Project Done! Really? Did You Successfully Pass the Torch?
The project is coming to close. You and the team are getting ready to schedule a debrief session, and execute the tasks to box up the details of what was a successful project. In many cases, project managers think they are done with their responsibilities. It is rare that any project truly ends when the project ends. In most cases, there are some ongoing or operational activities that need to take place. It is the transition from project to ongoing initiative, product, or service that falls between the cracks and can become a major pain point to a relationship.
Depending on the organization, the transition from project to on-going mode can create confusion. This confusion could have been mitigated at the start of the project if the roles and responsibilities called out who would be responsible for the project post the delivery. In the event that was not the case, then there is some work to do. The reason for making sure this transition is a smooth one is because at the end of the day you want the client to be happy. The relationships that have been developed with the client regardless if the client is external or internal are too important to ruin because of a poor handoff during the transition. The goodwill, trust and confidence that was developed and built during the original project will be a distant memory if those responsible for the ongoing relationship are not set up to succeed.
The first step to ensure the transition from project to ongoing maintenance mode is successful is to determine who the players are that will be taking over the responsibility for the client relationship from you as the project manager and the team. Each organization will vary but you could be dealing with a formal Relationship Manager, Account Manager, Operational Manager, Program Manager, or all of the above. If the resources that are taking point of the relationship have been part of the project team, then there may not be very much that needs to be done for the transition to take place other than some minor formalities. If those resources, are showing up midway, towards the end, or at the end of the project, then you will need to plan accordingly for a more formal transition period.
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