Managing hybrid project teams comes with unique challenges—but with the right strategies, you can optimize both on-site and remote collaboration for success. In this episode of RPI Tech Connect, Senior Project Manager Spencer Lefevre returns once again to discuss how to go about managing different teams to ensure ERP projects stay on track.
In this episode, Spencer breaks down best practices for balancing team dynamics, communication, and productivity. Tune in as he explains which project phases benefit most from in-person engagement, like kickoff, testing, and training, and where remote work excels. Find out exactly how to approach your next project and ensure stronger project outcomes.
Interested in listening to this episode on another streaming platform? Check out our directories or watch the YouTube video below.
Meet Today’s Guest, Spencer Lefevre
Spencer Lefevre is a Senior Project Manager at RPI Consultants. With over six years of experience in Project Management and IT Engineering Project Solutions, Spencer has delved into software design and implementation within the IT Infrastructure space. He leverages this diverse background to make informed decisions regarding project timelines and feasibility.
In addition to his technical expertise, Spencer is skilled in successfully managing large-scale projects, collaborating with various vendors, and overseeing budgets to ensure projects are completed on time and within budget. He relies on his strong communication skills to build trust and empower both team members and end users. His meticulous attention to detail has consistently contributed to the successful delivery of projects.
Spencer holds PMP and PMI-ACP certifications from PMI.
Meet Your Host, Chris Arey
Chris Arey is a B2B marketing professional with nearly a decade of experience working in content creation, copywriting, SEO, website architecture, corporate branding, and social media. Beginning his career as an analyst before making a lateral move into marketing, he combines analytical thinking with creative flair—two fundamental qualities required in marketing.
With a Bachelor’s degree in English and certifications from the Digital Marketing Institute and HubSpot, Chris has spearheaded impactful content marketing initiatives, participated in corporate re-branding efforts, and collaborated with celebrity influencers. He has also worked with award-winning PR professionals to create unique, compelling campaigns that drove brand recognition and revenue growth for his previous employers.
Chris’ versatility is highlighted by his experience working across different industries, including HR, Tech, SaaS, and Consulting.
About RPI Tech Connect
RPI Tech Connect is the go-to podcast for catching up on the dynamic world of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). Join us as we discuss the future of ERPs, covering everything from best practices and organizational change to seamless cloud migration and optimizing applications. Plus, we’ll share predictions and insights of what to expect in the future world of ERPs.
RPI Tech Connect delivers relevant, valuable information in a digestible format. Through candid, genuine conversations and stories from the world of consulting, we aim to provide actionable steps to help you elevate your organization’s ERP. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or new to the ERP scene, our podcast ensures you’re well-equipped for success.
Tune in as we explore tips and tricks in the field of ERP consulting each week and subscribe to RPI Tech Connect below.
Transcript
Chris Arey
Welcome back to RPI Tech Connect. I’m your host, Chris Arey. Today, we’re going to be talking about a very important topic in the world of project success: how to effectively manage on-site and remote work teams. We’ll discuss challenges and strategies for overcoming them, as well as highlight some key project phases where being in person can make all the difference.
Joining me today is Senior Project Manager Spencer Lefevre, who is not a first-time guest on RPI Tech Connect, but rather a returning participant, and I’m happy to have him here. He’s had plenty of experience working in this space and he’s gonna share some great strategies for overcoming these challenges. So Spencer, welcome back to the show, man.
Spencer Lefevre
Thanks, Chris. I appreciate you having me back on here, and I’m looking forward to giving some insight into on-site and remote teams. As you know, I’ve been in the project management space for seven years now. I live right outside of DC, as you can tell from the artwork behind me.
Chris Arey
Capitals fan?
Spencer Lefevre
Yeah, big Capitals fan. And I think I have some great insights to share. I’ve worked with teams all over the world and all over the country, so time zones come into play a lot. I’m glad to give some advice.
Chris Arey
Yeah, thank you. Let’s just go ahead and jump right in then, starting with this big question. In speaking about ERP projects, you must have encountered some challenges in managing teams that are both on-site and remote. Remote work is not new anymore. You know, COVID made that clear. So, what kind of things have you encountered in your time?
