How’s the Tunnel Coming? Tracking Long Term Projects

Community Manager — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:34:00 GMT

It took 20 years for the character Andy Dufresne to tunnel his way to freedom in the Oscar winning movie The Shawshank Redemption. While most of us will never tackle a project of this scope, we all face long-term projects in the workplace. How best to track progress?

There is no one size-fits-all answer. Large companies, with deep pockets and dedicated project managers, can avail themselves of tools such as enterprise project management software, Gantt charts, PERT (Program Review and Review Technique) and Earned Value Analysis .

Looking to learn more about the fundamentals of project management? Visit the Project Management Institute (PMI), a non-profit professional organization, for resources including the seminal A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide). PMBOK is the internationally recognized standard on project management as it applies to a wide range of projects including construction, software, engineering and automotive production.

Smaller companies, or independent workers, require simpler project management tools that allow energy to be focused on completing projects rather than tracking progress. Pared down tacking tools for leaner infrastructures can include:

Online Project Management Tools (Use software or for hire-services)
Time Tracking (Critical if you bill hourly; helpful for anyone wondering "what the heck have I been working on?" Keep track manually or with software.)
Task Management (Tasks include document uploads, document versioning, notes and comments, due dates, task status, and daily email reminders about what is due.)
Milestones (Determine deliverables and deadlines, plug these into your time tracking calendar to stay on track)
Evaluate Progress, Analyze Results (Find the right evaluation method or software to analyze your day-to-day workflow and outcomes.)

The bottom line, long-term projects need to be chipped away at a day at a time, much like Andy Dufresne's tunnel. Make use of project tracking tools to ensure that you are staying on track.

How do you track-long term projects? What role do milestones and deadlines play in getting to the end of your tunnel? Share your thoughts here and on the Beyond Folders Community's Facebook and Twitter pages.

by Bradley Eggers

The New Project Collaboration and Management Tools

Community Manager — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 13:04:00 GMT

Just ask any manager or leader in the average workplace and they will tell you that project management is pivotal to their team's success and to the company's bottom line. They will also tell you that the nature of project management is changing along with larger changes in the workforce.

As we discussed in (past posts here, here and here ), we are experiencing the rise of a mobile workforce that will number in the billions by the end of this year. The new workplace ecosystem thrives on remote collaboration and virtual teamwork. As this article on The Diverse And Digital Workforce suggests, adapting the old to the new is a challenge that every business organization - and each one of us - needs to rise to in order to survive and thrive.

As a starting point, it is important to learn about - and learn how to use - the latest project collaboration and management tools designed with remote workers in mind. To facilitate the learning curve, we culled this library of informative articles and posts:

As we shift how we engage in work collaboration and project management, we do not have to lose sight of traditional approaches that might still suit our businesses and us.

If you have tips on new project collaboration and management tools, please share them with us. We would also like to know which traditional approaches you are still using and why. We will report on your feedback in future posts.

by Bradley Eggers

Beyond Folders : project management, collaboration

How’s the Tunnel Coming? Tracking Long Term Projects

The New Project Collaboration and Management Tools