Twproject is a full featured web based project management software that gives you full visibility and control over your projects.Twproject is also a time tracking software, a bug tracking software, a project planning software.
For those of you used to managing projects with Excel, lovers of fancy colored cells and concatenated formulas, enjoy an exciting journey through the Excel barren land.
A place where control, planning, and structure get lost between a VLOOKUP and a circular reference error.
Get ready to dive into the fantastic world of organized chaos, where uncertainty is the only certainty.
Managing projects with Excel: a combo you should avoid
Who has never opened Excel to lay out a plan, a budget, or just to jot down our thoughts?
It’s always there, ready, with its empty cells waiting to be filled in. And yet, despite its apparent straightforwardness, managing projects with Excel can quickly become a recurring nightmare. A nightmare where files multiply like rabbits and formulas become as intricate as the plot of a Christopher Nolan movie.
Excel is a fantastic tool for many purposes. However, when it comes to project management, it turns out to be a bit like trying to cut a fillet with a spoon: although technically possible, it is incredibly frustrating and inefficient.
Tasks get lost between sheets, due dates become a puzzle worthy of Sherlock Holmes, and collaboration among team members turns into a table tennis match of emailed files. And what happens when a file gets overwritten or lost? Hopefully, you’ll enjoy doing it all over again.
No worries, though. There is an alternative to this chaos: Twproject. This project management software is like a beacon shining in the night, an oasis in the desert, a… well, you got the gist.
Twproject offers a one-stop solution for project management, featuring planning tools, tracking, resource management, and much more. Say goodbye to loose Excel sheets, and welcome to a single platform where everything is organized and accessible.
Twproject vs Excel: the final battle
Imagine that you have to manage a complex project with Excel. You have several tasks, each with its deadlines and assignments. You need to track progress,monitor costs and communicate with your team. Are you already having headaches?
Now imagine doing the same with Twproject. All your information is in one place, easily accessible with one click. Tasks can be easily viewed and edited, deadlines are clear, and communication with your team is streamlined and integrated. What about that headache? Gone.
From spreadsheet to project management software: a much-needed transition
In this day and age, project management is no longer a matter of files and folders, but rather of integrated tools and processes.
With Twproject, you can say goodbye to long hours spent trying to figure out which version of an Excel file is the most up-to-date or sending interminable emails asking for task updates.
Twproject turns chaotic work into a structured and manageable process, allowing you and your team to focus on what truly matters: completing your project successfully. And nothing is more rewarding than seeing all the project parts fit together like puzzle pieces.
Letting go of Excel: a step toward efficiency
We do understand that letting go of Excel can be hard. It is like saying goodbye to an old friend. Yet sometimes, we must make hard choices to grow and improve. Choosing Twproject for project management is one of those choices.
It is not just a matter of changing tools but a shift in mindset. It is about taking a broader, more integrated view of project management that puts collaboration, transparency, and efficiency at the forefront.
Oh, and don’t worry. Excel won’t be mad about it.
Managing projects with Excel: every task has its tool
Managing projects with Excel is like trying to travel through time in a DeLorean without a flux capacitor: it may sound intriguing, but it is bound to end in disaster.
Twproject, on the other hand, is your personal TARDIS: a time and space machine that allows you to manage projects accurately and under control, no matter how complex they are.
Please don’t take our word for it. Experience the difference firsthand. Say goodbye to complex formulas and endless sheets. Stop trying to fit a spreadsheet into a task it was not designed for.
Ultimately, project management should not be an art of creating chaos. It should be about creating order, efficiency, and success. And with Twproject, this art is within your reach.
For those who are still hesitant, here is a piece of thought we want to share with you: they say that a well-managed project is like a symphony, with all its parts working together in harmony. So why settle for a harmonica when you can have a whole orchestra?
The choice is up to you: to keep navigating in the troubled waters of Excel or set sail to the island of efficiency that is Twproject. We know which we would prefer.
And remember: in the project management world, the key is organization. And there’s nothing more organized than software explicitly designed for that purpose. So, the next time you think about launching Excel, take a step back and try Twproject. You won’t regret it.
