أثارت سيدة سعودية الجدل على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “تويتر”، بعدما نشرت فيديوهات لها، تظهر فيه وهيّ تُغني بينما يقوم زوجها بتقبيل يدها، وبدا من خلال المقاطع المنشورة حرص السيدة على مناداة زوجها بـ “نادر”. وخلال المقطع، تحدثت السيدة عن التقاليد والعادات السعودية، داعية الشباب إلى الالتزام بتلك التقاليد، فقامت بربط حزام السيارة، كدليل على التزامها بالتعليمات، بينما ناشدت المواطنين التقيد بالتعليمات المرورية. وتناول ناشطون على مواقع التواصل الاجتماعي الأمر في سياقين مختلفين، أولهما رأى أن السيدة من حقها أن تفعل ما تريد باعتبار أن ذلك حرية شخصية لها ولزوجها طالما أنهما التزما بالتعليمات ولم يخرجا عن النص، الفريق الآخر تعصب ضد ما شاهده رافضًا أن يقوم زوج السيدة بتقبيل يدها إضافة إلى قيامها بالغناء.
أقيم في الساعات الأولى من صباح اليوم الإثنين، الحفل السنوي لتوزيع جوائز الأوسكار في دورته الـ89، الذي تنظمه أكاديمية فنون وعلوم الصور المتحركة لتكريم أفضل الأفلام لعام 2017. ويقام حفل توزيع جوائز الأوسكار في دورته الـ89، على مسرح “دولبي”، بمدينة لوس أنجلوس الأمريكية. وشهد الحفل العديد من الأحادث المثيرة، ونستعرض أبرزها خلال التقرير التالي.
– الإعلان بالخطأ عن فوز فيلم “La La Land”
فاز فيلم “Moonlight” بجائزة أفضل فيلم في حفل توزيع جوائز الأوسكار بدورته الـ89، والمقام حاليًا على مسرح دولبي فى مدينة لوس أنجلوس الأمريكية، وحاز الفيلم على الجائزة بعدما تم الإعلان عن فوز فيلم “La La Land”.
وقام “كيميل” بعرض “تغريدة” ساخرة على موقع التواصل الاجتماعي “تويتر” تسخر من ترامب، مما أثار ضحك الجميع، وأثار جدلًا بعد الحفل.
-دخول مفاجئ
في لفتة غريبة، قام مقدم الحفل “جيمى كيميل” بإدخال مجموعة من الجمهور بشكل غريب، وبدأ يعرفهم على الفنانين، وقاموا بإلتقاط العديد من الصور التذكارية داخل قاعة الحفل.
وقام الفنان “رايان جوسلينج” بإعطاء أحدهم هدية شخصية، كما قامت إحدى الفنانات بتقديم نظارتها الشمسية الخاصة لإحدى السيدات، في مشهد رائع للغاية.
اللاجئة السورية هالة كميل على السجادة الحمراء
شهدت السجادة الحمراء لحفل جوائز الأوسكار الـ 89 حضور اللاجئة السورية هالة كميل والتي تناول فيلم WATANI: MY HOMELAND قصتها، وهو الفيلم الذي رشح لجائزة أفضل فيلم وثائقي قصير والذي فاز بها The White Helmets.
-جاكي شان والدباديب
أثار النجم العالمي جاكي شان حضور حفل توزيع جوائز مهرجان الأكاديمية الأمريكية للرسوم المتحركة الأوسكار في دورته الـ 89. ووصل جاكي إلى السجادة الحمراء للحفل حاملال بيديه دميتين على شكل “باندا”. وكشف نجم أفلام الأكشن والكوميديا عبر لقاءاته على السجادة الحمراء، حملته التي يشنها لإنقاذ حياة “الباندا”، مشيرا إلى أنه أخذ على عاتقه دعم حقوق الباندا بطريقة طريفة للغاية، على السجادة الحمراء في الأوسكار.
احتشام نجمة الإغراء داكوتا جونسون
فاجأت نجمة الإغراء داكوتا جونسون، بطلة فيلم fifty shades darker، الجميع في حفل توزيع جوائز الأوسكار، ولفتت الأنظار بملابسها وإطلالتها المحتشمة على غير المتوقع، فى الحفل الذى يقام على مسرح دولبى هوليوود.
