Category: Usage tips

The technical feasibility of a project: how to assess it with the allocation of resources

The allocation of the right resources to a project according to their skills and availability makes it easier to assess the technical feasibility of the project.

In fact, during the project feasibility study, the allocation of resources relates to the technical sphere and is crucial for verifying whether the company has the appropriate skills to meet the project requirements.

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It is essential to consider the people involved in a project right from the planning stage, as it is they who determine the success or failure of the initiative.

This makes it possible to plan resources more effectively, facilitate communication and prevent conflicts.

A careful assessment of the human factor helps to create a collaborative working environment and better manage internal dynamics, contributing to achieving project goals more efficiently and harmoniously.

Recreating the corporate structure

It is precisely because we consider the human factor to be fundamental that at Twproject we have implemented a tree-based system for the input of human resources.

This system makes it possible to reconstruct the company structure by grouping personnel into groups and sub-groups, each of which has its own function within the company.

Recreating the corporate structure, or in the case of individual projects the project organisational structure, is not an end in itself.

We will see later how and why it is useful to assign a project phase directly to a team and not to a single resource.

This is what a resource card looks like in Twproject. In addition to belonging to the company and a possible department or sub-group, we can also insert a series of tags, which summarise the specific competences of the person.

adding resource card

For example, within the IT department, the manager can enter which programming languages the resources are familiar with, which tools they use, and so on.

Resource tags are a key element in the search for resources to allocate to projects, which can be displayed when using a special team filter.

Let us now see how all these tools for allocating resources can help to assess the technical feasibility of a project when we distribute activities.

Allocating a project phase to a department (and thus to its resources)

When the project manager comes to schedule resources in projects, Twproject offers a useful option.

If we have grouped personnel according to the company structure, we can also assign a project phase to an entire department.

To do this, we will select from the Gantt chart, for example, the entire IT department as being generally responsible for the entire infrastructure creation phase of an application.

department allocation to a project phase

This can have two advantages:

1. it allows us to immediately see the total load for the entire department and thus assess the availability of personnel and the feasibility of the project phase.

2. it allows to pospone the direct assignment of tasks to resources to a later date; or otherwise leaves the decision to the direct managers of the department, who know the resources, their skills and availability better.

If we enter the estimated workload, we will see the availability percentage for the entire department updated. This percentage indicates how busy all the resources in a department are during the project phase in question.

This ensures that there is a general readiness to perform the activity: who and how will perform the individual tasks can be seen later.

Allocating to direct resources: the use of tags

Coming to the specific case of direct contracting, here is how to optimise the allocation of resources in a project by selecting them according to specific skills possessed.

Let’s say that for the design phase of our project we need a CAD expert.

Using the +Team button from the resource assignment window of the Gantt, we can display all the resources that have previously been assigned that tag.

allocation of resources using project tag

If we have done a good job during the resource entry phase, tags will come in very handy at this stage.

We can also temporarily place all resources with that tag and then see which one has the greatest availability to carry out the project.

worklog percentage after time estimates

Assuming an estimated workload of 100 hours, we see that the resource with the highest availability, in the image above, is Robert.

In order not to overload the other two colleagues, we could then choose Robert as the project phase assignee.

This function is therefore very useful for finding the right person based on his or her skills and, together with the load visualisation, allows us to better carry out our resource management plan.

Rescheduling project timelines if resources reach full capacity

We have seen how project phases are assigned to teams or individuals according to their specific skills.

And Twproject, in doing so, immediately shows us how much the new assignment will affect the workload.

But what if the chosen resource or even worse the whole department is already fully loaded for the given period?

This will not necessarily jeopardise the feasibility of the project; instead, it will allow us to postpone the phase to a period with greater availability of the personnel involved.

With Twproject, there is no need to do complicated calculations to find the right timing, nor do we have to postpone the work to an indefinite future time.

In fact, we can take advantage of the tools that the Gantt chart provides to do these calculations for us.

  • First of all, we have to select the workload icon, which will show in red the workload percentage of the resource currently overloaded.
  • At the same time, the icon for rescheduling timings will appear next to the project dates. By clicking on it, the Gantt will suggest a schedule adjustment that allows the maximum resource load to be respected.
timing rescheduling on the basi of resource availability

In this case we see that the suggestion is to postpone the end date of the phase by about ten days, so as not to overload the resources involved.

What the Gantt suggests to us is a proposal, which we can accept or not, or modify to our liking.

Twproject’s Gantt chart is in fact an operational tool, which allows testing and hypothesising scenarios. Each change is provisional, and to make it final we have to save the data.

Then we can save our programme and easilty share it.

Final summary

In this post we have tried to give you some examples of how to estimate the resources of a project in a practical way and with the usual flexibility that Twproject offers.

The purpose is to show you how easy it is to customise this activity to your needs.

But even more so, we believe that if done carefully, the allocation of project resources is a crucial factor in assessing the technical feasibility of the project.

In the event that feasibility is not guaranteed, Twproject also has the right tools to better reschedule our project plan and ensure better success.

If these are the solutions you are looking for, try Twproject for free for 14 days and see how easy and intuitive it is to plan this way.

Plan your workload and ensure project feasibility.

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Get rid of data overload: optimise views with Project Filters

In a shared project management software, one of the common problems is getting lost among too much information.

In a teamwork context, each member only needs to see certain information, without having to go through non-relevant data.

The ability to customise views therefore becomes crucial for working more efficiently.

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Foreword: the information leakage problem

When all information is visible at all times, the view can be chaotic. This can slow down the workflow, preventing focus on the most important aspects.

Twproject, one of the most flexible project management software, addresses this problem by simplifying the visualisation of information and allowing users to customise their views according to specific needs.

Twproject aims to reduce the time for monitoring and controlling projects, and at the same time make them more accurate.

It sounds like a mission impossible, and yet Twproject succeeds.

Let us now take a detailed look at how much customization can be done through the project search and display filters.

1. Filtered lists: customisation and efficiency

The use of search filters is useful for managing any type of list within the software. Twproject has developed filters that are not only easy to use, but also highly customizable and accurate.

For each list Twproject offers a default filtering, but this view can be changed and also possibly saved for the future.

Let’s look at some examples of filterable lists:

1.1. Project list

In the list of projects, the default filters show the active projects assigned to the current user.

default bar for project filters

From here, we can choose instead to view all projects with a different processing status, and perhaps with a different assignee.

The possibilities are countless: just click on the additional filters icon to see all the categories available for searching.

1.2. To-Do list

Similarly, Twproject allows you to customize combinations of filters in the ToDo list. Some useful predefined filters include:

  • Expired ToDo’s
  • Open and severe ToDo’s
  • Inserted by me

There are many daily activities managed through ToDo’s, so it is very important to use tools that reduce the chaos of information and allow us to focus on individual aspects in an orderly manner.

1.3. Load analysis

Even on the resource workload analysis page, filters are an excellent monitoring tool.

To optimize resource workload, for example, you can use a filter that combines resources and work periods. This is useful for adjusting the load of operators based on their availability.

2. Types of Project Filters: advanced customisation

So far we have seen generically how to change the basic display through the use of the default filters.

But Twproject offers many other types of filters, broken down by Project, Dates and Resource, which you can see within the additional search filters window.

advanced filters divided by project, dates, resources

In fact, each of these domains has several attributes that can be combined to create an effective filter for the visualization we want to achieve.

Among the Project attributes, we can, for example, select Project/Phase to decide whether to display only the main project nodes, or also its sub-phases, thus customizing our WBS.

We can also filter by Date in a highly flexible way. The system already gives us predefined time frames (last week, last month, etc.) but it also allows us to define the time frame in a customized way.

Let us now look at two advanced features that will allow us to conduct research and get totally customized visualizations:

  • Query by Example (QBE):
    The QBE is a useful tool to enable the user to perform queries in a simplified manner. Twproject offers a practical user guide for applying it to search filters, allowing anyone to find desired items based on criteria such as “contains…”, “has a value less than, equal to or greater than…,” etc.
Query By Example

This handy guide is always available by clicking on the question mark inside the additional search filters window.

  • Team filter:
    a special filter allows you to select your team and make it a filtering element that you can use whenever there is an opportunity to filter by resource. In this way you can select a group of users of your interest and filter by areas in which the group is involved.

This could be useful, for instance, when planning workloads and assigning tasks. For example, the project manager might be able to see where the workload of the graphic designers in the company stands, so that the manager can assign a graphic design job to those who have more time available in the coming weeks, and so on.

3. Filter combinations: saving and quick usage in projects

As mentioned, the real strength of filters lies in their ability to be combined with each other.

Default project filters combinations

Twproject already offers some predefined combinations of filters for projects, which can be selected through the main drop-down menu.

These combinations allow you to quickly find certain types of projects, such as:

  • Forthcoming starts / Forthcoming ends: to view projects starting or ending within a week.
  • Milestones overdue: to view projects with milestone delays.
  • Budget overflow: to quickly find projects that went over budget.

But that’s not all: Twproject allows you to save filter combinations you set up for future use. Saved combinations will appear in the drop-down menu for easy recall.

You can also save a combination as default by adding the prefix “d:” when saving. This way, the combination you choose will be the default view whenever you consult the project list.

4. Customising columns: managing information

Also in the area of list customizations, Twproject also allows you to customize the information displayed for each list item.

With column customization, it is possible to display for each list item only the relevant information, eliminating the superfluous items and adding others that are relevant to the viewer.

So, in the case of the project list, not only will you be able to decide which projects to display, but also what information about the projects to show (e.g., due dates, status, allocated resources).

Customized visualizations can be exported in various formats, facilitating sharing with colleagues or clients and supporting the preparation of reports for meetings.

Bottom line: more targeted management thanks to Twproject

We have seen how much flexibility Twproject offers in terms of visualization filters and customization of project data.

A brief summary of all these features is available in this handy tutorial:

With these tools, Twproject enables more organized and focused project management, improving team efficiency and reducing control and monitoring time.

Still not familiar with Twproject and want to try this and all its other project management features for free? You have a way to do so here.

Don’t hesitate and optimize project control with ease and satisfaction!

Simplify project monitoring with Filters!

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Saving time and resources with a project Template

In the age of digitisation, companies are constantly looking for ways to optimise their resources, both in terms of time and money.

Among the tasks requiring great effort is the work of project planning, which requires great care and attention.

Optimising this task not only means reducing the obstacles that can hinder its efficiency, but also using the experience gained to plan new projects at a later stage.

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One of the most effective strategies to achieve this is the creation and use of predefined templates.

In this article, we will explore how Templates can simplify work, improve project quality and contribute to significant cost savings.

1. Advantages of using a project Template

Let us now briefly see what benefits we will gain both on a corporate and personal level if we learn to use Templates efficiently.

In a second step, we will approach the topic from a practical point of view, showing you how digital project management tools can help you with this task.

1.1. Process standardisation

Templates are characterised by their standardised format that can be used by all team members.

This not only reduces the potential errors, but also ensures that all necessary information is included.

Indeed, consistent planning facilitates understanding and communication between departments.

1.2. Saving time

Entering the same data from scratch for each new project can be a time-consuming and demanding task.

Templates save valuable time, as project leaders will be able to concentrate on the new elements, instead of lingering on replicating predictable structures and entering known data.