Spencer Lefevre
Yeah, I think the hybrid work model continues to remain relevant, especially on big projects where you can have developers in different time zones.
And also, communication delays, whether it’s taking a little bit longer for the project team to get back to you or also managing those personal responsibilities.
Sometimes, you know, someone has to go get the kids from school, etc. Those kinds of things really play into your overall project success, so it is important to make sure that you understand your team and are all focused on the same goals.
Chris Arey
Yeah, people have lives outside of work, so you have to think about those things too. What kind of strategies have you found successful in helping you navigate those types of challenges and making sure teams stay alive?
Spencer Lefevre
Yeah, I think a lot of times it’s a mix of understanding your team, knowing what works best, while also kind of playing with what is going to work. Sometimes I’ve been on projects where we set up a daily 15-30 minute call, sometimes referred to as like a sprint or daily stand up.
However, oftentimes, you could be in the middle of the project and that’s just not working for everyone based on the various complexities and different requirements. So maybe then you switch it up to three times a week. Maybe it’s an afternoon call and then you switch it to the morning.
Kind of being flexible and being willing to adjust your plan in order to get that team all in alignment is important.
Chris Arey
Okay, yeah, that makes total sense. ERP projects, they’re not all the same. Depending on the complexity or how involved it is, there are going to be different phases associated with the project.
So, I’m curious from your perspective as someone who manages both remote and in-person teams on projects: have you found that there are certain phases where it really just pays to be in person?
Spencer Lefevre
Yeah, I think that early on when you’re kicking off the project, everyone’s involved in the sales process while also interacting with one another to gain an understanding of what we’re going to be doing in the project.
At this early stage, the sooner you can get into their office or come together as a joint group and meet face to face, the better. This makes kicking off the project easier before the team reverts to either that remote or hybrid type of work model.
It is also important to come back together for some of the testing phases, or maybe to kick off training aspects. And then of course, Go-Live obviously really helps to get everyone on the same page. But testing and training are really those two big areas where you’re to have a large team presence.
Chris Arey
Okay, so before we talk about why those are two good examples, I’m curious to hear what the benefit is of getting people in the office. I mean, it almost sounds like the answer is obvious, but maybe there’s something we’re not thinking of here. Like, what is the benefit of getting people in the same room during kickoff as well as during testing and training?
Spencer Lefevre
Yeah, as I alluded to earlier, I think when you talk about kicking off the project, you have the benefit of getting those face to name associations down in your brain mapping of the regular daily project life cycles.
When it comes to testing, having that dedicated space for those testing rounds means that you have a space to collaborate as an entire team. You know, when you look at design, there could be multiple different groups involved, but joining those two groups together and getting them to kind of collaborate really helps.
And it also accelerates some of that problem solving. You know: Hey, I’m stuck on this test script. I need to go ahead and resolve it. How do I do that quickly and effectively? And the answer to that question is having somebody on site just really helps speed that up. You know, we ended up leveraging RPI’s facilities for a current project due to the ease of resourcing and great facilities for collaborating.
Chris Arey
Nice, yeah. And you mentioned they’re putting the face to the name. You have to figure that plays a role in building trust, knowing that these are certain people you’re going to go to for certain types of problems that may come up.
I guess in obtaining alignment too, right? Knowing who’s responsible for what and just getting that all out in the open. And there really is just sometimes there’s no substitute for in-person interaction.
Spencer Lefevre
Absolutely, for sure. It really seems to help kind of foster that sense of bonding and community within the project. Even though we’re all working on our own different aspects of the project, it really helps bring everyone together.
Chris Arey
So, getting back to your testing and training examples there, maybe you could expand on how taking people out of their usual work environment and putting them into a dedicated facility contributes to overall project success. How do those two things go together?
Spencer Lefevre
Yeah, I think it’s more about the collaboration and problem solving of maybe those interfaces and some of the development options. And it gets the team more engaged throughout the project.
When you first talk about design and are working to design the system itself, you know, looking together as a whole team and working together as a whole team to outline those requirements really helps bring everyone together.