جون لجند وكريسي تيجين
أثار الفنان جون لجند وكريسي تيجين إثارة كبيرة، بعد ظهورهما معًا في أوضاع رومانسية، أبرزها وهو يحمل لها فستانها. وأصبحت صور “لجند وتيجين” حديث الجميع قبل بدء الحفل وحتى نهايته، حتى أنه انتشر هاشتاق يحمل اسمهما معًا.
Facebook’s move
to force users to install Facebook Messenger if you wanted to chat
within Facebook has met severe criticism. It turns out that people want
to have all their messages right inside the default Facebook app.
Despite the criticism, Facebook wouldn’t be budging (at least, not
soon enough to matter). It continues to ask users to install Facebook
Messenger if they want to chat or send messages. There’re a couple of
workarounds, though if you want to continue to chat or message from
within Facebook’s main app.
How to Send Facebook Messages/Chat without the iPhone Messenger App
For users who don’t want to take the jailbreak-route
Step #3. You can use the message features without being prompted to download Messenger.
Step #4. Alternatively, you can also go to m.facebook.com (but note that it’s an outdated interface.)
For users who have jailbroken iPhones
Step #1. Open Cydia.
Step #2. Search and install FBNoNeedMessenger.
Step #3. Restart the Facebook app.
Step #4. You should now be able to use messaging/chat without the annoying notice.
If you’ve got a non-jailbroken iPhone/iPad but want to jailbreak, here’s how to jailbreak your iPhone/iPad using the latest tools.
Arguably, the jailbreak solution trumps the other one in terms of
usability. However, I know for a fact that out of the number of users
who use Facebook through their iPhone, only a handful has a jailbroken
device.
For this demographic, at the moment, the touch.facebook.com website
is the cleanest way to retain the Facebook experience with built-in
messaging. It’s not very different from the native app but it certainly
is a lot slower.
FBNoNeedMessenger is a free Cydia tweak up on the BigBoss repo. It doesn’t need any configurations.
With a little less than two months to go until the release of Captain America: Civil War, Marvel's been big with their second full trailer (widely assumed to be the last, though that is unlikely), introducing Spiderman, crossbones, a Black Panther unmasked and all kinds of details of the story. If you look closely, there is a very definite form that is exactly how this plot is going to play. E impressive, there is still much more to discover that remain until the premiere of the film.If you feel some pangs of familiarity, that could be because there is no other superhero movie blockbusters coming that deals with the consequences of the intervention and collateral damage, a villain with shadows pulling the strings behind the scenes and best friends dead. You may have heard of him.
Luckily, it should be possible to enjoy both films, but that's not what the Internet is for, so pick a winner at this stage should always be encouraged. On the strength of this trailer, however, this film is the most exciting, especially for real fans of comics, not those looking for an action movie somber, more realistic. If you need more evidence that, just look at the design of Spider-Man.However you want to rotate the DC v Marvel battle, this is the closest they have to make films that compete directly; share the narrative genetics, including all of its biggest brands and barely one month apart are released. This really means war. Anyway, so we go into the analysis of everything in the trailer ... It not particularly marked, but we must assume that this here is the original ground zero for the rebirth of Bucky as the Winter Soldier.
What's in HYDRA and snowy mountain landscapes? How not to be a cliché kind of commitment to their attempts to hide the fact that there? And hands up who else is getting defined feelings that all this will unravel to reveal that the first fan of snowy mountains (Red Skull) HYDRA is still involved in some way?
CRM models : The Payne’s Five Forces Model The Payne’s Five Forces Model This is a far reaching model created by Adrian Payne’ The model recognizes five center procedures in Customer Relationship Management CRM, for example, the methodology improvement handle, the worth creation prepare, the multichannel joining process, the execution evaluation process and the data administration process. They can be assembled into key CRM, operational Customer Relationship Management CRM and explanatory CRM. Payne (2006) additionally presented a key structure/model for Customer Relationship Management CRM comprising of five bland procedures, for example, Strategic Development, Value Creation, Multichannel Integration, Information Management, and Performance Assessment. The Strategy Development procedure is worried with incorporating the business technique from the association edge and the client system regarding how firm collaborate and pick their client. The Information Management process comprises of a wide range of information vault IT frameworks, back and front office applications and investigative apparatuses. It is in this manner important to get to the framework’s deceivability so the requirement for execution evaluation procedure set in and it is worried at the vital monitoring can be utilized to focus consumer loyalty and gauges.
