A client comes to you with a non-standard request. He has his own KPI, ideas and specific expectations from the project. Your team is ready to get to work, but the question arises – how to properly organize the process so that the project is implemented effectively and on time?
INK Operations Director Ksenia Pavlyushchenko and Senior Project Manager Nastya Markhel told how to manage non-standard projects. They explained why process and project approaches should be combined and how to apply it.
What are process and project approaches?
Process approach
Think of a conveyor belt in a factory. Each step is clearly c level executive list defined, and the result of one stage becomes the beginning of the next. These are standard, repetitive processes, such as taking orders, manufacturing goods, or accounting.
All processes are divided into three types:
- Basic ones – generate income (for example, selling goods or providing services).
- Auxiliary – help the company work (for example, accounting, IT support).
- Managers – ensure that everything goes according to plan (e.g. strategic planning).
The process approach is convenient when you need to perform routine tasks without errors, but it can make a company too slow and inflexible.
Project approach
It’s like creating something new from scratch, with a specific goal,Senior Project Manager Nastya deadline, and limited resources. For example, developing a new product or organizing an event.
The project is distinguished by the fact that it is unique, list your business in local directories temporary (there is a clear beginning and end), requires control and coordination, and is limited in resources.
The project approach is good when you need to create something new, Senior Project Manager Nastyabut if you use it alone, the company can drown in chaos: there will be no stability, processes will become ineffective, and employees will spend a lot of time looking for solutions from scratch.
Why One Approach Is Not Enough
- Only a process approach → The company becomes unwieldy, employees lose motivation, bureaucracy hinders flexibility.
- Only a project-based approach → No stability, difficult to manage resources, constant fuss without clear standards.
How to combine two approaches
1. Adaptation of processes to specific projects
Imagine that a client asks to prepare an belgium numbers advertising campaign in 15 days, and the standard process takes 34 days.
To complete a task on time, you can:
- Outsource some of the work (for example, order a strategy).
- Run multiple stages simultaneously (design and text in parallel).
- Eliminate non-essential steps (reduce the number of approvals).
- Reallocate resources (increase the team at key stages).
This approach helps to meet deadlines without losing quality,Senior Project Manager Nastya because the proven process remains at the core.