Not only will it make your life easier, but it will also take your projects to a whole new level.
Because every project manager deserves more than Excel.
Measure costs and benefits of a project with Twproject.
Is it possible to reduce environmental impact in project management?
Sustainable project management is becoming more important in this age of growing environmental awareness and the need to cut our carbon footprint.
This article will examine projects’ environmental impact and how project managers can reduce their carbon footprint using effective techniques and tools, includingproject management software Twproject.
Carbon footprint refers to a measure of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced directly or indirectly by a particular operation, product, or organization.
Within project management, carbon footprint can be generated in many ways, including resource use, energy consumption, transportation, and waste disposal.
Reducing carbon footprint through planning and design
Planning and design are one of the main challenges in reducing the environmental impact of projects.
Project managers can implement different strategies to reduce their carbon footprint to a minimum, including:
Using sustainable project management methodologies, such as life cycle assessment (LCA) and cost analysis;
Integrating sustainability into project specifications, such as using low-impact materials and energy-efficient construction techniques;
Involving stakeholders in setting sustainability goals and monitoring progress
Adopting a holistic approach to design, taking into account the environmental impact throughout the project life cycle.
Communication and training as sustainability tools
To ensure that all team members awareness of projects’ environmental impact and the actions needed to reduce their carbon footprint, it is key to promote effective communication and provide adequate training.
Project managers can:
Hold workshops and training sessions on sustainable project management best practices
Provide regular information on sustainability efforts and progress achieved
Involve stakeholders in sharing ideas and solutions to improve project sustainability
Use digital communication tools to reduce the need for travel and in-person meetings
How Twproject can help reduce projects’ carbon footprint
Twproject is a full-fledged project management software that allows project managers plan, monitor, and supervise their tasks efficiently and effectively.
Thanks to its advanced features and flexibility, Twproject can support project managers’ efforts in reducing their projects’ carbon footprint.
Resource planning and control: Twproject helps optimize the use of resources, reducing waste and related CO2 emissions. For example, you can plan and monitor low-impact materials and sustainable construction techniques.
Activity and process management: Twproject helps to pinpoint and monitor key activities for achieving sustainability goals, enabling project managers to intervene promptly in case of deviations or problems.
Communication and collaboration: thanks to its built-in communication features, Twproject makes it easier for team members and stakeholders to collaborate, reducing the need for travel and in-person meetings. In addition, the platform makes it easy to share documents, reports, and information related to project sustainability.
Monitoring and reporting: Twproject offers advanced monitoring and reporting tools that help project managers gauge and communicate their projects’ environmental impact and identify improvement areas.
Real-world examples of carbon footprint reduction in project management
Construction project: a construction company can use Twproject to plan and monitor low-impact materials and sustainable construction techniques, such as employing low-carbon concrete or installing efficient thermal insulation systems. Moreover, this software can help coordinate transportation and logistics, reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions.
Software development project: a software development company can use Twproject to schedule and monitor remote work activities, reducing the need for employee travel and associated carbon emissions. Also, this platform can provide easier communication and collaboration among team members, reducing the need for in-person meetings and business travel.
Event project: an event management organization can use Twproject to plan and coordinate implementing low-carbon events, such as virtual conferences or sustainable trade shows. This software can help monitor eco-friendly resources and services, such as organic catering and waste recycling, and communicate carbon footprint reduction results to stakeholders.
Conclusion
Reducing projects’ carbon footprint is a key goal for project managers who seek to help counter climate change and promote environmental sustainability.
Through careful planning and design, effective communication and training, and the use of advanced tools and methodologies such as Twproject, it is possible to significantly reduce the environmental impact of projects and ensure a more sustainable future for everyone.
What is inclusivity, and why is it important in project management
Inclusivity means creating a work environment where all people, regardless of their differences, are treated fairly and with equal opportunities for growth and development.
In project management, inclusivity is crucial to enhancing the skills and experiences of each team member, thus improving collaboration and productivity.