Different creators have proposed Customer Relationship Management CRM system structure. Winer (2001) diagrams a model, which contains: a database of client movement; examinations of the database; choices about clients to target; devices for the client focusing; on the best way to construct associations with the focused on clients; security issues’ and measurements for measuring the Customer’s accomplishment Relationship Management CRM program. Along these lines the both creators distinguish five CRM procedures including: vital advancement; esteem creation; multi-channel combination; data administration; and execution evaluation THE DASAI ET AL/CONCEPTUAL MODEL The applied structure was created by Dasai el al (2007) in which thought is driven towards aggressive CRM execution from both interior and outer points of view. As being what is indicated, the immediate effect of IT ability variables ought to be attempted and seen on aggressive CRM execution. THE FORRESTER MODEL The Forrester CRM model is assembled into four sorts, for example, Strategy; Process, Technology; and People. The creator sees that the above scorecard seems to be comparative that delivered by Gartner Group (IDM, 2002). Yet, few criteria were utilized. Along these lines it ought to be suitable to affirm the Forrester’s CRM execution scorecard is a change of Gartner’s one. The Maturity Model Gartner’s CRM Maturity Model is a device in which the gathering utilized as a part of rating ventures as far as their capacities in viably utilizing CRM. To focus the classification in which a venture is put on the model, they are initially assessed regarding Overall CRM vision and system, predictable esteemed client experience, authoritative coordinated effort, forms, data, innovation, measurements. Every one of these components were what made out of the Garner’s execution estimation scorecard which was talked before on yet the distinction is that, sanctuary scored your execution in view of this components, the development model will then empower the firm to know where they are at the present and where they need to be over a timeframe, what the prerequisite they should accomplish that status. Table 2.2 appears what the model is resembles. From the systems dissected above, it was seen by the specialist that there are likenesses which cut crosswise over them. looking at the technique, this is centred around client and association in one side; and key improvement and worth creation on the other side. Separately the association, this includes the change of society, structures and conduct with a specific end goal to guarantee that the staff, accomplices and suppliers cooperate to convey what is guaranteed.
Customer relationship management (CRM) refers to the practices, strategies and technologies that companies use to manage, record and evaluate customer interactions in order to drive sales growth by deepening and enriching relationships with their customer bases.
Customer relationship management (CRM) is a term that refers to practices, strategies and technologies that companies use to manage and analyze customer interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle, with the goal of improving business relationships with customers, assisting in customer retention and driving sales growth. CRM systems are designed to compile information on customers across different channels — or points of contact between the customer and the company — which could include the company’s website, telephone, live chat, direct mail, marketing materials and social media. CRM systems can also give customer-facing staff detailed information on customers’ personal information, purchase history, buying preferences and concerns. CRM software
CRM software consolidates customer information and documents into a single CRM database so business users can more easily access and manage it. The other main functions of this software include recording various customer interactions (over email, phone calls, social media or other channels, depending on system capabilities), automating various workflow processes such as tasks, calendars and alerts, and giving managers the ability to track performance and productivity based on information logged within the system. Common features of CRM software include: • Marketing automation: CRM tools with marketing automation capabilities can automate repetitive tasks to enhance marketing efforts to customers at different points in the lifecycle. For example, as sales prospects come into the system, the system might automatically send them marketing materials, typically via email or social media, with the goal of turning a sales lead into a full-fledged customer. • Sales force automation: Also known as sales force management, sales force automation is meant to prevent duplicate efforts between a salesperson and a customer. A CRM system can help achieve this by automatically tracking all contact and follow-ups between both sides. • Contact center automation: Designed to reduce tedious aspects of a contact center agent’s job, contact center automation might include pre-recorded audio that assists in customer problem-solving and information dissemination. Various software tools that integrate with the agent’s desktop tools can handle customer requests in order to cut down the time of calls and simplify customer service processes. • Geolocation technology, or location-based services: Some CRM systems include technology that can create geographic marketing campaigns based on customers’ physical locations, sometimes integrating