This is particularly useful for project structure, schedules, and assignments.

1.3. Increased productivity

With the use of templates, the planning manager can focus on the innovative and strategic aspects of the project rather than the organisational ones.

This increase in productivity translates into greater operational efficiency and, consequently, improved business results.

1.4. Saving money

An investment in systems that allow the creation of high-quality templates that can be used repeatedly can lead to considerable savings in programming and planning costs.

In addition, less time spent on recurring data compilation also means the possibility to focus on improving the financial strategy.

2. Twproject’s tools for creating and managing Templates

Twproject offers some practical solutions to achieve these goals and save a lot of valuable time with the use of Templates.

A preliminary point: Twproject allows you to create predefined templates from scratch to use as a model, but also to use a real project already entered in the system as a basis for similar projects.

Even in this respect, Twproject makes flexibility its strong point, adapting to the way different teams work and responding to the needs of each one.

2.1. Creation of the basic project Template

From the Project List page, a new Template can be added.

A window will appear in which to enter the master data of the model we want to create, such as title, duration, participants and other possible information.

creation of a project template

In this way we would create a project with an ‘undefined’ status that would not appear in the project list, but which we could use several times as a starting point for projects with certain characteristics.

There are many customisations we can apply to this model. Let us see some of them.

2.1.1. Setting the WBS

We can assign certain phases and sub-phases to our project model, to which we can later assign the corresponding timeframes.

Setting of a WBS for the project template

The project structure, or WBS, can in fact be recurring on various projects, and if we optimise its creation we will achieve considerable time savings, especially for complex and structured projects.

Furthermore, we will not risk forgetting any stage and will create a predefined protocol to be followed for all future projects of a given type.

2.1.2. Creation of the Gantt chart

The next step after the definition of the WBS is its scheduling.

The Gantt chart setting allows the duration of each phase and the time correlation between them to be established.

Twproject’s Gantt chart is also extremely flexible and offers us the possibility of setting different types of dependencies between phases, with less or more elasticity in the progression.

When we use the template thus created for the planning of a real project, all we have to do is change the start date and the whole schedule will be modelled on what we have planned on the template.

2.1.3. Assignments and ToDo’s

As is often the case, if a team member is typically assigned to a certain phase of a project, it will be useful to assign that resource to that phase from the moment the template is created.

At a later stage we can of course add other operators or make any necessary changes.

But that’s not all: the template generated with Twproject also makes it possible to assign predefined tasks, so-called project ToDo’s, to the resources involved.

Assigning ToDo’s can be a huge task for the project manager if there are so many micro-tasks to distribute and follow up.

Therefore, if we optimise the compilation of these tasks, we will have a great acceleration in the programming phase of the projects realised through our template.

ToDo list

2.1.4. Costs and much more

As we have seen, project Templates are very customisable according to our needs and allow us to insert all kinds of data that may be useful in the future.

This data to be pre-filled may include, for example, the budget for foreseen ancillary expenses, which we enter in the cost management report. Or even the estimated costs for staff work, through which we will begin to build up the cost statement as soon as the template is drawn up.

But we can also pre-insert: documentation, useful links, general information, expected revenues and all sorts of data that also appears on classic projects.

Everything will, of course, be editable later, both on the template itself and directly on the projects that will result from it.

2.2. Cloning an existing project

Even in the case where we do not want to create predefined templates, but rather prefer to use an existing project as a template for a future project, Twproject comes to our aid.

cloning an existing project

From the options of the original project, you can select the ‘Clone’ function: this will open a window of options allowing you to select which and how much information to copy into the new target project.

It is easy to imagine how many improvements such a feature can offer us.

Just think of recurring projects that are repeated with the same time and human resources structure from year to year. Cloning the previous year’s project will save a considerable amount of valuable time.

In addition, it will also be possible to convert the cloned project into a Template, thus enabling us to start from a model with real data and then keep it available for all future projects of the same type.

changing of status to make a project template

All you need to do is change the project status from ‘Active’ to ‘Undefined’ and use the tag Template.

From that moment on, the template can be selected from those available when creating a new project.

2.3. Creating a project from Template

And finally, here is how to use the templates created, whether you started from an empty template or chose to use an existing project.

When creating a new project, we can select the item ‘Create a project from template’ that appears in the selection menu on the ‘Add’ button of the Project List page.

The project thus created will already contain all the pre-filled data we have entered in the source template.

2.3.1. Creating a project phase from Template

The use of Templates is also available for the creation of a single project phase.

As in the example used here, you may in this case choose to use the ‘Marketing’ template to manage the promotion phase of a larger project.

And the new project or phase will already contain all the information we decided to import beforehand, saving us an incredible amount of time and effort.

Bottom line: Improved efficiency with Twproject Templates

We can summarise by saying that with the use of Templates you can improve the efficiency of project management for your company.

Twproject‘s Templates allow you to enter a lot of source data, covering the entire project lifecycle, from the time schedule to the organisational structure, costs and so on.

All this will not undermine the flexibility that remains as a basic approach in Twproject: changes and adjustments can be made at a later date, helping you to better manage your planning time.

If you would like to try out this and many other features in Twproject, the only truly comprehensive project management software, you can do a 15-day free trial during which our support team will be at your disposal for any doubts or questions.

Simplify project management with Templates!

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New Twproject Release 7.1.023 – Copy and paste features on the Gantt and other innovations

If one of your needs is to have an increasingly flexible and customisable Gantt chart, a real operational tool that goes well beyond the planning phase, this new release of Twproject is just right for you.

With this new release, we are meeting the needs of teams with extensive and complex projects with several phases and a repeated structure and who therefore need to simplify their work.

We are especially proud of the improvements this new version brings and can’t wait to share them! Here is what changes from today.

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Copy, cut and paste on Gantt chart

The possibility of copying and pasting project phases into the Gantt chart allows you to carry a lot of information together and considerably speed up the work of the project manager.

With this new function in Twproject, all ‘master’ data relating to a project branch and phase assignments to resources are copied.

In addition, the process maintains internal dependencies on the copied branch if it has sub-phases.

But let us see how to do this in detail.

All cut/copy/paste functions can be activated by clicking on the options icon on the chosen line, or by simply positioning the cursor on the line and typing ctrl+C, ctrl+X, ctrl+V.

copy and paste on Gantt digram in Twproject

Next, we must position ourselves on the target line and paste the content.

If pasting on an existing line, the block is copied as a ‘child’, whereas if pasting on an empty line, the block is inserted at the current level.

The selected block remains in memory so that it can be copied several times, to facilitate work when there are several lines to be pasted, and the ESC key finally switches off the selection.

This function is compatible with the undo/redo commands and therefore allows you to do various operations, until you finally save and the Gantt is recorded.

New columns and additional features

But in parallel to the copy and paste functions, there are also innovations in the area of Gantt customisation.

First of all, it will be possible to add other ‘custom field’ type columns in which to enter values such as strings, dates, numbers, booleans, etc., which are very useful for making the Gantt chart even more customisable to the needs of the company or project.

shrink for date reduction

Secondly, to further optimise timing, a new feature will allow us to perform a ‘shrink’, i.e. an automatic reduction, of the time of project phases.

Other changes and optimisations

Moving on from the Gantt chart to other project views, let us briefly see what other innovations this latest release has brought, which as always you can see in detail on the changelog page.

Increased control and security in Worklogs

From now on, the security functions on the entry of hours worked on projects provide for more detailed roles: for each type of user it will be possible to specify add, read, write, delete, manage functions. In addition, the name of the person who recorded the worklog for a given user will always appear (the two do not necessarily coincide).

Furthermore, a block has been activated whereby the worklog entered by a user cannot exceed the allocated estimate and it will not be possible to enter hours on already closed phases.

Major improvement on Revenue Management

The entire revenue section has been thoroughly enhanced to allow for more advanced management.

  • Type of revenue: the revenue management page allows you to distinguish revenue into various types, which will influence the calculation shown in the overview:
    1. revenues related to the cash profile
    2. revenues linked to the completion of the phase
    3. estimated revenues
    4. invoiced revenues
overview of the revenue management
  • Entering revenue as a percentage: entering an actual/invoiced revenue from an estimated invoice now also accepts a value as a percentage of the estimated total, using the appropriate icon.
  • Invoice reminder: when an estimated revenue is entered, a checkbox can be used to automatically create a ToDo reminder for the issuing of the invoice.

The release is available for all!

What we have seen so far is only part of the new features introduced with version 7.1.023, which as always will be available to all users automatically.

If you are still unfamiliar with Twproject but would like to try out its countless features for more efficient and flexible project management, do not hesitate to request a free trial from our support team.

The new release is waiting for you

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Multiple corporate calendars for flexible workers

Corporate calendars are convenient tools for keeping track of meetings, deadlines, and milestones.

They can help you visualize the schedules of various projects and remind you of important team events, such as colleagues’ leave periods.

The problem is that far too often, multiple calendars are managed simultaneously and are not even integrated with each other.

This lack of synchronization can confuse and lead to missed deadlines.

Since time management shapes the results of a project, using multiple corporate calendars plays a key role.

CONTENT

Christopher Vardanyan, co-founder at Rocket Moving Services,  highlights: “Managing multiple corporate calendars helps improve communication and flexibility within our team. At Rocket Moving, we handle various orders each day, and each move requires its own set of resources and attention. When our calendars are synced, it’s easier for our team to coordinate—whether it’s scheduling a client’s move, monitoring employee availability, or adjusting plans in real-time when unforeseen challenges arise. This integration has also improved our order-handling process by about 20%, as we can quickly assess availability and respond to client inquiries faster. This helps us stay adaptable and responsive, ensuring smooth operations even during peak seasons.” 

As seen, using multiple calendars becomes a powerful resource for organizing activities, coordinating the team, and ensuring timely project delivery.

Let’s learn more about this subject in this article.

Why is the calendar important in project management?

Conventional calendars are undoubtedly helpful in establishing a schedule and displaying time flow. Still, they are not optimal for teams that manage multiple projects simultaneously and need to make changes to the schedule.

There are many advantages to using multiple corporate calendars:

Clear activity overview

The first perk is displaying all tasks, events, and milestones in one place. Project managers can immediately see the task, the team member assigned, and the timelines associated with that specific job.

Also, team progress can be monitored, and bottlenecks can quickly be identified before they jeopardize the project.

Better communication

Multiple corporate calendars can be easily shared across departments, significantly improving internal communication and facilitating better work coordination.  

Team members can easily collaborate on different planned tasks within a calendar, while project managers and supervisors can relay vital information. This is particularly important for remote workers.

Improved planning

Multiple business calendars help project managers accurately plan the schedule for one or more projects by organizing tasks sequentially.

Clear deadlines can thus also be set based on dependencies between activities.

Efficient resource allocation

Efficient resource utilization is still one of the most important goals for project managers in all industries.  

By using multiple company calendars, project managers can optimally use available resources by assigning tasks to the right people based on their availability and workload.

Fair and even distribution promotes employee engagement and increases job satisfaction, increasing productivity and bonding with the company in the long run.

Why use project management software to create a project calendar

Many people may think that using Excel or Google Calendar is good enough to create and manage project calendars.

These are surely great tools, but only up to a certain point.

