PeoplePerHour – Hire Skilled Freelancers for Your Virtual Project Team

peopleperhour logoA 2015 HR article stated that based on new research, the freelance sector is growing faster than any other recruitment sector. Freelance work has been growing at least 3 percent a year. This may be alarming to recruitment firms but good news to small businesses and startups. Companies that need to stay lean have the option now to start with a small, full-time core staff and just hire skilled freelancers for project work. Online freelance market company PeoplePerHour provides the platform for businesses to find curated freelance talent easily.

Introducing PeoplePerHour

PeoplePerHour is a privately held Internet company based in London, UK. It was founded in 2007 by Xenios Thrasyvoulou, CEO, and Simos Kitiris, CTO. Xenios decided to start an outsourcing service with his friend and colleague to allow people to start their own business and build it up project by project, hour by hour through skilled people who dream of working for themselves. After several years of challenges, PPH is now helping people realize their dreams, with a community of over 64,000 curated freelancers.

Startups and small business owners who are cost-conscious can build and grow their companies without having to initially employ a large number of full-time staff but scale personnel size according to market demands and company growth. PeoplePerHour is an ideal platform because its freelancers are curated. It is more affordable than hiring the services of digital agencies or recruitment firms. From a central online site, employers can work with freelancers all over the world. A guaranteed payment system allows employers to keep their funds in escrow until they are happy with the finished product or task. A support team also helps users for issues.

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How it Works

PeoplePerHour allows employers or buyers of services to find freelancers for their projects in a few steps. An option called Browse Hourlies is a good way to test candidates for quality of work from as little as one-hour jobs with fixed price. If buyers are satisfied with the freelancer’s work, the buyer can then submit a follow-on proposal. Another option is to post for free a job and let interested and qualified people bid for its completion. A third option is to actively search profiles and contact freelancers directly. A built-in management page called WorkStream allows buyers to organize their communication threads, pay and accept proposals, deposit payment in escrow, receive invoices for completed work, and release funds to the freelancer or seller.

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Resources for Different Types of Projects

Several categories help buyers to quickly find the talent for their particular tasks and projects. Under the Design category, people can find experts in creating logos, wireframes, web pages, or icons. Under the Development category, there are experts in PHP/ASP, HTML, CSS, WordPress, Joomla and Magento. Under Content, buyers can find talent that can create marketing copy, sales collateral, SEO articles, blog posts and infographics. For those with Promotion projects, experts in Google Adwords, Facebook Pages, Twitter, link building, forum submissions and press releases can be hired in a few clicks. Other specific categories such as video, photo and audio or software dev and mobile narrow down the search for buyers, who can further filter results by country, local sellers and hourlies who already had previous sales or work done.

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Optimize Your Hiring Experience

PeoplePerHour received fair reviews in many sites, both for buyers or employers and sellers or freelancers. Complaints come mostly from sellers about a high service fee and lengthy payment processing and transfer of funds. Buyers, on the other hand, are advised to take some steps to make sure their hiring experience becomes positive. Some of these steps are to do a trial run first with a freelancer before giving the big project, evaluate the tasks and projects that are cost-effective to outsource, keep records of freelancers hired, and expect a learning curve for both you and the freelancer. Clear and regular communication as well as online collaboration tools can also help make the experience smooth. Let us know what you think of this platform if you have used it.

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Cognitive Biases in Project Management

Cognitive Biases in Project ManagementWe all would like to think that we are able to make objective and rational decisions all of the time. But the fact is, that under certain circumstances, almost anyone can become biased in their thinking and decision making.

A good example of this is when emotions are involved. Rarely are good decisions made when we are angry and it’s hard to be fair anytime the situation involves a loved one. However, these biases that stem from strong emotions are easy to spot. In these situations we are often able to take appropriate action such as trying to cool down if we’re angry or let someone else judge a decision if it involves a family member. At the very least, the possibility of bias itself can be noted and acknowledged.

What is less obvious are biases in thinking that are not primarily caused by emotions but instead by human psychology, a cognitive bias.

Cognitive bias is defined as, ‘a systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, whereby inferences about other people and situations may be drawn in an illogical fashion.’

