Effective project management in your company: myth or reality?

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Some of us still believe in business miracles and think that effectiveness of project management depends on certain luckiness or astrological circumstances. I do not believe in mythology and trust practical approach in project management. Thus I will try to characterize the inner world of any project or task taking into consideration all the necessary abilities of a manager as the head of the project. The reality of project management is based on the principle of well-customized workflow process within the execution work coupled with reliable team, clear veritable outcome, and financial solutions of the company and business opportunities of project stakeholders.

Project Management

How to start and how not to go astray 

One of the most important things in the very beginning of the flow is strict realizing of its process. Each member of the team has to know for sure what to do and how to do it fast and effectively. But at the same time strict execution of manager’s tasks or sub-tasks should be comprehended and the responsibility of a certain task inside the project must not be a lot of a manager only. The so-called micromanagement won’t be appropriate in this situation, and the way out lies in organizing meetings, sharing ideas, requests, and thoughts. Such an operative solution is useful to analyze workflow phases and conduct a possible risk that is profitable in the beginning of a project. 

Hold the rhythm and move to the goal! 

Effective project management needs to be strictly regulated and its normal functioning has to pay respect to formalized workflow process framework. All the time remember about the veritable outcome and be an arbiter between stakeholders and team members. Your goal is not to run or pursue inner events leading to any result, but customize the flow and hold it in the effective condition for the project in general. Discussion forums, chats and blogs create the foundation of the communication and encourage collaborative relationships to desirable result. Visualizing of the team’s activity is also important element, which allows you to see what’s going on and what you need to achieve the goals you have planned at any segment of the workflow process. 

Use workflow automate software for seamless customizing and visualizing of the flow. Nowadays flexible collaborative software is worth our attention. Comindware tracker and FREE task management would be an appropriate solution for the company. Seamless using, effective work and customizing workflow process within any project or task let you feel confident during the workflow. Simplifying issue tracking, collaboration and the execution of sub-tasks, creating separate work-spaces within the main project help to build flexible system of project management. Comindware applications have a clear interface and are easy to use: hit play, and your project is started.

Author's bio: Ryan Hardy currently works in Project management insights, Sydney, Australia, project-management-insights.com. He likes to test various software and mobile applications and share his experience with the others. Years of productive analysis and tests showed him the right vector in using task management software, so he began writing for other blogs from around the world about it and not only.

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The difference between Basecamp and Comindware

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Basecamp vs Comindware 

Many of us like to work with processes, assigning tasks/sub-tasks to other team members and stakeholders of the project in general and putting in order and even bringing sense to such an arrangement. There are certain tools to combine management methods with automatic software, which should be suitable for agile and must enable a user to scope and track the workflow process at any phase. Also, these collaboration tools must give an access to the data of the task or the project, which allows a manager to take into consideration the wish of the client to see the data of the task or the project at any moment. However, the problem of choice is always opened and the guidance is needed in the amount of automate workflow software.  

Basecamp characteristics 

Being agile is about working with seamless automating software. Basecamp attracts users by its simplicity and extreme effectiveness. Blogging tools, calendars, to-do list and issue trackers, templates, message boards are combined in one body and are leading user in an intuitive way. Every similar tool's goal should be taking care of project/task sides enhancing collaboration between team members and stakeholders. It enables to edit tasks, sub-tasks in real time. Comments appear in the form of blog that is very convenient for conducting future development of the project. Each user has its working story, which is represented in Basecamp as a list. These lists are assigned to stories iterations and it's possible to move stories within the iterations. Such a Basecamp feature is beneficial, especially if you are faced with a situation, when you can't or have no opportunity to fulfill more work during one iteration, which you have scheduled. But at the same time Basecamp doesn't allow to set specific workflow environment and this circumstance reduces its originality and flexibility.  

