September 23rd, 2008 by John Reeve

Regardless of how well you plan a project, or how well you think you know your client, most projects will be delayed. Often times, the delay is caused by the client. They might take longer than expected approving a design comp or delivering web site copy. We’ve had some clients go off the radar for two or three years before suddenly reappearing, wondering where the project is at and how we can get it finished.

So how do you keep your clients from entering the vortex and stalling out a project? Here are some tips on how we anticipate and accommodate client delays.

Address the issue before the project begins
Before you event start a project, let the client know that delays on their part will push the deadline back. They will assure you it won’t happen, but it does. It also helps to have a clause in your contract that grants you permission to cancel the contract if the client goes AWOL for a given number of days.
Go light on the scheduling
We used to generate detailed project plans complete with resource allocations and milestone dependencies. Then the client would take an extra week to sign off on a web design comp and the whole project plan would be off. Trade in the low-level project management approach for a looser methodology. We’ve blended aspects of agile methodology with traditional issue-tracking-like task management. Find a flexible method that works for you and go with it.
Hold weekly meetings
Client delays are much more likely to happen on larger projects. When deadlines are still a few weeks or months in the future, there isn’t as much driving the client, until it’s too late. Scheduling a weekly meeting with your client will remind and encourage them to be working on their deliverables.
Get them help
Many times the client will have a valid reason for late delivery. Their copywriter may have bailed on them, or a designer may not be able to capture the look they were after. If the client is struggling finding resources, give them some referrals for copywriters and designers you trust. They will be thankful for the help and you will be thankful to have the project back on track.
Track everything
Some clients will delay a project without realizing they are doing it. For example, they might start asking for additional features that weren’t part of the original contract. Keep an account of every work request and track your time during the project. That way, when the client questions why the project is not on time, you can run a report and politely show them the cause of the delay. If you don’t already have a tool for tracking time & tasks, sign up for a free trial using Intervals.

Ultimately, your relationship with the client is the most important factor for keeping a project on schedule. Assuming you’ve established a good working relationship, these tips will keep a client partnership healthy and keep your projects on time.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2008 at 1:38 pm and is filed under Intervals News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.