Category: news

Expense report: how to manage it in complex projects

Expense report management is one of companies’ most sensitive and tricky tasks, especially for large projects.

The expense report is a core document that accounts for costs incurred by an employee during a trip or as part of a specific project.

Managing it can be challenging due to the variety of expenses involved and the complexity of the reporting process.

Let’s take a look at how to manage the expense report in complex projects.

CONTENT

The perfect expense report

Expense report management is critical for many companies, and having a clear and comprehensive expense report is fundamental to ensuring accurate and timely reporting.

A “perfect” expense report should be transparent, detailed and comply with current regulations.

The current regulation on expense reports in Italy is Ministerial Decree 55/2014, which defines the requirements that expense reports must meet to be valid for tax filing purposes.

Here is what a perfect expense report should include:

Personal data

The basic information of the employee who sustained the expenses. They should be clear and accurate to avoid possible misunderstandings or errors. They include:

    • Full Name: Complete identification of the employee.
    • Company Name: The legal name of the business or body for which the employee works. It is fundamental to ensure that the expense report is associated with the proper organization, especially in large companies or groups having several companies.

Expense list

A comprehensive list of expenses is vital to understanding the nature and extent of costs incurred:

  • Detailed: Each expense should be described in detail, specifying, for example, whether it is a business dinner, a train ticket, or an overnight stay in a hotel.
  • Broken by category: Expenses should be split into categories, such as travel, food, accommodation, etc. This helps to understand the nature of expenses quickly and facilitates their approval and accounting.

Date and place

These details are key to putting expenses in context:

    • Period: Specifying the dates when the expenses were incurred helps to understand the context and verify their relevance.
    • Context: The place or event at which the expenses were sustained (e.g., a business conference in Milan or a client meeting in Rome) provides additional details about the nature of the expenses.

Reimbursement of expenses incurred

This section of the expense report should make it clear how and when the employee will be reimbursed:

  • Method of reimbursement: Whether by wire transfer, check or other means, it is key to specify how the employee will receive their reimbursement.
  • Refund times: Clearly state when the employee can expect to get reimbursed, for example, within 30 days of submitting the expense report.

Managing expense reports in complex projects

Managing expense reports in a complex project environment can be a significant challenge due to the variety of expenses and the reporting process’s complexity.

Some of the challenges and critical issues that can arise in managing expense reports in complex projects include:

Variety of expenses

In large projects, expenses can come from multiple sources and for different reasons:

    • Travel and transfers: Business travel, both domestic and international, may include expenses for transportation, accommodation, food, and other related expenses.
    • Procurement of goods and services: This may include software purchases, equipment, external consulting, and more.
    • Events and trainings: Attending or hosting events, seminars or training courses may incur significant costs.
    • Unexpected expenses: In any project, unexpected expenses may emerge during the course of the project and must be properly documented and justified.

Complexity of the reporting process

Reporting expenses in complex projects can be a tricky process:

    • Expense approval: Any expense might require approval from different hierarchical levels or departments, such as finance or management.
    • Verification and monitoring: Expenses must be reviewed to ensure they are legitimate, relevant to the project, and in compliance with company policies.
    • Reporting: All expenses must be documented appropriately, with receipts, invoices, and other evidence justifying the amount spent.
    • Reimbursement: Once approved, expenses must be reimbursed timely, per the procedures and timeframes established by the company.

Twproject: a one-stop solution for managing expense reports

nota spese

In an age where digitization and automation are revolutionizing how businesses work, expense report management is no exception.

Manual expense management, relying on spreadsheets and folders full of receipts, has become obsolete and ineffective, especially in large businesses or complex projects.

Twproject stands out as a state-of-the-art solution, offering many features that make it a precious ally for businesses.

Here is a detailed analysis of its key features:

  • Multi-currency management: In an international context, companies must often manage expenses in different currencies. Twproject can manage expense reports in various currencies, ensuring accurate and up-to-date conversions and making reporting and approving costs incurred in foreign currencies easier.
  • Recurring and one-time expenses: Every company has recurring payments, such as subscriptions, but also one-time costs, such as travel expenses. Twproject allows both types to be managed effectively, enabling clear categorization and detailed tracking.
  • Personal expenses: An employee may incur an expense that does not fall under the company’s reimbursable items. Twproject also offers the option to record these expenses, ensuring a clear distinction between reimbursable and non-reimbursable expenses, thereby providing transparency and clarity in the reporting process.
  • Efficiency and accuracy: Managing expense reports with Twproject significantly reduces the time spent filling out, approving, and reimbursing expenses. It also minimizes the risk of human error, ensuring more accurate reporting.
  • Allocation to cost center: Whenever an expense report is inserted, it can be automatically associated with a specific cost center. This ensures that each expense is correctly recorded and allocated to the right project or department.
  • Accessibility and traceability: Expense information will become accessible in real-time from any device, allowing better tracking of expenses and greater transparency in the process.

Bottom line, Twproject is not just a project management tool but also a comprehensive solution for managing expense reports.

Its versatility and advanced features make it a great option for companies looking for an effective and reliable way to manage expenses.

Keep costs under control with Twproject

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How to use the cost center to simplify large projects

The cost center is a valuable tool for simplifying the financial management of projects.

Accurate and detailed cost management is critical to ensure sustainability and growth in any company. Elements such as raw material, unit cost, and other economic factors are essential to the success of any business.

But how can all these elements be successfully managed?

CONTENT

The answer lies in the strategic use of cost centers, which provide comprehensive control over every financial aspect of your business.

Let’s examine how the cost center can help you simplify cost management for large projects.

What is a cost center?

A cost center is a department within a company that is in charge of certain costs.

Each single cost center is responsible for the costs involved in manufacturing products or providing services. It can be a production line, a department, or a subsidiary.

The cost center allows information to be collected regarding the costs of all project activities and components. This information can be used to:

  • Getting an overview of project costs
  • Identify cost areas where improvements can be made
  • Monitor cost trends over time

The various cost centers within a company can be associated with different products or services. Each product or service may have different related costs, which can be monitored and analyzed separately.

 

Why create a cost center map

Creating a cost center map is critical. The map helps to understand where costs occur and how they are distributed within the company.

Twproject is project management software that can streamline this process. It allows specific costs to be assigned to each cost center, providing in-depth insight into the allocation of costs within the company.

 

Notably, Twproject makes it possible to create a cost center map tailored to the company’s specific needs and defines cost centers based on the activities carried out by the company, products or services offered, or other criteria.

It also assigns costs to each cost center accurately and efficiently.

Information about costs provided by Twproject can be used for many different purposes, including:

  • Calculating the cost of products or services
  • Cost analysis
  • Cost management
  • Improving efficiency and productivity

 Project managers can easily monitor direct and indirect costs, production time, and other crucial aspects. Twproject allows assigning and tracking costs for each project, significantly simplifying cost management and analysis, providing greater efficiency and control.

It offers a clear, detailed, and up-to-date view of costs incurred, helping companies optimize resources and improve efficiency.

6 tips on how to simplify large projects with the cost center

Here is a guide on using the cost center to streamline large tasks while ensuring efficiency and financial control.

1. Get a cost management software

Begin by getting a cost management software such as Twproject. This tool centralizes and automates cost center management, allowing you to monitor costs in real-time, assign specific budgets, and generate detailed reports on a one-stop platform. This will save you time and reduce the risk of human error.

2. Clearly define your cost centers

A clear definition of each cost center within the project is key. This step eliminates confusion, makes communication with your team, and ensures that everyone is on the same page about the project’s cost structure.

3. Assign a specific budget

Assigning a specific budget to each cost center also prevents overshoots and ensures that each cost center has the financial resources it needs to operate efficiently.

This step is crucial for maintaining financial control of the project and preventing unexpected expenses.

cost management

4. Monitor costs regularly

Regularly monitoring actual costs compared to projected costs for each cost center allows you to spot any discrepancies quickly and make timely corrections. This practice ensures that the project remains within budget and time constraints.

5. Build your team

Make sure your team is properly trained on effective cost center management. An informed team is invaluable for cost control and effective project management.

6. Perform regular reviews

Don’t forget to regularly review your cost centers to ensure they stay aligned with project objectives. This allows you to make adjustments based on project needs, ensuring that cost centers are always optimized.

By implementing these steps, cost center management will become a more seamless and manageable process, thus contributing significantly to the success of your large project.

By streamlining internal project management via Twproject, we were able to implement a very strong and effective cost control on the resources directly involved in account-based projects.

Read the interview with Temera and discover the advantages it gained from relying on cost management with Twproject

Managing cost centers with Twproject

Recently, we released a new Twproject version with improved cost center management features.

Here’s an overview of its new features:

  • Cost center propagation

This feature allows you to change the cost center of a task or resource and automatically propagate the change to all subordinate subtasks or resources. This way, you will not have to update each item manually.

For example, if you change a project’s cost center, all project tasks and resources will automatically be updated with the new cost center. However, if a task or resource has a different cost center from the project, it will remain unaffected.

 

  • Choosing the type of cost center

Before, cost centers were used for both projects and resources. This new feature allows you to manage cost centers for projects and resources separately. This allows you to choose whether to use cost centers for projects, resources, or both and have a clearer and more organized view of your data.

 

  • Cost center legacy

This feature automatically allows project add-on costs to inherit the cost center from their phase. This way, you can skip manually editing the cost centers for each add-on cost.

For example, if an additional cost is related to a project phase, the cost center of that extra cost will automatically inherit the phase’s cost center.

In short, these new features allow you to:

  • Save time since you won’t have to update cost centers manually;
  • Improve accuracy, preventing potential errors;
  • Have a more transparent and structured overview of your data.

Ultimately, the cost center is a powerful tool for streamlining the financial management of large projects. Properly using the cost center can improve cost transparency and efficiency, reduce risk, and improve the odds of achieving project success.

Remember, sound cost control is the foundation of successful project implementation.

 

Keep costs under control with Twproject

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Project Life Cycle: phases and characteristics

The Project Life Cycle consists of four main phases through which the Project Manager and his team try to achieve the objectives that the project itself sets.

The four phases that mark the life of the project are: conception / start, planning, execution / implementation and closure.

Each project therefore has a beginning, a central period, a completion and a final phase (successful or not). All phases that we will analyze in this article constitute the so-called Project Life Cycle.

Obviously, those mentioned are only the main phases of the project, which means the starting point for a further subdivision in sub-phases, activities and tasks, increasingly basic and detailed, necessary for the development and allocation of work among the resources.

For each phase or lifecycle activity, the project manager must have two clear things in mind:

  • The objectives of each project phase: based on company constraints ranging from quality to timing and costs;
  • Products (derivable): every activity must lead to results that can be tangible goods or a documentation or specific services, etc.

But now we specifically enter the four main phases of the project life cycle.

CONTENT INDEX

The initiation phase

During this first phase, the objective or “need” of the project is identified.

This can be, for example, the resolution of a business problem or the analysis and creation of a concrete opportunity.

An appropriate responce to the need can be documented in a business case with the recommended solution options.

A feasibility study is then conducted to verify if each option is in line with the objective and a final solution is determined.

The feasibility study asks questions about the feasibility of the project. Questions such as “can we do the project? Do we have the resources to do it?“.

Furthermore, a justification study phase of the project is also carried out, for example by answering the question “is the project necessary for this objective?“.

Once these analyzes have been carried out and the project is considered feasible and necessary, this is officially started and, in case it has not already been identified, a project manager is appointed.

The project team is then identified and involved, thus starting to take shape.

At this point we can then move on to the detailed planning phase.

If we use a good project management application, the initiation phase will be much easier and once fully operational, the software itself will answer the questions mentioned above, i.e. if we have the resources to do it, if it is functional to the objective and so on.

We plan ahead and monitor our progress, thus being able to identify the critical paths, anticipate project delays or interruptions before they happen and therefore improve workflow.

Read the interview with Gap Studi e Consulenze and find out which approach they chose using the many planning tools offered by Twproject

Twproject is a complete solution that offers all the tools the project manager needs in this phase. Using this platform you’ll have the possibility to create your project from the very beginning and add the different team members, specifying their roles.

The planning phase

In this phase we start from the objective of the project and move on to develop it in as much detail as possible, planning the steps necessary to reach the final solution.