with popular location-based GPS apps. Geolocation technology can also be used as a networking or contact management tool in order to find sales prospects based on location. The CRM technology market The four main vendors of CRM systems are Salesforce.com, Microsoft, SAP and Oracle. Other providers are popular among small- to mid-market businesses, but these four tend to be the choice of large corporations. On-premises CRM puts the onus of administration, control, security and maintenance of the database and information on the company itself. With this approach the company purchases licenses up front instead of buying yearly subscriptions. The software resides on the company’s own servers and the user assumes the cost of any upgrades and usually requires a prolonged installation process to fully integrate a company’s data. Companies with complex CRM needs might benefit more from an on-premises deployment. With cloud-based CRM — also known as SaaS (software-as-a-service) or on-demand CRM — data is stored on an external, remote network that employees can access anytime, anywhere there is an Internet connection, sometimes with a third-party service provider overseeing installation and maintenance. The cloud’s quick, relatively easy deployment capabilities appeals to companies with limited technological expertise or resources. Companies might consider cloud-based CRM as a more cost-effective option. Vendors such as Salesforce.com charge by the user on a subscription basis and give the option of monthly or yearly payments. Data security is a primary concern for companies using a cloud-based system since the company doesn’t physically control the storage and maintenance of its data. If the cloud provider goes out of business or is acquired by another company, a company’s data can be compromised or lost. Compatibility issues can also arise when data is initially migrated from a company’s previous system to the cloud. Finally, cost may be a concern, since paying subscription fees for software can be more costly than on-premises-based models. Open source CRM programs make source code available to the public, allowing companies to make alterations with no cost to the company employing it. Open source CRM systems also allow the addition and customization of data links to social media channels, assisting companies looking to improve social CRM practices. Vendors such as SugarCRM are popular choices in the open source market. Adoption of any of these CRM deployment methods depends on a company’s business needs, resources and goals, since each has different costs associated with it. Trends Traditionally, data intake practices for CRM systems have been the responsibility of sales and marketing departments as well as contact center agents. Sales and marketing teams procure leads and update the system with information throughout the customer lifecycle and contact centers gather data and revise customer history records through service call and technical support interactions. The advent of social media and the proliferation of mobile devices has caused CRM providers to upgrade their offerings to include new features that cater to customers who use these technologies. Social CRM refers to businesses engaging customers directly through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Social media presents an open forum for customers to share experiences with a brand, whether they’re airing grievances or promoting products. To add value to customer interactions on social media, businesses use various tools that monitor social conversations, from specific mentions of a brand to the frequency of keywords used, to determine their target audience and which platforms they use. Other tools are designed to analyze social media feedback and address customer queries and issues. Companies are interested in capturing sentiments such as a customer’s likelihood of recommending their products and the customer’s overall satisfaction in order to develop marketing and service strategies. Companies try to integrate social CRM data with other customer data obtained from sales or marketing departments in order to get a single view of the customer. Another way in which social CRM is adding value for companies and customers is customer communities, where customers post reviews of products and can engage with other customers to troubleshoot issues or research products in real time. Customer communities can provide low-level customer service for certain kinds of problems and reduce the number of contact center calls. Customer communities can also benefit companies by providing new product ideas or feedback without requiring companies to enlist feedback groups. Mobile CRM — or the CRM applications built for smartphones and tablets — is becoming a must-have for sales representatives and marketing professionals who want to access customer information and perform tasks when they are not physically in their offices. Mobile CRM apps take advantage of features that are unique to mobile devices, such as GPS and voice-recognition capabilities, in order to better serve customers by giving employees access to this information on the go. CRM challenges For all of the advancements in CRM technology, without the proper management, a CRM system can become little more than a glorified database where customer information is stored. Data sets need to be connected, distributed and organized so that users can easily access the information they need. What are the three most important things to consider when choosing a CRM system for your company? 