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Issue Management in Project Management - Process, Types, and Examples

By Kevin D.Davis

Updated on Jul 07, 2023 | 8 min read | 12.16K+ views

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Every project begins with a plan. Once you start to unfold its aspects, the pre-defined plan will be tested in various ways, be it through sudden problems or unexpected queries. If the outcome or course of the project hangs in between without clear solutions, then those problems are considered an issue. Just because the issue is a surprise element, it is not impossible to predict it aforehand. Here is when an issue management plan concept comes into the picture. 

Project issue management plays a vital part in project governance, typically determined in the initial stages of the project. In this guide, we will discuss the process, types, and examples of issue management in detail.

What are Issues in Project Management? 

Issues are gaps, problems, conflicts, or any inconsistencies that happen out of the blue during the lifecycle of a project. It can be anything from conflicts with staff or supplies, shortages of resources, complexities or failures in technical facilities, or any other issues that can cause pessimistic consequences on the project. 

To resolve such issues as an eminent project manager, you should go for best Project Management certification online and deliver productivity and profitability as a successful project manager. 

What is Issue Management? 

The issue management process happens when the organization manages problems or issues during the project. In this way, responsible professionals can identify the root cause of the issues and respond with appropriate solutions.

If it remains unsolved, it will also affect the expectations of stakeholders in the project. Hence, it is important to implement the role of the issue manager. As a comprehensive tool, the primary role of the issue manager is to identify and track issues, assist you in finding software bugs, detect documentation issues, and manage enhancement requests, among others.

Why is Issue Management Important for a Project?

Issues will happen; if you want the project to achieve desired outcomes, then you need to have a plan ahead to act quickly and effectively to solve the issues that arise. This process is part of good issue management in the project management process.

Technically, the primary purpose of project issue management is to find and count the issues that arise during a project and resolve them through a careful and thorough review, considering all the relevant information. If you are considering a career in project issue management, opting for best PMP course is an excellent way to expose yourself to real-world challenges and advance your professional growth to a whole new level.

Types of Issues in a Project 

While the team strives to complete the project, they will likely encounter various issues hindering the success rate. You can go for online PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner training so as to gain industry-agnostic project management skills. It will help you devise and execute contingency solutions, allowing you to overcome any issues. Below are the common issues that arise in the lifecycle of a project:

Scope Creep – It happens when the scope goes beyond the pre-defined goals. It usually occurs when the stakeholder asks for any changes in the project, which will increase the cost and delay the delivery date.

Poor Communication – Lack of communication will make it difficult to give instructions, gather data and update the stakeholder. It will make the entire team confused about the project.

Uncertain in the Budget – When you don’t have a strong budget handle, you are more likely to displease the stakeholders and might face overruns of the existing funds. 

Skill Gaps – When the team members don’t have the competence and skill to satisfy the project goals, it will affect the project outcome. 

Components of Issue Management 

The importance of issue management lies in the components used in the process. Some of the components are:

  • Name – the name of the issue and number should be recorded.
  • Type – Depending on the categories of the issue you encounter; you can define the type so that the project manager can assign it to suitable people and resolve it immediately. It could be issues related to the technical side, human resources, or related to vendors, suppliers, or any other third parties.
  • Reported by and date – The name of the annual who raised the issues, and the date should be recorded.
  • Description – The issue should be clearly described and how it impacts the project's entire lifecycle.
  • Status – The progress of the raised issue will be tracked with status combined, like open, implementing, or resolved.

Process of Issue Management 

The project issue management process is a proactive approach that will help you know the risk before starting the project. In this way, you can address the issues early and ensure the seamless functioning of the project. Let’s explore the major steps in the process of issues management.

Identify the Issue

Discuss with your team and identify the possible issues or pitfalls that could arise during the project. You can make a mind map to visualize your issues directly and attend to them before the project.

Analyze the Issue

Not every issue is the same. Hence, you need to analyze the estimate of the consequence of the issue, from the cost of the budget to the loss of time and effort.

Prioritize the Issue

It is not possible to address every issue in the project simultaneously. Hence prioritize the issue based on the risk and impact to address it in order.