Everyone’s just more engaged. They can kind of put their own work or their day-to-day job to the side a little bit. Not necessarily eliminate it but put it on the side for a little bit and focus on the task at hand.
Chris Arey
Yeah, I really liked that too. People get stuck on their routines, and I know that when they’re in a certain space, they’re going to do X, Y, and Z activities.
When you remove that element and you’re put in a new place, maybe even a strange place, a place you’ve never been, it’s going to ignite this different kind of mindset in you. Like you said, being more engaged is so critical, especially when you’re dealing with, you know, complex technical software projects like this that will change the way they do their jobs.
It’s going to change the way that they report on those things. Having a dedicated facility where you know what you’re focused on and are able to interact in real time with people in front of you will have a profound impact on the success of the project.
Spencer Lefevre
Yeah, absolutely. And even when you look at some of the process changes, oftentimes maybe one group has a great idea for a change but are not really sure about what the buy-in is from other parts of the organization.
As a result, bringing everyone together and talking about that process change and what that looks like can really be a benefit.
Chris Arey
Yeah. As you know, RPI’s Baltimore office has tons of training rooms and facilities. You’ll often have people from all across the organization attending those types of trainings, events, and testing cycles.
I’m sure that creates an environment for people within the organization to more easily access folks within the organization who can provide insight, instruction, or further detail that they maybe would have had difficulty getting through email chains or meetings. Now, these things become much more accessible because everyone is in the same place at the same time.
Spencer Lefevre
Absolutely, leadership tends to really want to come in and get engaged with that design and those pieces of the project. Having them all together is a great resource.
Chris Arey
Okay. Well, that’s great to hear. In-person work, in-person teams. We love it. It’s good stuff. We strive for it when it’s possible. Let’s flip the script now and talk about managing remote workforces during a project like this. What kind of things are you doing to get them involved and to make sure that like the project is staying on time and all that?
Spencer Lefevre
Yeah, I think for a lot of times it goes back to some of the same meeting structures. Having that kind of daily workflow or twice a week kind of meeting set up just to kind of check in with people, make sure everyone’s on the same page, ensure things are going well.
Oftentimes, you can even have a meeting on Monday and know what the week ahead looks like. And really leveraging the flexibility of remote work for just some of the development process proves to be extremely helpful.
Maybe a developer has a ton of bandwidth in the evening, but not so much in the day. Maybe they’re picking up their kids, bringing them to soccer practice, or something like that where they spend most of their time developing. Leveraging that and knowing those team members really can make a big difference when you’re planning out the project.
Chris Arey
Nice. I like hearing that you really promote a flexible and adaptable approach to your team. They all know that we’re coming in to support them; this is their schedule and we’re going to try and make sure that they’re being accommodated. Is that right?
Spencer Lefevre
Absolutely, yeah, learning your team members and then planning around and taking into different considerations really helps set everyone up. And then as a result, the outcome of the project is successful.
Chris Arey
Now we’ve talked about remote teams and in-person teams in isolation. How do you balance those two things and what kind of advice would you recommend for striking the medium between the two and making sure that they’re also in alignment?
Spencer Lefevre
Well, when you’re definitely looking early on in the project and at a 30,000 foot view, it’s hard to find what areas you might want to just have be in person versus what areas are able to be remote.
Personally, my advice is to look for those critical milestones and look at the complexity of the task and figure out what makes the most sense. Sometimes you’ll have a testing cycle that’s going to span you 60 or maybe even 90 days. Those projects and those testing cycles really can span a long time.
It is helpful to get everyone on site for maybe just the first one or two weeks and collaborate there. Then, the rest of those sessions could be remote. It helps to utilize a sort of “divide and conquer” approach to determine what’s going to work best.
The same goes for the first time in the system; when everyone’s seeing the system for the first time, playing around, and making design tweaks, it really helps to have everyone on the same page. So looking ahead at the projects, it is necessary to kind of map out what those areas or critical milestones are and create a plan for moving forward on those.
Chris Arey
That sounds like requirement number one for a good project manager: being proactive and looking ahead. Yeah.