In project management, it is estimated that 75% to 90% of the time is spent is on communication. That is a lot of time spent dealing primarily with your team members and major stakeholders. Therefore, it would be helpful to recognize how judgements and decisions can be be biased, under certain conditions, so that we may better deal with it. Here we discuss a few cognitive biases that you may encounter when managing your projects.

Planning Fallacy

Planning Fallacy is the tendency to underestimate how long it will take to complete a certain task. This often happens during planning, when those who are going to do the actual work underestimates the time it will take to complete a task. Coupled by the pressure from sponsors to finish the project as soon as possible, is it any wonder why most project does not complete on time? Optimism and pressure from the management results in an unattainable datelines that will eventually lead to schedule delays. A better way to estimate how long a task will take is to look at similar projects from the past and see how long it took the team to complete the same task before.

Anchoring Bias

When making decisions, people tend to hold on to the very first information that becomes available (anchor). Once an anchor is established, all subsequent decisions and negotiations will center and be informed by the initial suggestion. For example, when negotiating a price for a particular product or service, the first price to be suggested by either party will often set the tone of the whole negotiation. So knowing this, if the situation permits, always try to make the first offer when selling and suggest a starting point way above what you are willing to settle for. By anchoring a price in this way, it will be more likely that the final negotiated price won’t fall too far away from the one that you will be happy with.

Confirmation Bias

Confirmation Bias is the tendency to search for or interpret information in a way that confirms one’s preconceptions. We tend to only look for things that confirm our beliefs and are often blinded by any information that does not fall in line with our preconceived view. By doing so, we become less objective to any information being presented. For example, if a stakeholder hears and believes unwarranted negative things about a project and has already developed his own preconceptions before even hearing a single project briefing, by the time the project is formally presented to him, he will most likely only see what he already believes, that the project is a waste of time, and not give it a fair evaluation. All the while not even aware of the fact that he is already biased to not liking the project.

False Consensus Effect

The False Consensus Effect is a cognitive bias where a person tends to overestimate the extent in which others share their beliefs or opinions. For example, when conducting a project, you may feel that your project is an exciting one and is of great value. The false consensus effect will bias you into perceiving that others share your enthusiasm. If you are not aware of this tendency, you may overlook or not take the time to seriously gauge the actual attitudes and sentiment of your stakeholders towards your project. Never assume that everyone is onboard, always check to be sure. Being aware of this tendency will ensure that you secure buy-in from all your major stakeholders so that your project may run more smoothly.

Optimism Bias

Optimism Bias is the tendency for people to be overly optimistic about planned outcomes rather than believing that something negative will occur. Although it’s preferable to start out a project in an optimistic tone. Be aware that this should not blind us to the risks of things going wrong. Be careful not to brush off valid concerns made by the team members and try to plan accordingly for when things go wrong.

Déformation Professionnelle

Déformation Professionnelle is the tendency to view things in the context of one’s own profession or expertise. In the planning stage for example, it’s a good idea to get inputs from team members from all different disciplines to weigh in on any issues or problems regarding the project. This will ensure a more balanced view when planning ones project activities.
Nobody is perfect and everyone is bound to fall prey to these cognitive biases at one time or another. However, just being aware of these biases when thinking and making decisions is a big step in managing and guarding against them

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Freelancer – Hire Online Experts to Get Your Project Done

freelancer logoMany small businesses are familiar with the concept of outsourcing and hiring freelancers. Some organizations hire external service providers because they have no other choice, but some do so with a conscious effort to cut costs. Aside from trying to control costs, another benefit of hiring freelancers is the ability to start new projects quickly. Building and training an in-house project team may take a longer time than simply hiring the services of trained experts ready to hit the ground running. Especially for small businesses in today’s quick-changing market landscape, time is a luxury. Freelancer.com provides a place to find help in no time.

Introducing Freelancer

Freelancer Technology Pty Limited is a publicly listed company based in Sydney, NSW, Australia. It does have a global presence with offices in Vancouver, BC, Canada; London, UK; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Manila, Philippines; and Jakarta, Indonesia. It was founded in 2004 and has made several acquisitions, the latest of which is Escrow.com. It went public in November 2013 and is listed as FLN on the Australian Securities Exchange. Matt Barrie is Chairman and CEO since 2009.

