Project management is a collaborative process—so it surely goes without saying that every project manager is in favor of a collaborative project management tool. However, now that all project management systems are suddenly “collaborative,” how do you go about differentiating them and determining what collaborative functionality is important?
Take a step back from your Internetwide search of project management collaborative tools and think about where you and your project team must cooperate better. Perhaps you are weak in informing project team members, clients or sponsors about project progress, changes in strategy or targets. In this case, bulletin board or group email functionality might be important.
Maybe communication between team members, the project manager or the client needs improvement. In this case, an ability to chat online or to see who is currently available in an instant messaging-type functionality might be of interest.
Possibly you are moving a high volume of documents among the group members and the management of key information is what is slowing you down. In this scenario, it's document management functionality that you could use. For example, a pharmaceutical supply company may select a system that offers the greatest document management functionality—even though it's not specifically designed for project work. Perhaps determining the status of your project is arduous and some kind of update tool from the end users to the project system would make you more effective. Then an online status or timesheet system would be what you seek.
What's that? You need all of the above? You want to buy an integrated, enterprisewide project management system? Before you do, consider the weaknesses in how a project organization collaborates.
For each of the scenarios, making such utility available could inhibit the project process. A wave of online chatting could disrupt individual progress. Or an ongoing stream of instant messaging requests may keep a team member from ever having an uninterrupted thought.
All of these types of cooperation might be critical, but regardless of the functionality available from these tools, there is always a culture-change component to updating the way you manage your business.
Before changing the way we do business, we must consider the sheer momentum of how things are done. Change causes upset, even if that change is for the better. The comfort of knowing how things are done today makes many people reluctant to abandon that business method.
The bottom line? Collaborative software won't solve a larger organizational problem, and it's best to purchase software specifically focused on your unique business needs rather than to expect one platform to tackle all communication issues.
The best way to go about taking advantage of some of the new collaborative project management functionality is to start with the functions that need the most help. Many of the project-specific tools seem to be credible, but you've got to decide what element of your corporate culture you must change before trying to automate it. Once you transition, you must make an implementation plan (I know, project managers hate to plan their own systems) that includes training, evangelizing and the use of the software itself. PM
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