If you have a Web development project, there’s likely a team of people involved. Many Web development companies appoint a project manager as a single point of contact between this team of people and the client. So the question becomes, should you, as the client, meet with the development team or just the project manager?
Single Point of Contact Streamlines the Process
The advantage of dealing only with a project manager is that it streamlines the process — the project manager keeps everything on track and on budget. Plus, it’s easier to communicate and ensure understanding when you’re only dealing with one person.
On the other hand, the project manager becomes responsible for communicating your needs to the development team. Even if the project manager understands you, that’s no guarantee that the development team understands the project manager. If the project is large or complex, at least an initial meeting with the entire development team might be wise.
Full-Team Meetings Ensure Complete Understanding
For a complex project, meeting with the entire team, at least at first, will ensure that everyone on the team has a complete understanding of the project, as well as their specific part in it. Working directly with the team members, rather than just the project manager, will likely take more time, though. You also run the risk that, while each piece gets done exactly as you wish, the project as a whole doesn’t fit together or runs over budget. The project manager’s purpose is to keep an eye on the big picture --- an absolute necessity if you want to make sure the final project is exactly what you want.
If you do have full-team meetings, the project manager should still be included and should still remain the chief point of contact in between meetings. However, getting together with the rest of the team at strategic points throughout the project will ensure that everyone remains on the same page and that your vision for the final product is clear to everyone involved. That way, the final project is more likely to be exactly what you wanted. So even if scheduling the occasional full-team meeting does mean extended the project timeline to accommodate everyone, the result is a better final product, which saves you the time and money of re-work and corrections.