---
title: "How-To: Open points management in the project - how to stay in control"
description: Open points cost time, nerves and money. Find out how you can use digital OPM to create transparency and complete projects faster.
---

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# [How-To: Open points management in the project - how to stay in control](https://blog.coman-software.com/en/blog/how-to-manage-open-issues-in-a-project-how-to-stay-in-control)

 Written by [Santana-Alina Hagemann](https://blog.coman-software.com/en/blog/author/santana-alina-hagemann) | Sep 26, 2025 5:00:01 AM

### 🚧 Open points - the silent chaos in the project

Do you know this?  
The to-do's are piling up. Everyone somehow knows that there are open points - but no one knows exactly who is responsible for what and by when something has to be done.

The result:

- Important tasks slip through the cracks.
- Responsibilities are unclear.
- Projects are delayed - and often for no clear reason.

And this is exactly where structured **open points management (OPM)** comes into play.

 

### 🧭 What is open points management anyway?

Open item management means that you **systematically record, prioritize and track all open to-do's, problems and deviations**.

The goal: clarity about who does what and when - and what happens if it doesn't happen.

It sounds simple, but in reality it is one of the biggest levers for **efficient project management**.

 

### ❌ Typical mistakes in OPM

Many projects don't fail because of the problem itself - but because of how it is handled.

Here are the most common mistakes:

- **Excel proliferation**: everyone has their own list, no central overview.
- **No responsibilities**: Open points are known but don't "belong" to anyone.
- **Lack of deadlines**: Without clear deadlines, the issue is put off forever.
- **Lack of transparency**: Stakeholders don't know how critical an issue really is.

Do you recognize yourself? Then it's time for a new approach.

 

### ✅ Step-by-step guide to efficient OPM

 

#### 1️⃣ Record all open points

- Start with a central list - digital instead of paper or Excel.
- Each item needs a clear description: What exactly is open?

#### 2️⃣ Clarify responsibilities

- Each open item has an **owner**.
- No shared responsibility ("we'll take care of it") - this is the only way to make it binding.

#### 3️⃣ Prioritize & set deadlines

- Not everything is equally important. Use a traffic light logic (red/yellow/green) or an RPN (risk priority number).
- Set specific deadlines for when an item must be completed.

#### 4️⃣ Make progress transparent

- Use [dashboards](https://coman-software.com/en/dashboard?hsLang=en) that show the status to all stakeholders.
- Document when an item has been completed - and keep a traceable history.

#### 5️⃣ Check & follow up regularly

- Incorporate OPM into your regular meetings.
- Review: What has been completed? What is blocked? Where do decisions need to be made?

### 💡 Best practice: Digitize OPM with COMAN

Manual OPM in Excel? That might work for small projects - but not for complex projects with dozens of stakeholders.

This is where [COMAN software](https://coman-software.com/en/?hsLang=en) comes in:

- Link open points directly to project objects
- Make progress visible in real time
- Automatic reminders for escalations
- [Mobile processing ](https://coman-software.com/en/mobile?hsLang=en)via app - even on the construction site

👉 This not only saves you time and nerves, but also ensures that open points **are no longer lost**.

 

### 🚀 Conclusion: projects don't fail because of problems, but because of a lack of control

Every project has open issues.  
The difference between success and failure lies in **how you manage them**.

With a clear process - and digital tools like COMAN - OPM goes from being a chaos factor to a **success factor**.

[View full post](https://blog.coman-software.com/en/blog/how-to-manage-open-issues-in-a-project-how-to-stay-in-control)

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