Project Management
What does a Project Manager do at OIM?
Working with Project Management contains many tasks I believe are common in most organizations, such as planning, coordination, communication, and decision-making. What sets the role at OIM apart is the chance to be part of the process all the way from an idea to a finished product. Also working with external customers you need to gain an understanding of their business, challenges, and possibilities in order to run the most successful projects. Working in OIM you will gain experience in many different businesses that you will able to utilize in other area going forward.
What software do you use as a Project Manager?
The first thing that comes to mind when talking about SW for Project Management would be the planning tools, which are the more specific tools you would use as a Project Manager. That could be tools optimized for more traditional planning with waterfall, such as MS Project, or Jira for a more agile project. As a Project Manager, I believe one of the more important aspects of choosing the right tool is to use something that the project participants are used to and have access to. That way you would ensure the plan is something that the entire project can buy into and work with.
What I would say is an even more important task as a Project Manager is communication, to gather information and make sure everyone knows what is going on and what to do. The tools I use the most are Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint.
Three quick questions
We asked our Project Manager Björn Sjögren three quick questions.
The best thing about your role?
The fact that I get to be involved in all parts of the project, learning new things, and trying to see how it should all fit together.
The hardest thing about your role?
It is difficult to balance setting aggressive targets and being reasonable so the team can reach the goal. Goals set too high can demotivate the team and disappoint stakeholders, while goals set too low can reduce focus, creativity, and productivity.
What projects have you worked on?
I have worked on a MedTech project focused on advancing the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. It’s a challenging and exciting endeavor because it helps improve people’s lives.
What do you need to study to become a Project Manager?
It´s valuable to have some theoretical knowledge of different project methodologies. What methodology to use will vary between different organizations and types of projects. But what I believe is always important is to take an interest and gain some basic understanding within the areas included in a specific project. It´s often also valuable to be able to communicate in business terms, to motivate and discuss project decisions with the project owner and key stakeholders.
Running a successful project is very much about utilizing all the skills and resources within the project team.
Björn Sjögren, Project Manager at OIM
Björn Sjögren, Project Manager at OIM
What do you think a Project Manager should not do?
Do not think that you need to know or do everything on your own. Running a successful project is very much about utilizing all the skills and resources within the project team. The project team members usually have better knowledge within their field. So by trusting the team members and delegating responsibility, you will likely get a better result.
Do you have a dream project as a Project Manager?
A dream project to me is one where the result would have a positive impact. It could be that it has a clear impact on the life of the user, or the environment. To be a dream project it also needs to be challenging enough to make the project team engaged and build a good team spirit.
Some advice for anyone who wants to become a Project Manager
Put the focus on the project members enabling and giving them the conditions and decisions needed to proceed.
Communication is a key factor to success. Make sure that all stakeholders and team members are informed about the project, challenges, and goals enabling everyone to work in the same direction.
Be curious. As a Project Manager, you will not be an expert in every discipline. But take the time to gain a basic understanding of all parts of the project. Even if you don´t understand all the details, it´s important to know the needs and challenges within each discipline.
Establish a steering organization. A common mistake in setting up a project is an unclear control structure for the project when it comes to funding, resources, and stop/go decisions. Make sure to involve key recourse owners and stakeholders to set up a clear structure for control of the project.
Do you want to work as a Project Manager?
See if we have any vacancies or call us on +46 40-13 13 69. You can also contact us via the form below!