Freelancer is described as the largest online job marketplace in terms of total number of users (17.6M+) and number of projects posted (9.2M+). Employers can post for free a project or job to be done. Users will offer quotes or bids to complete the project. The employer then chooses to award the project to his or her selected freelancer. A built-in chat allows the employer and freelancer to communicate about the status and progress of the work. The employer can then release payment after he or she is satisfied with the work completed. Freelancer.com takes a percentage fee of the total cost of the work.

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Types of Freelance Projects

Some of the projects that small businesses can outsource through Freelancer are website development, web design, SEO marketing, mobile app development, article writing, business card design, company logo design, and data entry jobs, among others. Posting a website development job, for example, is easy by clicking the link which then displays a form that allows the employer to fill in job details. A dropdown menu displays the choices for the type of job such as building a website, an online store, or creating a WordPress template. There are also choices whether the project is fixed rate or hourly rate and the budget of the project.

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Is it for everyone?

Freelancer and other online job marketplace companies provide opportunities for both businesses and service providers. Aside from better cost control and rapid deployment, small business owners and company staff also can become more efficient and focus on their core business. However, there are also risks and disadvantages in outsourcing, such as poor quality control, exposure of confidential data, low morale and decreased loyalty among internal staff. These can be managed with the right attitude, well-explained strategy and project management tools. However, it is recommended that not all functions should be outsourced.

Reviews and Issues

In several sites, Freelancer has been receiving low reviews for unresolved issues particularly in their payment system. There are also issues about the need to pay for commissions charged to employers aside from service fees. As one of the largest, it is expected that problems will arise, but because they cater to a very large number of users and projects, any problem will surely be significant. If you have tried their site or service, feel free to share your experience with us.

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How to Get the Most out of Your Project Management System

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How to Get the Most out of Your Project Management SystemUnless you like doing things the hard way, you probably use a project management system. Why wouldn’t you? There’s tons of software available to help project managers simplify their careers by providing all the necessary tools for organization. The biggest possible mistake would be to assume that this software can essentially do your job for you. It can’t, but it can make doing your job a lot easier if you’re using it correctly.

Use a cloud based system

If everyone is running around, or some people work remotely, having a stationary system can only take you so far. Opting for a cloud based system will allow workers to tend to their responsibilities from wherever they are. Smartphones, tablets, and laptops let us take our work with us, and you can’t afford to take that option off the table. This is especially important for business trips if you want to maintain the same standard of quality outside of the office.

Don’t expect magic

Project management systems are immensely useful, but they aren’t magic. They’re a great way to keep track of numbers and data, and they’re also helpful for making charts, lists, and graphs. You have to plug in this information properly, otherwise nothing is going to get done. Don’t rely on project management software to do all the hard work for you. They’re more of a supplemental tool than a universal fixer.

Integrate your software

What you can integrate largely depends on what project management system you choose. Selecting a closed system will only provide you with limited capabilities. You need to use a software that will work with other programs you’re currently using. Things like Quickbooks and Microsoft applications are also an integral part of your job, so using a project management system that’s designed to work in synergy with your other products will give you a cohesive, smooth working experience.

Train your employees

What good is it to have something that no one knows how to use? If you’re the only one who can interact with your management software, you’re going to be faced with many unnecessary burdens. If the software comes with a tutorial, make sure your employees have access to it. If not, either hire someone to train them or take the time to do it yourself. Allowing untrained employees to dabble with the software can have a disastrous outcome, and that’s not a risk you should take.

Use tracking features

Tracking features are the biggest part of project management systems that simplify your life. Many newer systems offer live tracking for expenses and productivity. These figures allow you to see where you are relative to your deadline, and having to manually draw up those numbers on a constant basis can drag you down. By using these features, you’re saving yourself time and energy by having readily available figures you can work with.

Stay cohesive

If you’ve found the perfect project management system, it’s only as good as the people who are using it. If everyone is using different software, you’ll wind up with some wonky outcomes. Make sure the software you ultimately choose has all the features you require, and then make sure everyone else agrees with that decision. Everyone should use the same software to avoid confusion.

You should always have realistic expectations of your software, and be consistent in its use. Every business has different needs, and your software needs to accommodate your vision. In the event that you can’t find prepared software that will work for you right out of the box, you can always contact software companies and inquire about customized solutions.

