Project Portfolio Management Software | AtTask Blog

Project management and social media – a deeper look

24 November 2009 - POSTED by Cindi Smith

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about the connection between project management and social media, about how social media can improve the communication between project managers and their virtual teams. Now, I don’t think I went far enough; improving project management in virtual teaming is just a small piece of what social media offers to project managers – to anyone, really.

I belong, as do most of you, to project management related groups on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, and subscribe to many, many blogs and other related sites. As a marketer/social content contributor for a Project Portfolio Management Software company, I read them to keep myself updated and to find interesting tidbits to share via Twitter and etc. What I realized (in a recent ‘oh, duh’ moment) was that all of you use social media sites to be better managers.

It used to be that if you wanted some real, honest-to-goodness peer networking/educational opportunities you had to travel to user-group meetings or educational seminars to find them. There were bulletin boards and association websites, and perhaps the odd blog or wiki that could help a bit, but those were mostly either one-way or so badly organized as to be virtually useless. And of course there are books on everything … but who’s willing to take the time to read them?

Today, anyone who wants to learn something, share something, ask, answer, or merely comment on a discussion can do so via social media. Truth is, there are a lot of tasks to complete and too much information out there to sort through yourself. So, anytime you find yourself or your project stuck on something new to you, a quick tweet or post on LinkedIn or shout-out from your own blog will bring a range of possible solutions right to you. It’s not just about expressing yourself, saving on postage, or finding new friends any more … social media has eliminated all the walls and boundaries that once limited peer collaboration and ongoing education.

A year ago I though Facebook was just the newest MySpace, and avoided it. Six months ago I thought Twitter was just silly. Now I spend most of my day on both, and they are not silly at all – they are one of my best project management tools. And it no longer matters if you’re competitors. We’re all getting along! Moms everywhere should be thankful.

And with that nifty segue, I want to wish all of you that celebrate it a happy Thanksgiving. Next week – the second half of my Favorite Project Management blog sites list.

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It’s all about Chris

16 November 2009 - POSTED by Adam Michaelson, PMP

Chris is a lab tech. His job is basically to test samples and report results. He doesn’t manage people, doesn’t make presentations in meetings, and doesn’t plan too far into the future. Chris focuses on a list of things to do today and this week.

Marc, the CEO of Chris’ company, is interested in reducing waste, optimizing output, and maximizing value. One of the initiatives toward these goals is to implement a Project Portfolio Management Software solution across the enterprise. His advisors tell him that "this investment will help us to track Project Based Work and give us the insight we need to ensure successful Portfolio Management." Are they right?

Maybe, maybe not. Enterprise Project Management Software is built for what it’s name denotes—managing Projects and Portfolios. These solutions are tailored to the project manager and the executive—someone other than Chris. But Gantt charts, cost management tools, efficient frontier calculators, etc. are only as good as the data powering them.

Let’s imagine for a moment, that Chris doesn’t like using the Project Management Tool (hard to believe, I know). If his experience is bland, difficult, and irrelevant to him, he’ll use it less often and only when he’s forced to. The data he puts into the system will be the minimum needed to comply. For Marc, that paints a sparse picture of what’s going on—and it’s rarely up-to-date. Try steering a ship on minimal information that is out of date.

On the other hand, if Chris (and everyone at his level) finds value in and enjoys using the tool, what does that mean for Marc? Real-time information and accurate data—a lot of accurate data. That’s a much easier ship to steer.

@task is about delivering the ideal experience to each and every user so that they can get their job done effectively. We tailor each feature, each page, each interaction to the context and goals of the user. For example, Chris wants simplicity. He appreciates an experience that reminds him that he is a key contributor to the success of the organization. Giving Chris (and his peers) an engaging solution, tailored to his goals and context, increases the information flow that Marc needs to steer the ship.

@task focuses on delivering a streamlined and rewarding experience for everyone, creating an ecosystem of information that drives visibility, productivity and success.