Spencer Lefevre
Absolutely, absolutely planning and planning early.
Chris Arey
Okay, cool. Thanks for sharing that with us. It sounds like understanding your team and the project needs is obviously crucial for ultimately the project success. I’m wondering now, hearing about your different strategies for overcoming these obstacles, can you give an example of a client who you’ve worked with recently who had a combination of both in person and remote workforces? What kind of steps did you take to make sure that things went according to plan?
Spencer Lefevre
Yeah, absolutely. Recently, I worked on a very large transportation client of ours, and early on in the planning stages, you know, there were some challenges, given the complexity of the design and the nature of the process changes that were going to be involved.
So early on, we brought everyone together for a boot camp and made the most of just showing them the system while also getting building their foundational knowledge base.
We moved into design shortly thereafter and we brought everyone to the same room. We actually decided to shift things to RPI facilities later on in the project just because there was a little bit more space.
Chris Arey
They’re just that, they’re that good, right? Come on in.
Spencer Lefevre
Yeah, exactly. It really helped kind of solidify that whole offsite mentality. If you’re in your own office and you’re in your own conference room spaces, you’re used to that. There’s that day in, day out routine.
But bringing those involved to our office at RPI was great. It allowed everyone to kind of focus on what we were going to be doing. It also allowed for the fostering of ideas and further development of process changes, which were then implemented.
Then came the remote meetings; the check ins, daily status calls and weekly status calls, et cetera.
We ultimately came back for all the testing rounds and for Go-Live. We made sure that for the testing rounds, we were only there on site one week, but it allowed us to accelerate some of that testing, accelerate that back and forth design changes and just kind of build everyone’s confidence in the system.
Chris Arey
I feel like if you find something that’s not working the way that it’s supposed to, it’s probably easier to resolve or address any of those issues, especially if a user is confused on how something’s supposed to be behaving, they can access a trainer or a PM like yourself and just very quickly understand or resolve any kind of issue that is popping up. Is that right?
Spencer Lefevre
Absolutely, and even in talking about what we did at our RPI’s headquarters- we brought everyone together in a large conference room, but there ended up being a few team members that needed help understanding a very specific process.
With everyone on-site, we can just quickly collaborate by taking the individuals involved to a smaller conference room and join forces there. When everyone is on the same page, we can then regroup as a team to close the loop.
Chris Arey
Yeah, having those multiple areas at your disposal is important. You’ve got the big presentation involving everyone, but if a couple people need a more, I guess, hands-on or a smaller group environment, you have the space to do that as well.
Thanks for sharing that Spencer. We’re getting close to time and as you know, before we wrap these up, I’d like to ask my guests if they could share one key takeaway.
Spencer Lefevre
Absolutely.
Chris Arey
For the audience we have for today’s topic, what would it be? I’d love to hear your recommendations for effectively managing both on-site teams and remote workforces for projects like this. What would you recommend?
Spencer Lefevre
Well, as I talked about earlier, and I’m going to say it again, even though I feel like a broken record.
Chris Arey
No, it’s good. That means it’s that important.
Spencer Lefevre
Absolutely. It’s important to really plan early, getting to know your project team, you know, what makes them tick, what makes the way they work, you know, work for the whole project team.
And then when you’re looking over the project plan and really getting things lined up, make sure you’ve built in adequate time for the on-site phases. If that’s what you’re planning to do for your testing phase, understand that travel is going to be impacted.
For instance, if even if it’s the winter or something like that, take those factors into considerations, build in that time. And if you can leverage it to be on-site, you’ll quickly understand the overall project success is going to be inevitable.
Chris Arey
Awesome. Wise words from one of RPI’s most esteemed project managers. Thank you so much, Spencer. It’s been a pleasure having you on the program again. For our listeners tuning in today, if you have any questions about our discussion or managing project teams, or just want to learn more about RPI’s facilities, we’d be happy to get in touch with you. You can contact us at podcast@rpic.com. Again, that’s podcast@rpic.com.
Thanks for tuning in to RPI Tech Connect and we’ll see you next time. Thank you.
Spencer Lefevre
Thanks Chris.