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Genius Project: The Solution to the Challenges of Email and Excel

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Genius Project The Solution to the Challenges of Email, Excel and Desktop FoldersIt comes as no surprise that email, excel spreadsheets and desktop folders are considered ineffective tools for managing projects. Their limitations for storing & sharing documents, planning and collaborating are indisputable and ripe with complication. They definitely have their uses (and let’s be honest, we’re all a little guilty of obsessing over our emails) but managing project information and teams is a process that requires a considerably more sophisticated system. Enter the Genius Project solution – a powerful project management system with the functions and capabilities to keep your projects organized and on track.

To get more specific, let’s breakdown how Genius Project can eliminate the limitations of email, excel and desktop folders.

Document Management

Genius Project is designed to safe guard all your documents in a protected library with versioning capabilities – so that you can be clear on which version is the most updated. The system allows users to attach files and documents to tasks, deliverables, project descriptions and any other carrier of information. One of the features users find most useful is the ability to integrate project documents in any format, ie. Excel, Word, WordPro, Photoshop, AutoCad, Adobe Acrobat – you name it. These files can then be edited directly in the system, ensuring everyone is reading and working on the latest version. This is a direct solution for saving desktop space and limiting email exchanges.

Vulnerability

All too often documents disappear from email inboxes and desktop folders; and excel spreadsheets are prone to errors because of their auto correct feature. With Genius Project, users can define how long they wish to have access to documents that are sent to trash. But even at that, there’s always a way to recover deleted documents, so that you can rest easy. As long as you have the access permission, you can access any document, any time.

Collaboration

Genius Live! is the software’s online collaboration platform. This feature allows for project forums and discussions, email and to-do notifications, live chatting and provides project managers and team members instant access to project information. The social tool delivers a single page view such as that seen on a Facebook wall; in this case, the news feed consists of project updates and statuses. And as to be expected, it’s accessible from multiple devices for access on the go.

Planning

There’s no denying that email, excel spreadsheets and desktop folders have little to no capabilities when it comes to project planning. Genius Project has a multi-project Gantt Chart where tasks, phases and resources can be specifically defined. Known as Genius Planner, this planning feature allows users to assign and link tasks, determine a timeline, estimate costs and resource requirements. The best part is its visual component, which provides an in-depth view into deliverables and their dependents.

Security

Genius Project’s servers are located in Softlayer, an IBM Company with state-of-the art facilities. Their multi-level approach for shielding customer data against physical and electronic threats ensures maximum uptime and protection. GP’s clients also have the ability to define their security requirements for internal use, by setting up the proper access permissions for each user, and based on each project or project document.

More reasons to love Genius Project:

genius project logoGenius Project is available as cloud-based and on-premise, which means project information is always accessible online (depending on permission levels) and not trapped onto someone’s desktop. The software is equipped with powerful features for time tracking, resource management, dashboards, reporting and so much more. For a detailed view on how Genius Project can improve your project management processes and help you deliver successful projects on time and on budget, take a look at software review we made.

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Toptal – Top-notch Talent for Tech Projects

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toptal logoAccording to a 2012 study involving large software projects, as much as 66 percent went over their budget and about 33 percent went over their schedule. It was noted also in the same study that nearly half of the cost overruns was because of the failure to secure critically essential human resources, either from inside the organization or from outside consultancy. The problem, however, was not the absence of talent, but the channel to find world-class software talent who can quickly make up the team or augment an existing one. Toptal addresses this need by providing an elite network of freelancers with minimal to zero risk.

Introducing Toptal

Toptal is a privately held job marketplace company based in San Francisco, CA, USA. It was founded in 2010 by Taso Du Val, CEO; and Breanden Beneschott, COO. Both are experienced engineers and brilliant entrepreneurs. In November, Deloitte ranked the company as the fastest growing talent marketplace in North America. Toptal has built an exclusive community of talented engineers and designers, from MIT, CERN, and Google, to name a few. Its business model differs from other open job marketplace companies due to its rigorous screening process to make sure it can supply quality software engineers and designers that fit the project team and requirement.

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Finding the Perfect Match

To find the right Toptal resource, a client first has to tell it the kind of freelance tech talent it needs. The talent company can cater to dozens of different development and technical environments, with experts in different programming languages and device platforms. From its database, it will find for the client the most suitable talent for the project. To ensure smooth communications, all its freelancers speak, read and write English fluently. Clients will be able to work with the freelancers with zero risk for a trial period. Payment is expected only if the client is satisfied. These freelancers are ready to be part of the core project team or even make up the whole team.

