#PMChat

Description:    From the website – “Zoho Projects goes beyond the traditional project management space. [With] great planning and reporting capabilities, … Zoho Projects is better because it is social too combined with collaboration and bug tracking features… Zoho Projects allows users to post their working status and allows project members to chat with each other. The Project Stream helps all the team members get instant updates about what’s going on with the project. And you can keep all content organized and accessible by centrally posting files and easily creating a project web page or documentation.” Zoho Projects free plan offers the following features (may be used with 1 project, unlimited users, 10 MB storage) : Create milestones, task list and tasks Set task dependencies and reminders Gantt and resource utilization charts Document sharing Email management Collaborative dashboard Interactive forums Chat Rooms Team Intranet (Wikis) User Management Portal customization Shared group calendar Import Basecamp projects Import contacts from Zoho CRM / Mail Suite Import Microsoft projects (both MPP / MPX) Works with Google Apps like Google Docs, Google Calendar, Gmail and iGoogle Note:  Subtasks, Task duration in hours, Timesheets, BugTracker & iPhone Native App are available only in paid plans.    Link:  http://www.zoho.com/projects/ Publisher: Zoho Corporation —   https://company.podio.com/about What Publisher is Selling:   Additional PM software services, including Enterprise, Premium, and Express versions — For details see:   http://www.zoho.com/projects/zohoprojects-pricing.html Read More »

———————- EDITOR’S NOTE & WARNING: With this post  I broke my own rule about profiling only freebies that could be used on an unlimited basis.  Truth is, to use these PM freebies you will need to 1) Download a free trial version of AEC Software’s FastTrack Schedule 10 and, 2) use the free templates before the software trial period expires (21 days) . While I normally wouldn’t call something a true “freebie” when it expires so quickly, I decided that this robust-looking list of industry-specific PM templates may very well provide many new project managers with lots of good insights and technical information regarding unique project structures, best practices, and so on. Given the potential value, I decided that the “expiration” trade-off may be well worth it to some folks. My recommendation: Check out the list of free templates for yourself and see if there’s something here you can use. But remember these downloads will vanish in 3 weeks unless you purchase the software. Read More »

Description:   This is a great collection of models and problem-solving approaches that can provide you with that “outside the box” perspective  that is so important when conceptualizing an appropriate project strategy. Each of these visually-appearing listings is presented as a summary graphic that is typically supported by additional explanatory documentation in PDF or web-page form. The models/approaches include: Change Acceptance Cycle The Solution Engineering Process Ben Franklin Decision Making Job Aid Performance Ecosystem The El Paso Problem Solving Model Six Major Theories of Motivation Organizational Analysis Model … and MANY more! Link:    http://www.nickols.us/toolroom.html Publisher: Fred Nickols’ Distance Consulting   website:   http://www.nickols.us/index.htm What Publisher is Selling:   In a nutshell, Fred sells all sorts of management consulting services. His site explains, “ I am available for presentations, workshops and consulting.  I am particularly interested in helping you make use of the Solution Engineering Process and the Target (GAP-ACT) Model.” Read More »

Description:   This classic article from the 1959  Harvard Business Review provides a fascinating look at the roots of PM. In particular, it illustrates PM’s seminal role in “advanced technology” initiatives. From the free PDF: This article will consider those functions of management which receive special emphasis in advanced-technology industry: • What does a project manager in advanced technology industry do? • What kind of man must he be? • What training is prerequisite for success?” Link to classic article in PDF form:   http://www.nickols.us/ThePM.pdf Publisher:   Initially published by Harvard Business School Publishing ,  it has been archived and made available by Fred Nickols’ Distance Consulting website:   http://www.nickols.us/index.htm What Publisher is Selling:   In a nutshell, Fred sells all sorts of management consulting services. His site explains, “ I am available for presentations, workshops and consulting.  I am particularly interested in helping you make use of the Solution Engineering Process and the Target (GAP-ACT) Model.” Read More »

Description:   This tight little 3 1/2 minute video focuses on one question: What’s the most appropriate time to use a simple “To Do List” versus a formal Project Plan? Link to video:   http://www.projectmanager.com/using-to-do-lists-versus-project-plans-2.php Publisher:     ProjectManager.com website What Publisher is Selling:    From the website –  “We were founded in 2008 by 3 guys who wanted to create a better toolset for managing projects. In just 12 months of going live, we grew to 25 staff and a healthy revenue stream. We now have customers in more than 100 countries and we’re one of the fastest project management service providers on the net, with our customer base doubling every 8 weeks. More than 70% of our customers are based in the USA with organizations like NASA, United Nations, Boeing and Volvo all managing projects on our platform.” Read More »