Managing multiple projects simultaneously with shared resources is challenging. Poor planning and unforeseen events can generate cascading inefficiencies, slowing down the workflow, just as happens in highway traffic. At the same time, many companies think the solution is simply to adopt a management software tool, but without a structured method, even the best tool becomes useless. So how can we deal with the complexity of multiple projects?
An integrated approach is needed: an effective method supported by an appropriate tool.
The metaphor of the highway: projects in motion
Let’s imagine that we are on the highway. We are driving serenely, but suddenly traffic slows down to a complete stop. No accident, no apparent cause-just a small change in speed at a point miles away that has generated a total gridlock. This phenomenon, known as a phantom traffic jam, is a perfect metaphor for what happens in multiproject environments.
In business settings, disruptions are frequent and often underestimated:
- Sudden changes in design specifications.
- Redefining priorities.
- Inclusion of new activities without proper planning.
- Reallocation of resources, causing imbalances in workload.
These events, mistakenly thought to be inevitable if managed with a structured vision may not have the disastrous impact that sometimes happens.
Managing multi-project flow: work lanes
Just as there are dedicated lanes on the highway for vehicles with different needs, in a multiproject environment we can imagine three levels of management:
- Right Lane – Complex, long-term projects that require stability and dedicated resources. They are not slow, they are big!
- Middle Lane – Intermediate projects, which have a major impact but do not need the same depth as the more strategic ones.
- Left lane – Fast-paced, short-cycle projects that need responsiveness and fast execution. Fast-tracks, nonconformities…
To maintain an efficient flow, it is essential:
- Avoid unnecessary overload and disruption by adjusting the entry of new projects.
- Manage interactions between lanes, preventing different projects from adversely affecting each other.
- Set clear rules on which projects have priority and which must wait for available space.
Method and tool: Wepladoo’s integrated approach
This is where the method comes in. A simple software platform is not enough: you need a clear logic to plan and manage the work. Wepladoo was born with this very purpose: it is not just a tool, but a structured method to manage complexity.
1. Multilevel Planning
A good project management system must work on multiple time horizons:
- Short term → operational activities to be managed in detail, close in time with low uncertainty.
- Medium term → resource planning and workload optimization.
- Long term → strategic vision and project balance, high uncertainty.
2. Involvement of operational people
Effective project management cannot be just top-down. Wepladoo involves those working on the ground, ensuring that:
- People have clarity on goals and priorities.
- The method should not remain just theory, but should be transformed into concrete action.
- Every change should be managed without disorganized impacts, mitigating the domino effect.
3. Combining method and tool for data-driven decisions
Wepladoo allows you to translate the method into a clear workflow, avoiding improvisations. With a structured vision you can:
- Predict the real workload on each team.
- Identify critical issues before they become bottlenecks.
- Establish performance KPIs to monitor the effectiveness of decisions.
Conclusion: The key to success is balance
Just as a well-organized highway keeps traffic flowing, a clear method and an adequate tool ensure an efficient and productive working environment.
Thinking that a software is enough is an illusion: without a strategy, it becomes just a container of data. Thinking that a method is enough is equally limiting: without the right tool, the method remains theory and does not become practice.
Wepladoo integrates both: it structures the method and makes it operational through a powerful and scalable tool.
Only in this way can multi-project management become truly effective, avoiding slowdowns, inefficiencies and waste. If you want to learn more about Wepladoo and multi-project management, sign up for our next Azzurro Lab on project management!
