Project Management – In-House Or Outsourced? Find out more.

Although there is very much to be said about the skill of wearing multiple hats in the workplace, some of the things that are really best left to the experts. This is the reason behind the outsourcing of all types of work, from digital marketing to – yes – project management. However, sometimes it’s difficult to identify exactly which roles would benefit from an outsourcing business model as well as what should stay in-house.

Certainly, there is quite a lot to be said for in-house project management as opposed to external project managers. At times, hiring a consultant could make more sense depending on the project scope as well as resources. So how can you decide if you require a temporary project manager or a permanent company fixture?

In-House Project Management

In-house project management is extremely efficient for a number of different reasons. Key team players are on-site as well as available for queries at every step of the way. As they are already embedded “in the field,” they are able to bring both institutional knowledge as well as industry expertise to the table. The following are some positive as well as negative effects of utilising an in-house project manager.

Positives:

• Non-Disclosure Agreements solidified,
• Knowledge of the company culture,
• Knowledge of operations,
• Proven industry experience, as well as
• Ease of directing internal resources.

Negatives:

• Vendor dependency,
• Stifling competitive advantage, as well as
• Risk and access to company culture.

Project management consulting is usually more effective with companies which still lack a defined brand. If your organisational culture is already well established, it may be quite challenging to introduce a big player such as a project management consultant on just a temporary basis.

Rather, it may be more advisable to utilise a PM with both sufficient institutional knowledge as well as understanding of your brand and company culture. While this might be more expensive, it can make relationships smoother in the long run, not to mention accelerate project kick-offs by making onboarding faster or even unnecessary.

Why Outsource Your Project Management?

Low Staffing Levels

Dependent on the size of your business, you may not have enough staff in place to set up and to support a project management office (PMO). Many companies just do not have adequate staffing levels to dedicate one or more employees to focus solely on projects. Frequently, existing resources may already be overextended and only able to focus efforts on day-to-day operational duties.

Shortage Of Highly Experienced Staff

If you are the owner of an SMME, medium or large company, your internal staff may not have the particular project management experience and/or training that you need in order to effectively take a project from beginning to closeout. In fact, the very nature of the project may need very specialised expertise.

Cash Flow Constraints

This can be a continuing concern for businesses irrespective of type or size. As budgets shrink and competition becomes fiercer, businesses frequently struggle to find the capital in order to fund projects. Finding additional financial resources to hire specialised staff like project managers might be difficult, particularly when those resources are already allocated to support operations. In this case, it could make sense to find vendors that offer project management services on a per-project footing.

Business Model Decisions

You may elect to outsource your project management functions owing to your business model. If your projects are of the one-off or ad-hoc variety, then hiring internal project management staff could not make sense. It may be less cost-effective as well as more of an administrative burden to hire, train and retain a full-time employee.

Get in touch with the Digital School of Marketing

If you would like to become a project manager in the media then you need to do our Project Management For The Media Course. Follow this link to find out more.