Dealing with changing requirements. Part 3.1   Suggestion #1: Keep project tasks separate from feature requests Suggestion #2: Implement a change approval process and keep a change log Suggestion #3: Use online communication and collaboration tools Recognized PM specialists all agree that the following are the primary factors that could ruin your project: Lack of objective project status reports; Poor communication within a team; Internal resistance to the project management tools and methodologies; Changing requirements during development; Inadequate initial project planning. In this a ..read more

Improving team communication and planning for success. Part 2.1   Suggestion #1: Centrally manage and store team communications Suggestion #2: Personalize preferences Suggestion #3: Involve customers   According to The Standish Group, a major IT research institution, only 16% of IT projects are completed on time and on budget. Standish estimates that 53% overrun their schedules and surpass their budgets, while 31% are canceled. META Group estimates that nearly 50% of all new software projects in the United States will go over budget. In other words, there is only one chance in six th ..read more

Short and clear resource management guide. An overview of how to manage your team’s progress and analyze/track the distribution of resources for increased performance and accountability. What is Resource Management? Resource Planning & Allocation Resource Tracking Resource Analysis in Project Management What is Resource Management? Managing a team is one of the most complex and challenging aspects of the working world. Successful team management often comes from having the right leadership skills and the right tools to help engage your team.This guide will teach you to properly manage yo ..read more

If you’re starting to explore the concept of creating a statement of work, you must understand what the process entails. SoWs are powerful tools. They help define a project’s expectations– and they leave almost nothing to the imagination. Project proposals, statements of work, and all the other components of a project play critical roles in successful business endeavors. You can use them not only for external engagements but also for intra-business projects or for internal purposes; they are useful in almost any circumstance. Do you need a statement of work? Honestly? Yes, sort of. You’ll need ..read more

If the last few months have taught businesses anything it’s the importance of being agile and prepared for the unpredictable. Fast forward to today, business owners are now wondering “what will the new normal workday look like?” The answer may be 25-30% of the workforce working from home multiple times a week. By now, your team has settled into their new remote work schedules. Now it’s time to focus on your long-term strategy for the other people who matter to your business: your clients. According to Microsoft, 54% of all global consumers say that they have higher customer service expectation ..read more

Your organization may have a strong corporate culture within the office, but how do you convert that positive energy to your virtual team? According to a  study conducted by Forbes, companies that have a strong corporate culture increase revenue by  682%. With the switch to remote work, it is imperative that your positive culture remains in effect so your team can continue to feel motivated and produce quality work. Here are 5 ways to create a positive work culture for remote teams: Tools to Motivate Productivity A  study ran by Gallup  shows companies with strong  emp ..read more

With remote work becoming more prominent and accepted in today’s work culture, businesses are looking to technology to allow the same job completed in an office to also be completed from the comfort of someone’s home. Face-to-face meetings, team collaboration, supervision and the ability to ask questions on the fly can now all be done online, thanks to technology adapting to the variables of remote work. Here’s a list of 8 tools for remote work that our team uses and recommends for teams working from home. Messaging Team collaboration tools are an efficient way to easily stay in contact with t ..read more

Receive quick, reliable project information with our enhanced Report Generator. The new design and increased functionality enable your team to access accurate project metrics through pie, bar and our new dual-bar charts.  By utilizing these reports, your team can now easily provide tactical and strategic project metrics to management to review. Enhanced Pie and Bar Charts The enhanced design of the bar and pie charts clearly displays data so your team can better understand the metrics they are reviewing. The other updates include: The layout now displays larger amounts of data for bette ..read more

A successful business is always one step ahead of its competitors when it comes to R&D or marketing their product/service. Companies are now realizing, though, one major contribution to success they may be lacking: having the proper infrastructure for their team to work remotely. COVID-19 has taught us that no matter how progressive our healthcare system and security measures are, we still face unpredictable circumstances that are beyond our control. Ensuring your business is ahead of the curve when it comes to being prepared for an unplanned turn of events (like the need to work remotely ..read more

Project Managers, especially those in Professional Services, require timely, accurate and relevant information in order to effectively make decisions. Easy Projects’ Business Intelligence Reports (BI Reports) have the functionality of creating custom, targeted reports that provide integral data. Easy Projects Business Intelligence is a premium reporting module that’s based on Microsoft’s Power BI application. These reports are versatile and can be used by the project team, C-level executives, clients, and key project stakeholders for greater performance visibility. The Benefits of Using BI Re ..read more