The individual tasks of the project are then identified, as well as the requirements that the resources must have and the strategy to follow.

A project plan is created that illustrates the activities, tasks and timelines.

The project manager coordinates the preparation of a project budget by providing cost estimates for labor, equipment and materials, if needed.

The budget is used to monitor and control the expenses incurred during the entire project phase.

Once the Project Manager has identified the work, prepared the strategy and the performance and estimated costs, the basic components of the planning process are complete.

It comes then the right time to identify and address any factor that may pose a threat to the success of the project. This part is called risk management.

Potential problems are identified, as well as the action that must be taken to avoid them, solve them or at least reduce their impact.

This is also a good time to identify all stakeholders and establish a communication plan that sets out the information needed to keep all the parties involved in the project informed.

Finally, the project manager will draw up a quality plan that includes the quality objectives, the control measures, also listing the criteria to be met  obtain the acceptance of the client – customer that can be the company itself.

Arrived here, the project has been discussed and planned in detail, and is ready to run and move on to the next stage.

Twproject can also help you in this phase, in defining the activities through the drafting of the WBS and immediately following with the planning of the phases over time with an interactive Gantt editor:

Gantt chart

The execution phase

During the third phase, that of the implementation, the project plan is put into motion and the work is performed in concrete, following the steps structured in the planning phase.

It is important and fundamental to maintain control and communicate how – and when – necessary during this whole phase.

Progress is continuously monitored and appropriate  changes are made and documented as variations with respect to the original plan.

Whatever project  it is, a project manager usually spends most of the time at this stage.

During the execution of the project, people perform their tasks and progress information is exchanged through regular team meetings, so-called progress status meetings .

The project manager uses this information to maintain control over the project direction by comparing progress reports with the project plan, to measure the performance of activities and take corrective actions if necessary.

The main strategy should always be to bring the project back to its original course,that of the project plan drawn up in the previous phase. If this is not possible, the changes from the original plan must be recorded and the modified plan must be formalized.

During this step, project sponsors and all other stakeholders should be regularly informed about the progress of the work.

Each product result should be analyzed and accepted.

Once the results of the various steps have been produced and the client has accepted the final solution, the project is ready for closure.

Twproject helps you manage the execution phase, on two levels, for the project manager and for the team memebrs.

The project manager can constantly monitor the ongoing activities:

project overview

The team, on the other hand, will have a simple and extremely flexible ToDo management tool. ToDos can represent daily activities, tickets, bugs, ideas, organized in the form of a list or Kanban board.

The closing phase

During this closing phase, the emphasis is placed on:

  • the final results;
  • the delivery of project documentation;
  • the termination of supplier contracts;
  • the release of project resources;
  • the communication of the closure of the project to all the stakeholders.

The last remaining step is to conduct an analysis of what went well and what did not.

Through this type of analysis you gain experience and knowledge, are gained, factors that will help the project manager, and the team in general, for future projects.

Unfortunately, the closing phase is often underestimated and in many companies the project is delivered without further evaluation; it only matters if the project was a success or not.

In reality, it isn’t only important to conclude a project successfully, but also to be able to execute it in the way that was set in the original project plan.

There is no shortage of cases in which the objective has been achieved despite having experienced a phase of execution full of changes, delays and problems.

The closure phase also serves to analyze this, in order to avoid making the same mistakes in the future and not adequately assessing certain risks.

The four phases of this life cycle may vary according to the sector and the type of project, but in general they are valid in any area.

When a project manager follows Project Life Cycle taking into account all the factors of each individual phase, he will have already taken the first step towards success.

Tell us about your personal experience of success.

How can a software help you managing the life cycle?

As shown, good project management software can make a real difference in each of the 4 phases of the project life cycle, since it can:

  • help you draft the WBS;
  • guide you in planning and execution;
  • monitor and verify the phases  of a project with an interactive Gantt chart;
  • check the correct balancing of the load on the resources.

That’s why a tool like Twproject is fundamental in the outcome of a project, since it has all the suitable tools for following each phase of a project’s life cycle, providing the project manager with a complete and constantly updated view.

Try it now for free! And afterwards, don’t forget to share your impressions and experience in managing the phases of a project with us.

Get familiar with the phases of your project.

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7 project management books to read on vacation

Are you looking for project management books to read on vacation?

You are in the right place!

Summer is a great time to relax, replenish your energy, and read.

If you are passionate about project management or wish to improve your skills in this domain, there is no better time to dive into inspiring books.

This article will introduce you to 7 project management books that will provide new perspectives, strategies, and valuable tips for successfully tackling your professional projects.

CONTENT

7 project management books to read on vacation

1. The Lean Startup

If you want to explore new approaches to managing projects and starting new entrepreneurial ventures, “The Lean Startup” by Eric Ries is an excellent choice.

This international bestseller offers a revolutionary methodology for launching new businesses efficiently and with minimal waste of resources.

In his book, Ries explains the idea of “Lean Startup,” where the principles of Lean thinking and Agile methodology are applied in the business world.

Through successful examples and real stories, the author explains how to quickly validate business hypotheses, gather customer feedback, and iterate continuously to develop successful products or services.

“The Lean Startup” offers an alternative to the traditional approach of detailed planning and long-term development, instead promoting speed and adaptability. This book is precious for those entrepreneurs and project managers working in uncertain and volatile environments, providing tools and strategies to manage and mitigate risks.

This book will inspire you to think innovatively, experience, and learn quickly from the market. You will be able to adapt to ever-changing customer needs with Lean startup principles and develop successful business projects.

2.Project Management for Dummies

One of the most popular and valuable books for project management newbies is “Project Management for Dummies” by Stanley E. Portny.

This practical and user-friendly guide offers a comprehensive introduction to project management, explaining the basic principles and best practices in a simple and understandable way.

Through real-world examples and practical advice, the book will help you master essential project management skills such as planning, executing, and controlling projects.

detto fatto

3. Getting Things Done

One of the most common challenges in project management is effectively managing time and tasks. “Getting Things Done” by David Allen is a book that offers a proven system for organizing work and maximizing productivity.

The GTD (Getting Things Done) method is based on principles such as accurate information gathering, clear action definition, and priority planning.

This book will guide you through implementing the GTD system, helping you create an organized environment and effectively manage your personal and business-related activities.

By creating action lists, managing projects, and adopting productive habits, you can overcome daily challenges with greater efficiency and peace of mind.

It is also helpful for those wishing to develop more efficient work habits and reduce stress from poor time management.

4. Crucial Conversations

Difficult conversations are inevitable in a project management environment.

“Crucial Conversations” by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, and Al Switzler is a must-have guide to dealing with critical discussions constructively and effectively.

By reading this book, you will gain access to practical tools that will help you effectively manage conflict, solve problems, and communicate clearly and empathetically.

Additionally, you will learn how to establish an open and conducive environment for dialogue and maintain a level head even in the most intricate of situations.

5. The Mythical Man-Month

“The Mythical Man-Month” by Frederick P. Brooks Jr. is aproject management classic that addresses the challenges of coordinating and managing resources in complex projects.

This iconic book provides a deep understanding of the problems that occur in large projects and presents Brooks’ laws and the concept of “adding people to a late project.”

By reading this book, you will acquire a unique standpoint on managing complex projects and the dynamics that can affect them.

6. Fiabe della buona notte per Project Manager

If you want a more casual yet entertaining and thought-provoking read, “Fiabe della buona notte per Project Manager” by Luigi Russo is the perfect book.

In this original book, Russo uses the format of fairy tales to present typical project management situations and dynamics allegorically.

Each fairy tale offers a valuable lesson and clever humor to make reading more enjoyable. This book is an excellent choice for relaxing under the umbrella, chuckling, and, at the same time, contemplating the challenges of project management.

Remember that reading does not always have to be serious and challenging, and this book perfectly demonstrates how you can learn while having fun.

7. Project & Process Management

If you are looking for a comprehensive project and process management guide, you cannot miss “Project & Process Management” by Stefano Setti.

This book provides an integrated view of both disciplines, offering a broad overview of fundamental principles, methodologies, and tools for project and business process management.

Thanks to his extensive experience in this area, Setti provides practical approaches and best practices for planning, executing, and controlling projects and designing, optimizing, and monitoring business processes.

Through concrete examples and case studies, the book will guide you in understanding the interactions between projects and processes and provide tools to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of business activities.

“Project & Process Management” is an in-depth yet user-friendly text aimed at professionals who wish to gain a holistic and integrated view of project and process management.

Whether you are a project manager or a process manager, this book will provide you with a solid foundation of knowledge to meet the corporate world’s challenges.

From the introduction to fundamental concepts to managing critical conversations and time management, these books will provide valuable knowledge to tackle your professional projects successfully.

Enjoy your reading!

Use Twproject to generate your status update reports.

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Team performance domain: what’s new PMBoK 7

Team Performance Domain is one of the 8 Project Performance Domains introduced in PMBOK’s seventh edition.

These replaced the 10 Knowledge Areas featured in the previous Project Management Body of Knowledge edition.

This article will explore what this is all about and what this change implies for project management.

CONTENT INDEX

Project Performance Domain: what are they?

As mentioned above, the 10 Knowledge Areas of the former PMBOK have been replaced in the seventh edition by the 8 Project Performance Domains.

These are referred to as groups of interrelated activities critical to the effective implementation of a project.

As opposed to the knowledge areas of the sixth edition, performance domains are designed to span the entire life cycle of a project and focus less on rigid processes and more on the practices and behaviors that lead to desired outcomes.

The 8 project performance domains were developed to ensure project success and include:

  1. Stakeholder
  2. Team
  3. Development Approach & Life Cycle
  4. Planning
  5. Project Work
  6. Delivery
  7. Measurement
  8. Uncertainty

Therefore, they encompass all aspects of the project, from team management to planning, process control, and stakeholder management.

The most significant difference between  PMBOK’s sixth and seventh editions is that the focus has shifted from technical processes and tools to more general principles.

The seventh edition focuses more on the fundamental concepts of project management instead of focusing only on specific technical processes and tools.

This makes the guide more accessible and usable to a broader audience, including those without technical or specialized training.

Team Performance Domain: what is it about?

Now let’s take a look specifically at the Team Performance Domain, or team performance domain, a segment of the PMBOK.

team performance domain pmbok 7

In particular, three main aspects are covered within this domain:

1. Project team and how it works

2. Team Management

3. Leadership skills

The Team Performance Domain is about the support, organization, management, leadership, and culture of the individuals responsible for producing project results.

This entails defining the culture and environment that enable a diverse mix of individuals to evolve into a high-performance project team.

This includes identifying the activities necessary to promote the development of the project team and fostering leadership behaviors by all team members.

The project team generates value for the organization by producing project deliverables.

As we discussed earlier, performance domains are a new concept introduced by PMBOK 7 to replace knowledge areas.

Likewise, process groups have been replaced by project management principles.

The Team Performance Domain focuses on creating a high-performance team, effective team coaching, raising the level of operations, creating collaborative team spaces, and monitoring and measuring their performance.

Certain processes and actions are put in place to achieve the planned goals of this performance domain.

In PMBOK 7, it is assumed that if a team leader successfully executes all the activities of the performance domain according to the principles outlined here, the result will be a high-performing team.

Among some factors that contribute to an effective team are:

  • Open communication: an open environment fosters productive meetings, problem-solving, the birth of new ideas, etc.;
  • Shared understanding: what the project will create is clear to everyone
  • Shared ownership: the more invested team members feel in the project results, the more motivated they will be in their work;
  • Trust: employees who trust each other work together more effectively;
  • Collaboration: collaborative teams generate more innovative ideas;
  • Adaptability: a better-performing team can adapt to different environments and situations;
  • Resilience: in the event of a problem, the team can recover quickly and continue their work;
  • Empowerment: those who can make decisions independently without being micro-managed all the time achieve better results;
  • Recognition: recognizing a job well done motivates team members to keep performance high.

The project manager must keep a respectful, collaborative, and non-judgmental environment that allows the team to thrive and achieve maximum return on performance.

Expected results of the Performance Domain Team

Historically, responsibility for a project was always assigned to a single person, typically the project manager, who was in charge of the project’s success (or failure).

