Ready for Summer? 5 Tips for Project Controllers
Good planning alone is therefore not enough. As a project controller, you don’t just focus on activities and milestones, but also on the factors that determine whether a schedule remains feasible. Are the right people available? Can decisions move forward? And do project teams have the information they need in a timely manner?
Before summer, go through the five points below. This will help you limit the impact of the summer break and keep your project on track.
Tip 1 – Decide what really needs to be done before summer
Right before vacation, there’s often a tendency to try to wrap up as much as possible. New changes come in, reviews still need to be processed, and pending tasks suddenly take on extra priority. The risk? That everything becomes important, and you lose your focus.
So start by clearly identifying what really needs to be completed before summer. Which milestones are critical? Which tasks will continue as usual during the summer? And which changes or actions can safely wait until after the summer break? By making clear decisions in advance, you’ll stay in control of the tasks that have the greatest impact on the project’s progress.
Tip 2 – Make sure the schedule remains feasible
A schedule may look perfectly sound on paper, yet its implementation can still be delayed during the summer. Not because the schedule is wrong, but because circumstances change.
Therefore, don’t just check the schedule—also verify that it remains feasible in the coming weeks. Are reviewers available? Can clients make decisions in a timely manner? Are suppliers and subcontractors reachable? And are there any bottlenecks due to temporarily reduced staffing levels?
By checking these prerequisites in advance, you can prevent the project from being delayed later on.
Tip 3 – Use the summer as a reality check for your project
The holiday season often serves as a good reality check for a project’s resilience. It is precisely during this time that it becomes clear where a project is still dependent on a single person, a single supplier, or a single decision-maker.
During the preparation, try to consider questions such as:
- Which tasks can only be performed by one colleague?
- Which decisions are put on hold when someone is absent?
- For what kind of information should you always contact the same person?
- Which reports or project information are specific to an individual?
It is precisely these kinds of situations that reveal where a project is vulnerable. By identifying these dependencies early on, you can take steps to reduce them systematically.
Tip 4 – Ensure that decision-making can continue
Many projects don't stall during the summer because work has stopped, but because decisions are left pending. Implementation continues, while approvals, changes, or priority decisions are delayed.
Therefore, check in advance which decisions are expected during the summer period. Who will make a decision if the regular point of contact is absent? Is all the necessary information available to properly support that decision? And are everyone’s responsibilities clear? By organizing this in advance, you can prevent work from coming to an unnecessary standstill.
Tip 5 – Update your management information and ensure a smooth handoff
Even during the summer, you’ll want to be able to make decisions based on up-to-date information. So be sure to fully update your decision-making information before the vacation period begins. This includes progress reports, forecasts, risk overviews, pending actions, and the change log.
Also, make sure to handle the handover properly. Which risks require extra attention in the coming weeks? Which initiatives are still ongoing? What deadlines or decisions are coming up? And who will monitor progress while you’re away? A brief, clear handover prevents unnecessary questions and ensures that project management remains on track even during the summer.
In conclusion
Effective project management isn't about preventing vacations, but about minimizing their impact. The summer often reveals where a project is dependent on people, information, or decision-making.
By taking a critical look at priorities, planning, dependencies, decision-making, and performance metrics in advance, you can minimize the impact of the holiday season and stay in control of your project.