Managing Stakeholder Expectations in a Global Service Desk Project 🎯

In one of my projects at HCL, I led the setup of a Global Service Desk for a major client across 5 locations in India. This project required seamless coordination among various teams and effective stakeholder management to meet tight deadlines and budget constraints.

🔹 Diverse Stakeholders, Different Priorities Managing different teams means juggling priorities. In this project:

• IT: Needed to set up connectivity between client and HCL within two weeks, critical for operations.
• Procurement: Focused on delivering over 200 devices on time, avoiding delays in other areas.
• Finance: Monitored a $1.5M budget, ensuring we stayed within limits through data-driven insights.
• Resourcing: Had to recruit 50+ niche-skilled professionals swiftly, using dashboards to track progress.
• Senior Leadership & Client: Required regular updates via Power BI, keeping everyone aligned with project goals.

🔹 Setting Clear Expectations From the outset, we defined specific goals for each team. Leveraging Power BI, we built dashboards to track milestones and resources, ensuring everyone was aware of project status in real time.

🔹 Data-Driven Decision Making Utilizing data analytics was key in managing expectations. Weekly RAID logs and budget tracking helped us pinpoint areas of concern, such as resource delays or overspending. For example, when the finance team flagged a budget overshoot, we used data to cross-train team members, saving 8% in costs. 📊

🔹 Proactive Communication Using dashboards and visual reports not only helped track progress but also kept stakeholders informed. Weekly reports visualized key metrics like spending, resource allocation, and risks. Regular client meetings kept expectations aligned and minimized last-minute surprises. ✉️

Outcome: We successfully delivered the service desk at all locations on time and under budget by 5%! This success reinforced how data-driven insights and transparent communication are crucial for effective stakeholder management.

Conclusion: Managing stakeholders is more than just meetings; it’s about using data to build trust. Tools like Power BI allow us to visualize progress, manage risks, and ensure alignment at every stage of the project. With data at the forefront, project managers can drive results while keeping stakeholders informed and engaged.