In contrast, the project team leader can delegate responsibility to team members and be held accountable for the work.

However, when we look at how some organizations have been structured in recent decades, sometimes, responsibility for a project, product, or service has been assigned to more than one person.

The PMBOK, in its chapter on the Team Performance Domain, refers to this as shared ownership.

This means there are contexts in which work results are assigned to more than one person or team.

This may be the case with a high-performance team that is stable, empowered, and self-organized.

Stable teams become a high-performance teams by progressing through four stages:

  • Training: team members work together and begin to get to know each other,
  • Assault: conflict and stress resolution,
  • Standards: at this stage, employees begin to understand their colleagues’ strengths and can support each other,
  • Exhibition: When the team reaches its peak performance.

The time for team growth in the performance stage may depend on different variables and cannot be predetermined.

However, when such a high-performing team is achieved, an organization can assign employees to a project and let them self-organize to decide their way of working.

They will be free to choose and evolve their processes and practices to implement within their project and set up operations based on the organization’s policy.

To put it another way, the organization can enable a high-performing team to be responsible for the work and own the organization’s results.

The self-organization of the high-performance team improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the work accomplished and the satisfaction of team members. They feel valued and involved in the project, thus increasing their sense of ownership and long-term involvement with the organization.

Twproject helps teams achieve the best possible results by providing them with the right tools to manage work in an agile and productive way.

Work together with your team effectively

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New Twproject Release – All types of Gantt dependencies

After months of study and implementation we are really happy to announce that a new version of Twproject has been released and it includes, among other optimizations, a particular step forward on the use of the Gantt chart.

The Gantt developed by Twproject is undoubtedly one of the best on the current market in terms of flexibility and interaction with other pages in the application. It is also one of the few that allows you to do all sorts of tests on project duration and dependencies, thus proving to be a useful tool not only when sharing timelines but also in the process of studying them.

As always, the new release will be for the immediate benefit of all our customers, who can start using the new features right away!

Dependencies in the Gantt

According to definition, in the context of project management, “dependency” is defined as the relationship between two activities in a project or between an activity and a milestone (a precise point that defines the beginning or end of a relevant phase).

Dependencies thus allow one phase to be linked to the next in a way that indicates that they are consequential.

dependency

Introduction of new typologies

Until now in Twproject, the dependencies between project phases that the user could enter were of one type, the so-called classic Finish to start (FS). This means that activity A must finish before activity B starts, or in other words, activity B cannot start before A is finished.

But as we delved deeper into this topic and also through feedback from our clients, we realized that limiting the possible relationships that exist between the phases of a project to this classic type of dependency was reductive. In fact, there are additional relationships that can develop between the activities to be performed and that have been theorized in the principles of project management. Let us look at them in detail:

  • The Finish to finish (FF) relationship type implies that activity B cannot finish before A is also finished. For example, if activity B is the completion of writing a book and activity A is the writing of the last chapter, it becomes clear that A must necessarily finish for B to be considered finished as well.
  • Furthermore, there is the case that a certain activity cannot begin before another activity has in turn begun, and in this case the relationship will be Start to Start (SS). A classic example is the project management activity (B) of a project that cannot start before the project itself (A) begins.
  • Finally, a very specific case is the last type of relationship called Start to finish (SF), which is probably the most complex to understand and applies only in certain contexts. In this case activity A must start before B finishes, or in other words B cannot finish until A is started. Such a scenario may arise, for example, during shift change in a manufacturing plant whose machinery needs constant monitoring. The initial shift (A) cannot be said to have ended unless the next shift (B) has already started, on pain of putting the plant at risk.

We are therefore overjoyed to announce that in the new release of Twproject we have introduced the ability to assign all of the above types of dependencies to project phases.

After creating the dependency between two phases, you can possibly change the default value represented by the FS dependency and select another type of relationship.

modify dependency type

The application of the concept of “elasticity”

Another important paradigm shift, which makes us very proud of our work, is that we have made all the newly added dependencies “elastic.”

Indeed, if until now the assignment of a dependency established the linear succession of one activity after another, we know well that in the real world the downtimes.

That is why Twproject decided to allow the user to freely manage this elasticity.

So from now on when you enter a dependency it will be saved at first with the default FS hard type. But this classic “hard” dependency can be converted into “elastic” and with any type of relationship.

This means that two interdependent activities may also not be chronologically consequential and move apart, leaving any gaps between them, or overlap for a time, as long as the logic of chosen dependence is respected.

This is a big change in terms of sticking to the facts when carrying out a concrete project and reinforces the concept of delegation that is central in Twproject.

Imagine a project tree where a Project Manager (PM) is assigned for the whole project and then a specific one for each phase, one for the analysis(PMA), design(PMG) and production(PMD) phase, these phases are linked by an FS dependency.

The PM can define a total project duration and assign a specific duration to the phases, thanks to the elastic dependencies, he can, while maintaining the logic of the dependencies, create a lag between the phases and therefore leave to PMA, PMG and PMD great freedom of action (moving end and start data) without affecting the overall dates!

This was not possible before, since a postponement of an end date, for example of the analysis phase, would necessarily have led to a postponement of the consequent phases, phases over which PMA has no right.

Other news

But it doesn’t end there. With this release Twproject has made really a lot of improvements to the system, a full list of which you can find on the changelog page.

Here’s a sampling of them:

Revenues: a useful tool for turning an estimated value into actual revenue has been introduced to further facilitate the entry of these items.

Worklogs: filters by ToDo and by project have been added to the worklog analysis sheet, and in addition a column with the sum of total worklogs on a phase or project has been added on the timesheet.

Role security: we have made permissions on task management even more secure in relation to cost and form entry.

Agenda: various improvements have been made to the agenda, including the ability to view the duration of ToDo’s, and in addition, events entered in the agenda have been integrated into a dedicated row on the ToDo and resource planner.

So, don’t waste any time and go find out now how much these latest innovations from Twproject will benefit the efficiency of your work!

All clients using Twproject on the cloud will get the update automatically in the coming days, while those who have Twproject installed on their own servers can find the new installers here.

The new release is waiting for you

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PMBoK 7 vs. PMBoK 6: Evolutions, Challenges, and Jokes for the Modern Project Manager

CONTENT

My fellow Project Managers, welcome to the mightiest match of this century: PMBoK 7 vs. PMBoK 6!

Jokes aside, the world of project management is constantly evolving, and as professionals in the field, it is paramount to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and methodologies.

In this article, we will explore the differences between PMBoK 6 and PMBoK 7, highlighting the evolutions and new challenges that Project Managers face given these changes.

Before we begin, here’s a joke: “The project manager is like a juggler who must keep time, cost, and quality in the air. But! All balls are made of rubber, except for the quality ball, which is made of glass!”

Now that we’ve eased the mood let’s cut to the chase.

PMBoK 7 vs. PMBoK 6: introduction to the differences

1. Basic principles

PMBoK 6 is based on 10 knowledge areas and 49 processes, constituting a fairly prescriptive and linear approach to project management. This approach worked for many years but showed its limitations when applied to complex and adaptive projects.

PMBoK 7 introduces a more flexible and agile approach based on 12 core principles.

These principles, which apply to any type of project and industry, help project managers better adapt to the challenges and changes during project development.

2. Performance Domains

While PMBoK 6 focuses on knowledge areas, PMBoK 7 introduces the concept of Performance Domains, namely 8 performance areas that cover the different dimensions of a project. These domains are:

These Performance Domains cover critical aspects of project management, offering a more holistic and integrated view of the project management process. As a result, project managers can focus on value creation and adaptability rather than following a strict, prescriptive approach.

performance domain pmbok 7

3. Hybrid and agile approaches

PMBoK 6 introduced a few Agile concepts, but PMBoK 7 takes it further, stressing the importance of hybrid and Agile approaches in modern project management.

This reflects the growing need for flexibility and adaptability in organizations that manage increasingly complex and uncertain projects.

Project Manager Challenges in Consideration of PMBoK 7

1. Adapting to a more flexible and agile approach

One of the main challenges for project managers in the transition from PMBoK 6 to PMBoK 7 is adapting to a more flexible and agile approach to project management.

This requires shifting away from old habits and prescriptive ways of working to embrace new techniques and tools that promote adaptability and speed in response to change.

2. Managing stakeholder expectations

As Performance Domains are introduced, project managers must be able to communicate effectively with stakeholders and manage their expectations throughout the project life cycle.

This can be challenging, as different stakeholders may have other goals and priorities. It is, therefore, essential to establish open and constructive communication with all stakeholders to ensure project success.

3. Focusing on value creation

PMBoK 7 emphasizes value creation more than PMBoK 6. Project managers must focus on the project’s value to the business, stakeholders, and customers rather than merely completing tasks according to a set plan.

This requires a results-oriented mindset and continuous watch for opportunities to improve and optimize resources.

4. Managing uncertainty and risk

PMBoK 7 acknowledges the importance of managing uncertainty and risk in projects. Project managers must be prepared to address unexpected challenges and adapt their plans accordingly.

This requires a proactive approach to risk management, early identification of threats and opportunities, and the skill to make quick and informed decisions to mitigate negative impacts.

5. Developing personal skills and leadership

Shifting to PMBoK 7 also requires the development of  project managers’ personal and leadership skills. Besides technical skills, professionals must hone their communication, negotiation, time management, and conflict resolution skills.

Also, they must be able to motivate and lead project teams toward achieving goals by leveraging team members’ diverse skills and strengths.

B-PMBoK-7-vs-PMBoK-6-

5 practical tips for tackling new challenges in Project Management

Now that we’ve outlined some of the major challenges facing project managers as they transition from PMBoK 6 to PMBoK 7, here are some practical tips to help you overcome them:

1. Regular training

Keeping your skills up-to-date is critical to facing new challenges in project management.

Attend training, seminars, and workshops, and strive to learn from peers and industry leaders. Also, it is important to keep abreast of the latest trends, tools, and best practices through blogs, podcasts, books, and articles.

2. Networking and collaboration

Nurture your professional networks by attending industry events, conferences, and online forums.

Sharing experiences and knowledge with other project managers can be precious and will help you better understand how to apply PMBoK 7 in your day-to-day work.

3. Adopting an experimental approach

Feel free to test new methods and techniques in your work. Adopting PMBoK 7 requires a degree of openness to change and experimentation.

Bear in mind not all solutions work for every project or scenario. Be ready to test different strategies and adapt them to your project’s needs.

4. Reflecting and learning from experience

Learning from past experiences and using these lessons to improve your project management skills and processes is crucial. Take some time to reflect on your experiences and what you learned during your transition from PMBoK 6 to PMBoK 7.

Examine what worked and could be improved, and use this information to guide your future decisions.

5. Balancing strictness and flexibility

Lastly, finding the right balance between sticking to PMBoK 7 principles and practices and being flexible enough to manage complex and dynamic projects is essential.

Keep sight of your primary goal: to create value for stakeholders and the organization through effective and adaptable project management.

The transition from PMBoK 6 to PMBoK 7 brings a significant challenge for project managers, but it also brings an opportunity to improve and innovate in how we manage projects.

By adopting a more flexible, agile, and value-driven approach, project management professionals can successfully meet the challenges of our ever-changing world.

Bear in mind, however, that a good project manager is always open to some ironic joke: “ If project management were a game, it would be the game of musical chairs–where everyone tries to find their place before the music stops!“

Now that you know the differences between PMBoK 6 and PMBoK 7 and are aware of the challenges ahead, you are ready to conquer the world of project management and guide your projects to success.

Godspeed, and may the power of PMBoK be with you!

Keep up with the times.

Try it now!

7 tips to boost work productivity

CONTENT

Boosting your team’s work productivity is no impossible feat, but it does require practice and some good tactics.

The productivity of the working group in project management depends on the organization of work and on the use of techniques and tools for managing activities and time.

So, in this article we will take a look at 7 simple strategies to boost work productivity.

7 tips to increase work productivity

1. Focus on one activity at a time

When we focus on more than one task at a time, we tend to waste precious time as we switch from one task to another.

This can lead to some of the tasks needing to be completed or accomplished with inferior quality.

Many people think multitasking is the best technique, yet while this may seem productive, it rarely delivers the best results.