An inclusive environment supports innovation, as different ideas and perspectives lead to original and creative solutions to problems. Furthermore, inclusivity reduces employee turnover, boosting team satisfaction and engagement.
The key values of inclusion in project management
To ensure an inclusive work environment, it is crucial to cultivate the following key values:
Respect: treating all team members politely and respectfully, acknowledging their expertise and contribution to the project.
Empathy: putting oneself in other’s shoes, understanding their needs and expectations, and acting accordingly.
Open communication: encouraging sharing of ideas and opinions by listening carefully and providing constructive feedback.
Equality: ensuring equal opportunities for growth and development for all team members, avoiding discrimination and favoritism.
Flexibility: adapting to team members’ different needs and circumstances, offering customized solutions that align with the project.
How to promote inclusivity in your team
Here are some real-life examples of how project managers can foster inclusivity in their teams:
a. Schedule regular meetings to discuss issues and challenges team members face and offer support and resources to solve them.
b. Provide training and mentoring to all team members, regardless of their role or hierarchical level.
c. Promote diversity within your team by selecting members with diverse skills, experiences, and backgrounds.
d. Implement flexible work policies, such as flexible hours or remote working, to adapt to the needs of each team member.
e. Establish a code of conduct that promotes respect and fairness and discourages discriminatory or exclusionary attitudes.
f. Actively involve all team members in project planning and decision-making, valuing their ideas and skills.
g. Periodically monitor and evaluate the work environment to find any problems related to inclusivity and act promptly to resolve them.
Inclusive leadership in project management
To promote inclusivity in project management, project managers need to embrace an inclusive leadership style.
Inclusive leadership focuses on engaging and valuing all team members by promoting diversity of ideas and perspectives.
Here are some basic principles of inclusive leadership:
Authenticity: inclusive leaders are genuine and sincere and show openness and honesty in their interactions with their team members. This builds a trusting and transparent environment where people feel comfortable sharing their ideas and opinions.
Active listening: inclusive leaders are great listeners who pay attention to the needs and concerns of team members. Active listening allows them to understand different perspectives better and spot any problems or challenges the team faces.
Support: an inclusive leader provides support and back-up to their team members, offering resources and opportunities for personal and professional development. This helps foster an environment where everyone feels valued and appreciated for contributing to the project.
Participatory decision-making: inclusive leadership involves participatory decision-making, in which all team members can contribute to the decisions relevant to the project. This allows for more informed decision-making and greater team consensus and engagement.
Inclusivity and remote working
Remote working is a rising trend that offers many benefits for both employees and companies.
However, remote working can bring challenges regarding inclusivity, as team members may feel isolated or cut off from group dynamics.
Here are some suggestions for promoting inclusivity within the context of remote working:
Schedule regular virtual meetings: to keep the team’s sense of belonging and unity, it is important to schedule regular virtual meetings where project goals, progress, and challenges are discussed. These meetings can be formal or informal and can include team-building activities to strengthen the bonds among group members.
Use effective communication tools: to ensure seamless and inclusive communication, it is important to use sound communication tools, such as chat, video conferencing, and document-sharing platforms. Twproject offers a wide range of features that make it easier for team members to communicate and collaborate, regardless of their location.
Create an inclusive work environment: to promote inclusivity in remote working, it is important to create an inclusive environment where all team members feel at ease sharing ideas and opinions. It can be achieved by promoting diversity and equity, fostering open communication and mutual respect, and providing personal and professional development support and resources.
Pay attention to people’s individual needs: it is imperative to pay attention to your team members’ unique individual needs by offering flexible and customized solutions. For example, project managers can allow flexible schedules to accommodate different time zones or the family needs of team members.
Inclusivity in conflict management
Inevitably, conflict and tension can arise in a project team.Managing conflicts inclusively is key to maintaining a cohesive and productive work environment.
Here are some tips for inclusive conflict management:
Dealing with conflicts constructively: project managers should constructively approach conflicts, encouraging open communication and dialogue among involved parties.