Let’s see what their limitations are:

Excel calendar limitations

Excel is one of the preferred calculation tools for companies. Yet, compared with a project management calendar, Excel suffers from the following limitations:

  • Lack of control and security: Excel is not user-friendly, and the app will slow down if the data is too big. Furthermore, it is a stand-alone tool that does not provide adequate control because there is always the risk of errors when manual changes are made.
  • It is hard to keep track of project progress: Excel is not ideal for project management teams because it is impossible to track project progress easily.
  • Not designed for collaborative work: Excel doesn’t offer key collaboration tools required by both in-office and remote teams today.

Google Calendar limitations

Although Google Calendar is a great tool for scheduling meetings and appointments, it presents the following limitations when it comes to project management.

  • Limited project management features: Why would project teams use a limited tool like Google Calendar over a project management software offering a wide range of features? Google Calendar lacks many essential features that project teams need in their daily work.
  • No activity management: Google Calendar does not provide the option to manage tasks, making it difficult for project managers to assign tasks and responsibilities, set deadlines, and monitor progress at any given stage.
  • Limited customization: Google Calendar offers limited customization options, and its UI is too simplistic when it comes to more complex projects.

Twproject: the revolution in multiple corporate calendars

Twproject recently introduced the multiple corporate calendar feature. Previously, you could only define one corporate calendar, but now you can create and assign separate calendars for each project and resource.

calendari aziendali multipli

This innovation is crucial for companies with different departments or branches in foreign countries, which have different work requirements and follow different holiday calendars.

Project managers can design calendars, including working days and holidays, adapting to the specific needs of resources. Different calendars can be assigned to each resource, as well as to projects or individual phases.

calendar holidays

The new feature improves task planning flexibility and accuracy. Users can set calendars via Gantt chart and view the effects of changes immediately.

Thanks to Twproject’s multiple corporate calendars, you can optimize time management and increase flexibility in resource planning.

Twproject calendars will put order into chaos by promoting coordination, smart planning, and workflow efficiency.

Give this and other features a try for free for 15 days. 

Work together with your team effectively

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All you need to know about Portfolio Management with Twproject

Would you like to learn more about all the methods and tools that Twproject offers you for effective and profitable portfolio management? Here you will find lots of useful information and also some tips to put into practice.

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Portfolio Management is a type of broader strategic management that deals with evaluating projects as a whole and the organisation’s ability to execute them.

In today’s increasingly dynamic and demanding environment, the role of the Portfolio Manager, a distinct position from the Project Manager, is crucial. The task of the Portfolio Manager is to hold the ranks together and help companies evolve and achieve their strategic objectives.

Aims and objectives of Portfolio Management

Let us start with a definition: when we talk about Portfolio Management, we mean the coordinated management of several corporate projects, done for various strategic purposes.

Project portfolio management can in fact have various objectives and purposes, and they are:

  • Having an overview of all projects and categories of projects (or programmes), in order to assess business efficiency, return on investment (ROI) and the direction towards specific innovation choices.
  • Achieving greater transparency on corporate objectives and resource management and being able to share this data internally and externally (teams and stakeholders)
  • Ensuring that the allocation of resources (human resources, but also assets, materials and services) is always optimal and in line with corporate planning strategies.
  • Providing information on the financial viability of projects, so as to highlight the lines on which to make the right investments in the future.
  • Guaranteeing that the relevance of projects is periodically analysed and modified as necessary, so that time and resources are invested accordingly.
Gestione del portfolio

Twproject has an optimal solution for all these goals and provides you with various tools for portfolio management.

Let us take a look at the main tools it provides.

Performing good Portfolio Management with Twproject

In Portfolio Management, Twproject provides very useful tools and methodologies to coordinate and clearly define the work of the whole team.

Generally speaking, it aims at linking day-to-day work with strategic corporate objectives, helping define an action plan.

In ths section we will see what areas to consider when carrying out this activity and how we can make use of Twproject’s functionalities.

Overview of any planning issue

Twproject has a powerful and precise filter management applied to several functions of the platform. Even for Portfolio Management, filters help you select and display projects with an incredible variety of choices.

The filters can be combined with each other and refer to the three main areas of data, i.e. those relating to the project (type, budget, characteristics, etc.), the timeframe (duration, relevant dates, etc.) and the resources involved.

Uso dei filtri nel portfolio management

There is a default filter in the main search bar, but it is possible to save new customised configurations and even to define a specific filter as the default selection.

A good use of filters therefore meets the first requirement of Portfolio Management, namely to have an overview of specific areas or groups of projects.

In addition to the classic Portfolio view, it is also possible to filter in the statistics dashboard to get an overview of the performance of selected projects by different progress factors.

Financial management

In order to calculate the ROI and see which business objectives have been met, it is also important to keep an eye on the project budget when it comes to Portfolio Management.

Among the filters that Twproject provides, the ‘Budget overflow‘ filter is very useful, allowing you to select all projects that are experiencing financial difficulties.

This will allow us not to perpetuate the error and to take the necessary corrective action.

Furthermore, in the classic Portfolio view, which in Twproject is represented by a large global Gantt chart, we have the ‘Financial Data‘ command.

This function will allow each project in the list to be paired with its financial report, relating the budget with estimated and actual costs.

Such a view is very useful for carrying out cash flow analyses and evaluating the highest-performing projects at a glance.

In fact, financial management in Portfolio Management helps measure the value created by each project and make decisions on the most profitable investment areas.

Relevance among projects

After measuring the performance of projects, it is important that the digital tool allows the priority that each project has over the others to be set.

Twproject allows you to assign a relevance value to projects and this value can be defined and displayed in the Portfolio.

We can sort projects according to increasing or decreasing relevance so that timing and allocations can also be redefined according to this criterion.

Project relevance column in Portfolio Management

Indeed, through the Portfolio, you can easily reschedule the start and end dates of projects and relate them to the overall timeline.

For example, a less relevant project can be moved later in time, choosing to give priority to other, more beneficial projects.

Resource management and allocation

Furthermore, an important function of Portfolio Management is the distribution of the workload between different projects, also according to their strategic and economic relevance.

Indeed, it is useful that the efforts of resources are well distributed, but also well focused on the projects that have the highest priority, both in terms of timing and strategic relevance.

This level of priority is only detectable, as we have seen, with the Portfolio Management activity.

Twproject takes this a step further and allows you to redistribute the load in an intelligent and thoughtful manner, with just one click.

Here is how you can do it with this simple trick:

  1. From the main view of the Portfolio, see which of your resources are overloaded with the ‘show/hide workload’ icon (scale).
  2. Secondly, filter the projects by assignee, limiting the view to those in which the overloaded resource (or resources) is included.
  3. After filtering, arrange the obtained projects according to order of relevance.
  4. Finally, use the command ‘optimise end date by resource capacity’ (the magic wand) on the project with the lowest relevance: the dates of the latter will be extended until an optimal load for the person involved is reached.
Ottimizzare il carico con il portfolio management


Strategic planning that takes these factors into account increases corporate welfare and the satisfaction of the entire team.

As well as, of course, optimising overall productivity levels.

Shareability

Ultimately, the function of Portfolio Management is also to facilitate group communication and ensure that all parties involved in projects are coordinated with each other.

It is crucial to provide regular reports on the progress of the entire portfolio and its sustainability in relation to the company’s objectives.

The Portfolio statistics dashboard in Twproject shows the overall status of the work, with graphs and insights updated in real time. We can filter this data for any need, as already seen, and easily export it in various formats for full sharing.

Gestione del portfolio da parte del supervisor

In addition, on the main page of Portfolio, you can put information on the status of ToDos next to each project line, thanks to the ‘ToDo Data’ command.

Knowing the status of activities for each project is very useful for planning purposes, but also for sharing the up-to-date situation with the resources involved, in a cohesive effort to achieve objectives.

Indeed, creating a collaborative environment for a faster exchange of information is one of the objectives of Portfolio Management, with the ultimate goal of smoothing the planning of activities and their monitoring.

Twproject answers the central question of Portfolio Management

We can summarise all the operations we have seen with a single question that the Portfolio Manager tries to answer with the most suitable tools.

The question is: which projects contribute to the corporate strategy and should therefore be given higher priority, and which should be eliminated or postponed?

Twproject is a unique tool that answers this question, and it does so in an articulate manner, providing you with concrete data for your analyses.

Each analysis objective is covered with Twproject: the total cost of each project, the consumption of resources (human and other), the planned duration and investment schedule, the benefits and the relationships or interdependencies with other projects in the portfolio.

You do not need anything else for the overall planning of your business projects and Twproject guides you step by step.

If you want to put it to the test, you can make a free 15-day subscription during which you will see how to perform all the main Portfolio Management activities, with the help of our support team.

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Twproject as CRM: In Practice

According to client’s needs, Twproject can also be used to insert contacts and customers among the resource list: this makes Twproject an excellent tool for CRM, as well as for project management as a whole.

CONTENT

It happens that our customers ask us whether they can only include users who have an active login in the resource list.

The answer is: not only!

All resources entered without login, in fact, are not counted in the license count, so you can have as many as you want.

Monitoring sale activities from the first contact stage is a good idea for several reasons, which we will discuss in detail below.

But now let’s see how to do it right from the start.

Record a first contact through Twproject as CRM

Say that you are at one of  your yearly trade fairs and, after some hours, you meet John James from ACME SPA, he is smart and you talk to him for a while about your company services, he is very interested.

You talk about his boss Victoria Miller, and also about the last NBA Match Boston – Cleveland, he roots for Boston Celtics. 

At the end of the conversation he gives you his business card.

Well, if you are using Twproject project management software as a CRM, it’s time to save all these information, and you can do that very easily.

For example I would simply take my iPad and create a new resource. I would create a new lead for John James from ACME SPA, I would record that his boss is Victoria Miller and all the other information written in his business card. I would also save in the notes that John roots for Boston Celtics… you never know.

Adding resources in Twproject CRM software

Follow the lead

Now that your lead is entered, you can search for the project you use to save pre-sales information and insert a new activity for the conversation you had, just to remember everything you said.

At the moment what you have is just a lead, so there is no need to create a specific task for this activity, it could be just a phone call.

The best way to manage this situation is to create a new pre-sales activity (a new To-Do in Twproject) as a reminder, in order to call John after a week and talk about what your company can do for him.

to-do as reminder for lead following

Twproject’s To-Do’s are the most versatile tool for carrying out such operations, for several reasons:

  • In addition to adding a title and a detailed description, you can insert a direct link to the resource by simply copying and pasting the alphanumeric code you will find on the top left of the resource page.
  • You can attach documents related to John’s profile or his company, so that everything is available for consultation.
  • You can use comments and tag your colleagues, simply by putting the @ before their name, to share information, suggestions, ideas.
  • Finally, you can assign the To-Do to a colleague, if you are not directly responsible for the customer relationship, and at the same time stay up-to-date on the progress of the deal.

When the To-Do expires, the system will remind you of the call.

to-do reminder when using Twproject as CRM

Thanks to the link, you can check all the details of the resource and start the conversation where you left off.

If the conversation is fruitful, you can finally create a dedicated pre-sales activity for ACME, to record in detail the first contact, perhaps a demo, the offer and the final contract.

Add a new pre-sales project

Now that your lead has become a real pre-sale project you can insert it in Twproject to check its progress.