By focusing on one task at a time, their will complete it with a higher standard and quicker, allowing you to proceed to your next task effortlessly.

2. Take regular breaks

It may sound weird to suggest taking breaks regarding work productivity, but regular breaks help reduce stress and boost productivity.

Taking a break may seem like a waste of time, especially in the event of a close deadline.

However, neglecting to treat yourself to a few minutes of relaxation, can affect your overall productivity by inducing fatigue or exhaustion, thus hurting progress.

It is good to plan short breaks, 15 minutes every two hours, during the workday.

This will allow you to replenish your stamina, clear your mind and prepare for your next task.

3. Focus on the most important tasks first

You can stay more focused by focusing on the most challenging and time-consuming tasks before anything else.

It can be tempting to shy away from difficult or time-consuming tasks and focus on easy wins.

However, completing the most challenging projects early on can increase your motivation and focus for the rest of the day.

So learn to prioritize these most important tasks early in your workday or generally when you are most alert and active.

Some of us may work best in the morning, while others peak after lunch.

Knowing when you are most productive and then planning your daily schedule to make the most of these peak times is a great way to increase productivity.

4. Set small goals

Large tasks or projects can be somewhat daunting, and we often overestimate how long it will take to accomplish them.

A powerful tip is to split tasks into manageable, bite-sized milestones that pile up until project completion.

For example, emptying your inbox by answering e-mails during the day or filing required documents are small daily goals that every team member can set and achieve during the workweek.

Similarly, you can use these short goals as milestones to measure your progress toward a larger goal.

aumentare produttività

5. Delegate some tasks

Delegating does not involve offloading work you don’t want to do, but rather it is about ensuring that everyone is working on the tasks that best match their skills and availability.  

As project manager, consider using delegation methods to split tasks among your team members.

Delegating some tasks can also allow you to focus on other duties that might be specifically assigned to you.

For example, if you have e-mails that you need to get back to, but a colleague can provide the same attention to detail, consider delegating the task to them. At the same time, you focus on relevant assignments that no one else can or is authorized to undertake.

A common mistake that undermines productivity is that we often take on work beyond our assignment or that others can do much more quickly.

6. Boost work productivity: use the tomato technique

Being more productive at work can depend on time management, and the “tomato technique” is a strategy you may find helpful in managing your time more efficiently.

Similar to scheduling breaks, the tomato technique involves using a timer, where you spend 25 minutes on a task.

During this time you focus only on the activity until the timer stops.

Then there is a five-minute break before starting with the new 25-minute block.

This strategy can be effective because it helps improve concentration by providing more time for focused, uninterrupted work with the promise of being able to take a break as soon as the timer sounds.

7. No meetings

Most meetings are known as big-time wasters, yet the habit of continuing to arrange them without asking questions still prevails.

Before organizing or confirming attendance at an upcoming meeting, ask yourself whether you can achieve the same goals through other channels, such as e-mail, phone call, etc.

And if you must hold or attend a meeting at all costs, there is evidence that stand-up meetings can lead to increased group enthusiasm, decreased territoriality, and better performance.

Another suggestion based on a study conducted by the  Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is to have three days a week completely meeting-free.

Work productivity in these cases increased by 73 percent, worker satisfaction increased by 65 percent, and employee stress levels decreased by 57 percent.

Meetings are undoubtedly crucial for setting goals and gauging the organization’s performance.

However, daily meetings cause apathy, especially when scheduled unannounced, without preparation, and about trivial matters.

Finally, allow yourself and your team to apply these tips and use project management tools like Twproject to boost team work productivity and maximize professional and personal goals.

Increases work productivity.

Try now Twproject!
 

Management and reporting of European and NRRP projects with TWPROJECT

CONTENT

 

Managing and reporting on European projects involves more specific and in-depth work than “traditional” company-level projects.

This kind of work touches both public entities and private organizations. It offers an opportunity to access funding credits and grants to overcome economic crises or to support innovations that could not be pushed forward through ordinary funding.

This article will cover how European projects are structured and how best to manage them.

European projects and NRRP: what are these?

European projects generally are a method of helping to achieve European Union goals.

This means the European Commission distributes allocated funds to help beneficiary projects, activities, and infrastructure that boost economic growth, equality and/or social welfare.

In particular, the NRRP – National Recovery and Resilience Plan – is an official document that one submits to the European Union to qualify for aid from the Next Generation EU (NGEU), a fund established by the European Union to stimulate economic recovery following the Coronavirus pandemic.

When managing and reporting a European project, it is imperative to know exactly what the European Commission will review.

Each applicant must complete a Financial Statement form, where:

  • Costs must not include profit for beneficiaries;
  • Costs must relate to a specific cost item;
  • Costs must be sustained during the project period;
  • Costs must follow national guidelines on taxation and social security.

This official document must be accurate down to the smallest detail, as it will serve as the basis for calculating what grants will be received once the Commission performs its formal checks.

gestione progetti europei pnrr

Twproject: the tool for managing and reporting on European and NRRP projects

Considering the degree of accuracy required for the reporting and management phase of European and NRP projects, it becomes imperative to choose the best tool.

TWProject is a software di project management that is a solid companion for managing complex projects.

The tool is flexible and offers multiple features to meet various needs.

Most notably, it allows you to easily view work, milestones, dependencies, and progress while preventing bottlenecks.

There is a notification system and a statistics page to keep abreast of everything that is happening during your project.

When it comes to European projects,  document management is a crucial aspect.

TwProject allows you to bring everything you need in one place.

Images, files, reports, text files, etc. – any type of document can be attached to a project and easily retrieved.

And if your documentation is already stored in a safe place, you can connect it with Twproject via a simple link.

From a  cost management standpoint, this project management software also strives to offer the very best.

Cost management

As we saw earlier, the Financial Statement is the document on which the calculation for contributions will be based. Hence, costs must be tracked and reported appropriately from the very beginning.

Thanks to Twproject’s charts and reports, you can easily track your actual costs and the expense entry to which they relate.

Also, many filters will allow you to extrapolate project costs based on different criteria.

And again, if several people are working on a project, costs can be accessed and modified only by those who are allowed to.

We were able to engineer a standardized process and model it within Twproject, thus having a streamlined, quick, efficient and effective process for carrying out the necessary reporting

Read the interview with Argea And find out how they easily create reports to be presented to the control bodies of the EU.

Managing and reporting on European projects: a specialist’s task

There is growing competition in applying for EU funding.

Therefore, those in charge of European project management and NRRP must be specialists who regularly refresh their skills.

Most people might think reporting on European projects is a strict, cold task.

The truth is, drafting reports to be submitted to the European Commission needs a human touch capable of presenting ideas and potential developments relevant to the EU.

However, this is only possible if the professional is supported by a solid project management tool, such as Twproject.

This will allow for keeping the documentation and data up-to-date and error-free, greatly simplifying the work.

The best task management and to-do list software of 2023

If you are looking for an optimal solution to manage your team’s tasks and to-do lists, in this short article we will help you find the right software for you, with an updated overview for 2023.

Compared to other long lists that you will find online, ours will be short and effective, because we have selected and tested for you the 6 best products on the market, and we will examine them in their free and paid versions.

1. Twproject

Twproject

If you are looking for a flexible software solution that can meet the needs of workgroups of any size, from small businesses to larger companies, you can give Twproject a chance.

Twproject is an optimal tool because despite its simplicity it offers all useful tools for project management in every key aspects, from to-do lists, to task assignments, to worklogs, up to budget and workload management. Its strenght lies in the possibilty to combine a waterfall management, highly structured and useful for the project manager to keep the entire production cycle under control, with an agile system that responds to the needs of the individual workers to manage their daily assignments through simple tools. In a recent article we talked about the difference between waterfall vs agile management.

In the setting phase of Twproject, the project manager can create a general WBS and an interactive Gantt, which will allow to keep deadlines and budgets under control over time. Then, the manager can start assigning tasks and managing daily work through to-do lists, kanban boards, weekly planners. Every need, whether of the project manager or of the employee, is covered in Twproject.

In short, the main features of Twproject are:

  • Waterfall/agile management
  • Gantt chart
  • Kanban board
  • To-do list
  • File sharing
  • Worklog and attendance sheets
  • Budget and resource management
  • Workload management

Pricing: from 4.89 € per user/month.

Pros: Twproject is a complete tool for all the different working roles, allowing you to differentiate positions in the organization and offering better time and cost management than many other products on the market. In Twproject, the project manager always has a constantly updated overall view of the project.

Cons: We haven’t found any.

Twproject is the right answer to those looking for a complete but simple tool, an exhaustive but highly flexible system.

2. Wrike

Wrike

Wrike is also a very popular task management software and is well suited to the needs of both small workgroups and larger enterprises.

It has an integrated work time tracking system, but it is a bit lacking in the possibility of adding free annotations because it does not have tools for notes or concept maps.

Wrike’s main features are:

  • File sharing
  • Monitoring progress on tasks
  • Workflow statuses
  • Milestones

Pricing: Free to $24.80 per user/month.

Pros: unlimited projects; customization according to the different needs of the type of team.

Cons: Gantt chart and tracking timer only available in paid plans; lack of annotation tools.

Whether you’re part of a small team or managing a large company, Wrike can do it for you. However, if you’re a creative thinker, you might feel a little limited.

3. Monday.com

Monday

Monday.com is currently a highly advertised product that offers task management functions in a simple and intuitive manner. It features several task management features that will let you create assignments with ease.

However, as is to be expected for such a sponsorized tool, its cost is not exactly among the cheapest.

Monday.com’s main features are:

  • Calendar view
  • Time tracking
  • Automations
  • Unlimited tabs

Pricing: $8/user per month to $16 per user/month.

Pros: integrated messaging system especially suitable for teams working remotely; user interface that allows you to view more information in one place.

Cons: somewhat disorganized and dispersive navigation; lack of some functions, especially the dashboard, in the mobile version.

Currently one of the leading players on the market for task and to-do-list management, with tools that foster team collaboration. However we hope that over time it will improve in flexibility.

4. ProofHub

Proofhub

ProofHub is powerful, all-in-one project management and team collaboration software that has amazing task management capabilities to help you get more done. From setting priorities with custom to-do lists to assigning tasks and deadlines with ease, ProofHub ensures that everyone is on the same page.

You can also collaborate on documents, files, and presentations, and communicate with team members using chat, comments, and discussions. ProofHub is easy to use and its flat pricing plan makes it a great option for businesses of all sizes.

Key features:

  • Multiple task views – Table, Board, Gantt, Calendar
  • Built-in chat
  • Custom field reporting
  • Time tracking
  • Comments and @mentions for effective collaboration
  • Customized workflows
  • Online proofing

Pricing: Flat pricing at $45 per month (billed annually) for unlimited users.

Pros: simple learning curve, suitable for teams of any size, a centralized hub for organizing and storing data for small or medium sized groups.

Cons: notifications are sometimes overwhelming

An all-in-one project management and team collaboration software, ProofHub caters to the scalable need of teams of any size. This makes the tool suitable for a number of different industries and workflows.

5. Basecamp

Basecamp

Basecamp is also a particularly useful application for remote teams. Its operation is simple: enter a project and divide it into tasks to be completed, then save the latter in the form of a to-do list. Then you can assign tasks, define due dates, add notes and attachments.

However, Basecamp lacks some rather basic project management features: first of all, the ability to prioritize tasks and track time; furthermore, this platform does not offer tools such as Kanban boards and Gantt charts. If your team can do without these tools, Basecamp is a good solution for a medium-sized company.

What Basecamp offers:

  • Real-time messaging
  • Simplified task management
  • Self check-in
  • Project Progress Tracking (Hillcharts)

Pricing: Free to $299 per unlimited users/month

Pros: good price/quality ratio; placing all tools, communications and documents related to a project in a single place, which facilitates collaboration in the group.

Cons: lack of some basic features; somewhat limited storage space if collaborating on multiple projects and if team members upload several files.

A simple interface with essential information concentrated in a single view, particularly effective if your team works remotely and with independent timing.

6. Trello

Trello

Trello stands out for having Kanban cards as its main focus: therefore, its main interface looks like a large bulletin board with different cards on which users act as if they were noting information on post-its.