It is important to avoid picking sides or showing bias but try to understand different perspectives and find solutions that respect everyone’s needs.
Promoting empathy and understanding: in managing conflicts, it is important to foster empathy and understanding among team members, inspiring them to put themselves in each other’s shoes and reflect on the possible causes of tensions.
Providing support and training: project managers can offer support and training to team members to improve their conflict management and interpersonal communication skills.
For example, workshops or coaching sessions can be organized to help team members develop skills in active listening, assertiveness, and problem-solving.
Building an inclusive corporate culture
Inclusivity in project management is more than managing individual projects and is about building an inclusive corporate culture. To promote inclusivity at the organizational level, companies can embrace the following strategies:
a. Define a clear vision and goals concerning inclusivity: companies should define a clear philosophy and goals to guide decisions and actions at all levels of the organization.
b. Involve business leaders: to create an inclusive corporate culture, it is critical to involve business leaders in promoting inclusivity and creating a fair and respectful work environment.
c.Implement inclusive policies and practices: companies can implement inclusive policies and practices, for example, promoting diversity in hiring, providing cultural awareness training, and providing mentoring and professional development programs for all employees.
d. Monitor and gauge progress: monitoring and evaluating progress on inclusiveness regularly is important, using key performance indicators and employee feedback. This allows any areas for improvement to be identified and corrective action taken as necessary.
e.Communicate successes and challenges: to maintain a commitment to inclusivity, companies must regularly communicate successes and challenges related to inclusivity, sharing best practices and lessons learned with the entire organization.
How Twproject supports inclusivity in project management
Twprojectoffers multiple tools and features to support an inclusive work environment.
Here are some of the features that can help project managers promote inclusivity among their teams:
Communication and collaboration: Twproject makes communication and collaboration within teams easier through an integrated platform that features chat, discussion forums, and document sharing. This allows team members to easily share ideas and information, regardless of location or time zone.
Resource management: this software empowers project managers with a comprehensive overview of team members’ skills and availability, helping them to allocate resources fairly and efficiently. It also supports resource planning based on individual needs, such as leave or flexible schedules.
Training and development:Twproject integrates training and professional development features, enabling project managers to identify team training needs and provide growth opportunities for all members.
Monitoring and analysis: his software provides tools to monitor and review team performance, finding potential concerns or areas for improvement regarding inclusivity. This enables project managers to act promptly to ensure a fair and inclusive work environment.
Bottom Line
Inclusivity in project management is key to the success of projects and the well-being of work teams.
Project managers can create a supportive, innovative, and productive work environment by fostering inclusivity and adopting an inclusive leadership style.
Twproject software provides tools and features that support an inclusive approach to project management, making communication, resource management, training and development, and performance monitoring more accessible.
Moreover, it is essential to address the specific challenges of inclusiveness in remote working, adopting strategies to maintain a sense of team ownership and cohesiveness and to answer the individual needs of team members.
Inclusive conflict management and creating an inclusive corporate culture are other crucial factors in promoting inclusiveness at all levels of the organization.
In an increasingly interconnected and globalized world, inclusiveness in project management is a competitive advantage and a source of innovation and growth for companies.
By adopting an inclusive approach, project managers and organizations can take full advantage of the skills and experiences of all team members, ensuring the success of projects and the well-being of employees.
By reading this article, you will discover how advantageous revenue management with Twproject is, and some tricks to put it into practice in the best possible way.
The detailed and constant analysis of a company’s financial flows is the main tool for not making losses, and in general for not running into unpleasant events that could easily degenerate over time.
But why is it so important to schedule periodic checks of these flows?
Because in order to manage a company properly, it is often necessary to play in advance, predict the moves and have clear forecasts of future trends.
To do this, it is useful to know in detail the economic potential of the ongoing projects, so as to make the right investments and not grope in the dark.
To this end, it is essential to have a tool that aggregates costs and revenues, and this is where the management of these factors with Twproject comes into play.
Now it is time to focus on revenue posting. Doing it with Twproject is really fast and easy.