Gannt chart in Twproject for pre-sales activities

Thanks to Twproject all pre-sales activity can be monitored, managed and saved like all the other projects.

One of the best tools Twproject offers for project management is its interactive and dynamic Gantt.

Even for pre-sale projects it can be very useful to have a tool that offers a 360° view such as Twproject’s Gantt.

In fact, each activity can have phases and sub-phases, either connected to each other or not, by different types of dependencies.

Let us say that the first phone call with John led to a presentation agreement with his boss Victoria Miller. This will involve a number of intermediate activities such as content optimisation, landing pages, etc. These activities will be included as related preliminary steps in an interdependent relationship with the presentation.

All of this will hopefully lead to the conclusion of the contract, which will then initiate an actual operational project.

In this way each step in the process will be monitored and can also be managed by different people involved in the project, eliminating unnecessary e-mail exchanges.

To sum up, thanks to Twproject’Gantt used as a CRM tool you have:

  • Contacts and projects together
  • Agents assigned on pre-sales activity
  • Pre-sales progress monitored
  • Pre-sales budget and expenses managed
  • Pre-sales effort registered for future report and considerations

Convert the pre-sales plan into an actual project

We therefore saw how to use Twproject tools for CRM activities.

It is evident that its functionalities exceed those of any other specific software for all the preliminary activity of tracking potential customers, thanks to the fact that Twproject is a complete, flexible and multifunctional software.

But there is more.

The advantage with Twproject is that the software evolves together with your projects.

Let’s assume that the presale phase has turned into a contract and you can start managing the actual project: if you use Twproject as a CRM you already have a lot of the information already entered and you don’t have to start all over from scratch.

In addition, you have everything together under control and so you can also monitor costs and hours worked for pre-sales.

This is usually data that is not counted, and ends up in a single block with all business activities.

Instead, it is key information to know if you want to manage projects accurately, right from the start.

All this because, with Twproject, you can have both a CRM software and a Project Management software, together.

To try this and other features for free, sign up for a 15-day trial period, or book a demo with our support team: see how many project issues you can handle on one platform!

CRM software and a Project Management software, together.

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New Twproject release 7.1.018 – Multiple calendars: more flexibility for your projects

Twproject’s calendar has always been efficient and with a highly customisable configuration, but with the recent release it takes a huge step forward by allowing you to define multiple calendars for use on projects and resources.

CONTENT

With this innovation introduced with the release 7.1.018, we want to respond to the need of those who manage different teams and projects with non-uniform working hours.

The coexistence of several calendars is in fact an essential requirement for most structured companies, which necessarily have to manage different work configurations according to departments.

Target audience for the introduction of multiple calendars

With this shared development, Twproject wanted to respond to the most heterogeneous realities. We are talking, for example, about companies with departments that do not share the same working days, or international companies with branches in foreign countries and therefore with a different holiday calendar.

This was therefore an essential innovation to allow flexibility and adherence to the real needs of teams, which nowadays are increasingly manifold.

Until now, the calendar in Twproject allowed the definition of weekly working days and company holidays or closures; this calendar applied to all resources and projects.

It also allowed, from the calendar itself, to set the working hours of resources (such as part-time, etc.).

What changes with the development of multiple calendars

As we have seen, a main, customisable corporate calendar is already present in Twproject, and this is what will now be considered the ‘Default‘ calendar.

The difference will be that from now on for each resource, but also for each project, it will be possible to set a different schedule than the default.

But let’s go into detail: what changes with the introduction of multiple calendars in Twproject and how can we set them up?

Creating and editing a calendar

The system administrator can create a new calendar from the administration page, assigning it a name, description and other data that we will now see.

The calendar editor is in fact divided into two sections: the first contains the name, description, weekly working days and the ‘default’ tick.

Multiple calendars configuration

It is possible to define only one default calendar.

Please note: the default selection operation must be done with caution as it has an impact on project durations and workloads.

A change in this respect will not directly change the task data, but on first access on the WBS or Gantt the phases will show any inconsistencies due to changes on the calendar.

The second section of the editor relates to the definition of company holidays and closures.

company's closure or holidays

The first click on a cell defines a holiday with a variable date (Easter, Thanksgiving etc.), the second click sets a fixed holiday (Christmas, New Year etc.).

At this point we will have as many calendars as there are different configurations of working days at company level, whether they are determined by different types of work or geographical conditions.

Multiple calendars on resources

But that is not all: there are also important new features in the work settings section of the resource.

For each resource, the calendar to be used can be set via a drop-down menu.

If “Use default calendar” is chosen, the resource in question will use the calendar marked as default (via the tick we saw in the previous section). In this example, the default calendar is called “Default” and has an *.

multiple calendars on resources

An important new change introduced in this release is that for a resource, working weekdays can be defined, even if they are holidays for the chosen calendar.

This is useful for handling situations where the company generally does not work on Saturdays and Sundays but, for example, the maintenance department does.

Thus, the selected calendar provides public holidays, but working days can be defined for each individual resource.

Similarly to other work data, such as time, cost per hour, etc., the calendar is also inherited from the organisation chart unless otherwise specified.

If the calendar of a department is changed from A to B, all resources of that department that had calendar A will change to B. Those that had calendar C will keep C.

In the example in the image above, we see that the resource ‘Giulia’ uses the default calendar (which has five working days from Monday to Friday), but Giulia, in his specific case, has set Wednesday as non-working and Saturday as working.

Consequently, all interfaces that display the working calendar (such as timesheet, workload, timesheet overview, etc.) will show the non-working days specific to that resource. In the case of Giulia, Wednesday and Sunday.

Multiple calendars on projects

A further step forward is the fact that with the new version it is possible to set a specific timeframe for both the project and the phases.

A new project is always set to the default calendar. In the event of subsequent changes, the name of the chosen calendar will be shown to the right of the dates (as in the image below).

In this way, one could, for example, have a project using the solar calendar (365/365), but operational phases involving specific departments could use a 5/7 calendar.

calendar on projects

In the event that the project calendar is changed, e.g. by adding holidays or company closures, so as to interfere with the task dates, a small alert will be displayed the first time we access the project.

alert on calendar changed

Clicking on the alert will result in a more detailed message, highlighting the points where date changes generated interference.

But how do we change the timing of a project or phase?

To do this, we must use the Gantt diagram; this is because from the Gantt we can immediately see the effects of the change on dates and durations, and there is the possibility of saving at a later date, without the risk of permanently changing the data.

From the options on the project line, we can select the calendar change.

A pop-up will appear for choosing the calendar and deciding whether to try to keep dates or durations.

how to change the calendar on projects

It is optional to keep dates or durations as far as possible. The conditionality is that there is no guarantee that dates can be kept in full (as in the case where a start or end date corresponds to a holiday for the new calendar).

If milestones or binding dates are violated, the system will send a message and will not carry out the requested change. The user must first change the dates appropriately and then make the change.

With this new version, the first time one logs on to the Gantt, a check will be made to ensure that the start date, end date and duration of the project are consistent with the calendar in use.

In previous versions, if the unique calendar had changed, the end date was simply, and silently, recalculated from the start and duration.

In the new version, dates are kept instead and durations are changed accordingly. In the event of discrepancies, we will see an alert.

If milestones had been touched, these would be highlighted, as well as for the phases that had their duration recalculated.

fasi indefinite Gantt

It is sufficient to change even a single piece of data to enable saving and make the new durations definitive.

Effects of multiple calendars on interfaces

Having different calendars on resources and projects also has natural consequences on the appearance of certain Twproject interfaces, such as the Timesheet.

In this case, we note from the bottom line that the employee does not work on Wednesdays and Sundays.

multiple calendas on timesheet

At the same time, however, the projects she works on have different timetables:

  • ‘A.365/365‘ (highlighted in red) is always active
  • ‘B.LMM‘ (in yellow) is active for the first three days of the week
  • ‘C.MMGV‘ (in green) is active from Tuesday to Friday

Users will be able to mark their worklogs freely, while taking into account the information on the timetable of each project, also made clearer by a more comprehensive legenda.

Twproject never inhibits the insertion of worklogs (except in the distant past or in the future), but simply reports the ‘suspicious’ worklog.

For example, if hours worked are recorded on a date that is non-working in both the resource calendar and the project calendar, this will be considered a ‘suspicious’ case, and consequently reported.

In the case of views with several resources, such as the Workload, the different calendars for each resource will be shown:

multi-calendari nel Carico operatori

Or, as in the case of the Timesheet Overview, since this includes an overall group of resources, the company calendar will be shown:

calendar shown in the timesheet overview

However, indications and reports from the calendar of the resources involved will appear within it.

We have seen how the use of multiple calendars for resources and projects can improve and make scheduling more realistic.

Now you just have to try out this important feature, which helps to make Twproject a tool that is always one step ahead of the others.

Twproject’s multiple calendars allow you to make your time management process much more efficient and to achieve greater flexibility in scheduling resources.

All customers using a Twproject cloud licence have already had the update automatically, while those who have Twproject on server can find the new installers here.

Try this and other features free of charge for 15 days. Start planning and setting work schedules now!

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The best project tracking software of 2024

Tracking the progress of projects in a company is at the heart of project management. But what are the best tools for doing this? In this article you will find a list of the best software for tracking your projects.

But first, let’s look together at what falls within the scope of project tracking, also known as project monitoring and control.

This term refers to the general control carried out by the project manager to ensure that all tasks are proceeding correctly and on time.

Project tracking looks at individual phases to identify obstacles, bottlenecks or gaps and tries to solve them to increase project efficiency.

The monitoring process starts as soon as the project itself begins and continues throughout the project’s life cycle.

A system that helps track the project effectively allows us to see the work progress clearly and at a glance.

CONTENT

Main goals of project tracking

Each project has its own characteristics and depending on the business environment, certain objectives may be more important than others for its realisation.

But generally speaking, we can say that the objectives to keep in mind when tracking projects are as follows:

  • Setting goals: from the outset it is useful to make it clear, and possibly written down, what the ultimate goal of the project is. In other words, what are the expected results for customers and stakeholders. To do this, it may be useful to implement a scope management activity.
  • Determining the parameters: once the goals have been set, we will then have to report what emerged from the analysis in terms of budget, timetable, use of resources, etc. This database will constitute our initial baseline, i.e. the ideal progress to be followed, from which we will deviate more or less during the actual execution of the project.
  • Collecting data: as the project gets underway, it is important to have the right tools to periodically collect data such as direct and indirect costs, hours worked, phases completed. The easier this data can be collected and entered into the system, the more the project manager’s work will benefit.
  • Analysing data: to ensure that the data collected does not remain meaningless, it is useful to try to interpret it. Examples of analysis are comparing the timelines expressed in the baseline with the actual timelines or analysing costs, distinguishing between planned, estimated and actual costs.
  • Reporting: exporting the data collected, together with its interpretation, is useful for sharing the results obtained with stakeholders and team. The configurability of reports is therefore essential to diversify the target audience fort data sharing.
  • Creating models for future projects: In order to optimise the efforts made, project monitoring can also include the creation of best practices for projects with similar characteristics. This will take place at the end of the project and will serve as a database for planning future projects.

Types of project tracking

Going into further detail, let us now look at the types of project tracking, i.e. all the approaches that can be taken when monitoring the progress of activities.