Now that you’ve met Chris and Marc, let’s talk about Jen…in my next post.

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PPM – On-site or in the Clouds?

30 October 2009 - POSTED by Cindi Smith

The variety of definitions for “cloud computing” notwithstanding (although a jargon-y definition can be found HERE), it’s pretty common knowledge that those of you with a need for project portfolio management software have a choice—use an online PPM solution, or install one on your desktop computer.

The former is subscription-based, implemented as a Web application and accessed through an intranet or extranet using a web browser from … well, just about anywhere. If you have a Web browser, you’re set. The responsibility for hardware, software, IT-guy help, and infrastructure maintenance resides with your vendor.

The latter is an installed desktop solution. Desktop applications typically store their data in a file, although some have the ability to collaborate with other users or store the data in a central database.

Which is the best choice? What is the right answer? Which will help you with your work managment? Both have benefits; both have issues. Although up-front hardware and software costs are a factor, it really comes down to personal preference and what gives you the most peace of mind.

For the installed option, the user/organization retains total control over all aspects of the project software solution, including the peace of mind that can come from knowing all data is protected by security measures set up by that user, and the impression (correct or not) of privacy. Speed is dependent on the desktop system, not the Internet access protocols.

For the on-line (on-demand/cloud/web-based-etc.) solution, you will realize immediate savings from reduced hardware requirements and the elimination of software installation. Other benefits include reduced staff requirements, flexibility, group collaboration and business continuity, and the avoidance of extra database fees and desktop upgrades. And you don’t need to pay anyone to manage your hardware or fine-tune your system.

Personally, I find the real-time visibility into project status available via an online project management solution to be a huge benefit. The finance and ops people will love the reduced costs and resource needs noted above, but as a project manager the ability to have that immediate visibility into project status is invaluable. Add shared dashboard and milestone views, task lists, file repositories, alerts, and email features and you really can’t go wrong.

As for the security and privacy issues? Well, with @task your information remains under your control. @task offers SSL encryption to secure your mission-critical data. It will even automatically generate and email project status reports to an email address. Even if the recipients are not @task users.

For more information about how @task can improve your business project management, click HERE.

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Next Generation Project Managers and Project Portfolio Management Software

20 October 2009 - POSTED by Ty Kiisel

Although this isn’t directly a follow-up to yesterday’s post, I think it might be relevant to the issues we were discussing about ease of use and engaging end users in the process. You might need to squint your eyes a bit to make the connection, but here are my thoughts.

I think it is universally understood that a project manager’s job includes the following three mandates:

Manage project scope, costs, scheduling, and product quality
Identify and mitigate risks, manage project issues, and generally keep project teams on track
Manage the team, often a diverse group of individuals, to achieve the goals of the project

Project portfolio management software has the potential to make a number of these challenges easier for project managers. The right software, as we discussed yesterday will make it easier for project teams to engage in the process and hence easier for PMs to accomplish their objectives.

With that said, the next generation project manager needs to be an exceptional communicator. As organizations expand globally, I speak regularly with customers who are managing teams all over the world. With language, cultural, and time zone challenges, today’s project managers need to overcome a lot of barriers to team collaboration and communication.

The most important skills aren’t the ones taught in preparation for an exam. The soft skills of managing people are every bit as important as managing practice and process. In fact, the project manager who understand that driving business value is more important than simply driving projects to completion is worth his or her weight in gold. It’s more than just finishing, it’s meeting customer needs by helping the team work together effectively.

Those things that are considered project and portfolio management best practices are evolving. It’s not so much about waterfall or agile, but more about making project teams as effective as possible and focusing on projects that drive the most business value.

Although in my opinion, project management software can make this easier, I’d like to hear your thoughts. Who are the most successful project managers in your organization and what are they doing that is different from those who are less successful?

If you’d like to read about what Rawlings is doing to manage global teams in the US, China, and Central America; click HERE.

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