Are you managing a virtual team?
Plain to-do lists aren’t enough to help your team members get things done the most efficient way. This is where a project management tool comes in.
A project management tool ensures that everyone is on the same page. It’s a real lifesaver for business owners who need to keep track of multiple projects at once, communicate with team members, provide regular feedback, and meet deadlines.
In this blog post, you will discover the best tools to ensure a smooth workflow for your team. Check out the options below.
1. Basecamp
Basecamp is a top choice among small businesses trying out a collaboration tool for the first time. Regardless of the number of your projects, you’ll be able to manage everything. Basecamp features an all-in-one dashboard where everyone gets to see important files, a list of tasks, discussions, due dates, and more. You also have the option to limit a team member’s access to a document. With Basecamp, users can collaborate anywhere from any device. This tool supports Android, Mac, iPhone, and web-based.
2. Trello
Trello uses boards to represent projects and cards for individual tasks. It’s drag and drop feature allows you to easily organize projects anytime, using any device. All you have to do is open a card, add some details (like task instructions, due dates, comments, etc.) and mention a team member responsible for the task. Trello has a very simple interface which makes it appealing to minimalists. The only thing you may not like about this tool is that a list can get too long for a board that has a lot of tasks.
3. Kanban Tool
If you want to have a detailed analytics of a task so you can track your team’s progress, Kanban Tool will make a great choice. A versatile tool, you’ll be able to personalize it according to your needs. Add checklists, share documents, and track time. Regardless of the difficulty of your team’s project, with Kanban Tool everything can be managed with ease. Take note that Kanban is only available for Android devices.
4. Wrike
Wrike can get a bit disorganized as the number of tasks and folders grow. This project management tool focuses more on individual projects. Basically, Wrike takes into account an individual member rather than show you an overall picture of what’s going on in your team. It features an online Gantt chart that helps you schedule team projects and display the full timeline of individual tasks. You can easily reschedule tasks, edit details, and more with a simple drag and drop.
5. Google Docs
The best thing about Google Docs is that everybody has a Google account. This tool isn’t just for storing your personal and business files. You can also use this to collaborate with your team on documents, spreadsheets, presentations, reports, and more. Everyone can work on a single project at once in real-time. You can chat, add comments, and edit your documents from any device even without an internet connection. Just download the app.
6. Evernote
Evernote is popularly known for helping you create your own to-do list but more small business teams are using it now for project collaboration. It may not have all the advanced features you can get in other dedicated project management apps like real-time editing but you’ll be able to add any work or document for everyone to see – sales graphs, PDFs, inspiration and ideas, and more. If you have more detailed needs, this app might not be for you. However, a lot of people love it for its simplicity.
7. Zoho Projects
Helping your team get work done better, Zoho Projects does more than just enabling you to manage documents and communicate with team members. It also includes advanced analytics so you can track members’ performance and progress over time. You will know who among your team is the most productive. Freelancers who work on your project can log their billable and non-billable hours with Zoho Projects’ timesheet. You can immediately export these timesheets for clients in various formats.
Final Thoughts
Using a project management tool can scale your business by allowing you to work hand-in-hand with your team in one place. When choosing a software, make sure that it’s easy to use and able to meet your needs.
What other collaboration tools can you recommend? Have you experienced using one or a few of the tools from the list above? Let us know in the comments below!