In order for Trello to be efficient for projects with higher complexity, it is necessary to purchase a paid license. In that case you will be able to unlock some additional features like Gantt charts and others. Therefore, our doubt is whether the effort is worth it, since there are other software that offer the same features at lower prices.

Trello’s main features are:

  • Organizing in “boards”, “lists” and “cards”
  • Checklists
  • Files attachments
  • Unlimited integrations (premium version)
  • Public/private boards (premium version)
  • Increased customer support (premium version)

Price: Free to $17.50 per user/month.

Pros: instant notification system; ease in viewing deadlines; good navigation and visibility also in the mobile version.

Cons: no offline work; file upload limitations; not suitable for projects with multiple work teams.

Trello is a very visual and highly adaptable solution that is useful when working remotely. However, it is not efficient when working on large projects or if you intend to make long-term plans.

Conclusion: how to choose the right task and to-do list mamagement software for you

1. Define your team’s main needs

In a previous article we addressed the reasons that should lead you to opt for a project management software, instead of relying on individual initiatives, which are still too often limited to paper notes or at most shared Excel sheets.

In our experience, many employees complain of not having the right technology and tools to optimize their work. In fact, it is not always possible to keep track of every project activity, meet deadlines, monitor progress and manage your team without an adequate tool.

But how to understand what to use? We recently talked about the ten aspects to keep in mind when choosing a good project management tool. In short, you should focus on the key aspects of task management and understand which ones are critical to your team. Consider these ten points and prioritize them:

  • Workflow: project’s phases
  • Gantt charts
  • To-Do lists
  • Time tracking and resource management
  • Internal collaboration
  • Budget management
  • Customization
  • Integrations
  • Remote and/or mobile use
  • Language and assistance

Finally, remember that the ultimate goal of good task management is not to leave anyone behind. With careful management of activities you will be able to strengthen the sense of belonging to the group and not waste resources, being these economic resources but also and above all human ones.

2. Take a free trial

As you have seen, it is clear that by now the choice of software solutions in the world of task management is vast. Therefore, after you have opted for one or more solutions, our advice is always to do a free trial. The reasons are in our opinion the following:

  • Don’t spend your money right away buying the first project management software that comes into your mind; many of them offer a free trial period. Of course, be careful to use this service well and watch out for the trial period to expire! Choose who gives greater guarantees also in this sense.
  • Very often, together with the free trial, you will be able to access customer support and therefore explore all the features, understand their use and compare your needs with the experience of those who know the system well, also taking advantage of any customizations. Also remember: if the platform you choose doesn’t have the features you want, it doesn’t mean they won’t be there in the future: the best software companies are constantly testing and regularly releasing new versions of the product.
  • Would you like to give a chance to our first on the list? Twproject offers you a free 15-day trial and in our opinion it is a very useful solution for managing projects of teams of all sizes, perfect if you need to rely on a single platform wich is easy to use but also accurate and elaborate.

These are for us the best task management and to-do list software of 2023.

Let us know about your experience and what your final choice will be!

Twproject 7.1.000

Communication is an essential requirement within a team; that’s why in Twproject you can find many different features having this goal.

Today we added an brand new one: the mentions!

Twproject 7.1.000 includes also several security fixes and improvements.

Mentions

Nowadays, using constantly messaging applications, we got used to mentions, an efficient way to refer directly to one or more people within a larger group.
Their purpose in Twproject is therefore to simplify the interactions and dialogue between the members of a work group, improving communication and alerting people when something requires their attention.

But how do they work and where?


People can be mentioned:

  • in chat messaging
  • in project/phase updates
  • in ToDos comments
  • in worklog action (text)
mentions in the chat

If you aim to mention someone in any of these contexts, insert the @ character and start typing the name of the person. Select him with the mouse from the list and repeat this step for all the people you want to quote.
Obviously, the more you type the more refined the search result will be.
Save or send the message and that’s it.

The person mentioned will receive one or more notifications, according to the channels he has enabled in his user options tab (email, digest, sticky note or application log).

mentions options

The new widget “My mentions” is another way to receive notifications. It displays any quotes you receive in real time.
It can be placed in any dashboard.

But what if an user does not activate any notification channels and does not insert the widget?

No problem at all!
Once mentioned, a counter appears in the recipient’s menu and it disappears only once the user has read the message.

Finally, it is worth highlighting three aspects:

  • in chat messages only people who are part of the chat itself can be mentioned. On the other hand, in other interfaces, it is possible to mention all the persons you have permission to see, therefore a wider set
  • if a text containing a mention is modified or deleted, the person previously quoted will not be notified.
  • if someone is quoted in a context he can not read (for example a project he’s not assigned to), he will see only the text within which he was mentioned.

Mentions are active in all Twproject plans!

Security fixes

Within this realease, Twproject has been deeply tested to align it with the directives promulgated by the foundation “Open Web Application Security Project” (https://owasp.org). Its goal is to create guidelines, tools and methodologies to improve the security of software applications.

This makes the adoption of Twproject accompliant to Public Administrations prerequisites.

https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/star/registry/twproject-srl/services/twproject/

And many other new implementations

Dropdown menus: they have been redesigned so as to make easier and more immediate the identification of what is sought among people and tasks.
The search for people returns a list to which have been added personal avatar and company/department.

The search for projects/phases shows the status of the task, its code and ancestors tree.

ToDos: it is now possible to assign a todo to a department so that it can be seen and performed by any of its members.

Hints: new contextual tips and videos have been added.

Task public page: todos list has been splitted into as many tabs as todo types.
Thus reading is much easier!

But all this stuff is just a short excerpt of what you can find in Twproject 7.1.000!


For the complete list of all the features, please consult the changelog!

Download the new release

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How important time management is for better productivity

Good time management skills can help in every area of people’s lives.

CONTENT

Especially when it comes to working, time management is vital to help better prioritize and improve productivity.

Managing time effectively helps you work smarter, do more in less time, and exploit more opportunities.

This article explores how important time management is for better productivity.

What is time management?

Time management refers to organizing and managing your hours of the day.

Effective time management is all about taking control of your time and energy while achieving better results without excessive stress.

When working by better organizing your time, you can achieve better results faster and with less effort.

Critical time management skills include prioritization, goal setting, and delegation.

Benefits of time management

Good time management comes with several benefits to increasing productivity. Here are the most important ones:

1.     Less stress

Managing time effectively cuts stress levels and anxiety by helping one become more focused and confident.

Good time management involves meeting tight deadlines by planning work as best as possible without feeling overwhelmed.

2. Better work-life balance

One of the most fantastic perks of time management is a better work-life balance.

Those who successfully achieve a good balance will be more productive at work and have more time to spend on personal relationships.

This is because good time management ensures that efforts focus on the biggest priorities.
the importance of time management

3.     Improved concentration

Effective time management boosts concentration and, by extension, improves productivity.

Increased concentration allows you to find more opportunities and spend more time on what matters.

4.     Less procrastination

Procrastination happens when you do not manage your time effectively.

It is easy to get distracted when you are not focused and do not have your goals clearly in mind.

Good time management skills ensure having control over your workload and, therefore, help stop procrastination.

5.     Increased energy levels

Having effective time management skills increases energy and motivation levels.

Good time managers schedule their activities and take regular breaks during the day so they do not feel overwhelmed, and their concentration levels remain high.

6.     Improved work quality

Having good time management skills helps avoid working extended overtime to meet a deadline.

Poor rest and insufficient or low-quality sleep can interfere not only in your work domain but also your daily life.

Time management, therefore, allows you to manage activities better while spending the right amount of time for rest.

Thus, completed work will be of higher quality than a rushed accomplishment.

7.     More opportunities

One of the hidden dangers of poor time management is that it kills your opportunities to expand your horizons and try new things.

If you spend your life rushing from one task to another, you will never get to explore different opportunities.

With good time management skills, you will be able to have more free time that can be spent discovering new ideas.

8.     Better work image

Rather than going with the flow, by having good time management skills, you can control your life and take the lead at work.

With enough quality rest and sleep, you will be better positioned to make thoughtful and meaningful decisions at the office.

Other people will notice, and this will increase career and promotion opportunities.

7 tips for successful time management

Anyone can learn time management and become proficient in organizing their tasks effectively.

Here are some tips:

1.     Use project management software

Smart time management is a must for project managers and teams dealing with multiple tasks simultaneously.

Lacking good software di project management that allows time tracking puts everyone at a significant disadvantage.

On the other hand, using a tool like TWproject, makes it possible to keep abreast of the schedule and deliver work within set deadlines without sacrificing quality. You might also be interested in this article, where we compared what we consider the best Project Management software.

2.     Plan

Planning plays a big role in time management since both go hand in hand.

You can, in fact, make the most of your time only when it is well-planned.

When it comes to planning, you do not need to follow a strict routine; instead, it means making smarter decisions to know the right time to accomplish specific activities.

 3.     Prioritize

Prioritizing daily activities is key to successful time management.

Focusing on your priorities is important to achieve your goals at work.

Categorization will help focus on what needs to get done before everything else.

4.     Avoid multitasking

Multitasking is one of the most time-consuming activities ever.

The best way to make use of time is to choose one thing and accomplish it before moving on to the next according to your priorities.

This way, you can focus more, reduce distractions, and make fewer mistakes.

5.     Avoid distractions

In our daily lives, distractions cost us many precious hours in a day.

Mobile phones, chatty coworkers, and social media are some ordinary time wasters at work.

To avoid allowing these distractions to become dominant, it is best to cut them out completely.

To do so, it is best to determine which disruptive factors are blocking productivity and set a fixed time of day allocated to them.

6.     Plan breaks

Regular breaks while working is an efficient way to remain productive throughout the day.

However, you can make the opposite mistake by taking too many breaks.

That is why it is important to schedule them during your workday: a short walk, listening to music, stretching, etc. all of these activities allow you to relax and return to work with more energy.

7.     Find the most productive hours

Several studies show that our day is driven by cycles that affect how alert and motivated we are, which vary from person to person.

For example, someone might be at their peak early in the morning, while a colleague might be more focused during the afternoon.

So the trick for good time management is to match the highest priority work to the highest productivity hours.

It is easy to see that starting to improve time management skills can establish a positive cycle.

By optimizing task organization, work quality will increase, opportunities will become more evident, free time will increase, and people will generally feel more energized and happier.

Effective time management reduces overload and helps you prioritize, ensuring that you work smarter and achieve goals faster.

Plan your workand better manage your time.

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Make or buy? How important the Project Manager is in decision making

“Make or buy” is one of the strategic choices that project managers face in project management.

CONTENT

As you can imagine, this is not an easy choice. Many factors influence this decision, and it is a critical choice. It is crucial because it determines the sourcing of what’s needed to achieve your goals, affecting planning and the cost of the whole project.

There are pros and cons to doing both, but how do you decide which is the right decision to make? Let’s take a look at it in this article.

Make or buy: 6 factors of decision making

Let’s start from the beginning. When should a make-or-buy decision be made? These are decisions that need to be made when a company is looking for a new product line, is running out of suppliers, or is decreasing production capacity.

In these cases, a make-or-buy analysis will be conducted to determine if in-house production or buying the product from third parties will help the company achieve its goal.

Manufacturing companies face this kind of dilemma quite often. The same, however, also applies to other types of businesses, such as those that manage technologies such as software and customer service.

decide if make or buy

Here are the 6 elements that come into play in the decision:

1. Existing skills

What are the skills available within your team? Are these the right ones to produce the item in-house?

The first step is to consider what kind of knowledge you possess in-house and whether that knowledge is sufficient to produce the sought-after item.

For example, a business might have experienced software developers, but none of them might have the right set of skills to build a new system module.

In this case, relying on a third-party supplier would become imperative.

2. Potential skills

What if the skills are not available within the team? How much would it cost to acquire them? And how long would it take?

And again, would these new skills would they align with the company’s business line?

If the answer is yes, you can move on to make further assessments:

  • what training courses are available?
  • how much do they cost?
  • these courses would actually give employees everything they need to develop the required item?

3. Revision time

How long would it take to deliver this work in-house? Do you have enough time to do it? In this case, software that allows you to measure work time could come in handy.

Should you proceed, what activities would team members be forced to reschedule if they took on this task?

This last question is a crucial one to ask. Unfortunately, it is often completely forgotten. You might be interested in this article about Team workloads.

