Project Management for Collaboration Websites - Case Study Example

Assessment 1 a. Details for ten (10) Project Management and Collaboration Websites Website Features Pro Cons Likes Dislikes freedcamp.com (Freedcamp) The outlook of the webpage is attractive with offers on unlimited user as well as unlimited project solutions that cut across age and gender. Secondly, the website provide easy-to-use dashboard where visitors are likely to get very information they are looking for Thirdly, an excellent feature involves the track of time and fundamental project management to guide users on the amount of time spent on the site. The site focuses on focus on sustainability, ecological imprint and socially engaged work practices. It also details how external environment factors can be used for to thrive in a competitive environment and further shape strategic vision. It fails to capture basic requirements in modern trends of project management and collaboration tools to an extent that it is not easy to predict how it will help in the marketplace, technology and economy transformation which are actually moving at unprecedented speed and account for the largely unpredictable and uncertain environment Easily navigable Discussion provide a forum-like experience Every details are on the dashboard Important recent activities and tasks are not available on the dashboard goplan.com (Go plan) It offers every tool managers want on the dashboard Task management have been centralised and thus making it possible to organise projects into a given task and milestone. Ability to offer issue tracking Planning and Budgeting made easy for Finance teams over the Cloud. Utilizes a two-tiered management and governance structure that provides an effective and valuable solution for the company’s governance. Alignment and agreement between the departments is very time-consuming and thus results in a bureaucratic response to the market change. Easily accessible Offers market penetration strategy Better cross-departmental communication and alignment The product design model does not allow focusing efforts and consolidating specific expertise around the product, which does not bring in a more focused set of skills and experiences. Lighthouse.com (Lighthouse) Ability to simplify workflows of clients into one-manageable task. Its ability to collaborate Addresses the constantly changing business environment in a more flexible way Provide customized and effective solution to the customers. Inability to identify its core competencies and capabilities Economies of scale and outreach Asset-heavy strategy Weak internal funding position Huddle.com (Huddle) Its ability to offer online file storage for clients Offers clients with platforms where they can track deadlines and milestones for your projects The growing internal market presents numerous opportunities in the business network Fails to benefits from the economies of scales and the strong relationships with suppliers, which place it in a weak bargaining position with its upstream partners and allows leveraging the costs Leverages the costs Brand reputation serving as a competitive edge Set granular permissions against each workspace or folder creates cross-sectorial forays and enables further competition Apollo.com (Apollo) One will be able to keep everything under control Helps in benefit from the favourable political and legal environment, and can build on innovative and creative solutions in the industry Interactive timers does not meet basic requirements such as tracking basic tasks or how long one can spend on a task Ability to set individual timelines Interactive support when one has assigned a task to a milestone Not giving an opportunity to divide ones project into desirable stages for easy completion and assessment. Worketc.com (Worketc) Provides an opportunity entire customer lifecycle in one application Save time and effort by automatically converting sales leads into projects The challenge of convergence should be addressed through a multifaceted strategy It leverages capital intensive solutions with more flexible and faster strategic options, such as product diversification. Irresponsible supply chain practices program ProWorkflow.com (ProWorkflow ) The platform allows user to manage their company remotely It allows users to create manage tasks to specific group of employees The working environment is built in a way that it does not allow an effective communication channel through feedback Elements are integrated into the Code of Ethical Conduct of the company and promoted on various organizational levels Lack of transformational management, with the focus on motivation and creation of responsibility for the lower hierarchical levels ActiveCollab.com (ActiveCollab) It allows managers and users to install on local network or servers project management and collaboration tool Provides platform for email notifications Ability to install activeCollab on a server and invite people to work with managers and other stakeholders Lacks transformational leadership approach Provides current functional structure which outlines the core mechanisms Fails to establish criteria that will be used to evaluate the internal policies in the company. Conceptboard.com (Conceptboard) Unlike others, conceptboard let things done on the iPad – Conceptboard is optimized for the iPad Gives users opportunity to give opinions, ideas, and thoughts freely and independently. It provides an opportunity for discussing drafts, making decisions and produce results but without immediate feedback on the same. It places technical and commercial elements in the core of its long-term strategy. These policies and practices lack full understanding of product inputs and components and are thus not a complete integration along the supply chain Zoho Projects.com (Zoho Projects) It provides an opportunity where projects planning is essentially within a snap Allows users to record their working hours. Export data and generate reports quickly with time-sheets Allows for the creation of files directly on the browser without having to install any additional software but this may not be compatible with some browsers It is one of the critical components of strategic planning and implementation is the control system. The clarity and transparency of the system