- Interruptions
- Searching for Information
- Inadequate Buy-In
- Obstacle Avoidance
- Insufficient Planning
- Too Many Choices (too many projects open at the same time)
- Lack of Cooperation
- Changing Priorities
It is very difficult to accurately “factor-in” these issues when estimating a project timeline. So what can you do to improve your project planning timelines? Rather than try to estimate the time impact of each one of the above individually, it is best to train people to understand how these issues impact both their productivity and the accuracy of their time estimates. You can then implement a process that prevents or reduces the effects of as many of the eight reasons as possible. Using education and prevention together will help you reduce the number of late projects and produce the greatest improvements in project time estimating.
