There are so many tools available for facilitating project management, that it’s almost overwhelming. Some applications promise to help with project planning, whereas others claim to overhaul the process completely and offer an online project management suite. With so many tools on the market, it could become counter-intuitive to use multiple applications for various project tasks, and potentially more time is spent on researching, configuring, and using these tools than is saved.
This is where a fully integrated system can really help avoid a drain on resources; imagine having a digital workplace which not only contains all the comprehensive features of an employee intranet, but can also provide a web based project management platform?
Claromentis offers fully comprehensive digital workplace solutions, with many of its existing core features project management-ready. By using Claromentis, there is no need for additional software or changes to ingrained project planning processes, as our platform works in harmony with your existing business procedures. Read on for Claromentis’s top 10 tips and features for improving project management efficiency, to really get your project kick-started!
What are the best practices of project management?
1. Start small
Gathering ideas for how to tackle a project can be the hardest step, especially if the project brief is rather vague. Encourage collaboration and start with small ideas by using collaboration spaces, where dedicated areas can be created to facilitate discussion and inspire creative thinking. Choose to open up access to all staff for each collaboration space, or limit access to only a few dedicated individuals.
2. Allocate Tasks
Allocating project tasks to the relevant team members should be a straightforward and quick process, and with IdeaSpace’s integration with our Tasks module, it is! Within an IdeaSpace, project managers can delegate tasks to the best suited member of staff, where they will receive a notification that a task is pending their input, with tasks organised and highlighted by priority. This makes task management incredibly easy, where the task, assignee, priority, and tracking are all kept in one central place.
3. Collaborate
Sometimes a project might just need a quick bit of input, or a small spark of an idea. This is where our social corporate networking module Innovate really shines. Channels can be created on a per project basis, where staff members from the whole team can make quick suggestions, collaborate with each other, and access instant feedback.
4. Share and retain knowledge
Some projects may need to be facilitated by specialist knowledge in order to go ahead, whereas others may be so complex that its ideas need to be recorded and reviewed for future purposes. Our eponymous knowledge base module allows for the creation of articles to store important data and information. Those knowledgeable in their field can be assigned as “category experts” to a particular Knowledge Base channel, so project managers can easily determine which team members are best equipped to collaborate with the project. Information is conveniently stored in one central place, so it is easily accessible to the relevant project members.
5. Making project documentation easily accessible
Managing projects can mean creating, distributing, and receiving paperwork from all directions. By using our enterprise level Document Management System (DMS), which comes with full version control and an audited check-out/check-in process, all relevant documents can be stored in one central repository, completely transforming your project management processes into an online resource.
6. Automate processes
Some project management tasks consume far too much of your time than is required. A simple task such as requesting a client or team member to complete a form can itself take much longer than expected, with endless unnecessary paperwork and chasing. By using our Business Process Management (BPM) software, you can completely transform your manual processes into automated ones, where paper forms are converted into comprehensive and trackable online procedures.
7. Manage meetings
Managing projects inevitably means organising and attending many meetings. This can be hard to keep track of if multiple applications are being used to manage entire projects, and the last thing you want it to chase staff members about their attendance. Claromentis’s Calendar application makes meetings easy, where events and meetings can be added, team members invited, and email reminders sent.
8.Tracking process
When getting to the weightiest part of a project, it can be difficult to follow progress, and easily determine what has already been completed, and what is yet to be done. This is where our Business Process Management software can come to the rescue, where forms and workflows can be created to monitor project progress. By using our BPM system, the history of a project is fully audited, public and private notes can be added to track project developments, and associated files can be uploaded.
9. Auto Assign
Depending on complexity, projects may need to be managed by various team members at differing stages. This in itself is quite a complicated procedure, where there may be a need for multiple handover sessions. This creates a vast workload for everyone involved, and uses valuable resources which would be much better spent on the actual project. By using Business Process Management software, project workflows can be created where forms can be automatically assigned to specific team members based on pre-configured criteria. Those who are assigned will be able to track project developments based on previous notes and issue status, completely bypassing the need for a manual handover process.
10. Share the good news
Successful project completion is no small feat, and should be deservedly celebrated. Spread the word by creating an article with our News application, where you can share the highs and lows, the lessons learned, and what was achieved.
