Valuable Lessons Project Managers Can Learn from Craft Brewers

Editor's Note: Take a look at our featured best practice, One-Page Project Management Processes (1-page PDF document). Introduction: The Project Management Institute (PMI) ushered in a significant shift with the release of the PMBOK® Guide - Seventh Edition in 2021. While the fundamental definitions of project and project management remained intact, the focus evolved from a process-oriented approach [read more]

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Over the last few decades, and especially in the last few years, the craft beer sector has seen phenomenal growth and success. Therefore, it is no wonder that many businesses are looking at craft brewers’ ways of operating to learn valuable lessons that they can adopt, adapt, and put into practice.

Project managers alone can learn many important lessons from craft brewing companies, such as the following lessons.

Genuine Passion Equals Quality and Success

Okay, you may need more than just passion to create and manage successful projects. But without passion, it is more likely that projects will fail.

Few craft brewers begin their companies out of monetary motives alone. The vast majority of craft brewing companies begin life because their owners are passionate about the products they produce.

In turn, they instill a sense of passion into their employees.

With a whole workforce that is passionate and dedicated to creating quality products, it is easier for craft brewers to manage each of their projects from beginning to end and produce final products that are high-quality and in demand.

As a project manager, regardless of the specific industry you work in, by being passionate about the projects you work on and the people you work with, you can better ensure your projects are highly successful and that the products or services you launch are of high quality.

Do not underestimate just how much being passionate and going to great lengths to attain quality can positively transform your business projects.

Consistency Matters

One valuable lesson that craft brewers quickly learn is this: consistency matters. They know that every batch of beer they produce must be exactly the same. If it is not, the brewing companies will soon lose loyal customers.

As a project manager, it is important that you learn how important achieving consistency is. That not only applies to creating consistent products or services. It also means being consistent in the way you manage projects and how you interact with each team member.

You need to consistently praise team members whenever they do good jobs, too. By being consistent across the board, you can maintain a high level of efficiency, productivity, and employee satisfaction, and ensure your team creates consistent quality in their tasks on a daily basis.

Using Industry-specific Management Software Is Crucial for Achieving Smooth Workflows

Craft brewers may use traditional methods for creating their products, but they know just how important it is to get with the times when managing day-to-day operations so that workflows remain smooth and efficient.

Successful brewing companies use brewery production management software, such as the software available at getollie.com, to help them stay in control of things like production, order processing, inventory, payments, and more, from one single platform.

Project managers can also ensure their projects run smoothly by using industry-specific management software. So, make sure you look at various management software options to find the best software for your specific needs.

Collaborating with Other Businesses in Your Sector Can Provide Your Company with More Opportunities

One noticeable way in which craft breweries differ in their business operations from other types of businesses is that they often collaborate with other companies in their sector. There is much less emphasis put on trying to outperform the competition.

Instead, craft brewing companies actively collaborate with their competitors to create unique products that are beneficial to both companies and their customers.

So, while you will not want to forget about the competition completely, you could collaborate with companies in your field on certain projects, such as creating joint products or getting together to promote something related to your industry that you want to raise awareness about.

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