will you take on this task internally or outsource the project with project management experts?

While it may be tempting to keep project management in-house, it's important to consider the benefits of outsourcing project management to ensure you make the best decision for your business.

Subject matter expertise doesn’t supplement project management knowledge

Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) are knowledgeable in their realm of work, but that does not substitute project management expertise. Designated SMEs conducting a project need an expert to ensure decisions are made in the interest of the project goal rather than one's own department.

What if you’re an SME with project management knowledge?

Even if you have project management experience, you still risk subconsciously making decisions in favor of your department.

Make vs. Buy dilemma

If your company isn’t frequently implementing projects, it may be more expensive to keep project managers on your payroll rather than outsourcing when project management services are needed.

For example, if internal project managers are only busy six months out of the year on a $90k salary, that could be more costly than paying service fees to an external company for those six months.?

Subject Matter Experts should focus on their expertise

SMEs often have double the work when pulled onto a project. Considering that they must maintain their normal operational work, it is convenient to have a project manager organize and help direct SMEs so that they aren’t overworked and can continue their daily tasks once project tasks are completed.?

The Pareto Principle can be leveraged

The Pareto Principle states that 80% of work is completed with 20% of the effort, and the last 20% of work takes more effort to finish.

With external project management support, 80% of project work can be achieved without using internal resources.

External support ensures easier tasks are completed and the project is progressing without excessive effort from the internal teams. The internal teams are contacted once the last 20%, or most difficult tasks, need to be completed.

Experience drives efficiency

Project management experts are familiar with executing projects the same way IT technicians are familiar with fixing network issues.

Just as it may take a technician 10 minutes to fix your computer due to their experience and training, it takes project management experts less time to organize your project, streamline processes and manage costs.

Whenever you are trying to decide if outsourcing project management is the right decision for your company, take these benefits into consideration. It just might lead to the perfect outcome.?