When it comes to large Workday® projects, you’ll find that two project managers are better than one—an internal PM from your team, and an external PM from the IJA team. Both are essential to the successful, on-time completion of the project, but they come at it from different angles.
Key Differences between Internal and External Project Managers
The internal project manager is someone from inside your company chosen to oversee the project. The internal PM is generally in charge of the four or five people directly assigned to the project, and is responsible for specific internal tasks, as well as keeping the project on time and on budget. An internal PM has an inside look into your business, including current processes, challenges, and goals. They can communicate that knowledge to the external PM to ensure that decisions are well-informed. The internal PM may also be able to provide insight into how to best communicate with certain team members and executives regarding the project.
An external project manager takes more of a whole project view using the Workday® tool set. They look at multiple scopes of work, multiple swim lanes. They organize organically, ensuring all task lists are working together and feeding into one another. As with the internal PM, keeping the project on time and on budget is a major priority. Besides a dedicated expertise, one of the main benefits of an external PM is that they are objective and politically neutral which can often lead to better decision making.
What Makes a Great Project Manager?
Whether internal or external, a successful project manager is:
- An expert problem solver
- Empathetic
- Highly organized
- Unflappable
- Willing to adapt or adjust quickly
- An excellent communicator
- A good listener who asks the right questions
Why Two Is Better Than One
Your internal PM knows the ins and outs of your company and we know the ins and outs of Workday®. This collaborative approach makes certain that everyone is on the same team and working well together. The result is efficiency in all aspects of the project.
Let’s work together to unleash the full potential of Workday®. Contact us today to get started.