of measurement and performance indicators enables a long-term and integrated approach project management The management system and leadership approach in the company are not transformational, where employees are not encouraged to take on additional responsibility, make decisions and come forward with their ideas with regards to all areas of the business. b. Visiting three project management websites Visiting three project management websites List of Websites Sponsors of the Website Project Management Tools Common tool among the sites http://boochico.com.au/ (Boochico) Newcrest Mining, Telstra, Vodacom and Optus Mavenlink--- It provides teams with a cloud-based solution for managing the entire project delivery lifecycle. Smartsheet ---The company uses it as an online project management and task collaboration tool that is redefining how teams work. It is easy to use spreadsheet-like interface, coupled with file sharing and Gantt charts. Smartsheet http://www.connectinfosoft.com/ (Connectinfosoft) Nokia, Ardsoft, Pepsico LiquidPlanner--- The Company uses to provide fundamentally different approach to project management offering organizations the only resource-driven scheduling tool in the industry Smartsheet ---The company uses it as an online http://www.dayshaconsulting.com/ (Dayshaconsulting) Zurich, Boyne Valley, Enterprise Ireland and HP. Smartsheet ---The company uses it as an online project management and task collaboration tool that is redefining how teams work. c. Comparison of Project management Definition from the sites i. Definition from http://boochico.com.au/ (Boochico) From the tasks undertaken by the company project management is defined as the process of succinctly planning, organizing, motivating and projecting and controlling different resources scientifically to attain specific goals and meet a given set goals or criteria. It is for this reason that Boochico have shown that some projects, such as introduction of software to overhaul operation of an organization may require a unique life circle such as incubation feasibility just before the start of a project and end with post-project evaluation immediately after project close-out. ii. Definition from http://www.connectinfosoft.com/ (Connectinfosoft) Project managers at the company have come to the realization that there is requirement for a holistic system approach of programs and perspectives so as to achieve full benefits of projects. Such benefits will be accrued when project life cycle is given due considerations. Arguing from the perspective of commercial projects, generally Connectinfosoft presume that the life circle will comprise of planning, execution and control. However, nature of some projects is obsolete and has to be guided by a more comprehensive theoretical foundation---something that attribute to the difference in life circle. That is, other than application of theories such as planner (theory of planning) there will be need for a paradigmatic transformation so as to achieve the outcome required. iii. Definition from http://www.dayshaconsulting.com/ (Dayshaconsulting) Subsequently, in the wake of theoretical foundation of project management, Dayshaconsulting gives different view in the definition of project management. Such difference may exist due to action perspective. Dayshaconsulting defines action perspective as the expected input and output of a project. Taking a case where there is need for installing of a server industry, project incubation as a life circle becomes a necessity. Secondly, the company sees project management as a case where managers should operate in a competitive market where there is continuous need for its top managers to gain top line growth and opportunities that can reduce their cost structure. The common point in understanding how the three companies define project management is that supply chain and logistics and the process management system means management and planning of activities that entail procurement, sourcing, logistics and conversation management. These definitions suit recent activities in project management strategies where managers have started looking for what can be termed as ‘lean management.’ d. Reasons given for the importance of project management i. Boochico According to their definition as provided above, the company sees project management as a process that enables people save hours with regard to routine operations related to aggregating the information from sources such as e-mails, meetings with stakeholders and keeping it up to date. Additionally, with project management, the company sees the process of reporting as simplified on all levels, as part of projects can be flexibly attained through sharing the related part of the collaborative workplace. The kind of software used in the company is second generation thus giving team members the chance to aware of the changes in project management. ii. Connectinfosoft According to the company, project management is seen as an important practice since it brings collaboration applications and platforms that combine the level of controls that are linked with traditional management of projects. For instance, recent activities in the company are indication that project managers are getting opportunities to bridge the gap existing between project plans, employees’ to-do lists and strategic goals that have been designed and intended to be accomplished within a given period of time. iii. Dayshaconsulting Dayshaconsulting sees importance of project management in three different ways. First, it ensures provision of a company’s foundation that ensures economic growth, sustainability prosperity, productivity improvement and global competitive advantage. Secondly, project management contribute towards resources; increasing technology, product services and people in employment to support the project development processes in which the company operate and the specific needs of community at large. Thirdly, project management creates a well-defined behaviours and values that can contribute to a given economic and social-environmental orientations. In line with competitive advantage and environment of operation, the company through project management defines its culture through its expectations and experiences which is expressed through shared values. Read More