The various typologies apply to all the objectives seen above, but declined according to the issue to be tracked.

  1. Process monitoring: also known as activity monitoring, it mainly aims to monitor resources and inputs and to understand how outputs and results are delivered.
  2. Beneficiary monitoring: this type includes requests from beneficiaries, possible complaints and general satisfaction. Beneficiaries may be either direct or indirect.
  3. Compliance monitoring: aims to establish that the project complies with contracts, applicable laws, ethical standards and general project compliance.
  4. Financial monitoring: monitors the financial efficiency of the project, including a cost-benefit analysis.
  5. Results monitoring: includes everything that determines whether the project is on track to achieve the expected results. It also serves to collect data on the overall impact and effects of the project.

But let’s cut to the chase: we will give you a short but comprehensive list of the best software to carry out company project tracking, minimising efforts and optimising productivity.

Here is the list of the best project tracking software:

1. Twproject

Twproject for project tracking

If you are looking for a comprehensive tool, the first choice is definitely Twproject, the software that has all the fundamental tools for project monitoring and control.

Starting with its agile and dynamic Gantt chart, then its comprehensive WBS that is easy to compile and update, and again its impeccable resource and cost management, full of automation and customisation, and so on.

In fact, Twproject originates as an all-round project management system, capable of supporting the project manager’s work from start to finish.

It has an intuitive interface that makes it smoother for the whole team to adapt to the tool and reduces the learning process, whilst promoting teamwork.

Moreover, it is a suited tool for teams and projects of any size. Its scalability makes it suitable for any type of company and the advantage is that Twproject modifies and grows along with the business and project complexity.

Best features:

  • Dashboard: the main view, showing at a glance the situation of projects in real time.
  • WBS: allows projects to be divided into tasks to be carried out, set deadlines and assign roles with great speed.
  • Gantt Chart: evolves over time and is always up-to-date, being well integrated with the other components of the software. It allows work to be assigned and shared easily.
  • Critical path: easy to set up and identify, it helps tracking the workflow and avoid bottlenecks.
  • Automated real-time calculation of project progress: to get an immediate idea of the progress of the project but also of each individual phase.
  • Kanban board: for those who prefer agile working, it allows easy assignment of tasks and an overview of activities, highly customisable according to requirements.
  • Cost management: project costs, both direct and indirect, are managed in one environment, together with revenue and resource costs. The comparison of the initial and current cost planning clearly highlights risks and budget overruns.
  • Workload management: the time spent by each resource to complete tasks is calculated accurately, distinguishing between task types. This allows performance to be analysed effectively.
  • Timeline: a tool on the statistics page and within the Gantt itself, which allows to review the initial planning at any time during the life of the project, for more effective monitoring.
  • Sharing and reporting: thanks to customisable reporting and analysis, you get clear and shareable information on the performance of the project and its individual parts.
  • Template: each project or its sub-phase can be used as a template for similar projects, to save time in future planning.

Pricing: from € 4.89 per user/month.

Pros: Twproject is useful for any business strategy and model. It has advanced and feature-rich tools for all aspects and types of project tracking. It therefore adapts to every business sector and grows as a company grows.

Cons: Such comprehensiveness leaves no room for negative aspects.

Twproject revolutionises the concept of project tracking, letting you discover a wealth of functions that simplify and speed up your work.

2. ProofHub

ProofHub project tracking

ProofHub is an all-in-one project management and team collaboration tool that brings everything together in one place.

It creates a central hub for all your projects, teams, files, discussions, and tasks, eliminating the need to juggle multiple apps together.

The platform is highly efficient, allowing you to stay in sync with the real-time progress of projects.

Also, you can easily track every project activity and ensure projects get delivered with ultimate precision.

Best features:

  • Gantt chart to set task dependencies, visualize project timelines, and stay ahead of deadlines. 
  • Kanban boards to get a bird’s eye view of tasks across stages, spot bottlenecks, and create unique workflows.
  • Table view for seamless project tracking using easy sorting and filtering. 
  • Powerful collaborative features like built-in chat, discussions, task comments, and @mentions to ask for updates. 
  • Seamless file sharing between projects and tasks for easy access and document collaboration.
  • Robust task management features to create, manage, and assign tasks for enhanced accountability and keep everyone on track.  
  • Track time spent on tasks manually or with a built-in time tracker to get valuable insights into project and team efficiency.  
  • Timesheets to monitor team productivity and identify workflow hurdles. 
  • Centralized file storage to stop information hunting and asses files anytime, anywhere. 
  • Detailed reports to get real-time insights into task progress, locate areas for improvement, and make performance reviews.
  • Online proofing to review, approve, and provide feedback on assets directly. 

Pricing: from $ 45/month for unlimited users

Pros: It has a good, clean and intuitive interface with a minimal learning curve; it is customisable and scalable as required and offers full administrative control.

Cons: It might not be that suitable for solopreneurs; its notifications may be overwhelming.

This feature-rich tool boasts some great functionalities that make it a top choice for teams aiming to enhance their project-tracking capabilities and ensure success from start to finish.

3. ActiveCollab

ActiveCollab

ActiveCollab is a tool that defines itself as project-oriented and therefore suitable for the tracking and control of individual projects.

It is an essential software, which includes the main work management functionalities of the project manager: time recording, task dependencies and automatic rescheduling, invoicing, collaboration options, third-party integrations.

Thanks to its versatility, it is suitable for teams and companies of all scopes and sizes: from international companies to small start-ups, although some ‘overview’ functions are missing.

Best features:

  • Project view: choose among Kanban, Gantt, list or calendar.
  • Project Template: allows you to create reusable templates.
  • Chat, comments, suggestions.
  • Time reports: possibility to filter time records by project, customer, assignee, job type, month, year and more.
  • Estimating and tracking: tools to compare estimated time values with tracked values to identify risky activities.
  • Assignment overview: overview of all assignments, including overtime and non-working days.
  • Time and expenses incurred: tracking of billable hours and expenses.
  • Warnings: in case of time and cost overruns.
  • Project profitability: overview of the budget status with control over the percentage of the amount spent.
  • Reports: in particular to highlight uninvoiced work.

Pricing: from € 8 per user/month.

Pros: convenient, precise and with an easy interface; useful for managing large-scale projects with numerous stakeholders.

Cons: It has no built-in workflow and is not ideal if you have more advanced project tracking needs. Time tracking also needs improvement.

A software that does the job it sets out to do, but which should grow a little in versatility and overview.

4. Teamhood

teamhood

Also Teamhood is a software that combines professional tools such as Gantt, time tracking, Kanban, and reporting into a single management system.

In fact, it is designed for medium and large-sized companies to manage and execute projects.

Teamhood works with workspaces, customised whiteboards with time tracking capabilities, and collaboration tools.

It also offers visual reporting of metrics, especially agile metrics.

Best features:

  • Kanban board: its rows can distinguish different teams, types of work items, projects, etc. Capability to set spending limits and other parameters that signal overruns.
  • Gantt chart: its functions are rather standard, but it has some customisation options. Possibility to choose whether phases dependent on others are auto-scheduling.
  • Hourly rates: possibility to set hourly rates for project collaborators and see the project costs in real time.
  • Baseline vs Actual: tool that sets agreed deadlines for the project and over time compares the actual situation with the original plan.
  • Timesheet Report: comparison of actual time spent with original estimates. It allows the calibration of estimates.
  • Workload visualisation: allows you to manage the workload of the team, balance resources and optimise time.

Pricing: from € 7 per user/month.

Pros: Good flexibility in terms of configuring settings while maintaining basic simplicity.

Cons: Time management is not very flexible and has certain limitations which then affect the accuracy of the monitoring data.

A productive and efficient tool with its own particular approach to the agile philosophy.

5. Miro

Miro

Miro is a platform aimed at improving workflows by mapping processes, dependencies and so on.

Although it has some native functionalities, Miro functions rather as an aggregator of different applications within a single platform.

Its strength and starting point is the Kanban board, through which team members collaborate and exchange information, and the project manager assigns tasks and keeps track of schedules.

Its agile approach to project monitoring may be limiting for some, but it certainly offers advantages for others.

Best features:

  • Kanban board: flexible board structure for managing projects and processes.
  • SWOT Analysis: similar to the Kanban board, it subdivides tasks between the various categories of the SWOT analysis.
  • Gantt chart: more similar to a timeline, it allows assigning tasks and setting dependencies between activities, it does not have more advanced functions.
  • Roadmap: another visualisation of activities not based on the timeline but on that of the main project phases.
  • Retrospectives: tools for reviewing the initial planning, which can be shared with the team.
  • Presentations: various templates for creating sharable reports and for setting up project meetings.

Pricing: from € 7 per user/month.

Pros: It keeps business processes intact for those who have already started monitoring individual aspects of projects with different platforms.

Cons: Need to integrate several applications into one to achieve a complete framework. Process optimisation is therefore slightly affected.

Agile solution for those who need visual project management.

6. Roadmunk

roadmunk project tracking

As its name suggests, Roadmunk is a tool that uses roadmaps as a focus point for monitoring company projects.

It therefore focuses on the sequencing of macro activities and their sub-phases for workflow management, with an analytical approach to work.

The assumption is therefore that the initial planning is flawless, or almost flawless, in the division of work categories.

This works well for structured and experienced companies with planned projects and processes; on the contrary, it can be blocking for small companies or newly established teams.

Best features:

  • Roadmap: integrates with timeline, manages activities through initiatives, objectives and milestones
  • Swimlane: simplified roadmap type
  • Sharing: in HTML or via protected URLs
  • Export: various formats including images
  • Presentation: transformation of input data into slides for company meetings

Pricing: from $ 49/month for project manager and team of 5 users

Pros: Very specific tool for teams working on the completion of project phases planned from the ground up.

Cons: Lack of fundamental secondary views such as Gantt or project budget management.

Suitable for teams that need to collaborate virtually on structured projects and share information quickly.

6. Kanban Zone

Kanban Zone

Kanban Zone is a visual collaboration tool that leverages the power of Kanban to make project tracking more convenient and efficient.

It supports smooth collaboration within one or multiple teams by making it easy to create multiple boards and connect them using linked cards or mirrored cards.

Its advanced metrics feature also supports a team’s need to gather productivity data, create reports, and interpret them to finetune performance.

BEST FEATURES:

  • Flexible board editor: Build any board you can imagine with Kanban Zone’s flexible Kanban board editor.
  • Custom fields: Customize your Kanban cards to display data that you need to show on your cards.
  • Card linking: Manage and connect cards from across any board using a 4-way link.
  • Card templates: Save time and standardize your cards by creating templates.
  • Recurring cards: Create automatically recurring cards and schedule them as needed.
  • Advanced metrics: Access clear metrics about throughput, cycle time, cumulative flow, and allocation.
  • Workflow automation: Leverage automation to enhance your workflow’s efficiency, save time, and standardize your processes.
  • Mirror cards: Create multiple versions of the same card on multiple boards.
  • Connect boards: Link boards and track progress across various tasks for an ideal workflow.

Pricing: from $6.25 per user/month

Pros: Ideal for Agile teams big or small, supports efficient collaboration and project management, is scalable, and makes performance monitoring and reporting easier.