4 Responses Join the Discussion Companies also struggle to achieve a “single view of the customer,” where many different data sets can be seamlessly accessed and organized in a single dashboard or interface to create one view of a customer’s account and relevant information. Challenges arise when customer data is siloed in several separate systems or when data is complicated by duplicate or outdated information that slows down and hampers the business process. These problems can lead to a decline in customer experience due to long wait times during phone calls, improper handling of technical support cases and other issues. Studies show that customers, particularly Millennials, are increasingly dissatisfied with the contact center experience. They demand multiple avenues of communication with a company and expect a seamless interaction across many different channels, the most popular of which tend to be Web chat, mobile apps and social media. The main challenge of a CRM system is delivering a cross-channel customer experience that is consistent and reliable. Social media, for example, has been touted as a more efficient channel by which customers can reach companies and get problems resolved or queries answered, rather than enduring the traditional method of waiting in a phone queue or awaiting an email response. In some cases, particularly in high-touch customer service scenarios , social platforms can fall short for customer service. Companies also continue to struggle to identify real sales prospects with their data. New lead-generation technologies that combine CRM data with third-party data from companies like Dunn & Bradstreet and social streams have also been emerging to provide sales and marketing teams with better sales prospects. These methods work best, however, when companies spend time cleaning up their existing data to eliminate duplicate and incomplete records before they supplement CRM data with external sources of information.
By Heather Catalano Last updated February 20, 2015
Part 3 of our Small Business Tools Series tackles the best project management software. Previously we covered Best Cloud Storage Providers and Best Email Marketing Services; now we enter the realm of project management.
There are many project software providers out there these days. While it speaks to the necessity of project management, it also can be difficult to find which one is the best fit for you and your business.
Project management software is a vital tool that affords visibility to project timelines, goals, and expenses while effectively utilizing resources and allowing collaboration between all parties involved.
Even if you’re tackling a project by yourself, you need a way to effectively see, plan, and change each step of your process. If you are working with many collaborators, project management software becomes even more vital to have in your toolkit.
The Simple Dollar’s Top Picks
Here are the top three project management software picks:
LiquidPlanner
Project Insight
Smartsheet
This section includes project management software that requires a paid subscription fee beyond any free trials. They should be reserved for multi-department collaboration due to the increased level of functionality. If you’re a startup with a small staff and a need for low overhead costs, check out The Simple Dollar’s top free picks farther down in this post.
LiquidPlanner
LiquidPlanner is one of the most comprehensive and interesting project management software tools available today. They offer a 30-day free trial followed by a monthly subscription starting at $29 per user.
This real-time tool uses a totally unique scheduling mechanism that automatically updates across the board when priorities shift, you schedule a vacation, or have limited availability. Priority shifting is inevitable and the auto-rearranging will not only save you time but will give you visibility to realistic outcomes that can be shared with your boss, and, more importantly, your boss’s boss.
With this scheduling, all of your resources (people) are taken into consideration and mapped out to allocate the appropriate skills to the right places at the right time, ensuring they are not overbooked on multiple projects as deadlines are rearranged.
Also, you can custom-build your reporting tools and dashboards and access projects and overviews while on the move with the iPhone or Android applications.
The only real downside to this provider is the lack of financial management tools at the price you pay for their services. With that being said, authorized users can export timesheets to XML, CSV, or QuickBooks for invoicing and payroll purposes.
Project Insight
Project Insight is the leading mid-market (1 to 1,000 users) Web-based project management software on the market today. Its software was developed by Metafuse, a gold partner of Microsoft, and therefore is ideal for businesses utilizing MS Office due to its incredible integration with Outlook.
Project Insight can be integrated with any enterprise system from a range of renowned ERPs, CRMs, and account solutions all the way to home-grown systems. It is a highly customizable jack of all trades.
Offering a little bit of everything keeps them at the top of the pack for organizations that need to focus simultaneously on large-scale production, budgeting, and resource management. They have an intuitive user interface and free bimonthly live webinars to keep your team up to speed on any new features and revisit those that may not be used to their full potential just yet.
