8 reasons why your digital projects are slow - and how to solve them

There are no surprises when it comes to the causes of a slow-running digital project. Bureaucracy, skills shortages, ineffective communication and inefficient tech are all reasons why your project keeps dragging on and on. Nothing new there then.

What is exciting, however, are the new methods for overcoming these hurdles. Innovative systems, agile project management, new communication tools and lean startup techniques can all supercharge your digital projects, helping you create consistently amazing digital experiences in record time.

Find out more on how you choose the right CMS to accelerate your digital projects:

1. Too much time spent on maintenance vs. innovation

Sinking time and money into inefficient systems is a surefire way of slowing down your digital projects. Instead, prioritize innovation. Allocating a portion of your digital transformation budget to innovation might not offer instant rewards, but when it comes to creating a future-proof digital architecture, it’s essential.

2. Too much bureaucracy

Organizational bureaucracy isn’t just a major headache—it can slow down digital projects to a snail pace, too. Between needless policies, endless paperwork, and a lack of decision-making authority, there’s not much time for actually getting things done.

The solution? Lean startup techniques. Inspired by the efficiency of startup businesses, the lean model aims to eliminate waste across entire value streams, rather than at isolated points. Lean methodology has become so popular that Gartner estimates that more than 50% of businesses are leveraging it by now.

3. Sluggish communication across departments

Crowdsourcing help for a digital project is a great way to invite new and innovative ideas, but it’s also a common bottleneck. To ensure your collaboration runs smoothly, it’s vital that you establish processes for effectively communicating across departments. This means picking a system that benefits all involved departments for maximum productivity.

Read more: Make your CMS the hub for your digital experiences »

4. Too much time spent on small tasks

Nitty gritty tasks might seem small, but they soon add up. To keep on top of them, create a “fast lane.” Dedicated developers can then work with your digital team to sprint through these small development tasks, clearing the deck for bigger projects.

5. Lacking the right skills

Sometimes slow projects are simply a result of not having the right skills. Often, this can be solved by training your team to bring them up to speed with best practices. But other times, the best solution is to bring in the experts. Seeking core competence from development partners isn’t cheating—it’s a savvy way of ensuring everyone spends more time doing what they do best.

6. Old CMS architecture

Working with an old CMS architecture? Then no wonder your digital projects are lagging behind. To figure out exactly what’s holding you back, take time to identify your needs and map out any pain points. This will help you create a checklist for finding the perfect CMS for your organization.

Read more: 6 reasons to choose Enonic as your CMS »

7. Hard to integrate legacy systems

A legacy system doesn’t have to slow you down. Leave it to the experts to expose the right APIs for integration. While you may not be able to get rid of these systems, there’s no reason why you can’t live in harmony together.

8. Inefficient projects

Amazing digital experiences rely on efficient software development. Enter the agile method. Aimed to ensure better quality applications, better technical practices, and better project management, agile frameworks are a great way of ensuring seamless collaboration. To find out more about agile projects, hire special trainers to get the whole team up to speed.

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There are lots of reasons why you might be struggling with sluggish digital projects. But luckily, that means there are lots of solutions. In this post, we’ve looked at eight of the main causes:

• Too much time spent on maintenance—invest in innovation instead
• Too much bureaucracy—adopt lean startup techniques
• Sluggish communication across departments—establish processes that benefit every department
• Too much time spent on small tasks—create a ‘fast lane’ for developers
• Lacking the right skills—train your team and outsource help
• Old CMS architecture—create a checklist to find the perfect CMS
• Hard to integrate legacy systems—expose the right APIs so that you can work in harmony
• Inefficient projects—use agile methodology to speed up development

The link connecting all of these solutions is simple: innovation. Whether it’s investing in a future-proof CMS, or establishing new processes for collaboration and communication, innovative processes and technology are at the heart of efficient digital projects.

First published 1 August 2018, updated 4 July 2022.