Time delays are a real headache of all software development project managers. They are difficult to predict, no less difficult is to see the early signs of the delay. This issue is even more challenging if the development team is big.

Multiple tasks and interdependencies make manual entering information in spreadsheets, checking for the changes to control the project is an absolute hell. And, frankly, is impossible without turning the whole thing to a mess. Big projects demand plans to be kept up-to date, but they are too complex for spreadsheets method. So it seems really difficult to recognize the signs of a time delay for some task completion.

Here comes project time tracking software. Ideally if it combines timesheets with project tasks, so when the time spent on a task is updated, the status of task completion is updated too. This allows a PM to see project tasks in progress and to notice if there’s something wrong, and a task is heading for a delay. Thus a project manager may deal with the problem, analyzing the reasons and making corrections. There are several different ways of dealing with time delays:

• If it takes place for a first time, it’s a sign that a person working on the task needs help, and the task requires special PM’s attention.
• If the same task is delayed for the second time, it’s a sign for a manager to take active actions on defining the reasons and solving the problem, and, which is important, to prevent the risk of time delay in the future.
• The third delay case on the same task may be the reason to reconsider the project plan asking for experts help.

There is no need to explain why it is so important to react to time delays. But it is no less important to monitor and control the project progress in order to prevent the occurrence of time delays.