Estimated and actual values
What distinguishes the cash flow analysis in Twproject is the possibility of always differentiating between estimated and real flows.
This applies to both costs and revenues.
In fact, as in the cost sheet, also for revenue management with Twproject you can add all the expected revenue streams, thus obtaining a probable trend of this crucial aspect.
The method
First, enter all the revenues you think you will get, with an expected date.
Later you will enter the actual revenues and if you want you can also attach the billing document.
Twproject also offers you the possibility of quickly converting a forecast into an actual revenue with a simple click if the value and date have been respected. This will save you a lot of time!
Furthermore, revenues can be registered at each node of the project tree and the total will be reported in the main node under the “total on children” item.
The progress diagram (cash flow)
As you enter your data, you will see the financial (or cash) flow of your project compose with a linear diagram that aggregates income and expenses.
In addition, here you will also find the graph relating specifically to the revenue trend and which shows the gap between real and estimated values.
RRemember to always include dates so your diagrams are as accurate as possible!
And remember that the cash flow is visible in each node of the project’s tree so you will not only have a general trend of the project but also a specific detail phase by phase, depending on how you want to track the data.
As you can see, also in this case Twproject offers you the solution to leave all spreadsheets behind and to manage all aspects related to financial performance in a single platform.
An advantage in many respects
Thanks to project graphs X-BRAIN now keeps track of actual costs and revenues against what was budgeted.
1. The importance of forecasting in the revenue management with Twproject
Currently, if you use any electronic invoicing software it is normal to have invoices already managed and saved online, but there are no tools that allow you to differentiate between expected and actual revenues and above all that give you this information relating to a specific project.
This will allow you to truly identify those projects that do not meet the billing plan or whose income does not exceed the expenses.
This is crucial for analyzing deviations from the project baseline and refining techniques to make more accurate forecasts.
2. Data transferability
Consequently, it is clear that this is also an excellent tool for refining business strategies and using the real data of a project even on similar projects to be programmed for the future.
Having the situation of your revenues in real time will not only help you stay within budget during construction but will also be useful when you want to estimate the budget for new projects.
3. Sharing of responsibility
You will be able to choose who and to what level of depth will be able to access data on financial flows, making the monitoring of this aspect a team effort.
By sharing the data with your team, you will be able to give responsibilities to those directly involved, whether they are project leaders or in charge of single phases, or also decide to leave this aspect to well-defined figures.
Twproject security is extremely refined and you can define who will have the opportunity to interact with project costs and revenues.
Do not waste any more precious time and take a free trial to experience how convenient it is to monitor your revenue with Twproject.
If you like, share your experience with us and let us know what you think.
Project management in fashion is crucial to fashion companies’ success, helping them to meet challenges effectively and achieve their goals.
In this article, we will discuss how vital project management is in the fashion industry and how using Twproject can improve the efficiency and productivity of companies by analyzing the success case of Oberalp Group.
The fashion industry is an ever-evolving industry characterized by rapid change and fierce competition. Unlike other industries, fashion typically involves shorter production cycles and continuous awareness of trends and public taste.
Project management in fashion: why is it important?
Project management in fashion involves processes and activities geared toward planning, organizing, monitoring, and controlling projects in the industry. Some of the most common tasks of a project manager in the fashion industry include:
Collection planning and goal setting;
Coordination among different departments, such as design, production, marketing, and sales;
Budget and resource management;
Progress monitoring and risk detection;
Evaluation and quality control of final products.
To succeed in the fashion industry, it is paramount that companies can effectively manage resources and time, as well as react quickly to rising trends and consumer needs.
Project management challenges in fashion and TWPROJECT’s benefits.
The fashion industry comes with some unique challenges for project managers, including:
Shorter production cycles: unlike other industries, fashion involves much shorter production cycles, and collections often change. This requires project managers to plan and adapt quickly to new trends and changes in the market.
Everchanging market dynamics: fashion is a highly competitive and constantly evolving industry. Project managers need to be capable of anticipating and responding to changes in the market, as well as managing customer expectations and needs.
