How To Manage Ad-Hoc Projects and Ad-Hoc Requests

How To Manage Ad-Hoc Projects and Ad-Hoc Requests

Projects rarely go as planned, but there is always the potential to get new data, project or product updates, reviews or any number of last-minute requests. An ad-hoc project is one that happens unexpectedly, usually in response to a problem. It usually includes a quick turnaround and focuses on one goal (or group of people). There is only a limited amount of time to complete it, but the timeframe is almost always tight. Ad-hoc projects tend to have less red tape, but that doesn't mean you should ignore a risk assessment.
Any financial analysis will tell you that risk can ruin a project, so it is important to prioritize risks that are likely and could have a negative impact on the project. An agile project approach is better suited to ad-hoc projects, as they are more iterative and tend to work with a smaller group on smaller-scale sprints. However, there is still a need for a plan and request management to manage resources, set deadlines and prioritize and assign tasks. Additionally, standardize work requests should be centralized, accessed by all, prioritized and commented on to foster collaboration. Finally, transparency should be visible to everyone on the project team to give hybrid teams the visibility they need.