I want to clarify that this post isn’t about Customer Relationship Management (CRM) or anything related to the sales process. Instead, I’ll focus on managing client revisions in project management and how clients can impact the production process.
From my experience, the biggest drain on resources during a project is when requirements and revision rounds grow out of control. What started as a simple two-day task can stretch into a three-week feedback process. Every good project manager knows to expect and plan for this. Yet, I’ve found that managing client revisions is often overlooked in project management tools and methods.
In this post, I’ll explain why managing client revisions is a powerful tool in a project manager’s arsenal.
Enhance Productivity by Managing Client Revisions
Managing client revisions in project management can lighten your production team’s workload. This frees them to take on more projects without feeling overwhelmed. As a result, you can focus more on building strong customer relationships and ensuring tasks finish on time.
Clear communication is crucial. Ensure your client understands the project’s expectations and what happens if they stray from the plan. When the client fully grasps the project’s scope, you can adapt to changes and negotiate effectively. Learn more about effective client communication in project management.
Boost Profitability by Managing Client Revisions
Tracking and managing client revisions in project management allows you to identify which customers are profitable and which are not. Some clients might be better suited for your competition, and it’s your responsibility to handle them cost-effectively.
A bad client can cause significant damage to any agency or company. When clients don’t provide the correct information or don’t know what they want, you could end up financing an entire project with your own money. Adding a few extra sentences in an email about revision round status every time you send a client preview can make a big difference in the success and control of the project. This simple step optimises your costs and helps increase profitability by identifying where to allocate your most valuable resources.
Improve Team Efficiency and Motivation
Managing client revisions in project management keeps your team’s skills relevant and positively impacts their motivation. The more unexpected work that arises, the less relevant your production process becomes to your team. Low motivation leads to lower-quality output. Without delivering high-quality products, you won’t have strong case studies, and unsatisfied clients won’t bring in revenue.
When you spend more time gathering the right insights and feedback from the client, your team spends less time on mundane tasks and more on big-picture projects. A successful process for managing client revisions in project management ensures you deliver on your promises and strengthens your team-building and sales processes.
Adapting to Inevitable Changes
All projects are affected by multiple variables, and often, project managers need to adjust their schedule, budget, and scope. In my opinion, an increase in schedule constraints can easily lead to project delays and cost overruns. Uncertainty cannot be managed with rigid theory or strict planning. You need to adapt and be flexible. Managing client revisions in project management gives you that flexibility and prepares you to negotiate with evidence during tough conversations.
Despite what rigid methodologies might suggest or what structural models recommend, no standardized mechanism or evaluation process can fully determine the risk of client feedback becoming a significant issue. However, agile methods to manage expectations, flexible price contracts, and a simple two-way communication system between you and the client can help you create several scenarios to execute in the most profitable way possible.
So, let me know your thoughts in the comment section or share this post if you think it can be helpful to anyone.
Written by Carlos Roca: Head of Projects at Room4 Media.