Limited resources: often, fashion companies operate with limited resources, both in terms of staff and budget. Project managers must maximize the efficiency of available resources and find creative solutions to solve problems.
Twproject is project management software that helps companies improve efficiency and productivity through project planning, collaboration, and tracking. This software can be a powerful ally for fashion companies seeking to address the industry’s unique challenges. Below are some of the benefits of using TWPROJECT in the fashion industry:
Efficient collection planning:Twproject offers advanced planning tools that help project managers define goals, timelines, and resources needed for each collection. This helps ensure that all stakeholders are aligned and that projects are completed on time.
Collaboration among departments: Communication and collaboration between different departments are critical to the success of fashion companies. Twproject allows designers, manufacturers, marketers, and vendors to share information and collaborate, ensuring everyone works together efficiently.
Progress monitoring and risk detection: con Twproject, project managers can easily monitor the progress of each project and detect potential risks or problems that might hinder success. This allows them to address challenges and adapt quickly to new situations proactively.
Budget and resource management: Thanks to Twproject’s resource management tools, project managers cankeep track of expenses and budgets, ensuring that projects remain within set limits. In addition, the ability to allocate resources efficiently helps maximize productivity and reduce waste.
Quality control and assessment: using Twproject, project managers can set quality control criteria and assess the conformity of end products to established standards. This ensures that fashion companies manufacture high-quality clothing that meets customer expectations.
Oberalp Group’s success with TWPROJECT
To exemplify the benefits of using Twproject in the fashion industry, let’s look at the success case of the Oberalp Group, a leading sportswear and apparel company.
The Oberalp Group, which provides mountain and outdoor clothing, has used seven different project management tools.
The company wanted an integrated project management platform to have a single dashboard to monitor development across each brand, category, and product while empowering teams to work autonomously.
Twproject’s implementation allowed Oberalp to reduce the number of project management tools from seven to one, thereby increasing transparency across cross-divisional projects and improving cost control.
Moreover, regardless of the methodology used in each functional area, the company could meet its seasonal deadlines. Twproject facilitated time recording and data collection for research projects, reducing the related overhead and speeding up information delivery to project-sponsoring organizations.
In short, Twproject implementation has enabled the Oberalp Group to streamline project management, increase team transparency, and reduce IT costs. It has boosted employee collaboration, positively impacting the company and helping the team achieve better goals.
Conclusions
Meeting fashion industry challenges requires adequate tools for efficient planning, effective collaboration between departments, and real progress and risk monitoring.
By offering advanced planning, collaboration, and monitoring functionalities, Twproject helps project managers successfully manage projects in the fashion industry and address challenges throughout the process.
The Oberalp Group’s success case shows how implementing Twproject can lead to significant improvements in fashion project management and internal communication, as well as improved results when it comes to product quality and customer satisfaction.
Measure costs and benefits of a project with Twproject.
A timesheet is a key project management tool for tracking and managing the time required to complete a project. This helps monitor project progress, assess team productivity, and understand the cost of the project.
This article will discuss how using timesheets can help optimize project management and increase team productivity.
A timesheet is a document to log work hours performed by an employee or team. Using timesheets is important for project management because it allows for tracking time spent completing scheduled tasks.
A timesheet is also critical to the project billing process. It allows for accurate recording of the time spent on the project, which streamlines client billing.
It also allows you to identify any delays in project progress, providing the team with an opportunity to take action to correct potential problems.
How to use timesheets to improve project management: 7 tips
To successfully use timesheets, defining project activities and setting goals for each task is critical. This will allow you to keep track of the time spent completing each activity and gauge project progress.
A timesheet is a tool included in Twproject. This tool allows you to track the time spent on each task, making it easy to keep an accurate record of your project’s progress.
In Twproject, projects can be created and broken down into activities. For each activity, you can define goals and record the time taken to accomplish them. This way, you can monitor your project’s progress in real-time.
Moreover, Twproject allows you to generate reports on the time spent on each project task. This helps to gauge team productivity and spot any delays in a project progress.
