Audiovisual projects management often presents a number of challenges, setbacks, and unforeseen events that make it difficult to achieve success..

As in all kinds of projects, it is common for unforeseen events and setbacks to occur that can cause chaos in management. In the audiovisual field, it is recurrent that many companies are involved in the development of projects, and this complicates it further. However, Lina Villa, an expert in the field, indicates that these issues are part of the project. It is necessary to take into consideration that unforeseen events may occur and the important thing is to react in time, in the most correct way possible. 

The key to overcoming problems is to try to move forward and seek solutions as soon as possible. Villa indicates that the key is empathy and learning to manage the emotions of both managers and clients to achieve this. 

Another aspect to take into account is transparency. There is no point in hiding problems from the client since sooner or later they will come to light in some way.

Development of audiovisual projects

The first thing to do is to plan and structure the steps to be taken until the project is completed. To do this, Villa proposes to develop a new methodology that combines traditional organization with Agile methodology.

This new methodology prioritizes individuals and interactions over processes and tools; project operation over extensive documentation; collaboration with the client over negotiation, among others. The development process of this methodology consists of five phases: initiation, planning, implementation, monitoring and control, and closure.

Documentation

It is essential to have six types of documentation that are elementary to initiate and execute the project and that support the company. In the meetings where the sales representatives present the customer’s projects, a project charter must be created. That is, put in writing what has been sold to each customer to clearly understand what will be delivered to the customer, dates, and scope.

It is also important to make the work breakdown structure to determine how much time is spent on each task. The project management plan should report how the project is being managed. It will go hand in hand with the visits report, which should be shared with the client on a daily basis. This way the client will know what is being worked on, how problems have been solved.  

Lastly, it is important to prepare training documents to record the training sessions that are carried out, who gives them and who attends them. At the end of the project, a closing document must be created in which the client must sign that he/she received the project on time.

Finally, the Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana (International Iberoamerican University) (UNIB) offers the Master in Project Design, Administration and Management.

Source: How to optimize the management of audiovisual projects?