Going Mobile with Project Management

Janelle Abaoag — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 20:44:00 GMT

Last week some of us over here at Project Insight attended the Southland Technology Conference in Long Beach, CA. This was without a doubt one of their biggest turn outs and with the excellent line up of keynote speakers and great topics for the breakout sessions, I would expect nothing less. Usually, I am busy tending to our table, meeting with customers, various webinar attendees and anyone who would like to learn more about our project management software.

However, this time around I was lucky enough to attend some of the sessions and take home some ideas to mull over. A topic that caught my attention was mobile technology and luckily, it was covered rather extensively. The growing marketing for all things mobile cannot be missed. It’s everywhere. Almost everyone has smartphone with access to email and the internet.

So what does that mean for project management software?

It means that the use of online project software has gone beyond simply being accessed at a desk through a web browser on a desktop or laptop computer. Thanks to advanced mobile technology, a team member does not have to wait until they are back at their desk to update tasks and manage projects. They can simply whip out their smart phone and do it all from there. Real-time data just acquired the ability to be even MORE ‘real-time’.

It means that it’s no longer just for organizations with teams located across the globe. Actually, it’s not even just for teams that have people working in different offices in the same state. The invitation to manage and update tasks, enter time and more can now be extended to those that spend more days out on the field, another job site or while traveling. Basically, project software can now be rolled out to more people.

It means by that developing for usability goes beyond ‘how many mouse-clicks’ and navigation on a monitor. This one might be a stretch. But as a smartphone addict, I have to stand by it. As if it’s not difficult enough to develop something that is easy to use and get the hang of, now I tack this task on! But as a software lover (and occasional tester), I can be opinionated when it comes to usability. The way a person navigates on a smartphone is a LOT different than the way they navigate on a computer screen. Therefore, what is intuitive when using a mouse usually is NOT when using your thumb on a touch screen.

The list can go on…care to add anything?

Janelle Abaoag, Project Insight

Can Project Management Get Too Social?

Janelle Abaoag — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 16:51:00 GMT

The big hype in online project management software has been centered on creating a ‘Facebook’ like workplace. There have been several integrations done to incorporate a social network feel to the way teams collaborate and share information to various CRM systems or project management software. While social media is often used to grow a business, does it make sense to apply the way social media works to within a how a business manages their products? I did some thinking on this and have come up with some really cool ways teams can benefit from a social media flare to their project management environment. But of course, I also thought of some downsides to integrating a social media like feel to a project system.

Pros:

For those power Facebook, Twitter and now maybe even Google+ users, collaborating with a ‘live’ stream of information will be familiar and a very easy concept to grasp. Updating a project or task would be similar and just as easy as updating a ‘status’.
It’s visual – and a lot of people tend to be exactly that, visual. Seeing a person’s photo next to a comment posted to a project or task can make it more aesthetically pleasing and more likely for the viewer to actually read the comment.
Facebook was so successful for a reason. It locked people in, no ‘real’ training involved. And a common struggle with implementing project management software (or any software for that matter) is getting the organization to properly adopt it. Going down this social media path can ease this process along.

Cons:

I know it seems like it, but not EVERYONE is into the whole social media thing. In fact, if a person isn’t part of one, they usually dislike the whole concept.
Many people keep the workplace as simply that – workplace. Interacting in too ‘social’ of a manner might not sit well in their favor.
Social media networks are always changing and updating the way they want the end users to navigate the system. This is just another area of the software to constantly be updated and revamped – and don’t even get me started on customizing any ‘newsfeed’ of any sort. Who will see what, or what if someone hasn’t logged into the system for a few days and ‘misses’ an update in the live stream?

I am sure there are probably a lot more things to add to both of these short lists. So as for now, maybe choosing a middle ground or taking very small steps towards this social media look and feel could be beneficial. What do you think? Should social media behavior be incorporated into how companies manage their projects?

Janelle Abaoag, Project Insight

Project Management Software Discussions : usability

Going Mobile with Project Management

Can Project Management Get Too Social?