5 Project Management Tips for Medical Affairs.

Project management is an increasingly important tool when working in medical affairs. Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly looking for candidates who have experience and understand how to increase efficiency in their work and meet project timelines.

1. Understanding the Mission

The first essential step is to understand your role in the project before diving deeply into the task that requires it. Understanding what situations influence your position and project direction can keep you on course. Taking a breath to understand the project's vision beforehand will save you a lot of time in the future.

2. Time management matrix

It is also essential to understand how each task on your project can fall into the time management matrix. The first is urgent and vital, for example, crises, emergencies, deadline-driven activities and last-minute preparations—Second is not urgent but essential, for example, relationship building and planning. Activities lower on the priorities include managing not important but urgent, such as interruptions and meetings, understanding where those in the third quadrant fit into your preferences, and, lastly, not urgent and unnecessary. These major disruptors can derail you, e.g., some calls, emails and general time wasters at work.

3. Risk management

The pharmaceutical industry is one of the most regulated industries in the world, and taking an unnecessary risk can put your function and company into disrepute. Identifying risk early in a project can save you time and disappointment later. This will help you push back on an increase in the scope of the project and your potential involvement. On the other hand, it is crucial to understand the risk you present to yourself, such as which times you are most productive and what scenarios would make you most likely to make mistakes.

4. The right tools to monitor progress

The right tools are critical to updating stakeholders on how your activities are tracked. It is much easier to manage how a project is chasing when you have the right tools and notes to control its progression. Our advice is to use software and/or app that you enjoy using and find simple such as Microsoft Endnote or OneNote. Quick and easy access shows everyone you are competent and on top of everything.

5. Effective communication

To run a project smoothly, effective communication must occur between yourself and your stakeholders. This avoids surprise attacks; it is crucial to be consistently honest and open and make sure that team members feel approachable with any of their concerns.

Each project will be a new learning experience, and it is vital to review and evaluate the success and failures of each project. Thank you for reading; until next time.