Cons: Limited integrations

Suitable tool for those who base management on point-by-point activities

Some final tips

We have seen that project monitoring is a very subjective process and techniques vary with time and experience.

In this sense, the tools used can vary greatly, not only between different companies, but also within the same company, to manage different projects.

We have therefore tried to provide a list of software with more functionality within them, so that the project manager can vary according to requirements.

Before finishing, let us give you some suggestions in the form of best practices for monitoring and controlling your projects:

  • Carry out research and initial meetings to understand the project
  • Create a short project description based on what you have learnt
  • Develop a project plan
  • Prepare a resource plan
  • Do not create unrealistic expectations
  • Always maintain clear and constant communication with the team
  • Ask for feedback and make changes if necessary
  • Make sure every aspect is properly documented
  • Review the project plan after completion and try to learn from it for the future

Twproject is the tool that allows you to carry out every tracking task mentioned here with ease and precision. See how easy it is to get started:

If you choose Twproject, you don’t have to give up anything, which is why it is the top choice of hundreds of project managers worldwide.

Try Twproject for free for 15 days and do not forget to let us know if you found this ranking useful.

The best software for Gantt chart 2024

Do you want to quickly find out which are the best Gantt chart software in 2024? We have drawn up a special list for you.

The Gantt chart is the best tool to get an overview of project performance.

It allows you to have the start and end dates of the project and its phases, their duration, their correlation, the assignees, all in one view.

As we shall see, there are many reasons to implement it, but to draw up a Gantt chart that is really useful and effective, we need the right tools.

Otherwise, we risk wasting a lot of time creating a merely theoretical plan, which will soon be abandoned and remain only in the initial plans of the project leader.

In fact, the key words for evaluating a good Gantt chart are in our opinion: dynamicity and shareability.

CONTENT

Origins and qualities of the Gantt chart

The Gantt has undergone many evolutions over time. Initially, it was a simple, static, time chart for initial planning.

Until not so many years ago, the Gantt was a theoretical structure that was designed at the start of a project, then printed out and hung on a wall in the workplace.

It was a simple benchmark, but unfortunately after a few days or weeks, the chart already became obsolete.

With the emergence of calculation software and then later with web tools, the Gantt became an operational tool.

Its function today does not end at the planning stage, but continues during project execution.

And this is why it must necessarily be integrated and interoperable with other tools. Nowadays, the Gantt chart only makes sense if it is dynamic, sharable, updatable in real time.

Here are in detail the two aspects we took into account the most during our analysis in search of the best software for creating Gantt charts.

First quality of the best Gantt chart: dynamicity

By ‘dynamic’ we mean both the interactivity of the Gantt and its integration with other working tools.

In fact, a good Gantt chart must be able to evolve as various activities are completed. And of course, it is better if this evolution takes place in an automated way and in real time.

At the same time, the information that allows the Gantt to change and progress comes from other sources, such as worklog data, calendar and ToDos performed.

Conversely, the assignments distributed through the Gantt make up and update the 0perators’ workload; its duration affects budget estimates and many other aspects of project management.

This explains the relevance of the Gantt chart in a project management software: it is the starting point and the core to which everything leads back.

The tools we have included in our list of the best Gantt chart software possess this quality!

Second quality of the best Gantt chart: shareability

Together with the interactivity of the Gantt, the group of actors involved in the use of this chart has expanded.

We are talking about the actual project executors, but also about the stakeholders: each resource has its own specific reasons for keeping an eye on the Gantt.

Having a Gantt at hand when we are presenting a project and being able to act within it in real time during meetings is definitely a good practice.

This increases the involvement of the parties and helps achieve a holistic view.

In addition, the most advanced tools also have very customisable role permission systems that allow certain aspects of planning to be delegated.

For example, the project manager may need to entrust the planning of certain project sub-phases to other collaborators, and good software must in our opinion allow for this elasticity on permissions.

But let us finally come to our ranking of the best Gantt chart software, bearing in mind the aspects we have highlighted so far, and see who and how performs the work best.

Here is the list of the best Gantt chart software:

1. Twproject

Gantt Twproject - best gantt chart software

Let’s start with what is considered by many to be the best Gantt chart on the market: Twproject, a software that has made this chart its strong point.

Twproject was founded in 2001, but only from its fifth release did it integrate the Gantt among its tools.

Its team waited until they had the technological maturity to develop a tool that had real utility and was not equivalent to graphing on a spreadsheet.

Since then, however, Twproject has ensured that its Gantt chart became increasingly comprehensive and interoperable, always adding new optimisations and functionalities.

Twproject stands out by having a rather customisable and realistic Gantt that truly reflects the progress of projects.

The elasticity of Twproject’s Gantt is remarkable, but at the same time this tool is extremely precise and its interaction with the other elements of the software is total and accurate.

Last but not least, Twproject guarantees the possibility of keeping track of all previous changes made to the Gantt chart, thanks to the timeline: with this, you can scroll back in time and review the Gantt chart structure at any desired date.

Best features:

  • Overview or detailed view: possibility to have a lower or higher detail level and zoom in on individual phases of the WBS
  • Creation of phases and milestones: from list or drag and drop, as preferred
  • Assignment of phases: possibility to set assignees directly from the Gantt
  • Integration with workload: warning of overloads and reallocation with ‘magic wand’ tool
  • Critical path: possibility to check crucial nodes of project development
  • Timeline: user-activated project change history
  • Dependency types: in addition to the classic Finish to Start dependency, three more dependencies are available to better accommodate different work dynamics
  • Elasticity: possibility of having non-sequential dependencies
  • ToDo view: side-by-side and integrated ToDo management for each project phase
  • Role and permission management: possibility of assigning the planning of various phases to different users
  • Sharing: exportability in various formats

Pricing: from € 7.89 per user/month.

Pros: Twproject makes it possible to create a Gantt chart that is unrivalled in terms of user-friendliness, accuracy and variety of functions. Thanks to constant feedback from its users, this product is constantly evolving and improving.

Cons: Frankly, it is difficult to find a single negative aspect in Twproject’s Gantt.

With Twproject, you never have to enter information twice: everything is designed to optimise working time and offer a useful tool in daily operations

2. ClickUp

ClickUp - gantt chart software

The Gantt that can be created with ClickUp has a good overview of the entire project, which is also highlighted by the green bar that encloses all project phases, showing the total duration at a glance.

On each step, the name of the assignee is clearly visible, but other information, such as the percentage of work done, is missing.

There is a general lack of connection with the resource load.

As there is no difference between activities and project phases in Clickup, the Gantt chart is very quick to create and manage.

However, this can be a disadvantage when it comes to complex projects or projects with many micro-tasks to perform and keep track of.

Best features:

  • Hierarchical structure: Spaces > Folders > Lists
  • Lists of tasks have their own Gantt
  • Tasks that can be entered directly on the gantt by dragging and dropping
  • Secondary opening of the related tab with various detailed information
  • Duplication possibility
  • Wide range of customisation possibilities

Pricing: from $ 7 per user/month.

Pros: ClickUp has an attractive interface, and its Gantt is no exception. It makes the agile philosophy its strong point.

Cons: It lacks some advanced features and at first glance its Gantt editor can appear a little chaotic.

Agility and aesthetics combine in a tool that is quick to use but not always complete in its functions

3. GanttPRO

Gantt PRO - gantt chart software

With almost diametrically opposite characteristics we find Gantt PRO.

As its name suggests, it is a software totally dedicated to the Gantt chart.

Project planning starts precisely from the Gantt view, with a WBS side-by-side, in which projects and task lists are entered.

Alongside the Gantt, there are also secondary views, such as the Kanban board, operator loading and reporting.

Some secondary functions such as budgeting and time tracking are only available in advanced licences.

Best features:

  • Fixed hierarchy of projects and task lists
  • Various baselines can be created
  • Percentage turnaround that can be set directly on the task by dragging and dropping
  • Dependencies with Finish to Start or Start to Start type
  • Gap between dependencies settable in hours
  • Critical path

Pricing: from $ 9.99 per user/month.

Pros: It turns out to be a good technical product, with a simple, clean interface and few but clear functions.

Cons: It has a somewhat dated appearance and is little or no customisation. Some secondary functions such as budgeting and time tracking are only available in advanced licences.

If the objective is to create accurate Gantt charts, it may be a solution, although lacking in interoperability with other management tools

4. Smartsheet

Smartsheet - gantt chart software

It is a software that plans to replace Excel spreadsheets for business management, and thus closely replicates its functionalities.

Smartsheet is a tool consisting of many combined elements, with the addition of typical project management tools.

The data entered in your worksheet can then be interpreted through the various views, including the Gantt view.

It is therefore a tool that requires good expertise in the use of calculation formulas.

Best features:

  • Customising phase colours
  • Conditional formatting allowing the setting of customised rules for the display of phases
  • 4 zoom levels: quarter – month – week – day
  • Secondary views: list, calendar and board
  • Critical path
  • Percentage of work done shown on phase
  • Task duration: shown only when dependencies are activated

Pricing: from $ 6 per user/month, for up to 10 users.

Pros: The main feature of Smartsheet is the possibility of customisation, both graphically and in terms of the method used.

Cons: Lack of automation and the need to master the calculation formulae for its use.

Technical tool with refined functionality, but not exactly useful for saving time in planning

5. Toggl Plan

Toggl Plan

Toggl strongly focuses on the human resources aspects of the projects.

It is therefore very much geared towards managing tasks and assignments in a smooth manner, particularly through its Gantt editor, but not only.

The special feature of the tool is that it allows you to create resource-specific, as well as project-specific, Gantt charts.

It could therefore be useful for those who specifically deal with scheduling and balancing the working time of human resources in a company.

Best features:

  • Data sharing to external users also
  • Estimated vs. actual progress
  • Good integration with resource load, which is visible at the same time
  • 4 zoom levels
  • Drag and drop for duration and dependencies
  • Colour customisation of assignments

Pricing: from $ 9 per user/month.

Pros: In general, it is easy to use and has a modern, user-friendly interface.

Cons: Perhaps also because of its easiness, it has some limitations, especially when it comes to integration with other views of the software.

Agile and easy-to-learn software, more useful if the work is set up in a resource-oriented manner

6. Team Gantt

Team Gantt

Here again we are in front of a tool that starts projects directly from the Gantt.

Only at a later stage, one can add tasks and distribute assignments.

Almost all of its functionalities relate to the Gantt chart and many interactions can be done directly from this view.

A limitation is the fact that tasks and ToDos are not distinct from each other. In addition, all tasks related to a project are always visible on the Gantt, making the management of complex projects somewhat difficult.

Best features:

  • Ability to add notes and attachments to tasks
  • Possibility to enter the percentage of task completion
  • Workload view openable from Gantt
  • Total view of the number of tasks assigned per person in days or hours
  • Health report
  • Secondary views: list, calendar and board

Pricing: from $ 8 per user/month.

Pros: A detailed and very specific tool for creating Gantt charts, with some useful customisations.

Cons: Among the customisations, the differences between dependencies and their elasticity unfortunately do not appear. Furthermore, due to an excessive level of detail by default, the Gantt loses its primary function as a comprehensive overview tool.

Suitable for those who need to create many Gantt charts for small projects but somewhat lacking in cases of complexity

Bottom line

We have tried to help you choose the best Gantt chart software for your projects.

