July 14, 2020

Freelance projects are on a rise. Individuals and organizations are more and more leveraging freelance platforms to get the work done. The freelance platforms, once used to execute simple work have matured and now capable of executing large scale enterprise projects. However, there are varying degrees of success, especially when it comes to large projects that take months or multi-person effort.

At FreelancingTeams, we have perfected the model for better success by following a few steps. These steps will help you to mitigate the risks upfront and put your project into a better path to success.

Define project success

In general, the project is considered successful when it produces intended results, completed timely and within budget. Depending on the nature of the project, sometimes other factors such as quality, security or performance are also included into the success criteria. By defining and setting realistic goals would help put the project in the right direction for success. 

Define the requirements clearly

One of the most important factors impacting the project success is scope of work or requirements. This is much more prevalent working with remote teams. One common problem we see with most platforms is they collect a one-big general description about the project. This works well for smaller projects, but if it is larger, this post sever constraints in understanding the full scope of work, leading to many assumptions. This further leads to huge variations in the estimates, leading to confusion and chaos during execution.

At FreelancingTeams, we break down the projects into smaller “chunks” called features. This helps to think through the process from a user perspective and create better documentation. This helps the teams to come up with realistic estimates and execute with more clarity.

Divide big project into smaller projects

If you’re working with a fairly large project or product that may take months to complete, then it is better to split it into smaller projects or sprints. Creating smaller projects keeps a narrow focus on a smaller set of features, instead of an entire big project. This also helps to fail fast, if needed. The theory is, if you cannot get a small piece of work done, how to expect a large work done? This is where a product roadmap may come in handy.  Creating a roadmap helps to keep track of big vision while working through the smaller pieces. Click here to learn more about product roadmap and how to create it.

Communication & Collaboration

Typically project managers spend 80% of their time communicating with stakeholders – clients, teams, management, etc. This is true for the freelance project, if not so, more. Communication and collaboration are key to success. By actively working with the team, providing necessary inputs and timely feedback will help get the project done on time and within budget. Also, if you are working with freelancers from different countries or timezones, you may also need to consider the cultural differences and time limitations. All freelance platforms including FreelancingTeams have built-in tools to keep the communication & collaboration easier. 

Respond timely and provide feedback

Freelancers often work on multiple projects. So, they are constantly switching gears. By providing timely feedback and responding to the queries, you can keep them focused on your work. Many platforms including FreelancingTeams have automated the response through workflows and status updates. Some freelance platforms even enforce clients to respond within a specific timeframe, otherwise, they close the project as complete. So, ensure you’re reading through the terms & conditions, and understand the expectations.  

Also, freelancers work for reputation. If you are happy with work, be sure to acknowledge and provide appropriate feedback. This helps them to create better reputation and more work for them in the future. This also helps you to work with the same team in the future.

Summary

In summary, any project management is hard. Organizations spend a lot of time and resources in building the project management expertise, setting up proper processes and developing tools to increase the project success. By working closely with the team and involved, you can execute successful projects.

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