They have a few different pricing structures, including our favorite: the free trial. They also have a one-time license purchasing option or a subscription fee. Due to their highly customizable nature, you’ll need to contact them to determine the pricing based on your needs. Call (949) 476-6499 for a free quote.
Smartsheet
Smartsheet is a dream for every person who’s ever used Excel as a project management tool. Their layouts are extremely similar, and therefore familiar and user-friendly — but Smartsheet comes with unmatched functionality within the rows and columns.
You can add documents, make comments, share, and collaborate with an unlimited amount of users, integrate a Gantt chart (discussed later in this post), and easily customize the layout of your sheet. They offer a 30-day free trial followed by a $14/month (when paid annually) subscription fee for their basic package.
While spreadsheets are something most of us in business are familiar with, Smartsheet offers a great video training list and the occasional live webinar. As you probably know, there is always additional functionality within the toolset that could drastically increase efficiency, so if you move forward with Smartsheet, make sure you encourage your staff to attend these trainings.
Creating a new project is as simple as clicking a plus symbol when logged into Smartsheet. You can use one of their many pre-established templates or create one from scratch if your project is rather unique. You can also create workspaces that allow a clean, open sharing space of all the sheets with an established group, like a particular department or project implementation team.
If you work with external partners, clients, consultants, mentors, etc., who are not members of Smartsheet, no problem! You can publish any sheet as either read-only or interactive, and either provide them with a link or embed it into your website so it can be manipulated without the need to subscribe to the service.
The Simple Dollar’s Top Free Picks
Here are the top three free project management software picks:
Xtrant
EasyProjects
Trello
This section includes project management software that, to date, always provide a free level of service. Keep in mind that you want to pick a provider based not only on your needs today, but what you’ll need in the future. Be sure to revisit your organization’s immediate and long-term goals prior to making a decision on the project management tool you’ll move forward with.
Xtrant
Xtrant is an extremely easy-to-use project platform. They are a smaller startup out of Memphis, Tennessee, who found themselves with a table full of projects, a need to collaborate both internally and with their clients, and found a solution in building a software layer to accomplish this rather than hiring account representatives to function as the middlemen.
Using Xtrant is as simple as this:
Create the project, including a brief description, due date, etc.
Add the people who’ll be involved and give them the appropriate rights (Contributor, Participant, or Viewer).
Add your “Milestones.” These can be deadlines, tasks, or goals that can be dated or undated. Those that are not dated can easily be moved up and down on your milestone list, giving you additional flexibility.
Upload any necessary documentation or create new documents. You can create these as “living documents” for things like brainstorm pages that can be kept as a running total of ideas from all contributors.
Publish!
With a similar layout to Facebook (although it was originally developed prior to Facebook), it’s incredibly easy for users. People added to the project who don’t already have an account will be sent an email to sign up for free, and not just for a free-trial period.
With the free account, you can still collaborate with an unlimited amount of users. The only downsides are that you can only have three current projects and are limited to 250MB of file storage.
If you find that you need more storage, you can choose to upgrade to a paid package. Paid packages include unlimited storage and projects. The pricing is based on the number of internal users, i.e., those who will be creating projects, starting at $19/month for just you, $49/month for up to five users, and so on.
There is additional functionality, including the ability to share classified content, such as contracts, pricing sheets, etc., with specified project team members. As a startup, Xtrant is heavily invested in addressing any system limitations head-on to better serve their ever-growing customer base, including the soon-to-be-released mobile application that entered beta testing last month.
EasyProjects
EasyProjects is the best free service you can get for client collaboration. They offer a guest portal that your clients can use free of charge to add additional projects, documents, and comments. As the administrator, you can assign team members to specific clients in the portal to create a better experience for everyone involved.
Their generous free plan offers 1GB of storage, an unlimited number of guest users, and up to 10 portfolios with up to 20 custom fields such as date, number, and text. This is ideal for a client-facing startup with a minimal to nonexistent project-management budget.
If you find yourself needing more as your company grows, they have paid subscriptions that you can easily upgrade to starting at $15.75 per user per month (if paid annually).