It is important to adopt some effective practices to optimize project management using timesheets. Here are some tips for boosting team productivity and improving project time management.
1. Define project activities comprehensively
To effectively use timesheets, defining your project activities in detail is crucial. This involves breaking the project into phases and activities and clearly defining your objectives and expected results for each task.
This way, the team can have a clear picture of the work and accurately record the time spent on each activity.
2. Assign activities to your team
Having defined the project activities, it is important to assign them to your team clearly and precisely.
This involves defining each team member’s responsibilities and assigning activities according to each person’s skills and availability. This way, your team can work effectively and coordinate, and record the time spent on each activity accurately.
3. Track time spent on each activity
After activities have been assigned to your team, each team member needs to log how much time was spent on each activity. This can be done using project management software such as Twproject, which allows the time spent on each activity to be logged accurately.
This provides the team with a precise view of the time spent on each activity and allows them to accurately assess the project’s progress.
4. Monitor project progress
By using timesheets, you can track the progress of your project accurately. This means that you can check whether your project is progressing on schedule and whether any delays or problems need to be addressed.
Also, you can see if any of the activities are taking too long and take action to improve the work process.
5. Analyze timesheet data
Having recorded the time spent on each activity, it is important to analyze your timesheet data to spot any inefficiencies in your work process and improve your project time management.
For example, you can identify activities that take too much time, try to shorten their running time, find potential problems in work planning, and take action to improve your work process.
Also, you can use timesheet data to gauge team productivity and identify any areas for improvement. For example, find team members who take too long to complete tasks and try to improve their performance or identify tasks that require specific skills and try to train the team.
6. Use timesheets to calculate project costs
Besides recording the time spent on each activity, timesheets can also be used to calculate project costs. This means that you can check whether your project is moving ahead according to budget and find any extra costs that need to be addressed.
Also, you can use timesheet data to estimate the costs of future activities and plan project budgets accurately.
7. Communicate with your team on the use of timesheets
To use timesheets effectively, it is important to communicate with your team how important it is to record the time spent on each task. This means explaining to your team the benefits of using timesheets, such as monitoring project progress and spotting potential inefficiencies in the work process.
Also, it is critical to provide your team with instructions on using timesheets and support team members should they face any difficulties.
It allows monitoring the project progress, evaluating team productivity, and identifying any issues that may slow down the project.
Finally, the timesheet helps to maintain control over project timelines and prevent any potential issues before they occur. For this reason, its use is important in project planning from the outset.
Additionally, its use can also improve team productivity. In fact, recording the time spent on each activity allows identifying any activities that take too much time and pinpoint any inefficiencies in work organization.
This way, it is possible to intervene to improve the work process and increase team productivity.
In today’s dynamic commercial enterprise surroundings, powerful asset control and maintainingis critical to achieve certain operational performance and maximize the life of crucial property.
Project control is key in formulating successful asset renovation strategies, ensuring green use of sources, and efficient protection activities.
This article examines first-rate practices in project control specially designed for asset control, supplying techniques that can be used to decorate organizational performance and asset reliability.
Asset control is the cornerstone of any enterprise’s business method, encompassing quite several activities aimed at the efficient and lengthy-term renovation of gadgets, machinery, and materials.
Project management strategies provide systematic planning, execution, and management of asset control offerings.
Let’s discover pleasant practices that can decorate asset safety through venture management techniques.
Best practices for peak asset performance:
1. Comprehensive Asset Inventory
The first step to effective asset management is having a complete and up-to-date record of everything you own.
Project managers should collaborate with management teams for creating and maintaining a detailed asset registry.
This registry should include vital information like asset type, location, current condition, maintenance history, and any relevant documentation.
This comprehensive list is the cornerstone for all asset management activities and resource allocation decisions.
2. Risk Assessment
Not all assets require the same level of attention all the time. Conducting regular risk assessments helps identify assets most susceptible to failure or those posing significant operational risks if neglected.
Project managers, working with subject-matter experts, can then prioritize assets based on criticality.
This allows for developing customized maintenance schedules that proactively address high-risk areas while optimizing resource allocation.
