Some projects are done internally within an organization. They don’t directly deliver new products or services to customers, but improve the way an organization does business and that impacts customers. This is called operational project management. To better understand operational project management requires defining what an operational project is, how it differs from strategic projects and what operational project management is. There will also be a section describing best practices and an operational project example to further illustrate the idea. What Is an Operational Project? There are t ..read more

It’s Friday evening, 6:00 pm and you’re watching the clock while stuck in a meeting that feels like it’ll never end. Even worse, you have a bunch of tasks that haven’t been completed, invoices to file and reports to create. You’re so busy that in reality, you get nothing done. If this is your case, a personal kanban board could help you plan, schedule and track all these tasks so you can manage your workload without feeling overwhelmed. Kanban which means signboard or billboard in Japanese is a visual work management system that uses boards and cards to manage tasks, workflows and projects of ..read more

When managing teams, it’s essential to create timelines to track their progress as they execute their tasks. Project management software is the most efficient way to create timelines to plan, assign and track their tasks. Other tools can be used to create timelines, though, such as Excel spreadsheets or Google Sheets. This Google Sheets timeline template can create a timeline in just four simple steps that won’t require any formulas or any advanced settings. Why Use This Google Sheets Timeline Template? This timeline template allows organizations to visualize the duration of projects or activi ..read more

The transaction between buyer and seller is documented at every stage, and this paperwork serves a purpose. It protects both parties and legally binds them to follow the particulars that they’ve agreed upon. One of those business documents is a sales order. To better understand what a sales order is, we’ll define the term, list what should be included and outline the sales order process. To distinguish between other transactional documents, we’ll define a sales invoice and purchase order and how they differ from sales orders. What Is a Sales Order? A sales order is a document the seller create ..read more

Excel is a versatile spreadsheet tool that can create a variety of graphs, charts and forms, including timelines for projects. In this blog, we’ll go through each step needed to create a timeline in Excel and explain the advantages and disadvantages of doing so. Why Should You Create a Project Timeline in Excel? Learn how to create a timeline that can be used to visualize how tasks or projects will be executed over time, identify who will be responsible for completing them and identify milestones and deliverables. The best part is that it’s helpful for any type of team or organization that’s e ..read more

Placing an order and receiving it seems straightforward. But the only reason it feels effortless is because of order management. We’ll explain what order management is and explore how an order management process is conducted. There are, of course, people behind the order management process. We’ll define those roles and link to some free templates to download, which will help users facilitate the order management process. What Is Order Management? Order management is the streamlined process of receiving, tracking and fulfilling customer orders to create optimum efficiency. It starts at inceptio ..read more

Maintenance is an essential part of industries from construction to manufacturing. It keeps equipment in optimal working condition, which leads to more efficiency and quality and keeps work on time and within budget. A maintenance schedule ensures those tasks are done regularly. Learn how to create a maintenance schedule and download a free maintenance schedule template to get started. Read about the benefits of an effective maintenance schedule and see how a maintenance plan can help a diverse group of industries. What Is a Maintenance Schedule? A maintenance schedule is the process by which ..read more

Choosing the best kanban software for your team might be overwhelming, especially if you’re not sure of what features to look for. That’s why we’ve reviewed Trello’s kanban board and identified its key features, pros and cons to help you better understand how it compares to other kanban software. Does Trello Have a Kanban Board? Yes, Trello is software by Atlassian that offers five project management tools: kanban boards, project timelines, calendars, dashboards and tables. Getting more features requires power-ups, which are paid plugins that can be added to improve the Trello workspace. Trell ..read more

Products go through many processes before they reach a customer. Once a product has been manufactured, how does it reach the customer? That’s called order fulfillment. What is order fulfillment and how does it differ from order processing and order management? We’ll explain that, the order fulfillment process and list the different types of order fulfillment models. What Is Order Fulfillment? Order fulfillment is part of the larger supply chain management process, specifically, the receiving of goods and then processing and delivering orders to customers. Order fulfillment begins when a custom ..read more

Jira is project management software designed for agile software development teams. It has tools that allow you to plan sprints, track the completion of tasks, balance your team member’s workload and create product roadmaps. Does Jira Have a Kanban Board? Yes, Jira’s kanban view is one of its most popular features and software developers commonly use it for sprint planning. However, a Jira kanban board can also be used for managing simple workflows, tracking project progress and improving team collaboration by organizations in other industries. In addition to the kanban board, Jira only offers ..read more