You may indeed have the right mix of skills and experience to take on the delivery of this work, but that means those resources will not be working on something else.

Therefore, it becomes critical to weigh how important this “something else” is concerning the project.

It is worth taking the time to answer this question and getting any stakeholders involved if necessary.

Once the analysis is done, you can compare it with the timelines proposed by your suppliers.

4. Cost evaluation

This point is straightforward: you must compare the cost of work carried out internally with the cost of work done externally.

This should not be a superficial estimate. External suppliers might be more expensive if taxes and sourcing fees are included that do not figure in the case of using in-house resources.

However, situations may vary widely from project to project and industry to industry.

5. Quality comparison

The fifth step is to compare the quality of what could be produced in-house with the supplier’s samples.

An outside field expert could ensure a higher quality product, but this is not always the case.

6. Emotional reasons

This reason tends to be overlooked when analyzing make-or-buy decisions.

A business may decide to make a product or offer a service based on emotional responses such as pride or contempt instead of following logical reasoning.

Emotionality in making such a choice could be lethal.

Make or buy analysis: project manager’s role

Make or buy analysis is one of those evaluations done by project managers, possibly with the support of other relevant parties.

This type of analysis is performed at two levels: strategic and operational.

Make or buy: strategic and operational levels

The strategic perspective is more long-term and more extensive than the operational perspective.

Factors such as competition, government regulations, key expertise, and the current market scenario impact strategic make-or-buy decisions.

At the operational level, factors may come in the form of lower costs, better quality, unreliable suppliers, or even pride.

Sometimes a product may be challenging to produce or may require a lot of expertise to be created.

Such products are not likely to have many suppliers, and it might be advisable to produce them in-house in such a scenario.

Sometimes, there may be a special order, and an item may only be needed in small quantities.

Instead of manufacturing the product, it is best to buy it in these situations.

A make-or-buy analysis allows you to reduce costs and increase capital investment. This is true regardless of whether you decide to manufacture in-house or outsource to an external supplier.

It can also serve as a source of competitive advantage. An organization can increase its value to customers and shareholders through its core services and expertise.

As a final point, the make-or-buy decision should be made with caution. A make-or-buy decision should be made considering the organization’s core competencies, short-term benefits, and long-term strategic planning.

Both solutions come with pros and cons. However, generally, companies tend to outsource functions where they lack core competency or when the cost of sourcing components from external suppliers is significantly lower.

New targets, a new way of working.

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Time reporting: clarity and straightforwardness thanks to a software

Time reporting is a critical component of project management.

CONTENT

Time tracking provides a way to track the hours spent on individual activities and the overall project.

The best way to keep track of time is through project management software.

Let’s see how it works in this article.

Why use time reporting software?

As we saw earlier, time tracking provides a way to keep track of hours spent on each separate task and the overall project.

This visibility helps measure the accuracy of work estimates and employee effectiveness.

Time reporting as part of project management software should allow team members to add time items to activities easily.

Once time has been recorded, the software should allow time reports to be accessed and printed.

These features will help keep track of team members’ workload and report accurate information to stakeholders.

The software makes it remarkably easy to manage time without adding extra work, and not only that… did you know, for example, that you can not only track who uses the software but also incentivize them with Gadgets to use it?

time reporting

How does software time reporting work?

It may sound bizarre, but many of the questions we get from you are about aspects that we take for granted, such as, “to keep track of time, do I have to do everything manually?” or “How do I quickly tell if my project is on schedule?” (Those who have asked this question might also be interested in this article about how to calculate project progress).

We apologize if we took these answers for granted so many times. Here we will try to explain some of the steps more simply.

1. Addition of time entries

Ideally, project management software provides a way of choosing whether to create time entries manually or use an automatic tracker.

Each option has pros and cons, so the best solution depends on your task or project.

Manual time tracking allows employees to choose a task and manually enter the number of minutes or hours spent on it.

The greatest advantage of this method is that time tracking can be completed quickly and at any time without the need to remember to turn a timer on and off.

Yet, the biggest downside is that it can potentially lead to inaccurate tracking.

An alternative is using a tracker to record the time spent on each activity automatically.

Employees would click a button on the software when they begin a task and then pause or stop the timer each time they stop work.

2. Time tracking

  • A project management software should be able to show work hours in many ways:
  • By task: this visualization allows you to manage work down to the detail and helps you find which tasks are exceeding the budget or being delayed.
  • By project: provides a general overview and quick assessment of project progress and performance.
  • By employee: provides a means of monitoring and assessing productivity and workload at an individual level. This measure becomes especially critical if employees are paid by the hour, but it is also helpful for salaried employees. For example, you can compare the time spent by two different employees to complete similar tasks. If one took considerably longer, it could indicate that the other has discovered a better way to do things or that the first employee needs more training. And again, it can be used to monitor and streamline workload. If one of the employees clocked 60 hours of work and another only 20 hours, it might be necessary to redistribute activities.

3. Reporting

There are two types of reports that project management software should be able to produce:

  • Task sheets
  • Time reports

Task sheets allow employees to get a quick overview of the activities they worked on during a given week and the work hours spent working on each.

These activity sheets should include:

  • Activities on which the employee has enabled time tracking during the chosen week,
  • Tasks assigned to the employee, which were scheduled for the selected week,
  • Any task that the employee chooses to add to the task sheet manually.

The benefit of having an activity sheet is that it allows each contributor to track their progress easily.

It also provides a centralized place to see what they need to focus on each week and how their progress toward each activity is going.

Time reports are exciting, helpful documentation to the project manager and other relevant parties.

These should be accessible within the software and downloadable as CSV or PDF files.

In addition, time reports should be customizable so they can be separated by task, project, employee, and/or chosen periods.

Twproject’s streamlined approach for managing timesheets helped with user adoption as the Advance team found it so easy to track their time.

Read the interview with Advance and find out how they optimised time reporting with Twproject

Choosing the right tool

Time monitoring does not simply mean having a nice-looking dashboard; it allows you to observe how the team’s work time is distributed. See how Twproject can help you in doing that.

To choose a tool that will meet expectations, you need to know what the requirements of a project are.

Here are the questions that should be answered:

  • What are you trying to achieve?
  • Which time tracker helps you do this in the least number of steps?
  • Time-tracking software has become a vital tool in most organizations, providing leaders with information to make work more efficient.
  • Although starting time tracking may be challenging at first, the long-term benefits will soon become evident to project managers and team members.
  • The bottom line is time reporting provides the foundation for boosting productivity at work because you can only optimize what you measure.

However, the best way to understand is to try and do! So, why don’t you give Twproject a try for free?

Optimize your time.

Give us a try.
 

Project variance: how best to manage it

Project variances are a real nuisance, and successful project managers must manage them as best they can.

CONTENT

Changes are inevitable and can occur at any point in the project life cycle.

The key is finding the best way to accommodate and adapt to these changes.

Let’s see in this article what a project variance is and how best to manage it.

What are design variations?

Project variants are qualitative or quantitative changes to the project that become necessary due to certain changes, such as:

In essence, a change that leads to a design variance is anything that will impact other design elements.

Some of these changes may be expected, such as a stakeholder sharing details at a later date that, having not been anticipated, could affect the project’s scope.

However, many of these changes may be completely unforeseen and difficult to plan for in advance.

Why is change management important?

Effective change management is a vital skill for a project manager to learn.

However, this does not mean that all required changes are necessary or that a project manager must be so flexible as to allow changes whenever the clients want them.

The ability lies in creating a robust process that tells stakeholders when it is permissible to request changes and how.

This kind of flexibility in project management improves stakeholder satisfaction while helping to establish clear project boundaries and objectives.

How to best manage the project variance

We now come to this article’s critical point: how best to handle a project variance.

Here are what the main steps are:

1. Initiating a change request

The first point is to receive a change request.

There may be numerous reasons for this: for example, content creation may be delayed, and as a result, an adjustment of the due date is required.

Although a request is more likely initiated by a stakeholder or project leader, in principle, anyone can request a change.

A change request must include all the information necessary for its evaluation.

2. Evaluation of the change request

In the evaluation phase, a decision regarding the project variant is not mandatory, but the background information and implications that the request would have on the overall project are checked.

Critical factors in a project include timing, cost and budget, documentation, quality, and resources.

Initiating a change in the life cycle of a project should be done only after changes to these factors have been properly determined and analyzed.

If the change request passes the initial evaluation, it goes to the analysis stage, where a final decision is made.

3. Analysis of the change request

At the analysis stage of the expected effects of the changes, the final decision is made on whether the application will be approved or rejected.

An approved change request must be documented in the change log and at any other point in the project communication to ensure that all interested parties are informed.

Although it is not necessary to notify stakeholders of a denied request, it is still required to document the occurrence.

4. Implementation of the amendment

If the change request is approved, we move on to the implementation phase of the project variance.

Implementation will look different depending on the phase and type of project, but generally, it consists of updating plans and possibly even final results.

the project variance

5. Completion of change request

Once the change request has been documented, shared, and implemented, it can be officially closed.

Although we often do not have a formal closure procedure, keeping this information in a central location to which all stakeholders can refer if necessary is still useful.

In the project’s final phase, documentation, change logs, and all communications should be stored in a common place that can be accessed later.

Project variants: Conclusions

The most important aspect of dealing with a project variance is always to be prepared.

It is important to remember that changes in project management can be commonplace, and many factors, such as resource allocation, finances, and accessibility, can also change several times during the life cycle of a project.

As a result, no matter how detailed the project plan is and how well prepared a project manager may be, changes present challenges that are sometimes very tough.

Fortunately, technology is also a valuable aid in project management.

Good project management software becomes a good ally for project managers in all industries.

This tool can guide you through the entire process of collecting and managing changes throughout the project life cycle.

The project variance can be best managed with the proper knowledge and the best project management software.

We have the tools, we have the culture.

Try Twproject!

Sprint planning: how to plan it to achieve your goals

Sprint planning is an essential part of the Scrum management process.

CONTENT

Creating a successful sprint planning is similar to writing clues for a treasure hunt – if these are too detailed they will kill the fun, if poorly detailed then nobody will be able to find the treasure.

So let’s take a look at what a sprint planner is and how to plan it to achieve goals in this article.

What is sprint planning?

Sprint planning is an event in the Scrum framework in which the team establishes product backlog elements that they will work on during that particular sprint.

There are several key elements that should be included in any sprint plan. Here are the most important ones:

  • Sprint goals: they must be specific, measurable and achievable. They must also be coherent with the overall goals of the company.
  • Required tasks to achieve said goals: Having established goals, it is time to figure out what needs to be done to achieve them. This includes a time sequence and estimate for each activity.
  • Task assignment to team members: after each task has been outlined, it will be required to assign it to specific team members. This helps to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of what they need to do and prevents overlapping.
  • Sprint backlog: this is a list of all the tasks that need to be completed in the current sprint, as well as their priority level.

Sprint planning execution

Here’s how to perform sprint planning – in most cases:

1.   Sprint planning meeting

The first step is to meet with all stakeholders who need to be updated on the progress of the sprint. This may include, for example, top management, customers, or other departments within the same organization.

2. Past sprints review

To establish a realistic plan for the current sprint, it is helpful to review what has been accomplished in the past. This can be a great help in setting achievable goals and avoiding repetition.

3. Establishing your sprint goal

The objective of the sprint should be clearly communicated to all members of the development team and all stakeholders. In addition, it should be in writing and accessible to everyone at all times.

4. Break down the objective into tasks

This is where the real work begins: each task should be clearly outlined and assigned to a specific person to complete.

the sprint planning

5. Resource allocation

Once tasks are assigned, it must be determined who has the time and resources to complete the various tasks.

6. Setting a time period

Each activity should be assigned to a specific time period. This helps keep work on track and prevents activities from dragging on too long.

7. Measuring progress

It is important to keep track of the team’s progress during the sprint to make sure they are on track to achieve their goals. In Twproject, for example, there is an option to check whether the team is using Project tools through a user score.

8. Sprint review

The final step is a review of the sprint at the end of the work to assess what has been accomplished and determine whether the goals have been met. This meeting should also be used to generate feedback that can be used in future sprints.

