The top three Project Management mistakes partners make

Project management is the backbone of success, yet many partners underestimate its value, leading to costly errors. Tim O’Toole (Director, Project Management Office at Westcon-Comstor) shares the most common Project Management mistakes we see partners make.

Projects are rarely straightforward. For our partners especially, they’re high-stakes operations involving multiple vendors, complex logistics, tight timelines, and often, multi-country (if not global) coordination.

Yet, time and time again, we see project management as the first thing to be cut from the scope. Maybe it’s seen as just an ‘optional extra’, but nothing could be further from reality. 

Project management is what protects the delivery, the margin, and the reputation of not just us, but our partners, their customers and our suppliers. In Professional Services – particularly those delivered by a specialist distributor like us - Project Managers are the ‘glue’ that bind the channel together. They absorb the pressure of competing stakeholder demands, supplier delays, shifting priorities, and complex coordination across time zones, so that our partners don’t have to.

Most of us would never dare to get into a car without insurance; when things go wrong, the damage is costly and protection is key. Project Managers provide that assurance. 

So, in today’s world, where customers expect frictionless execution, skilled project management (or its absence) is the difference between a smooth delivery or reputational disaster.

Here are the top three mistakes we commonly see partners make and how avoiding them can make all the difference.

Mistake 1: Cutting project management to save costs

We see this objection often, usually when trying to hit a customer price point. I get it, but discounting project management rarely saves money and should be a last resort. 

Downgrading project management scope – or worse, cutting project management completely – simply shifts the cost into delays, rework, escalations, and lost customer confidence. It also leads to multiple change requests and extra purchase orders to cover the additional hours Project Managers end up spending trying to fix the issues.

What looks like an upfront saving becomes margin erosion and reputational risk down the line. Proper project management isn’t a cost overhead – it’s an investment in delivery success.

Mistake 2: Leaving project management to technical resources

This one of the most common and costly assumptions we hear. The truth is, technical engineers and IT professionals are rarely Project Managers. Expecting them to deliver solutions while managing stakeholders, risks, scope changes, and reporting often leads to missed milestones, poor escalation, and frankly, avoidable frustration.

So, when things go off-track, who’s steering the ship? The engineer? Sales? The customer? Without a Project Manager in place, the answer is usually… no one. Project management isn’t a luxury, it’s what keeps delivery structured, accountable, and predictable. Leave the techs to what they do best: deliver the solution!

Mistake 3: Relying on assumptions instead of proactive management

Assumptions often creep into complex delivery environments, and they’re more dangerous than they appear. One of the most common? Assuming engineers will identify and flag every potential risk, early and clearly.

While engineers are methodical and detail-focused, they tend to process complexity internally, zeroing in on execution. They’re not always the first to escalate concerns. Meanwhile, sales teams often move quickly to meet client demands, and in that urgency, technical nuance can get sidelined. It’s not negligence, it’s momentum. But in complex projects, what goes unnoticed often goes unmanaged.

That’s where early involvement of experienced Project Managers make the difference. They’re not just there to track progress; they’re the pressure valves, the early warning systems, and the people who know when something smells off. 

Project Managers ask the tough questions, challenge the grey areas, and escalate early. They may not always be the most popular, but when delivery hits another car head-on, they’re the ones you’re glad you took out that insurance policy with. 

What makes an exceptional Project Manager

A good project manager brings calm, structure, clear communication, and solid task management. They keep things moving, manage the basics well, and keep stakeholders informed.

But what makes a Project Manager exceptional? That’s where experience, maturity, and gut instinct come into play.

There’s no shortcut to that. The best Project Managers have lived through full-blown project train wrecks, the kind where everything goes off the rails. They’ve had to regroup, reflect, and decide what they’d absolutely never do again. That hard-earned experience sharpens their instincts, helps them see around corners, and keep control in the middle of chaos.

Exceptional PMs are like conductors leading an orchestra. They don’t just follow the sheet music; they feel the tempo, bring everyone in at the right time, and guide the entire performance with confidence. Even when something unexpected happens, they make sure the audience never notices. The show goes on flawlessly.