In conclusion, keep in mind that if you decide to try to Twproject:

  • its interaction with ToDo lists makes it possible to overcome the classic Waterfall vs. Agile opposition, and creates a new structured yet dynamic approach.
  • The possibility of having a timeline that allows you to go back to the planned structure at any time, right from the start of the project, makes Twproject’s Gantt chart the best planning tool. In fact, it allows us not to miss any important data and to be able to reschedule freely and without delay during project implementation.

If you wish, you can tell us if this analysis was useful to you and start creating a Gantt chart in the best possible way right away: with Twproject you can try it out for free for the first 15 days.

Adopting a new project management tool – Stories of failure and success

Whoever has the arduous task of introducing a new project management tool in a company must always come up against some resistance and try to overcome major obstacles.

In fact, it is commonly known that any procedure changes in the workplace can throw even the most open-minded individuals into turmoil.

But there are some tricks to follow on which your success or failure may depend.

In this article we are going to show you how you might deal with change processes when introducing a new project management software in your company.

CONTENT

Our support to companies in adopting new project management methodologies has already surpassed twenty years of activity, both online and by consulting on site.

So far, we gained enough experience for us to to identify specific patterns of success and failure and we want to share some with you.

During our work as consultants, sometimes adoption succeeded and sometimes failed.

But in general, we think that most of the time success or failure did not depend crucially on the tool itself, but actually depended on the attitude of people involved.

What we are going to show here can be valid for any kind of tool. Either if the tool is a simple shared spreadsheet or even a physical whiteboard on the wall, not necessarily a fully-developed software system.

Our list will begin presenting failure patterns and then we will show some success stories.

In the end, we will give you 10 tips to keep in mind when introducing a new project management methodology in your company.

Failure Patterns

Frustration when choosing a new project management tool

1. Users do not use the new project management tool

In our experience the first cause of failure in the adoption of a new project management tool is not the discovery that the solution chosen does not accomplish a specific task.

It is rather the mere fact that users do not use the tool.

After a while, mangers have to acknowledge that their team is not going to adopt the solution proposed and this is probably the worst scenario.

One way to prevent it is to wonder, right from the beginning, whether is it realistic that people in your team are going to welcome the change.

Some questions you may ask yourself are:

  • Am I asking too much?
  • Is this solution simple?
  • Is it quick?
  • Are there visible advantages for the users?

If you consider this from the start, there are better chances that you avoid this pattern.

2. We’ll start using it when everything is in place

Another frequent failure pattern we have noticed is represented by the statement: “We’ll start using it when everything is in place”.

This is what we call a priori failure. In fact, in this case the defeat begins before the adoption of the tool.

In fact, saying that a new methodology will start only when everything is in order, predictably means that you actually never start.

As it is commonly known, perfectionism can be counter-productive.

3. If you don’t get a complete data coverage, what you’ll gain is worthless

A belief that frequently causes failure is that either you get a complete data coverage, or what you will be gaining is worthless.

This means, in short, that partial data is useless.

This is in our experience a big mistake: partial data is way better than no data.

If you start with just a few information, you will always have the chance to increase them during time, heading towards a more and more complete work coverage.

Try it out and let us know if this is true.

4. Software replaces human management

An almost superstitious belief in adopting such tools is that software might replace management.

This is never true, but actually the opposite happens.

A good new project management tool can help you analysing, finding patterns, exploring ongoing situations, improving collaboration.

All of these factors will enforce management instead of replacing it.

5. Migration of past habits into the new project management tool

Yet another mistake originates by hoping to migrate all the current methods in use in the company to the new system.

This often means projecting the bad habits, which can be also determined by the limitations of the tools used in the past, and moving them to the new system.

This mistake makes you miss the great opportunity provided by the introduction of new tools, i.e. the chances of reforming paths, of thinking out what can be changed or removed of old habits.

Most often the company’s greatest advantage is the acceptance of a reformation process, instead of the adoption of the tool itself.

6. Theoretical over practical advantages

One last pattern we want to share with you is this: the tendency to put the advantages of a new project management tool before the relationship between people and new methodologies.

The human factor is in fact what you should actually take into greater consideration, because team cooperation is the key for success.

In this perspective, starting with a small motivated team is more important than all the functionalities of the tool which you will chose in the end.

Success patterns

team collaboration in selecting a new project management tool

1. Present the tool differently to different people

The first one is a technique we have seen used in winning situations, which is to present the tool differently to different groups of people.

Even if what you introduce is in some way a centralized formalization of working practices, the nuances in which you show it to different people can make all the difference.

The way you present a software to the IT department must necessarily be different to the way you present it to others, as for example the group of promoters.

By adapting your presentation, your expectations in usage from that group, and the advantages you see in some specific aspects, you will make it easier for different people to understand what will happen once the system is put to work.

Generally speaking, what you need is a collection of data and information, but you do not need to get it in the same way from everyone.

2. Take the opportunity to improve processes

Another thing that successful managers know is that introducing a new solution is an opportunity for opening discussions and not for giving impositions.

Giving the chance to anyone of discussing the way the tool will be introduced may be a way for gaining respect and establishing new communication channels.

Do not forget to grab this opportunity.

In fact, not being asked for opinion is one of the main causes for dissatisfaction in the workplace.

3. Better work quality is an advantage for everyone

A point you should try to make clear in every discussion is that quality at work ends up helping everyone.

This is not just a propaganda slogan but it is the evidence in our experience and probably in anyone’s experience.

Workplaces where the attention to production quality is higher are the places where the life quality of individuals working there is higher.

4. Start simple and proceed one step at a time

Le’s support this point with a short story that happened to us once.

We were proposing our solution to a bank and our contact was smart young manager.

He invited us to a large committee meeting whose agenda was the adoption of our tool.

Every department had its own requirements and especially the IT department asked for some integrations with the existent solutions.

Our client, the young manager, said yes to anyone but after the meeting he actually told us not to do any of these integration and set up the tool as it was.

He started with a small motivated team and used a simplified project management methodology.

After the first group started, another group joined and in the end all the bank adopted this new solution in its simplified version.

His approach has had a great success.

We did some integrations later, but nevertheless he managed to get started quickly and without too many complications.

Tips

And finally, here are our 10 short tips that you should always keep in mind when proposing a new project management technology to your company.

  • Start with a small motivated group
  • Start simple, avoid useless complications
  • Put real data in the new system, right from the beginning
  • Poor and scarce information is better than none
  • Complete system integration may never happen, still your company may benefit from the new solution adopted
  • Do not delay reform while waiting for… [put any strange requirement here]
  • Reject bizarre ideas coming from a single user. If this person is the CEO (as it happens most often), answer positively but then postpone actions. At further enquiries answer: “Yes, we are going to do it, but not just now.”
  • Do not be mislead by developers and by technical details. Remember what matters in the end is people’s attitude.
  • Listen to women. In committees, women’s observations and contributions tend to be more concrete, since they seem to have a more realistic picture of human behaviour at work.
  • Remember: it is more a question of people than a question of technology.

Conclusions

The solution that we have been proposing for the last 20 years is a highly complete software: Twproject.

It is a very versatile and flexible software tool which adapts to all ways of working.

Its introduction is therefore very simple and it will further help you to overcome all resistance issues and to pursue the path of success.

This innovative solution covers all project management needs, from the to-do lists for workers, to the overview pages for project managers, to specific reports for board management.

It allows you to start step by step, taking advantage of a portion of the features at the beginning, and refining them over time.

If you want, you can do a free trial, keeping our series of advice in mind, and then you can let us know what you think and if you are going to propose it to your team.

Avoid failure: try Twproject.

Start now

How to manage project tracking with Twproject’s Timeline

The Timeline is a very useful tool designed to constantly track the progress of your projects.

With the Project Timeline you can keep track of changes and events that have happened over time; it is in fact the historical memory of a project.

CONTENT

Thanks to its slider, you can “navigate” back and forth in time and see the initial situation; you can see what and when it has changed from the baseline (i.e., the initial planning), pointing out the highlights.

Twproject offers you an incredibly functional and complete version of it. Want to discover this timeline with us? Here’s everything it allows you to do.

Features of the Timeline on the Statistics page

On the Statistics page, in the tab following the Project Overview, you will find everything you need to make a comprehensive and accurate project monitoring and tracking plan.

And this is where we placed our Timeline, to have at first glance a dynamic temporal line: this allows us to immediately see the dates of relevant changes from the initial planning (baseline).

The baseline, as the word implies, is in fact the base of the project, established before the project is started. It is meant to capture the initial situation, to see if and how far we will deviate from it later.

It mainly includes: timelines (start and end date), expected costs, and resources involved. In Twproject it is always visible in the Statistics page.

But as we know, it is natural for these variables to change during the actual course of the projects and thus deviate from the baseline.

All quantitative project variations are automatically recorded on the Timeline, without the project leader having to manually annotate them.

Recording events on the Project Timeline

So, what is meant by quantitative project variations?

We are specifically talking about changes in delivery dates and in budget; we will see all these changes highlighted on our timeline with a specific icon based on the event.

events on the timeline

This is what our Project Timeline looks like.

The icons within it show the times when something in our project was changed, and specifically:

  • Date: calendar icon indicates that a project start or end date has been changed. Since the Timeline is also available for project sub-phases, any time changes in these phases will also be visible on their related statistics pages.
  • Budget: any budget changes are recorded and shown on the Timeline with the coin icon.
  • Update: the small balloon icon instead tells us when a reminder has been manually added about a salient event that occurred on a certain date. Reminders can be added directly from the main page of our projects, in the section dedicated to updates

Free scrolling of the Project Timeline

But of course it is also possible to drag our cursor on the Timeline, to view the progress of the project over time.

As we scroll we will see the percentages of work done changing, along with all the other data shown in the graphs on the Statistics page.

timeline scrolling

We will be able to move back to any time point in our project, to monitor progress at a certain date or simply see what and how it has changed from the baseline.

An extra monitoring tool: the Project Snapshot

But there is a tool that complements and collaborates with our Project Timeline: the function that lets you take a Snapshot of the current state.

This will allow us to check this state easier at a later date.

project snapshot

On the Overview page of the project or of one of its phases, you will find the small camera icon.

With this you can ‘take a picture’ of the situation at any time and then display it clearly on the Timeline.

After you have captured the moment, you can write a note to link to this Snapshot: e.g. a time reference, a turning point in the progress of the project, or any other relevant aspect.

You will also find your snapshot icon among those in the Timeline; you can simply click on it to see the status of the project at the saved date.

This step is very useful in the case of long-term projects.

In fact, it will prevent you from scrolling through your Timeline randomly in the future, instead allowing you to have the most interesting moments already highlighted.

Bottom line

We have seen how important it is to keep track of a project’s progress over time, and Twproject offers you a unique tool to perform this analysis.

This is useful both for accurate reporting, but also for making more reliable future forecasts on similar projects.

In the seventh edition of the PMBOK, the project work performance domain is discussed.

This domain defines the basic principles for project process management.

These include the need to constantly monitor changes that may affect the project.

With Twproject’s Timeline, this is done in an agile way. You can ensure that every change is followed by appropriate adjustments.

Furthermore, you can use this data for better planning on future projects.