Comindware flexibility and Benefits 

 Comindware visual workflow builder has breakthrough flexibility in comparison with Basecamp. It allows putting all the work into workflow scheme right in browser window. Its graphical workflow editing enables user to visualize design and refine workflow process with drag and drop ease. Creating separate workspace within the main task/project is also possible in Comindware. It enhances collaboration between project contributors and each developer is able to assign personal tasks. Crafting and customizing processes in Comindware is seamless and taking into consideration company's business needs and scenarios. Moreover, it enables you to change and modify workflow process at any period of it and nothing will stop work. There is also an opportunity to get a written description of the workflow process steps based on workflow diagram. But there is a disadvantage of Comindware software – it's only on-premise now and there is no version for mobile platforms. 

 A Brief Comparison between Basecamp and Comindware 

•  Basecamp and Comindware are able to customize different workflow process with various tasks and goals. 

• Basecamp and Comindware include a wide base of various communicative tools for sharing file, ideas, and comments between team members. 

• Basecamp and Comindware let users to change and modify the workflow process at its different phases without stopping and interrupting. 

•  Basecamp and Comindware produce an opportunity to customize workflow process taking into consideration features of tasks. But Basecamp doesn't allow setting specific workflow a most management tools.

• Comindware is flexible and enables to craft separate work-spaces within the main project/task. 

Author's bio: Ryan Hardy currently works in Project management insights, Sydney, Australia, 

project-management-insights.com. He likes to test various software and mobile applications and share his experience with the others. Years of productive analysis and tests showed him the right vector in using task management software, so he began writing for other blogs from around the world about it and not only. 
 

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ERP software for the Accounting Department

All companies across the world are constantly striving to minimize overheads and non-vital extra expenses. At first a company will look at the overall practices of the business to see if there are any more efficient ways to perform certain tasks in order to save on time and costs. When these businesses take a look at their internal information processes, they can see that there are more efficient ways to handle information flow throughout the whole company that can accomplish their goals.

One software system that enables a company to integrate all departments’ data allowing a smooth flow of information between them is Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP); an integrated system that runs in real-time and flows with consistency throughout each module. Facets of the ERP system include: data services, finance / accounting, HR, customer relationship management, supply chain and manufacturing.

For the accounting department alone, ERP has countless benefits. The ability to support budgeting, consolidation, cash management, general ledger, fixed assets and accounts payable / receivable to mention a few. Many accounting software’s can achieve these types of functions, but with the integration of ERP, this data and the system is able to look to similar systems throughout the company – a feature that other accounting software’s are unable to do. When a different department accesses the accounting software, they will find a similarity in layout to their own and find it much easier to navigate. This familiarity makes the system far more efficient and time effective.

The accounting department can really benefit from an integrated system such as this as now they can access information such as invoices, costing, purchasing and payroll data in an instant. This makes it easier for them to perform their monthly, quarterly and annual tasks because they no longer have to wait for the information to be provided to them by other departments.

This new way of accessing data eliminates the requirement to print and deliver the information that then usually would need to be re-entered, risking errors and costly mistakes.

It is essential that for a fully informed accounts department, the business must have good ERP software implemented. Good ERP providers will be able to provide customer service support to the accounting department in order that the IT department can easily manage. As many of the ERP systems are implemented company wide, it is important the ERP provider can work with the accounting department as well as with the IT department ensuring all needs and functionality are easily met.

An efficiently working accounts department can have many tasks such as inventory audits eliminated as the ERP system can provide information and answers at the click of a button. No longer is there the need for costly and time consuming tasks such as inventory, transaction processing or employee pay. This enables the department to be far more efficient whilst saving the company money.

A business looking for a way to keep all departments working together and fully informed should look to implementing ERP. A good ERP provider with an excellent reputation can guarantee improved efficiency and cost savings. The peace of mind that the business needs knowing that this is all being handled in an efficient and cost effective way is priceless.

Rashed Khan hold an MSc in Software Engineering and enjoys guest posting on business/technology related topics.