Online project planner. Projects and project planning have been around much longer than any of us can remember. Back in the day it was approached in a more modest manner with a simple pencil and piece of paper. In today’s modern and technologically advanced world, project management is met with project management software and it is taking over. In this article you will learn about how to plan your projects online and the various related aspects to online project management including SaaS, cloud-based technologies and how to plan your projects online with Sinnaps.
Índice
What does Project Planning Mean?
Any project management website will tell you that planning is a crucial step in project management. A project plan essentially serves as a roadmap of the project for a team to follow. The goals and objectives are defined in this stage. A plan specifies how specific tasks will be carried out and by whom in order to achieve the desired goal of the project. Resources are also determined in the project plan. Overall, it identifies all the work to be done in a project and by whom it will be carried out and when.
Software optimises the project planning process. An effective, well-thought-out project plan is often a determining factor is a project’s success. It serves as a means of communication on the Project Manager’s side and a control mechanism for the project’s progress. It needs to be kept up to date as changes are inevitable. Software updates plans and people with ease and automatically. Online planners such as Sinnaps provide direction for teams and save all the various planning documents which form the planning process.
The roles and responsibilities of project stakeholders are identified and shared so that they can become familiar with what is expected of them. Online planners often include weekly updates of project progress individualised to team members’ responsibilities. This is seen in Sinnaps email updates. This provides for clarity and agreement before the actual project work has begun. Any issues that arises with the plan can be discussed prior to beginning the project, helping to evade future problems. The identification of the key milestones allows for team members to gear up to work towards these goals and sets out a timeframe in which to complete certain objectives.
An online project planner serves as a visualisation of what the running of the project will look like. The project scope is established as is the schedule. The Work Breakdown Structure determines the deliverables of the project along with task dependencies and the critical path of the project that has a significant influence on the rest of the project.
Project Planning Software
Software refers to managing your project online rather than with pen and paper. Apart from many project planning software being cloud-based, there are a number of key tools that make software perfect for managing your projects. Keeping up to speed with how your project is going is essential to its later success. Some of the common tools found in project management software include:
- Gantt Chart: The best online project management tools include some form of a Gantt-chart. A Gantt chart serves as a visualisation of the project’s schedule. It plans out all of the tasks in order along a timeline, allowing everyone involved to understand what is expected and when. It can also include a critical path containing all of the tasks that are critical to the project’s completion. The task interdependencies are also clearly shown so that members know what tasks are dependent on others’ completions. The critical path on software is automatically calculated and clearly viable to the team.
Sinnaps’ Gantt-Flow
- KPIs: KPIs or Key Performance Indicators are tools that measure the project’s use of resources, both human and financial, budget and time. These indicators show clearly what is being used, by whom and what relevance it has to the project’s progress and if it is keeping to the original schedule. These indicators are automatically updated and can be accessed by anyone involved with the project regardless of where they may be.
- Report Generators: Reports are an essential part of project management and are usually drawn up by the project manager. Depending on the project, there could be a lot of reports and documentation involved. Tools such as a report generator greatly optimise the task of reporting through the provision of templates that can be filled in rather than a document being drawn up from scratch. With cloud-based options such as Sinnaps, these reports and documents are safely stored on the cloud meaning there is no fear of loss.
- Milestones: In project management software, milestones are shown on the project timeline online, accessible to all involved in the project. Milestones are key points in a project during which important activities are reached and completed. Milestones need to be completed so that the rest of the project can go on. Reaching milestones is an important part of project management and helps to break up a project into smaller, more manageable chunks.
- Updates: Keeping everyone involved in a project up to date is key to a successful project. Tools such as weekly updates allow for members and managers to be updated automatically on the progress of the project. Team members can be updated wherever they are ensuring that everyone is constantly up to speed with how the project is going. This allows members to see if there is anything that needs specific attention or if anything is falling behind so that it can quickly be seen to and not veer off schedule too much.
What is Project Management SaaS?
Every business needs an effective way to manage their projects. In a cloud computing environment, SaaS refers to the delivery of project management software on demand. The SaaS applications provide tools that help you to manage your projects efficiently and effectively from beginning to end. Some of the main tools include the following, the best online project management software might include them all and even more:
- Project tracking software
- Change Management
- Live in-chat features
- Project Wall where project management notes can be added
- Ost and budget control,
- Online timesheets
- Online project tracking of resources
- Document sharing
- Task and workflow management
- Dashboards
- Templates
Some of the advantages to project management SaaS include:
Elimination of Barriers to Collaboration: this is specific to remote team members or clients that may not be able to access on-premise project management tools. Real time access is provided on SaaS project management tools such as Sinnaps, allowing anyone anywhere affiliated with the project to access it.