Vetting Process

Applicants go through a strict screening process so that clients are ensured that the talent they hire can deliver. The first step that applicants go through is a comprehensive interview that tests language, personality and communication. Next, knowledge of fundamental concepts and skills in problem solving are demonstrated in time-pressured tests. Afterwards, applicants are screened by at least two Toptal senior engineers or designers. Then a candidate is assigned to a test project to demonstrate their competence, professionalism and other important traits. Those who pass should continue to maintain an excellent track record. For each stage, the percentage of passers decreases until only the top 3 percent remains.

Fields of Expertise

Toptal has experts in many computer science technologies. Some of these are Android, AngularJS, API, C#, Django, HTML5, iOS, Java, .NET, PHP, Ruby and more. For instance, by clicking the link to Android developers, the site will display several top freelance developers from the USA, Germany, Macedonia, Croatia and Romania. Last October, the company also launched a job marketplace for designers, and some of the areas of expertise are Adobe Illustrator, Graphics, Logos, Mobile Apps, Photoshop, UI, UX and the Web, among others. When the Web Design link is clicked, the top freelance experts from the USA, Croatia, Argentina, Ukraine, Russia, Poland, Bulgaria and Austria are displayed.

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Positive Feedback

Among Toptal’s clients are Axel Springer AG, J.P. Morgan, KDDI Laboratories America, Airbnb, Zendesk, and Art.sy. Mike Riess at RiessGroup stated that hiring their developers was a pleasant experience, where every developer has been professional, skilled and self-managing. Dennis Baldwin at Priceblink described the developer they hired as top notch, responsive and efficient. Most project engagements are large and serious, providing freelancers competitive compensation as well as more learning experience to become even better professionals. For project managers who are planning to fill up their resource list for an upcoming project or for those who are pressed for time to save a failing project, Toptal is a handy site that can provide the solution. Let us know your experience if you have tried them in your projects.

 

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Can You Prove that Your PMO Has Improved Project Delivery?

Can You Prove that Your PMO Has Improved Project Delivery?
By Kiron D. Bondale
Some project management offices (PMO) are like Rodney Dangerfield – they don’t get no respect. While there are many causes for a PMO to be shut down, the inability to demonstrate their value proposition is one of the more common reasons.
So how can […]

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Need a WordPress Website for your Project? Look at TemplateMonster!

templatemonster-logoAs a project manager, you may have to market your project with a website. If you need a fast way to deliver a website, we suggest you to select the WordPress platform. For that purpose, TemplateMonster, which is the leader for that need, is by far your best option. It is a company with 14 years of experience in the market. Through all these years, the TemplateMonster team has been improving web design techniques and developing amazing custom WordPress themes, and thus enabling their clients to build almost effortlessly their web site on their own, even if they know just the basics.

TemplateMonster – WordPress Themes and Templates

TemplateMonster are the pioneers in helping people build a website with a sleek and modern design. The key to this procedure is a very good web template, which will be easily customized with your preferences and become your very own unique website. The template is given at an affordable price, it is optimized for SEO and it is specially designed for performance and efficiency. You, on the other hand, are going to have the full control of the content that will be uploaded to your website, as well as of its appearance and functionality. In a few words, editing will be a fun process for you.

Inexpensive Products and Services

TemplateMonster develops templates for most of the major Content Management Systems on the market such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal, Magento, WooCommerce and Opencart. You have the choice of purchasing a template at several pricing options: Single Site, Developer’s License and Buyout License. It depends on the goals you pursue. TemplateMonster’s collection of Magento themes is the biggest collection available online. Also, with every Magento theme, the customer can get 24/7 live chat support for free and numerous other bonuses. In addition, there is a free option for beginners as you can find free themes and sample templates which you can download and experiment with. Feel free to try a website template before selecting and purchasing the one that fits best to your needs.

Personalized Design to Suit your Needs

TemplateMonster also offers customization services, and their team can change your website’s content, color scheme, or even implement your company’s logo. For more demanding clients, there is also the option of personalization, as every template can be personalized to contain extra features such as special offers or deals, for example some training course, a spam and hackers protection pack, SEO boost, etc. Additionally, the template comes with powerful built-in features. These features are included in the price and there are no hidden costs for using them. Moreover, a full, complete package with all the necessary files is provided with your theme purchase. Also, in TemplateMonster you can find a range of 7-15 licensed stock photos within templates. These photos can be used for free forever and these photos match perfectly with your selected theme category.