To start keeping track of all events related to your projects right away, try Twproject free for 15 days. Our support team is at your disposal!

Discover a brand new feature

Try Twproject

New Twproject Release 7.0.007 – An increasingly comprehensive and interactive Kanban board

With this release we have made some important changes to our Kanban board and we are sure you will find them very useful!

Twproject offers excellent solutions for teams working in an agile mode, and its flagship is the Kanban board, which is characterised by flexibility and efficiency.

For example, it allows you to customise the column sorting: in addition to the classic method by priority, you can also sort by project, by assignee, by status and by type.

But let’s come to the new features introduced with this latest release, of which you can find a detailed report in our changelog as always.

Expanded view and compact view of cards

We know that everyone has their own style when creating ToDo’s: there are those who are concise and dry and those who do not spare details and precision.

So the full view of all the information contained in a ToDo may or may not be included in a tab on our Kaban board. In case it is not, we can choose to activate the ‘Expanded view’ mode, which shows a preview of the entire ToDo content.

expaned view of ToDo's in the Kanban board

Conversely, if we do not tick the option, we will see a preview of the description in the card, which will therefore be more compact.

This new choice of visualisation makes it possible to work in a customised and consequently more agile manner, which is the primary goal of Twproject.

Introduction of links and project id in the tab

Another small but valuable new feature we are introducing with this release is the presence of the project identification code (ID) and the direct link to its main page.

This introduction arose from the need reported to us by some customers who wanted to be able to use the Kanban board and at the same time access project data.

Making the Kanban boards interactive and with clickable areas was therefore the turning point to enable this process.

The project page opens on a new tab and thus allows a parallel view.

Direct entry of the worklog on the Kanban board

In the context of improvements to the interactivity of Kanban boards, here is yet another new possibility that we provide with this new release.

This is the possibility to enter the daily log directly from the Twproject Kanban board, which helps to optimise working time.

Clicking on the appropriate icon opens the classic worklog entry window, which can be entered more easily.

This improvement comes to the aid of those who find themselves performing two tasks at the same time – checking current activities and recording work times, for example – and thus want to optimise their timing.

Bottom line

CAs with every new release, we take the opportunity to publish several improvements and fix any errors, which we always list precisely.

In all of this, the feedback from our users is the key factor in continuing to grow and improve.

Twproject firmly believes that enabling everyone to work in the way that suits them best is a priority, which is why the flexibility with which we have equipped our Kanban board is unparalleled among competitors.

Finally, here is a video tutorial on how to use the Kanban board in Twproject. It’s really simple and intuitive!

To discover this and many other useful tools for monitoring your projects, you can try Twproject for free for 15 days. Start now and discover how useful it is!

New features await you

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The project milestones: planning objectives and results

Milestones or project milestones are management tools used to define a specific point in the project planning.

The points define, in fact, the beginning and the end of work and mark the end of an important phase of the work.

Milestones in project management can be used to symbolize all started and finished stuff.

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If a milestone focuses on the main points of project progress, it becomes useful as a planning tool.

Just as the tasks break down a larger project into manageable parts, the milestones split a project into milestones.

So, when starting a project, milestones can help immensely with programming.

Milestones are usually present in project management software, and of course also in Twproject.

They have their own specific icon in the Gantt chart function, and are diamond-shaped.

Project milestones: the planning

Project milestones are a way to estimate the time needed to complete the project more accurately.

Hence, they become essential for precise project planning.

With milestones, you can better calculate project planning by segmenting it into more manageable and easier-to-control time intervals.

They are also a flexible tool for planning.

With a little bit of flexibility, they can do much more than act as mere indicators of the project phases.

For example, milestones can be used as reminder of important meetings or to report other interesting events, such as workshops or training courses.

They can represent also the moment of invoicing customers.

In short, using this diamond icon is a great way to make sure everyone is aware of upcoming deadlines and upcoming important meetings.

Naturally, milestones can indicate the deadlines for anything related to the project.

Project milestones: Keep track of progress

Part of a project’s planning is the ability to monitor and keep track the progress of that program in real time.

Milestones are a way to see both at what point is a specific single activity, and the general state of progress of the project itself.

This is useful when dealing mainly with stakeholders.

In fact, these are generally not interested in a detailed report of the project progress.

What they want to know is if the project moves forward or not as initially planned.

Milestones are ideal for this type of report because they show the main phases completed.

Here at Twproject, for example, we use milestones to define the release dates of the software. This helps us being aware of how many features we can add from time to time in order not to stray the release plan. But this is just one of the many ways they can be used!

Plan your milestones!

In Twproject you can plan your project by highlighting the milestones. Thanks to the interactive Gantt you will always know if a delay has an impact on the milestones and you will be notified immediately.

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Project milestones: Simple task or milestone?

Discern between what to consider a simple desired dates and what to consider a milestone can be difficult.

More projects are complex, more difficult is to recognize the difference between simple dates and milestone.

To resolve the doubt it is essential to ask itself the following questions:

  • Is this a dates that can be rescheduled or not?
  • Will this affect the final deadline?
  • Is this an important moment in the project that will indicate future progress?
  • Is it an event that has an impact on the project?

Answering these questions will help you understand if we are talking about a normal date or a milestone.

Basically, the most important events of your project must be reported as milestones, so that they can be easily visualized and mapped by the project team.

Project milestones: Why use them?

Milestones can improve planning and execution in different ways:

1) Monitor deadlines

No plan is complete without a list of deadlines. The best way is to use the milestones to indicate them.

The milestones, as already mentioned, are usually marked as a diamond-shape icon in the project planning software.

Hence, this icon represents a delivery, a presentation of the deliverable or in any case a deadline that mustn’t be forgotten.

2) Make it easy to identify important dates

Are there important days that may have an impact on the project?

Perhaps a training course for the project team or a workshop?

Or a meeting with the stakeholders?

It is important to keep in mind all these events in project planning.

These are events of such importance that they can have an impact on the whole project and it must be easy to identify them.

3) Identify potential blocks of the project

Many projects rely on work produced by external teams or partners in order to progress.

If these external factors are not monitored, the probability to forget or not following them increases.

So, if you are working on a project that depends – even – on someone or something of external with which you do not have frequent contact, it is important to list these results as milestones.

As we have seen, milestones are a very useful project management tool.

It is also an easy-to-use tool for project planning and reporting.

In Twproject a milestone always coincides with the beginning or end of a task, this because normally a milestone is linked to a delivery or a kick-off phase.

In order to support the team in achieving the goal, Twproject also sets up a milestone notification system.

The notifications make even easier the work of the team that will automatically receive the alerts of the activities expiring or delayed and they will complete the tasks.

By default the alarm (milestone of the neighboring task) is 3 days before the milestone, but it is also possible to change it from the configuration pages.

Reaching and overcoming a project milestone is also good for the morale of the team and of the project manager himself.

This is why every tool (like the alert) that facilitates the task is always very well received.

In Twproject, milestones can be linked to project phases via different types of dependencies to best reflect the actual project implementation.

See how much Twproject’s Gantt chart can help you in the planning and performance of your projects:

Watch an overview about the Gantt diagram and its miestone in Twproject

Now it’s your turn to try to map your project with milestones in Twproject and see if they help you better understand deadlines and deliveries

What are your waiting for? Try Twproject for free for 15 days!

Set the milestones of your project.

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New Twproject Release 7.1.011 – ToDo list and Gantt are now together: a new view to simplify meetings

During project meetings, would you like to always have the ToDo lists at hand when consulting the Gantt? It is now possible, thanks to the new functionality developed by Twproject.

It is thanks to our continuous listening to our customers’ needs, and the efforts we make to turn these needs into growth opportunities, that Twproject’s Gantt now offers a unique and comprehensive overview.

The role of the Gantt in project meetings

This significant new functionality stems from a need that arose during project meetings; several project managers reported having difficulty switching between the two most frequently used views in these situations: the Gantt chart and the ToDo lists.

In other words, there was a need to have a synthesis between the general view on the structure and timing of the project (the Gantt) and its punctual development marked by the execution of single activities (the ToDos). The two aspects are in fact extremely interconnected, as a phase cannot be considered closed if all the activities associated with it have not been carried out.

Of course, the Gantt is definitely the main tool that we chaeck during project meetings, or at least it should be. Having an overview of the timelines and dependencies between phases is crucial for informing the entire team about the progress of phases.

Good use of the Gantt allows for crystal-clear communication with the entire team; in fact, this fundamental tool works when it concentrates much of the information in itself and becomes the ‘command centre’ for the entire project.

The new feature in Twproject: Gantt and ToDo list together

Twproject’s Gantt is one of the most dynamic that has ever been developed: it allows you to act in real time on all its components, by moving dates, creating various types of dependencies and managing milestones. In addition, it allows you to operate in ‘test’ mode and only save changes at a later stage, to explore various possible scenarios.

Furthermore, the data contained within it updates automatically as operators complete tasks, enter worklogs and so on. And finally, the Gantt also links and interacts with other important functions of the application such as assignment and workload management.

Now it takes a step further: it connects the Gantt view to ToDo management, thanks to a simple interface that allows you to see a summary of activities for each phase, and also their detailed list, allowing you to act on them in real time.

Let us now see all these innovations in detail.

The ToDo summary for each phase while consulting the Gantt

Show ToDo data

By clicking on this icon in the horizontal function bar of the Gantt, and selecting ‘ToDo data’, it will be possible to display a summary of the ToDo status for each individual project phase in a new column of our Gantt.

The overview will show a column with a summary of the ToDos (open – closed – total) for each individual phase. And all this will be visible without having to open additional pages.

ToDo summary in Gantt

This new way of reading the Gantt and ToDo summary together is useful to see at a glance where delays are accumulating and/or where there is the greatest active workload.

The extended list of ToDos in a side tab to the Gantt

Show ToDo lists

Then, if you want to have a detailed overview, you can click on the ToDo list button, which will show the extended list of ToDos for each phase in another window which can be placed side by side with the current one.

By clicking on the various phases within the Gantt, the list will update showing the ToDo’s for each selected phase.

ToDo list and Gantt side by side

By default, the list shows open ToDos for active phases and closed ToDos for completed phases. But this display can of course be changed using filters. For example, if you also want to see closed tasks for a phase that is still in progress, just set the filter ‘Status’ to all so that you see the complete list of open, closed, or else, ToDos.

From this window you can also act on the ToDo list as usual, adding items to the list, changing assignments, dates, priority, etc.

In short, it will be possible to act instantaneously without losing focus on the overall point of view and at the same time share these operations with everyone involved.

Final remarks

As anyone who frequently conducts project status meetings knows, one of the main causes of wasted time in these situations is the inability to keep the focus on the topic. Vagueness, in short, is always just around the corner when there is so much data and information to analyse.

This is solved by using more comprehensive and accurate tools that allow us not to lose the thread and keep the focus on the details we want to examine.

With Twproject, it is easier to have all the available data at hand and thus to keep a clear and transparent line, sticking to the real situation.

We have seen that a contextual action on the Gantt and ToDo lists is very useful during meetings (and not only) and allows an insightful and detailed view at the same time, involving the whole team in the path to results.

To get to know this and many other very useful features for the development and management of your projects, you can try Twproject for free for 15 days. Start now and promote transparency and sharing within your team!

The new feature is waiting for you

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