Going Virtual: Online Tools for Project Management

Project management is the methodical approach of planning, organizing, and managing resources to successfully reach specific project goals and objectives. Typically, project management involves many partners (some of whom may be working in remote locations), so collaboration via a web-based application is ideal.

As you learn about these unique tools, keep in mind how you will collaborate with your volunteers, partners, or other individuals with whom you work to manage a project.

The first reason to use project management tools is remote access to files. With these tools, your documents are stored online. This means that you have access anytime and anywhere you have access to the Internet. This is especially important when you are working with partners who are either in another part of the country or travel frequently.

The second reason is document management. As you upload edited versions of a document, these tools will keep the old versions for historic reference. Additionally, only one person can work on the document at a time. These features ensure that you do not waste time and effort, or create unnecessary steps to produce a polished document.

The third reason to use online project management tools is to assist you in easily tracking tasks and milestones. For example, you can easily track or assign tasks for an upcoming conference, and get a quick progress check on the accomplishments to date to ensure you are prepared.

Finally, online tools provide a single place to capture team discussions and ideas. These tools provide user-friendly forums for promoting team communication and the exchange of ideas. Additionally, these tools will keep a record of past discussions if a new team member joins or an idea resurfaces.

The report card and the comparison table will help you compare and evaluate online tools for project management.

The report card uses multiple factors to compare the various tools, including cost, security, level of skill required to setup and maintain, and key benefits and drawbacks. The comparison table includes information on core features, project coordination capabilities, and knowledge management capacity.

Download the Report Card and Comparison Table to reference as you complete this lesson.