Over the last year I had occasion to look at and purchase Task and Project Management software. I had several folks on different teams sign up and test three software suites. Among the three, the one that really stood out and answered our business needs was Wrike (https://www.wrike.com).
For our needs this software was easy to understand and did not have the same learning curve as other project management tools we tried. Also compared to one we purchased 5 years ago, Wrike was dead simple to master.
If you have diverse and remote teams, an online project management software that allows you to effectively and simply get milestones and deliverables in front of people can be a lifesaver for your company.
We tested Wrike on a real project and a product launch. As a manager, I was impressed with its Gantt chart software, the overview panels, and the ability to see the real time status of the team’s work at a glance.
Don't get me wrong, nothing can replace managing by walking around and I do that a lot — but with remote teams in different cities, Wrike felt like the next best thing to being there!
As opposed to our previous project management software, Wrike worked better as evidenced by staff using it not only for business projects, but also for personal side projects.
I have been fortunate to work with diligent and honest folk who do not hide what they actually do at work. Yes, Martha, people at work do not spend 100% of their time working. I encouraged my colleagues to test Wrike for their personal tasks. Everyone found it easy to use, especially in tandem with the mobile apps. Their to-do items were transparent no matter what device they were on. It allowed us to test real world issues on personal tasks that did not have a client in the loop. I would recommend to anyone testing software to try it on a personal level — it’s amazing what you might discover along the way.
Email can make or break a team. I believe email is a confirmation tool not a project communication tool. I loved how Wrike integrated well enough with our email system so that people were alerted to important updates on their work. Wrike also integrated with a lot of the apps we were using already.
Software will NOT replace solid project management expertise, but it will add, enhance, and allow high-functioning teams to work smarter. Write is definitely a winner.