A project is carried out with care, using special facilities and resources, between the beginning and end. Whatever we do it will still be impossible to keep the project isolated from internal and external factors. So we need to know what these factors are. By knowing them we will be able to use them in the direction that will increase the success chances of the project.
Lets start with the definition. Enterprise environmental factors are factors that have the potential to affect your project in any possible way. They are beyond the control of your project team. They may be caused by your organization or are caused by external things independent of your organization.
How do they impact a project?
Enterprise environmental factors have the potential to have a positive impact on the project. This is usually desirable. This assumption is extremely good but not always true. There are enterprise environmental factors that will have a negative impact on the project as well. The task of the project manager is to do her best to minimize the impact of harmful ones by maximizing the impact of factors that will have a positive impact. Hard duty but worth the merit.
Organizational process assets and enterprise environmental factors are often included together as inputs in processes. So they are often conceptually confused with each other. The main difference between them is that enterprise environmental factors exist outside the control of the project team, while the use of organizational process assets is within the control of the project team. Accordingly, while organizational process assets are actively used in processes, environmental business factors can only be considered.
The scope of enterprise environmental factors is virtually unlimited and they can be based on numerous sources originating in and out of the project. So ignoring these factors when conducting a process will leave the project facing endless obscurity. This, in turn, will inevitably profoundly affect the project's chances of success. Some elements of the enterprise environmental factors are mandatory and affect the success of the project for sure, while many others only form examples of good practices. Regardless of they are mandatory or non-compulsory, the project team and the project manager should take them into consideration while tailoring processes.
How to manage them
To manage EEFs, the project manager MUST create a strategy. SO what could these STRATEGIES be? monitoring changes in the external environment can be one. As a result of this monitoring activity, it will be possible to establish a system that enables rapid response to these changes. This system may include establishing a stakeholder network to stay informed about changes in the current market, political situation or regulatory bodies. Thus, by being aware of the changes in the external environment, the project team can make plans, create strategies and show better reflexes to reduce the impact of negative EEFs.
Another strategy for managing EEFs is to create contingency plans. This requires the allocation of resources to address its potential risks. Accordingly, your backup resources protect you against unexpected situations. Developing a plan to respond to unexpected changes in the external environment is an important part of this effort. By creating contingency plans the project team can reduce the impact of these factor. They can keep the project on track even in the face of unexpected challenges this way.