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What tools do your use?
There are so many options!
Can collaboration tools be used to replace traditional tools like Gantt chart to eliminate redundancy?
Is it worth recording collaboration activities (comments, edits on drafts and debate over decisions) as part the project history at the end, rather than just archiving final deliverables.
Virtual teams have a different culture and are able to share their knowledge more easily. Your PM may not know how to manage virtual teams. You can have a great collaboration tool but a dysfunctional team. Do you have any suggestions for resources to help develop this skill set?
These systems weren’t available 20 years ago. Why is it so important now for project management?
Where can I purchase your book?
Looking for the right tool?
A while back, I hosted a webinar for subscribers only about trends in project management collaboration tools as well as the barriers to adopting technology in a project environment.
People had a great time, and the feedback was amazing. Presenting my own webinar was definitely more fun than I expected.
We ran out of time so I wanted to address some of the questions here. These are questions I hear about collaboration tools all the time, so I know that many of you have similar queries.
Let’s get started…
What tools do your use?
Who are you? Right now, I use Microsoft Project and Teamwork. However, this doesn’t mean they are right for you or your team.
You can find out more about the tools that I use for my projects here.
There are so many options!
Yes, there are many!
Start with your requirements. What problem are you trying to solve? Collaboration? What about document storage? Involving clients in your planning? This will allow you to create a list of essential features.
Look at products that you think will meet your needs. Before you meet vendors, read my Expert Guide to Choosing Collaboration Tool. Then, work through the process.
This guide will help you to think through your requirements and choose the right project management software.
This is it. The Expert Guide provides more information and my book, Collaboration Tools for Managers, provides more details.
Can collaboration tools be used to replace traditional tools like Gantt chart to eliminate redundancy?
These are my thoughts:
Gantt charts and collaboration tools serve different purposes so you shouldn’t think of them as being incompatible.
You don’t need a separate Gantt charting software if your main collaboration tool includes project management functionality.
Some projects don’t require a Gantt diagram. In these cases, you might be able use a collaboration tool to collaborate with your team.
The best thing about this webinar was the fact that people began answering each other’s questions.
Helen replied with this saying:
Sharepoint PRIME allows me to collaborate and allows me to see traditional PM tools, e.g. Gantt Chart, Risk Log etc.
Magdalena replied:
Freedcamp (like basecamp) is what I use in my small consulting business. It allows you to export tasks to Excel. But doesn’t map out Gantt charts etc. Sometimes it is unnecessary to do both.
That is something I would definitely agree with!
Is it worth recording collaboration activities (comments, edits on drafts and debate over decisions) as part the project history at the end, rather than just archiving final deliverables.
Yes!
These comments and decisions are often brought up later in knowledge-work projects and left unpicked.
This could happen if you
