5 Tools of the Trade for Project Managers

BY MEGHAN GARGAN

Here at Ashe Avenue we use a lot of different tools and software to get the job done. While each project varies in scope, timing and budget – there’s one thing that remains consistent throughout all our projects – the way we manage them.

With a ton of PM resources out there, it can all seem a little confusing and overwhelming. We’ve found that taking the best of what each resource has to offer makes a winning combination in order to keep projects launching on time and within scope and budget. So, without further ado, here are 5 ways Ashe Avenue keeps our projects running.

Basecamp

Anyone who knows me well pretty much has heard me talking about my obsession with Basecamp. What’s so great about it? Glad you asked.

Basecamp is the perfect tool to not only track projects internally, but the interface is so intuitive that we usually forgo long email threads with clients and instead invite them to participate on a project within the software. In addition to streamlining communication efforts, Basecamp also allows for sharing large files, specifically PSDs, that would have email services huffing and puffing to push through. Basecamp makes it easy to respond and update the entire team on a project as you can reply to a thread right from your inbox (admit it, that’s a huge time-saver) so you don’t have to have eight million screens open.

Other features that are worth mentioning include the daily recap emails that give you a birds-eye view of all the current projects as well as the ability to create and assign specific to-do’s with deadlines and descriptions. Oh, and did I mention they have a web app? Now you can manage projects while on the go!

If you haven’t checked out Basecamp in a while make sure to explore their new layout launched earlier this year. The new visual cues make the interface THAT much better.

Unfuddle

We use Unfuddle mostly for internal purposes. It has an extensive repository system allowing us to keep track of scripts and code with ease. Making tickets, assigning deadlines and the ability to associate different tickets (front-end, back-end and CMS) is really helpful not only as PM, but for our design and development teams as well. Unfuddle gives everyone on the team an individual checklist, which is why I think we’re so great at meeting deadlines.

Skype

Maybe this wouldn’t technically be considered a PM tool, but I know Skype helps keep Ashe Avenue running effortlessly. As a loyal gchat fan since my college days, I’ll admit switching over to a purely Skype communication system threw me for a loop – until I realized how kick ass it is. Not only do we use it for one-on-one conversations, but we’ve also created group chats for each of our projects which allows us to quickly and efficiently get in touch with the people working on that project and keeps our entire team on the same page.

Workamajig

Workamajig* is something we use company wide, both at Ashe Avenue and our sister agency, Koroberi. Currently, we use Workamajig for timesheets and tracking our hours against our project scopes and budgets. However, it’s also a great and easy way to create estimates, which can be assigned to certain projects and saved as PDFs. There are great possibilities with this program and we’ve only begun to tap the surface!

Wikis

Before coming to Ashe Avenue trying to keep track of project passwords, server information and who worked on the account was like a scavenger hunt, where each answer would lead you to another clue and question. However, using Wikis to store project and client information is simply brilliant. Any information I need to know about a project that was before my time or something I’m currently working on can be found on our internal Wikis. Its been a huge help as I transition into my new role and gives me a great slice of life look at what’s been going on and where I can help.

Now that we’ve shared our tools of the trade – tell us – what do you use to manage your projects?

*The Workamajig® name and the Workamajig® logo are the exclusive trademarks of © Creative Manager, Inc. Copyright © 2012 Creative Manager, Inc. All rights reserved.