8 Top tips for better RAG status project reporting
As a Project Manager, you’ll already be quite familiar with a RAG status and how it helps with overall project reporting. But reporting for reporting’s sake is a no no, so we’re sharing 8 top tips to help you make the most out of your RAG status to better your project going forward.
- Start as you mean to go on.
If you’re doing your first project reporting, make sure you dedicate time to it. Once you’ve done one, you have a great template to move forward with and a basis to go from. The more you do, the easier it gets!
- Be consistent.
You don’t want to guess what the RAG status means from one project to the next so it’s best to keep it consistent. Consistency will also help you to separate the fact from the feeling; should the project really be green, is there absolutely nothing standing in its way?
- Don’t be afraid to use the amber or red.
Whilst it may not always feel the best to use an amber or red RAG status for your project or any of its components, using it could actually be what saves your project! Earlier use of it (i.e., using the amber before it just becomes a flat out red), means that issues are addressed earlier, solved earlier and hopefully with less impact too.
- Dedicate time.
Project managers have a thousand things going on, and then some! We know, project admin sucks! Setting a recurring reminder means you have pre-planned time set aside to get your reporting done! The right PPM software can make this a lot easier and quicker for you to get done!
- Don’t get sloppy.
Sounds simple enough and kind of a given right? Truth is, when you’re doing lots of things, just updating the RAG status from previous reports seems like an easy work around to getting it finished. But the problem is, if you don’t check why that amber is still an amber (2 weeks later), then how do you know it shouldn’t have been a red by now. Checking data now will make life easier later.
- Work through all the components.
Guessing the overall RAG status of your project isn’t going to be a true reflection of your project progress. Work from the bottom upward, understand the deliverables being achieved, explain the progress you’ve had. Only if you understand the foundations will you really know how your overall project is preforming.
- Focus on the deliverables.
There’s likely to be lots of activity going on in the background, but all your reports need to show is if the deliverables are being achieved. Your activity and hard work can’t be the reason behind a green status, the outcome of that reporting period’s deliverables are the focus.
- Path-to-green.
If you have an amber or red status, what is being done to get those components back to green? What are the key dates, what deliverables are being focused on? A clear plan of action is needed to help your project progress.
PPM software and project reporting
The right PPM software can help streamline your project reporting and make tasks like RAG status updates, simple. Fluid project dashboards give you in depth reporting functionality to produce easily digestible and streamlined project updates. Extract all the information you need, report on specific items through advanced filters and save your dashboards so you don’t spend time doing it all again next week! All that’s left to do is share your reports.
Fluid is an all-in-one PPM software solution providing everything you need to manage a project, in one intuitive space. Promoting transparency and visibility, you don’t need to chase down for updates on every area of your project, simply log on to Fluid and see the progress of deliverables in as much or little detail as you want.
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