What’s the Role of Project Management? (No, the answer isn’t “to schedule meetings”).

All of us have either lived through or heard horror stories about home renovations that turn into nightmares. Now imagine that frustration multiplied in a crucial tech project for your business.

Just like a poorly renovated kitchen can cause chaos and cost overruns, the absence of a project management profile, or as we call it, an Agile Delivery Leader (ADL), can derail even the most promising digital initiative.

A while ago, I renovated my kitchen, doing some minor construction work and replacing the furniture and appliances. The construction went smoothly, but the installation of the furniture and appliances was a disaster.

Technicians missed appointments, there was constant miscommunication between them, and most of them were unaware of the agreements we'd already made.

What was the difference between the two phases? Were the professionals better in one than the other? Not really. Once they were able to do their job, both did it well.

So what went wrong in one and not the other? You’ve probably guessed it: the construction crew had someone making sure everything ran smoothly, while in the other case, our only point of contact was a salesperson who moved on as soon as the sale was done.

That’s the job of a good project manager: ensuring that a group of capable professionals work in sync to meet the client’s needs, and in the tech world—where requirements shift and every project has unique challenges—this role is essential.

At Paradigma, our key to avoiding this kind of disaster is the ADL (Agile Delivery Leader), the person in charge of guiding your tech projects to success. But what does an ADL actually do?

1 Makes sure everyone is on the same page

One of the first things that went wrong during my kitchen install was that I had arranged for the old fridge to be removed. When the technician arrived, he said it wasn’t planned, and removing it would take up space in the truck and get in the way of the rest of the delivery.

I was shocked. I had even asked if there was an extra fee and was assured it was included. So I called the salesperson, reminded them of the agreement, and handed the phone to the technician.
In the end, it got resolved—but better coordination would have prevented the technician from losing time and effort over something unplanned.

Now imagine that in a tech project: the development team assumes some APIs will be ready, but the infrastructure team isn’t aware of this. This leads to delays, frustration, and rework.

An ADL ensures that all teams involved know what’s been agreed on, facilitating communication and preventing bottlenecks. In an Agile setting, this means constant communication to ensure everyone is aligned with goals and requirements.

2 The guardian of time, money and sanity

Just as nailing down initial agreements is critical, managing time and resources is another pillar of any project, whether a home renovation or a tech platform.

As you might know, home renovations involve many professionals working together, with clear start and end dates, so each can work under ideal conditions.

That didn’t happen: when the glass installer arrived, they realized the plumber's faucet had to be removed to install the backsplash. The appliance installer noticed the fridge was wrong and extra lights—outside the budget—had been delivered, causing delays and cost overruns.

Just like the lack of coordination between the glass installer and plumber caused rework, a frontend team might build a UI without syncing with the backend team, resulting in poor integration, errors, and extra work.

And just like unexpected appliances increased costs in my renovation, poor management of requirements and budget in an IT project could lead to unnecessary features or overspending. A good ADL plans and organizes the work end-to-end, ensuring teams are synchronized and efficient.

3 Spots disasters before they happen

In my renovation, the accumulation of issues led me to leave negative reviews. The company, instead of preventing this, had to react with a compensation offer.

In tech consulting, proactive risk management is key to avoiding "fires" that jeopardize a project. This means identifying, analyzing and planning for risks that could affect timelines, costs or quality.

Take the dependency on an external vendor for a critical component. If they delay or deliver poor quality, the whole project suffers. A smart ADL flags this risk early, opens communication, sets up contingency plans (e.g. backups or technical workarounds), and monitors progress to detect red flags. The ADL’s role is crucial to minimizing the chance and impact of risks, keeping projects on track.

4 Keeps everyone in sync (even when the plan changes)

Uncertainty and change are constants in any project. In my kitchen, appliance stockouts forced us to make last-minute decisions. Yet, no one told the technicians, who showed up with outdated info—causing confusion and delays.

In tech consulting, changing requirements or scope is common. Clients request new features, priorities shift. In such cases, it’s critical that everyone—teams and client—knows about the changes, understands the impact, and works under an updated plan.

Imagine a client requesting a critical new feature that requires architecture changes. If teams aren’t informed, they might keep building on the old structure—leading to errors and wasted effort.

An ADL ensures changes are formally managed (e.g. via Change Requests), impact is evaluated, plans are updated, and—most importantly—all stakeholders are clearly informed.

This includes setting extra planning meetings, updating tracking tools, and constant communication. The ADL’s job is to keep everyone aligned, minimize frustration, and ensure the team moves in the same direction—even when the story changes.

Why it’s critical in consulting

In our world, every project is different: some clients want Scrum, others need a custom framework, and some just want things to work. The project manager doesn’t follow a script—they adapt, negotiate, and prioritize.

• Are they there to "implement Agile"? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Their superpower is knowing which tool to use when.
• Are they a "boss"? More like a facilitator. Their success isn’t measured by control, but by how well they help the team move forward without burnout.

In short, just like you wouldn’t start a complex renovation without a project coordinator, in consulting, having an Agile Delivery Leader (ADL) is not a luxury—it’s a strategic necessity.

The ADL ensures operational efficiency, minimizes risks, optimizes resources, and ultimately delivers successful tech outcomes—creating real business value and keeping clients happy. Investing in an ADL is investing in your project’s future and ROI.

In summary

The project manager is like a GPS on a complex trip:

• They help you avoid traffic jams (risks).
• Recalculate when the route changes (scope changes).
• And most importantly: they make sure you reach your destination without the passengers killing each other.

Oh, and yes—they also organize meetings. Because someone has to make sure important things get discussed at the right time.