Benefits of successful sprint planning

Working with sprints is a great way to tackle complicated projects.

By dividing a complex project into smaller tasks, along the lines of the Work breakdown structure, it is possible to ensure the quality of the product and deliver it on time.

The following are some of the benefits of sprint planning:

  1. Greater focus

By dividing the entire project into a series of smaller activities, it is possible to direct the team’s focus on solving the problem at hand and achieving the specific goal.

  1. Reduced costs

By using sprints, it is possible to meet any change requests that affect subsequent sprints, while the activities of previous sprints will remain unaffected. This saves time and reduces overall project costs.

  1. More transparency

Agile teams are required to share all information, and each member works with the same vision of the end result in mind. Since everyone is on the same page the chances of the project going off track are dramatically reduced.

  1. Improved morale

Agile methodologies do not limit team members to the organizational hierarchy; this means that each member’s opinion has equal importance and respect. This feeling of being valued within the team motivates employees to work better and align their personal interests with the organization.

  1. Increased productivity

Sprints in project management increase team efficiency and enable continuous improvements. This obviously has a direct effect on the overall increase in team productivity.

  1. Increased customer satisfaction

Because clients can share their thoughts throughout the project life cycle, the final product generally lives up to their expectations.

  1. Adaptability

Shorter sprints allow the team to change according to the situation and customer demands.

  1. Team building

Project teams are often composed of diverse people who would be unlikely to interact under normal circumstances. Agile sprints encourage collaboration among all members, and these interactions can help employees feel comfortable with each other.

  1. Reduced risks

While working on a project sprint, a team has multiple opportunities to address a potential problem before it materializes. Through daily stand-ups, employees know the problems each member faces and work promptly to address it.

Bottom line, proper sprint planning using the right project management software can turn the end goal into an easy-to-follow path.

After the planning meeting, all team members will know what the end goal is and will be committed to accomplishing it.

Through efficient sprint planning, the risk of unexpected occurrences is significantly reduced, allowing everyone to focus fully on delivering quality work.

Plan your work and your project deadlines.

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Project costs: everything under control

A successful project must not only be on time, but also on your budget.

In this article we will see how Twproject manages project costs.

The overall cost of a project depends mainly on the scope of application; the list of items contributing to the total will be very different between a consultancy project, a building construction project or an R&D project.

We can identify two categories of costs: those related to the people involved (resources) and those related to material goods (or “lump sum” services) necessary for the execution of the project.

For the resources we will have both the costs of the work done (simplifying: hours worked x hourly cost) and any costs incurred by the resource for carrying out the work (expense notes).

For all these entries Twproject collects both estimated and actual values. These data compared with the expected budget will give a complete picture of the progress of the project from an economic point of view.
A simple management of expected and actual revenues will also allow an estimate on the cash flow.

Let see in detail how it works.

Resources: the hourly cost

Each resource has its own hourly cost which depends on many factors (duties, seniority, etc.). Its definition is beyond the tasks of the PM.
Once this cost has been determined, it can be entered in the user card:

Resources: hourly cost and cost center

It is quite common to insert a “standardized” cost instead of the actual cost of the resource, in order to solve the problem of the exact calculation which could be complex.
In this editor you can also assign the resource to a cost center for cross-project analysis.

To simplify data input, in Twproject, both the hourly cost and the cost center (but also the working time) can be defined at the resource, department or company level; in this way the value will be inherited unless otherwise specified.

Resource’s cost will be entered only once, as it represents the “business cost” and will be the same on all projects in which this resource will be involved.

Resource costs: the cost of work

On each project, phase, sub-phase, etc. you can indicate resources that are involved through the assignment.
The project estimation is specified during the assignment phase (100 hours in the example below).

Project: resource assignment phase

Entering the expected hours, the estimated cost of this assignment will be computed using the actual resource hourly cost.

Each time a resource enters the hours worked on the project, a phase or a ToDo, the total will be updated on the project, thus generating a real cost that we could then compare with the one entered in the estimation phase.

In Twproject there are many ways to enter the hours worked; the timesheet (weekly, bi-weekly, monthly), the start / stop buttons on projects and ToDo, while closing a ToDo etc.
It’s a very quick and easy operation.

One “worker hour” record, brings with it the hourly cost and the cost center of the resource at the date of insertion.

Resource costs: expense reports

An expense item related to resources is the expenses report.
For some projects it is a non-negligible cost item and Twproject takes it into account; both in the estimation and reporting phases.

Expense reports and work costs close the resources related costs.
The summary dashboard looks like this:

Resource cost summary

For each resource we find the estimated hours, the hours worked, the hourly cost, the equivalent amounts, personal budget, total expenses incurred. At the end the estimated total cost and real cost.
Each overshoot is clearly visible and marked in red.
If the project is divided into phases, the last line will report estimates and costs on the entire underlying tree.
Estimates and costs can be structured along the WBS (Work Break-down Structure) simplifying its analysis .
Browsing through WBS will show at a glance where there are discrepancies between estimate and actual:

Overshoot alerts on WBS

Twproject was our number 1 choice as a project management tool, because it provided an excellent combination between the pure project management and the budget and cost control view

Read the interview with Temera and find out why they eventually chose Twproject for project cost management

Additional project costs

This category includes all those costs that are not dependent on the activities of the resources.
Typical examples: materials, licensing costs, external consultancy, suppliers, rental fees, etc.
For each of these items, you can enter estimated and actual value, classification, cost center, any attachment etc .:

Additional cost editor

Also in this case a table will summarize the values for this project / phase and a summary row for the data of the sub-phases:

Project’s budget

So far we have compared the estimated values with the actual ones.
Twproject allows us to add a dimension, the project budget.
The project budget can have different meanings and uses depending on the goal we aim to achieve.
A very common use, which is adopted by companies that work on order, is that the “budget” represents the “cost to the customer”. In this sense, the summary table is quite clear:

Budget vs Costs Summary table

On the “Forecast” line we will read the expected margin for the entire order. This is the data that comes to the PM from the commercial negotiation.
On the “Estimated” line we will read how much margin we still have to stay in the estimated: depending on the phase of the project (start, ongoing or completed) it can be used in different ways, but in any case it depends on the quality of the estimates made by the PM (or by the project team).
The last line “Actual” also takes on different meanings depending on the phase, but upon completion it will tell us the profit we will “take home” with the project.

Even for what concerns the budget, it is possible to indicate it both at project level and at phases / sub-phases.
This approach, especially on very complex projects, together with the refined security management of Twproject, allows you to implement a delegation mechanism, in which the PMs of the underlying phases can manage their own budget.

With Twproject you can analyze costs, expense reports and cross-project hours worked with dedicated tools. Of course, there is also an export to Excel for fans 🙂

Remember that all changes to costs, budgets, hours entered, expense reports etc. are recorded daily in the project statistics, so it is always possible to go and see what the situation was on a given date:

Costs chart

To contextualize the costs with the other project parameters (dates, progress, ToDos, hours worked etc.), the statistics page with the use of the slider will allow you to have a complete picture at any point in the past:

Project’s statistic slider

Complementary to cost management, Twproject also provides tools for revenue management, but we will address this part in a dedicated post.

Try Twproject for free and see how easy it is to have the project costs under control without complications.

Start now with a proper cost managemen!t

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Best project management software in 2022

If you’re looking for the best project management software, you’ve finally landed on the right list.

Online you will find many lists like this one, but most of them always include the same software which, let’s face it, does not solve even 10% of all the problems that a project manager and more generally a company face on a daily basis.

And which are these problems?

Managing projects in a heterogeneous way: Who said a company should manage all of its projects with waterfall methodologies rather than agile, why not both?

Relying on a single software for the entire project management: every company is looking for a single software, which gives you the complete overview of everything running around your projects, resources, costs, documents.

A software that is suitable for everyone: what about a software that meets not only the usability needs of the team, but also the completeness of the data for the management?

In this list you will find software that really meets these needs. Not bad right?

1. Twproject

Twproject is a perfect solution for any type of company thanks to its flexibility. It is very easy to use project management software that and at the same time offers all the tools for a complete project overview.

With Twproject you can manage your project from the planning stage, with a WBS and an interactive Gantt tool, balancing resources and checking budgets. Twproject follows the entire life of your project, helping you having everything under controls, deadlines, bottle necks and budget overflow.

At the same time it includes also a set of functionality for managing the every day work, to-do list, kanban board, weekly planner.

The cost of this software starts from 4.89 eur per user / month.

Pros: Twproject is a truly complete tool, which also offers time-tracking, cost and document management, and which better than many others gives the project manager the possibility to have an overall view of the project that is always updated.

Cons: We didn’t detect any

Twproject responds perfectly to all 3 points mentioned: it is flexible, it is complete and it is very easy to use.

2. Monday

Monday also presents itself as a truly complete tool, whose strong points are undoubtedly configurability and integrability. Monday offers a lot of templates to start with and a really nifty set of configurations. It is possible to manage complex projects and resources.

The cost starts from 8 eur per user / month.

Pros: one of the strong points is undoubtedly the assistance, which in our case was really punctual and precise.

Cons: the things that have left us most perplexed are the lack of a time tracking tool and above all the inability to enter a start and end date for the project.

Monday not including time tracking and project dates cannot be considered complete if used alone, but its integrability covers what is not foreseen by default.

3. Zoho

Zoho offers a bundle of tools that once purchased as a package will really cover all your needs, one of the main advantages is the possibility to buy only those that are really needed in the company, thus eliminating unsolicited features, but it is clearly one of the most expensive one.

Zoho offers features dedicated to project management, customer management with its CRM and a suite dedicated to smart working

The cost per user for the complete bundle is 37 eur user / month.

Pros: Zoho has launched artificial intelligence-based technology that will help you with design assumptions. A truly innovative tool.

Cons: In our experience, the most lacking part is in terms of customer support, in addition to the cost. On the use side of the platform, no particular problems were found.

Zoho responds effectively to all the issues mentioned, albeit in a somewhat expensive way.

4. Basecamp

It is one of the best known tools and probably the easiest to use. Although in our opinion it is not complete in terms of functionality for top management, it still deserves to be included for its ease of use. If your team is really adamant about not accepting new software then Basecamp could help you.

Its to-do list management is truly comprehensive, and connects all team members effectively and productively.

Pros: undoubtedly its ease of use and the cost of 99 usd per month for unlimited users

Cons: it does not include the time tracking tool which in our opinion is a fundamental element for project management, in addition to the possibility of structuring projects in a complex way.

Basecamp isn’t complete but it’s the answer if you need to give in to a team that isn’t willing to use anything more complicated than a ToDo list

Conclusion

In summary, each of these 4 software is worth trying, based on your needs and in consideration of the context in which it is to be inserted.

Each of them has its strengths and some weaknesses, Twproject is perfect if you need to really rely on a single simple yet complete software, Basecamp is the right one if you need a really basic and easy to use software, Zoho on the contrary if you are looking for a suite that, although expensive, covers all possible features.

Let us know your experience and your final choice!

Measuring Project Progress

There comes a time in the life of a project in which the PM will find himself having to answer the fateful question: “where are we?”

At the dawn of my activity in this field, many years ago, the main purpose of the PM’s job was summed up by the creation of a huge Gantt (the more detailed it was the better ), which was punctually printed, or at the time “plotted” and hung in the office behind the PM’s desk.

Then the project started and ….

Unfortunately, the reality had not been informed on the path traced by the PM and despite good intentions they could be separated.

But here unexpectedly the atrocious question fell from above on the head of the unsuspecting PM: “WHERE ARE WE AT?”

Following days were generally full of excited phone calls, rounds of emails, exchanges of Excel, screams and anxieties to be able to collect data and update the evil Gantt (which was the more detailed and the more difficult to update).

The idea of Twproject was born in that troubled era (we are talking about the distant 2001) precisely to solve this situation.

Twproject should:

  • be a tool for the whole company
  • being able to collect information where the activities are carried out, i.e. at the operational level
  • provide updated data and management tools to the PM
  • present aggregate data and statistics for top management

Without the aid of a project management software such as Twproject, the PM, once the data was collected and the Gantt updated, had to make a manual estimate of the project’s progress percentage, the extreme synthesis.