They use “portfolios” as an umbrella over projects in order to better manage available, and often limited, resources, while still ensuring the overall goals are accomplished. A portfolio manager can be assigned with access to manipulate any of the aligned tasks, projects, deadlines, or customizable fields.
EasyProjects is also integrated with Microsoft Outlook, which eliminates a need to bounce back and forth between email and your project management site. They have a powerful dashboard that maps out things like an overview of portfolio statuses, resource allocation, and recent activity so you can make educated decisions from a top-down perspective.
Trello
Trello is an awesomely simple project management tool that’s always free unless you need more storage, at which point you can upgrade to the “Gold” version. Gold includes an increase from the 10MB free storage all the way up to 250MB for as little as $5 per month or $45 per year. Their platform is visually stimulating and appeals to those who need exposure to their accomplishments (like myself).
I’ll be honest, this one made the list because I use it. I use it all the time. And I love it.
Trello has helped me plan fundraising events, collaborate on new business ventures, buy my first home, and keep my home clean (yes, this is incorporated into my project management tool — insert shame here). If only had it been around when I got married!
Within each “board” or task, you can add a list of activities, documents, interactive checklists that show a progress bar, unlimited collaborators, and due dates. You or your collaborators can subscribe to boards and will get an automatic notification 24 hours before the task is due.
Everything can be color coded — again, a great visual organizational feature for you and your team. All your content can be dragged and dropped easily throughout your screen so you can add or move activities between boards and prioritize tasks at hand.
Trello is available in iOS and Android so you can stay apprised of all projects wherever you are. If you need budgeting or time management tools, Trello might not be the best project management software for you, though. On the other hand, if you need something that’s user-friendly and want your team to participate with minimal pushback, Trello should be a great fit.
Project Management Software Considerations
Outside of the functionality of specific project management software, there are various other components you should take into consideration to ensure you’re making the best decision prior to implementation.
Cloud-Based vs. Desktop
There are advantages and disadvantages to both of these types of software. While desktop typically offers the most control over cost by enabling the purchase of individual licenses for each computer, it also requires installation and limits the ease of adding additional users as projects continue to grow.
Cloud-based solutions allow increased flexibility for remote and mobile employees. It eliminates the risk of not being able to access the software in the event of a virus infiltration, as you can log on directly from a website on any device.
Integration
Explore the integration capacity and compatibility of the software before moving forward. Systems like Project Insight boast the ability to integrate with any enterprise system.
Think about what mobile devices and operating systems you and your employees currently use. What platform are you using for your email, calendar, and document storage? Can it easily be transitioned or linked to your project management software?
There are times that a specific product, service, or platform has been such a critical part of your success that it should significantly impact your integrated software solutions. If your current platforms function pretty independently, you should then focus on what solution will work best for your workflow.
Usability and Workflow
Many project management software systems offer a plethora of tools at your fingertips, but how helpful are these to you? Make sure you request a demo and explore the many features prior to purchasing any software.
The platform and interface should be easily comprehensible and the processes clear and concise. More so, ensure the functionality will seamlessly translate to your projects’ workflow patterns. Not all project management software systems are a perfect fit for all projects.
Traditional Project Management Tools
In a previous life, I consulted on the implementation of large business solutions for many organizations ranging from startups to Fortune 500 clients.
Depending on the size of the organization, we would have an initial call with one or two people on the line or a steering committee meeting with dozens of stakeholders throughout the organization. After, we would wait for the meeting notes, links to the established project, or login information to the project management software.
It blew my mind when I would log in to my email the next day and find a standalone RACI matrix (explained below) attached to an email. Not a shared document that could be updated by all parties or a link to a managed project, but a static document that would ultimately be updated by a hundred hands, sent back to the owner multiple times by each and every contributor, and a hope that we would have a comprehensive, updated document by the next meeting two weeks later.
What a waste of time and energy.
Traditional methods like Gantt charts and the RACI matrix do have their place. They are revolutionary tools that have addressed many gaps in project management, and I’ll explain each below. Many of the software tools you will be exploring have Gantt capabilities or allow you to easily share a RACI chart in your collaborative group documents.