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Great Customer Service and Tech Support

TemplateMonster is also well-known for its amazing support as they provide help to their clients throughout the whole process. The customer service department is always alert and ready to respond to your questions, 24 hours a day and 7 days per week. In case you are not happy with the product and a problem is not resolved, despite the efforts of the technical support team, TemplateMonster offers a refund for your purchase.

Testimonials

Dan, creator of marketcenter.net lauded the efforts of their support department, as he was having problems with the theme initially but the tech support were quick to help him through the process.

David Greenwood, who created BestLifeCoachforMen.com, reaffirmed the praise of the customer support as he is a small business owner who is not very tech-savvy, but helped along the way by the great support staff.

Why TemplateMonster

TemplateMonster was launched back in 2002 and has come a long way since then. Boasting more than 46000 designs in their arsenal, it is a top class hub of intriguing web templates. Their quick growth can be attributed to their great designs and incredible customer support. Their WordPress content and services are second to none, and their wide range of custom templates can really help a project manager choose the best design that suits their project perfectly.

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Trello on an upbeat mode with 120k users signing each week

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trello-logoNew York-based project management service, Trello, is surprisingly being used by 10m users globally, and has added another feather to its cap with 120,000 new users signing up every week, according to CEO Michael Pryor.

The co-founder of the software company seems perplexed when he ponders on how the app is being used, and states that users use it to chalk out a strategy for their weddings and holidays. This outstanding achievement has been met through wide engagement along with improved productivity and collaboration.

Trello is one of the rapidly evolving productivity apps right now, and empowers workers in a similar way as was once done by Microsoft Office.

How does Trello work?

Trello has an enticing visual clarity to communication, collaboration and a whole lot of other things similar to other apps like Sunrise, Wunderlist, Wrike and Slack to name a few. The design of the application has a close resemblance to a whiteboard. The adroit design allows users to move the cards around the screen with the objective of keeping everyone updated with respect to the plans and projects.

The Emergence of Trello

They say necessity is the mother of invention, and Trello was born out of a dire need when Pryor and Joel Spolsky, co-founder of the company were working on their maiden software firm Fog Creek.

Pryor reminisces on the days when the two of them were thinking about new products and the problems that were haunting them, especially the difficulties faced by their company. There were many employees engaged, but the co-founders were trying to build strategies to have an idea on how things were working. At that time, this seemed to be an impossible task since they were using many different tools.

Pryor states that since Fog Creek was a software company with software engineers who were moving notes around their whiteboards, the idea of creating a web-based project management app stemmed out of it. The next step for these tech hunks was to segregate the visual metaphor and incorporate it into the software. By doing so, everyone within the company would get a perspective on what the team was up to.

Trello was finally revealed at a Tech Crunch event in 2011. In the same year, San Francisco-based magazine, Wired, labeled it as “The 7 Coolest Startups You Haven’t Heard of Yet” while Lifehacker stated that the app makes project collaboration easy and an enjoyable experience. Within a year following its launch, Trello boasted of a strong customer base with roughly 500k users.

Pryor talks about Trello and the future of productivity in this short video:

According to Pryor, the rapidly growing app is gaining wide popularity even outside the US and since users love it so much, it is spreading by word of mouth.

Since people from diverse backgrounds use Trello, the next stage is to integrate it with other tools like Salesforce, Google Docs or Slack, says Pryor. He concludes by saying that people these days are more into tablets, Smartphones and other devices and this accessibility indicates that the company should start with collaboration first and add productivity to that later on.

Trello raised a whooping sum of $10.3m in funding from companies like Spark and Index Ventures in 2014. The tool was recently launched in France, Spain, Germany and Brazil.

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How to Develop a Project Plan that’s Right for Your Next Project

How to Develop a Project Plan that’s Right for Your Next Project
By Ben Snyder, CEO of Systemation
The baseline. In project control, everything you do refers to it. It’s the expectation you’re setting with stakeholders.
The main medium you have for communicating that baseline is by developing a project plan. It documents the time, cost and scope […]

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