66.6%

I consider it “diabolical” to synthesize an infinite number of parameters in a single figure, but basically this is what is required of us.
A good PM will still be able to extrapolate a plausible datum, but how useful can a software be to helps us with this evaluation?

Manual progress estimation

Twproject provides you with a view of the main parameters, so that the PM can base their considerations and then manually enter the progress.

Let’s see an example: the data of the development project of Twproject 7.0.007.

Without going into too much detail, the project is managed in Scrum-like mode; we have a backlog where we collect all the ideas, improvements, bugs in the form of ToDo. Sprints, lasting 20 days, represent the Twproject releases.

For each sprint / release we move the ToDo’s that we are going to develop from the Backlog.

This is the structure we currently use:

Struttura del progetto Twproject 7.0 – Scrum

On each sprint resources (Scrum team) are assigned with the estimated hours to close the ToDo’s.

Here is how Twproject summarizes the data useful for determining the progress.

Dati riassuntivi Sprint 7.0.007

Looking at the figures, I see that 69% of the time has passed for this project, 82% of the to-do’s have been closed, 84% of the hours worked.

Surely a project in good health that could be estimated at 80% of completion.

Leaving this task in the hands of the PM, however, has two negative implications:

  • top management does not have this information available in real time and therefore the PM must update the assessment when necessary
  • the subjectivity of the assessment is a harbinger of discussions and requests for clarification

Check your project progress

with Twproject you can monitor your project progress easily with a complete overview over your statistics.

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Automatic progress calculation

To solve these two problems, the solution was to introduce an automatic mechanism for calculating the progress of the project.

To do this, we have identified the most common situations and combined them to allow you to easily model the behavior of even complex projects.

Let’s see in detail the other types of calculation besides the manual one:

Worklog done on estimated

I estimated to work 100 hours I worked 45, I’m 45%.
Optimistic. It models well both the hourly package support contracts and the budgeting and study phases.

Completed phases over totals

The project consists of 3 phases; after the first two they are at 66%.
A rather brutal calculation, but easy to understand.
It can be useful for projects consisting of many repetitive phases.
Eg: installation of 200 identical appliances.

ToDo closed over total

I have 100 ToDo’s on the project / phase, I have closed 50, I’m at 50%.
Suitable when the project activities can be summarized in lists (see ToDO lists in Twproject).
This calculation is particularly fitting with Agile methodologies.

ToDo weighed closed over total

It is a refinement of the previous one with which the “severity” of the ToDo is considered.
If I have the same 80 ToDo’s as before, including 40 “Blockers” and 40 “low priority”, if I close the 40 blockers I will have a higher advancement than closing the low priority ones.
It is a stimulus to induce to follow good practices

Encountered costs over estimated or budget

You have an expenditure (or budget) forecast of 100, if you have spent 30, you are at 30%.
Model different types of contracts related to SALs.
It also works for some no-estimate iterative Agile methodologies
Not my favorite algorithms 🙂

By dates

90% of the expected time has passed we are at 90%
Everything is always fine; by far my favorite!
Unfortunately, it cannot be applied often in real projects. Typical is the use in construction in some “waiting” phases such as settling, drying and the like.
However, it is very useful for modeling annual support contracts and similar situations

By phases weighed

I have deliberately left this type of calculation for last because it is the most flexible and “refined”.

It is based on the percentage of progress of the phases that make up the project, weighed on the importance of each of them.

Suppose we have a project consisting of three phases that can proceed in parallel, the first of relevance 60, the second 30 and the third 10.

If the progress of the first stage is 20%, the second 50% and 100% the third, the result will be

60 * 20% + 30 * 50% + 10 * 100% = 37%

When a phase advances, the project will automatically advance as well.

If it seems complicated to give relevance, don’t worry, Twproject levels all the values even if the total does not make 100.

Conclusion

Returning to our example of the sprint Twproject 7.0.007, the most suitable automatic formula is the ” ToDo weighed closed over total “, because the sprint is completely determined by the set of ToDo’s that compose it.

If we edit the project and change the type of calculation we will immediately see the effect:

So slightly better than the 80% expected per sensation.

Twproject allows you to use progress calculation rules not only on the project, but also on each phase, sub-phase, sub-sub-phase and so on.
In this way it will be possible to easily model even complex and heterogeneous behaviors.

For the Twproject 7.0 project we have development partners; in their case we have purchased packages of days and for the progress we use the “done / estimated worklog”

I could therefore have a phase of study progressing with the work done, an Agile development phase progressing by completed ToDo and a maintenance phase progressing by time.

Easy, powerful, intuitive, automatic, objective and above all without too much effort for the PM!

The information relating to the progress is then visible in Twproject not only in the summary lists but also in specific dashboards that high-level users can independently verify without disturbing the team.

Of course, all progress changes will also be tracked in the project’s statistical data, but we’ll talk about this in another post as well.

It’s your turn now! Let’s Twproject help you calculating your progress.

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Projects and workload: what you need to know

In project management, evaluating the work load that insists over the resources shoulders plays a fundamental role for the project Happy Ending.

In an ideal world where you work with infinite resources, projects are always in-time.

In the real world, on the other hand, we often have to deal with teams simultaneously involved in multiple projects, which have to manage daily activities and several emergencies.

In this case, an indication on “sustainability” is essential to understand who and when will be able to positively bring our project to completion.

Duration and effort: which is the difference?

At the beginning, I was surprised by the difficulties that some of our customers face to understand the difference between duration and effort. For many of them the ratio was one to one.

This type of approach is not only wrong in management terms (a phase that lasts 30 days could require an effort of one hour e.g.: waiting for material from a supplier), but implies a total and exclusive allocation of the resource on that one activity.

If this approach works well in the analysis and budgeting phase, it cannot work in the planning phase.

A good question to ask yourself at this point is: “How many hours can a resource work on his project per day?”

To answer correctly, several parameters must be considered:

  • the obvious working hours (full-time, horizontal or vertical part-time)
  • holidays, illnesses, permits etc.
  • what has already been allocated to other projects
  • routine activities
  • spot activities already planned

The first two points are intuitive and partly out of the PM’s control, so we will analyze the others and we will see how they contribute to generating the “work load” of a resource.

Project activities

A project, or rather a phase, always has a start date, an end date (therefore a duration, usually expressed in working days), and some resources assigned on it.

Each resource must perform the estimated activities for a total of days / hours (effort).

Without going into too much detail, we can evaluate the load on a resource by dividing the estimated hours by the project/phase duration.

For example: a 10 days phase with an effort of 20h generates an average load of 2h per day or 25% (assuming 8 hours a day).

Easy, at least before the project starts.

But once it get started, what happens if for the first 5 days I have not been able to work on this project?

It happens that I will have to work 20h on 5 remaining days, with a load of 50%.

Therefore in the project activities the hours “not yet done” give an incremental feedback to the load, accumulating in the remaining days.

Having the opportunity to compare the “ideal” situation (the one planned by the PM, without taking into account the done/ not done), with the “real” one (which takes into account the feedback) gives many food for thought and possible corrections.

It is interesting to note that the failure to work on the planned project can be read from the worklog records.

The worklog is an excellent indicator from this point of view, it is a sort of “heartbeat of the project“; if the heart doesn’t beat the project is dead!

What said above consider the “average load”.
Twproject allows you to plan all the hours or just a part by assigning them directly on the calendar (there are various tools to do this), but the substance does not change; 20h needs to be done in the 10 days of the phase.

If a resource works on several projects at the same time, the calculations can become complicated and for this Twproject helps us by presenting this information in an optimal way.

Balance your resource as we do!

with Twproject you can manage your resource allocation, insert worklog and resolve peaks.

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Routine Activities: Do you work eight hours a day?

They are the Cinderella of activities.

Many of us, despite being in the office for 8 hours (at best :-)) can only dedicate a percentage of their time to “real projects”.

We spend a lot of time (note: I didn’t say “we lose it”) in activities not attributable to a project.

In my case: reading incoming emails, department meetings, phone calls, supporting colleagues.

In addition to these generic ones, there can be other more specific ones such as updating, training, document archiving, backup verification, maintenance etc.

How much time do I spend on these activities? Almost 3 hours a day!

I know this with some confidence because, with the help of Twproject, I recorded daily , for years, the hours spent and I know that, on average, the 38% of my time goes like this.

If I were planning a project that involves me 100% for a period longer than a few days, it would definitely go out of dates.

The funniest part is that if someone asked me how many hours I can work on one thing every day by instinct I would say “eight hours“. To avoid these errors it is important to have objective data on which to base our choices and analysis.

The worklog recording is the basis for good planning, not just for good cost control.

I know very well that this is an additional effort and in fact when I tell our clients to record the “lost” hours, the first reaction I get is of the “reluctant / snorting / I get up and walk away” type.

This is why it is important that the worklog registration activity is as “painless” as possible.

On this point Twproject is unbeatable; you can record the worklog at the close of the To-do, with the start-stop buttons, on one / two / three weeks, on the whole month day-by-day, etc .. The overhead is minimal!

With the aim of “measuring” routine activities, having a “cauldron” available where you can put everything that cannot be traced back to a project greatly lightens the recording by helping us to “reach 8“.

We always advise our customers to create a non-project “cauldron” (or “basket” or “BAU” Business As Usual for the more chic ones) which starts on 1/1 and ends on 12/31 for the recording of non-project activities .

After a few months of recordings, you can better understand how long our resources can really devote to their projects.

It also happens that it is necessary to take a look at what went into the “cauldron”; perhaps it could be structured to better “classify” routine activities.

For example this is what we use in Twproject:

Business-as-usual structured example

We understand how to use the worklog to measure the hours we can devote to “real projects”, but how do routine “projects” behave from a work-load point of view?

More or less like real projects. The effort is “spread” evenly over the period.
There is a small difference: they do not have incremental feedback.

Let’s take an example: my support activity to the development team takes me “on average” one hour a day.
If I don’t get support requests today, it’s not necessarily true that I will receive twice as much tomorrow.
In practice, the effort is considered constant over the entire period.
Its graphical representation is a constant bar:

Routine activities

Spot activities

These are activities that take place within a “contract” without knowing first how much and when.

The best example is the interventions to be made on request as part of an annual maintenance contract.

In this case, you can create a “project” that has the same dates as the “contract” and assign resources if necessary.

Since it is difficult to predict the overall effort first, for simplicity we can not specify it and leave it at zero.

If, on the other hand, you want to track it, because a package of hours has been sold to the customer, you can enter them, these will not be considered by the load anyway.

Therefore, unlike projects and routine activities, spot activities do not generate a “spread” load over the duration of the project / contract, but only on that days in which the activities are planned.

With Twproject this can be done directly by assigning ToDo’s or by using the work plan.

A practical example: Giorgio’s workload

Giorgio works in a production company and has been dealing with a specific product for many years, he supports customers who buy it and participates in the development of his customizations.

Giorgio’s daily work is therefore composed of projects of a different types, let’s create them in Twproject and see how his workload looks.

Giorgio has a general customer support project that lasts all year and takes up more or less a couple of hours a day. This project is routine:

And this is how the workload will look like:

Routine activity that takes about 2 hours a day – 25%

Giorgio is then involved in a project for a custom product of one of his customers. The phase in which he is involved lasts only 10 days and his effort is estimated at 40 hours.

This is the new assignment:

And the new workload evaluated:

75% load with the addition of a project

Finally, Giorgio has an active support contract with a specific customer, with a 40-hour pay-as-you-go package. Giorgio does not work on this project unless the customer calls him. This activity is spot and even if we insert the effort, the load does not change.

But what happens to Giorgio’s load if the customer calls him and they schedule an intervention on the product? Giorgio will create a scheduled ToDo and this will modify his load.

Workload with the spot activity scheduled

As can be seen from the image, the commercial activity has stolen some time from the Analysis project and in fact the hours that Giorgio will have to dedicate to it in the remaining days have increased.

These are just 3 simple examples managed by Twproject but which give a good idea of how to map the different types of business activities. With Twproject 7 we have worked a lot on these aspects and introduced a tool, which using the information of the load “suggests” a “sustainable” project end date for the team.

We have also introduced a tool to quickly solve load peaks and overlaps, because not always everything goes smoothly like our Giorgio, we will see this tool in a dedicated post.

Start now with a proper resource allocation

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