This article is aimed for early stage entrepreneurs and project managers who are looking for info on project management from a slightly different perspective… read on!
Project management explained, in plain English
Project management is all about taking care of the “necessary evil” that will make a project successful: Project planning, time tracking, resource planning etc. What deemed to be a successful project? The answer is achieved goals. Project managers – referring to anyone taking care of projects, including solopreneurs – work toward those goals in timely manner.
In order to take care of the things required to make a project successful, a project manager should use tools other than pen-and-paper – seriously. You need something that will help you out. The bottom line, you need software and the knowledge to turn a plan into reality.
Project management software
As a project manager, you definitely need a tool – in this case, software. With such software, you can manage everything from a single dashboard or control center. You can allocate and track everything from the dashboard.
There are plenty of project management software on the market today. The technology advances in IT – including cloud computing technology – have led to a new breed of software: Online (or cloud-based) project management software.
Online project management software is not necessarily better than the offline counterparts. However, there are certain perks that the online solutions can offer project managers: They are available 24/7 and accessible anytime, anywhere; such software enhances productivity, as well as promoting location independent collaboration among team members.
Project management knowledge
As a project manager, you should not only be able to use the software, you also need to be able to well-equip yourself with the right knowledge – and learn continuously (kaizen.) Sure, experience matters, but knowledge can get you there quicker! Remember, you need approximately 10,000 hours to become an expert – so, the right time to start enriching yourself with project management knowledge is NOW.
To tap on the pulse of project management trends, you should read, watch and listen about them. Read magazines and journals; search the web for project management; watch videos on YouTube.com; visit credible project management software reviews; check on professional associations; and many more.
What’s next?
In addition to the resources I mentioned above, I recommend you to visit Project-Management.com. It’s a partner of mine’s. It’s still a relatively new site, but I can vouch for it – it has quality content. You can get useful project management software reviews to help you decide which software is the right one for your company, as well as articles to keep yourself updated on what’s going on in project management.
Good luck in your entrepreneurial and professional journey!
Ivan Widjaya
Project management in plain English