Resolve the Issue

Now, it is time to resolve the issue by developing a plan. Over time, the database of the plan will help you decide the most effective and prompt way to tackle the issues.

Monitor the Issue

Even after resolving it, monitor the issue consistently and alter the approach if needed. 

How to Implement Issue Management? 

While project issue management differs based on the type of issue detected, here’s the common guide to implementing the process.

Create a Log

Create a log template where a manager or team member can enter the details of each issue to make the tracking process easier. This long as a simple document will have the necessary components like the type of issue, when it occurred, and the severity. 

Assess the Issue that Arises

Carry out a comprehensive assessment of the issue to learn its severity. It will help you to discover whether the issue has to be addressed immediately and make better decisions on how to resolve it. 

Allot the Responsibility

Allot the resolving responsibility to the particular person or team who will ensure to implement the effective solution. The responsibility can be assigned publicly so that every employee knows who the issue manager is.

Course the Progress

The project manager can track the process to ensure every designated employee is resolving issues. The step usually involves communicating with the person responsible and asking for updates. 

Finalize the Closure

After the issue manager resolves it, the project manager will close it by recording the gathered information in the log. 

Issue Management Tools 

Issue management tools are software that detects bugs or any problem in the project and will interrupt the optimal performance and functionality. These tools will allow you to record the issues, establish a workflow, resolve any concerns, and follow every progress step in the project. Here we have listed some of the best issue management tools to save you time and effort.

ClickUp is one of the project issue management tools that provides high-rate productivity and the best results. It has been designed with agile-scrum dashboards, click-up sprints, integration, roadmaps, and task status, among other features.

GitLab is another project issue management issue tracking tool that will allow you to monitor the workflow with the dedicated dashboard. 

Zendesk is another popular issue management tool that will encompass the customer tickets of your organization in one place. It will allow you to assess, manage and resolve issues for a positive customer experience.

Sentry.io is an effective bug-reporting tool that will help you identify and fix issues simultaneously.

Salient Features to Look Out for in Issue Management Tool

Even though there are countless issues with management tools in the market, with unique capabilities, they should have certain features to deliver the best person. Let us discover some of them.

Form Builder: If you want to build a comprehensive list of issues in the project, the tool should have an excellent form builder. I will allow you to collect all relevant information and add a custom field like arithmetic calculations.

Customizable Workflow: Learning who is responsible for the issues is an important part of the project issue management process. The issue management platform should help you carve out a transparent workflow that can be easily customized based on teamwork.

Collaborating: The issue management tools should have collaborative features that include communication and cooperation. The exact status of every issue can be viewed in real-time with quick access to resolve them.

Reporting and Analytics: An issue management tool should be able to generate insightful, in-depth reports and examine the defects. The derived reports will help you to plan and mitigate the issues for future efforts. 

Examples of Issue Management 

Project managers develop an issue management template during every project to resolve issues of all sizes in an organized way. An example of issue management is the project manager who expects the help of extra staff to prevent any delay in the project but cannot detect that as he will not be available. On the other hand, the manager can create a framework where the employees record issues, they encounter during the work to address them systematically as they happen. Some other examples are,

  • Poor quality products like malfunctioning software
  • Team members who lack essential skills and knowledge
  • Engaging in projects or activities that lack the budget
  • Intercepted communication like language barriers or lack of interaction in the group
  • Delivery issues.

Summing Up 

Building your career in project issue management is a rewarding choice with high salaries and flexibility in the workplace. However, the profile also demands up-to-date skillsets and knowledge from the profession. No matter the type of industry, issue managers will always be in demand to plan and provision the project. 

To stand out in the crowd and have more project issue management opportunities, enroll in KnowledgeHut Project Management course and advance your career. The course offers hands-on training and an innovative learning approach for aspiring individuals to learn about the business landscape and master the art of project management with real-world applications.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. What are issue management examples?

2. What is an issue manager tool?

3. What is the role of an issue manager?

4. What are the four functions of issue management?

Kevin D.Davis

481 articles published

Kevin D. Davis is a seasoned and results-driven Program/Project Management Professional with a Master's Certificate in Advanced Project Management. With expertise in leading multi-million dollar proje...

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