But please, please know that the field of project management continues to expand, and all of the software solutions we have discussed here today can exponentially help you stay organized, utilize the right resources at the right time, increase collaboration, and streamline work processes.
Gantt Chart
The Gantt chart was developed by a mechanical engineer and management consultant named Henry Gantt over 100 years ago. It is a project scheduling tool that is still widely used today, including in many top project management software solutions like Project Insight and Smartsheet.
It’s essentially a combination of a horizontal bar chart and a calendar. Activities for the project are typically listed down the lefthand side of the chart and bars are mapped out depending on the length of time each task will take to accomplish.
Modern Gantt charts can have much more functionality, such as task relation, completion progression, aligned resources, and involved parties. Some argue that Gantt is now an outdated form of project management, but its huge presence in project management software begs to differ.
Responsibility Assignment Matrix
A responsibility assignment matrix, often referred to as RACI, has less emphasis on process flow and more on designating responsibility and accountability. These are two of the biggest challenges with any team-focused project.
Let’s first breakdown what RACI stands for:
Responsible: These are the “doers.” They make the decisions and complete all of the tasks associated with the specific portion of the project. Those responsible can be a team of people or an individual.
Accountable: This person takes ownership of the item. Typically, this will fall into the lap of a manager or lead within the responsible department.
Consulted: These are active participants. They provide input along the way and are often subject matter experts within the fields that will be involved in the final product.
Informed: These are the stakeholders who need to be “kept in the loop” on the process or completion of the project.
In a very brief example, let’s say you want to develop a policy around Paid Time Off (PTO) for your employees. Your VP of HR may be the one Accountable; the HR specialist team is Responsible for researching, writing, and communicating said policy; the leadership team, HR benefits coordinator, and legal department are Consulted on the project; and the CEO is Informed and kept in the loop of progress and, eventually, completion.
A shared RACI document removes the need to be copied in on countless email chains and allows visibility to who exactly is accountable for each specific step of the project. Someone will need to be accountable for the matrix itself, but can easily consult others on specific areas of expertise.
Industry-Specific Project Management Software
Due to the varying unique workflows within different industries, it is critical that you explore the best project management software for you and your specific business. While the majority’s needs are met by general project management tools, there are also many that are specific to the needs in industries such as construction or engineering.
For example, the construction industry often involves an influx of contractors, tangible goods, and hourly billing. The project management software realm has branched out to hone in on the specific needs of this industry with increased planning, scheduling, and cost management tools.
Currently, construction accounts for only 10% of the global GDP; however, it uses almost half of the world’s resources, energy supply, and raw materials, leaving a huge gap for potential savings in time, resources, and money by the use of project management software.
Methodology
My methodology was a little different for this segment of the best business tools. I started with my personal experience, having worked through dozens of different organizations’ project management tools, then moved to personal interviews.
After hearing quite a bit about what has not worked well in the past, I turned to my typical research methods. I read through hundreds of reviews and product comparisons and scoured the providers’ websites themselves.
I had worked with many of the more well-known project management software providers, as well as a few smaller and company-built solutions first-hand. For those that I had only heard of or read about in research, I created accounts and created a mock project to see firsthand how well one, or many, could easily set up, collaborate, monitor, and ultimately complete a project. A special thanks to my husband for his collaborative, investigative efforts!
I found project management more unique than Email Marketing Services and Cloud Storage Providers, as the ultimate goal and functionality of the two are rather limited in comparison. Project management can accomplish its goals in such vastly different ways, whether it be through sheets, boards, lists, etc. From my research, I picked the best of the best while still providing variety to the many different methods available.
Conclusion
Get rid of your tracking spreadsheets and group emails and start using resources that are readily available, like project management software, to grow your business.
If it’s not in your budget just yet, and your team is still small, then opt for a free service for the time being. If you have long-term projects, make sure you’re choosing a free service that could be expanded into the necessary functionality that your organization will need so you don’t run the risk of transferring projects to a new provider, or worse, using two platforms at once.
Explore your options. Read firsthand reviews. Write me if you have any questions and, if I don’t have the answer just yet, I will find it for you. Test out a provider or two and see which one naturally works for you, and make sure that one has everything you need. Understand you have options. Choose the best for you.
