Project management in labs, where there are many moving parts and potential risks, is critical for the success of any project. However, even with the best project management practices in place, mistakes can still be made. In this article, we go through five lab project management mistakes to avoid and save you from making the same.
The first mistake that is often made in project management is failing to clearly define the goals and objectives of the project from the outset. Without a clear understanding of what you are trying to achieve, it is difficult to plan and execute the project effectively. Furthermore, it can lead to scope creep as stakeholders attempt to add their own objectives to the project.
To avoid this mistake, take the time to clearly define the goals and objectives of the project at the beginning, and ensure that all stakeholders have agreed on them. Once the goals and objectives have been agreed upon, they should be documented in a Project Charter.
Another mistake that is often made in project management in a lab is failing to assign roles and responsibilities to team members. This can lead to confusion over who is responsible for what and can ultimately lead to project delays.
To avoid this mistake, take the time to assign roles and responsibilities to team members at the beginning of the project. The roles and responsibilities should be clearly documented in your Project Plan.
A common mistake made in project management is failing to effectively manage change requests. Change requests are inevitable in any project, but if they are not managed properly, they can lead to scope creep and project delays. 
To avoid this mistake, put a process in place for managing change requests from the beginning of the project. The process should be clearly documented in the Project Plan.
Another mistake that is often made in project management is failing to track progress against the Project Plan. This can lead to the project going off-track, and ultimately to project failure.
To avoid this mistake, put a process in place for tracking progress against the original project plan from the beginning of the project. The process should be clearly documented and easy to check against.
The final mistake that is often made in project management is failing to communicate project status to stakeholders. This can lead to stakeholders being unaware of the project’s progress, which can ultimately lead to project failure.
To avoid this mistake, put a process in place for communicating project status to stakeholders from the beginning of the project. Make sure to have customer meetings and status report deliverables weekly.
There are a few project management missteps that can happen during a project in your lab. However, by being mindful of these mistakes, you can easily avoid them. By taking the time to define the project goals, assign roles and responsibilities, manage change requests, track project progress, and communicate project status updates to stakeholders, you can ensure the success of your project.