Cost Advantage: SaaS project management is cheaper to install and maintain than on-premise software that may require an IT team. SaaS therefore allows teams to provide their services to clients at a more competitive cost, which is a benefit to all involved.
Ease and Efficiency of Use: SaaS applications tend to be modern and easy to use. They come with guidelines when beginning and allow everyone to familiarise themselves with the application before beginning to use it. They require little training and also save everything to do with the project on the clod, meaning that there is no fear to be had with regards to losing project information.
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The Benefits of Cloud Project Management
Cloud project management can help optimise your project with some of its main benefits which include:
Lower Costs: It is possibly the most evident advantage to cloud-based project management. It has an obvious lower cost with many cloud-based options charged on a subscription basis meaning that there is no comparison to what some companies may pay for a software license. Apart from the software itself, companies save money by not having to buy servers, other infrastructure and hiring an IT team to maintain both the hardware and software. Top project management software can greatly optimise your projects and save you money at the same time!
Ease of Implementation: Implementing a cloud-based software such as Sinnaps is easy and quick, especially in comparison to companies installing a bought on-premise software license. A lot of time can be wasted with the installation and configuration of on-premise software before the project manager can even begin to manage the projects. Cloud-based project management systems are typically installed very quickly and can be used from the get-go. This means that companies and their teams can get to work effectively right away.
Flexibility: Only a web browser is required for cloud-based project management systems. This means that companies can evade the sometime strict configurations and requirements of on-premise applications. Team members and project managers can use the tool wherever they are and be updated on the project’s progress even when they are not in the office. Apart from that, any platform can be used such as the mobile Sinnaps application, meaning that the project can be accessed even if there is no laptop at hand.
Scalability: This benefit is undoubtedly one of the most important when it comes to the efficiency of your project management. If a change or modification needs to be added or if new team members need to be included, this can be done quickly and easily with cloud-based project management software.
Decentralised Teams: There is no doubt that it is becoming more common for teams to be made up of members from local, remote and overseas locations. Installing a software system can prove difficult for some and can cause time and money loss in the long run. With cloud-based software options such as Sinnaps, any team member can access the system whenever and wherever they wish. Any online project work is updated and sent to members regardless of their location.
Plan your Project with Sinnaps: The Project Planning App
Software project management is essentially using software, such as Sinnaps, to manage your projects. The Sinnaps online project management platform makes optimises the management of your projects by making them more efficient and effective. The project management tracking software benefits include automatic calculation of the critical path, constant updates, time-saving and the fact that it is cloud-based, meaning none of your data will be lost.
Sinnaps is cloud-based, meaning that there is no specific installation required and all you need is a web browser to access. Adding to this, all of your information is stored on the cloud along with project reports and documents, so you do not need to fear losing vital information to your project. Project management is made easy with Sinnaps, the project management software and the various tools it provides. The online app presents an effective and efficient way to plan your projects on an updated version of the traditional Gantt Chart known as the Gantt-flow.
The online Gantt-flow is a platform where a project team can input the tasks that form part of the whole project. Task relationships and interdependencies are clearly outlined for all involved to consult. Team members and resources are assigned to each task and bottlenecks are identified. This is mapped out across the timeline (a project timeline example can be found on Sinnaps) of the project and serves as its visualisation- a useful tool for project managers, members and other stakeholders to follow. Project management sample projects are also available through templates from other Sinnaps users.
The critical path of the project which includes the most critical and important tasks to the project’s completion are easily traceable across the top of the Gantt-flow. Sinnaps calculates automatically the project’s critical path using PERT and CPM technologies and is one of the best project planner apps to use. A project execution plan template can show you exactly what a critical path looks like and how it greatly serves your project’s process.
Communication that is open and clear is a crucial part of project management throughout and is especially vital during the planning stage of the project. Sinnaps takes this aspect into consideration by the creation of live in-chat features and a project wall where members can consult any changes or addition that have been made to the project plan. Weekly updates on the project’s progress are also sent to team individuals through e-mail to make sure they are kept up to date with progress and notified of any changes.
The templates that the Sinnaps community provides can be used as planning examples. You can export these templates to excel and edit them to your project’s own specific requirements. In the long-run, a successful project calendar template could save you crucial time in the future. This is one of the greatest benefits to an online project planner. You are exposed to others’ experiences and can learn in a positive environment of collaboration.
Key Performance indicators are also included on the platform that measure resources, budget and time. This allows for members and the project manager to consult the indicators and judge project progress.
Overall, it is evident that planning your projects is essential to their success and using an online planner can increase your project’s potential for success. It is a task that cannot be avoided. The benefits of online project planning apps, such as Sinnaps, are also quite clear. The project management software reviews for Sinnaps have been fantastic, take a look for yourself. From its cloud-based technologies to automatic updates, try planning your projects online with Sinnaps today!
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