3. Utilizing Predictive Maintenance Techniques
Traditional reactive maintenance practices, where you fix things only when they break down, can lead to costly downtime and unplanned repairs.
By leveraging predictive maintenance techniques, such as condition monitoring and data analytics, project managers can anticipate potential equipment failures before they occur.
By harnessing real-time data and machine learning algorithms, businesses can shift from a reactive to a proactive maintenance strategy, minimizing downtime and extending the lifespan of their assets.
4. CMMS Integration
Traditionally, dealing with asset protection projects frequently includes paper-based total work orders and manual records monitoring. This can result in inefficiencies and communication gaps.
Integrating a CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) offers a powerful answer. A CMMS software acts as a centralized hub for all asset and upkeep information. Project managers can leverage the CMMS to create and assign painting orders electronically, schedule preventive maintenance based on gadget records, and music the development of protection tasks in actual time.
This now not handiest improves conversation and collaboration between venture managers and maintenance teams but also allows for information-pushed choice-making regarding aid allocation and universal task efficiency.
5. Performance Metrics and KPIs
Measuring the success of your asset maintaining efforts requires defining key performance indicators (KPIs) that align with your organizational goals.
Project managers should establish metrics like asset uptime, mean time between failures (MTBF), maintenance cost per asset, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) to assess project performance and identify areas for improvement.
Regularly analyzing KPI data allows for continuous optimization of your maintenance strategies.
6. Continuous Training and Skills Development
Asset maintenance practices evolve alongside technological advancements and industry trends. Project managers need to prioritize continuous learning and skill development for their maintenance teams.
This ensures proficiency in using new tools and methodologies. Investing in your workforce fosters a culture of innovation and empowers personnel to adapt to ever-changing maintenance requirements effectively.
By implementing these best practices, businesses can leverage the power of project management to optimize asset maintenance strategies and achieve operational excellence.
The result? Increased asset reliability, minimized downtime, and a maximized return on investment for your valuable assets.
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Author bio:
Lindsey Walker is the marketing manager for NEXGEN, a Sacramento-based industry leader in designing advanced computerized maintenance management systems and asset management software tools for utilities, facilities, public works, manufacturing, and fleet industries. In her free time, Lindsey enjoys travelling and reading, which allows her to gain new perspectives and inspiration for her work. She is committed to creating content that connects well with her readers, enhancing their digital experiences.
Time Tracking: 5 reasons why it is crucial in project management
1. Track and estimate work time
Time tracking allows project managers to calculate the total number of hours needed to complete a particular task.
Also, this information allows estimates and projections to be drawn for future similar jobs.
2. Helps bill suppliers correctly
Time tracking helps create accurate invoices for your suppliers by preventing errors in hourly reports and allowing timely payment.
3. Helps better manage project teams
Monitoring time helps business leaders efficiently manage their teams to boost overall productivity and that of each employee.
Project managers can get detailed insights using the right time-tracking tool.
4. Helps create a work record
Time-tracking reports are helpful when stakeholders ask for more details about a project.
Furthermore, this documentation also helps explain how many resources are needed for a specific project.
Thus, it is vital during auditing or when undertaking massive projects.
How to track hours worked
There are several methods for keeping track of hours worked, from the most basic to the most technologically advanced. Here they are:
Pen and paper
The (now obsolete) pen-and-paper method involves writing down the start and end times of work on a piece of paper.
This somewhat basic method is mainly used in small businesses with very few employees and are usually family-run.
This solution hardly guarantees accuracy regarding the hours and minutes worked reported.
Furthermore, it can reduce the productivity of the individual responsible for manually checking these documents.
As you understand, this is a completely unsustainable method for a more structured business.
Digital clock
This device digitally “prints” the time and date of the start and end of work time on the employee’s personal time card.
To use this, simply hold the card close to the device’s sensor, automatically sending the data to the employee’s card stored within a time calculator program, usually managed by HR.
Some electronic clocks may require a PIN or fingerprint to log data.
In this way, the work shift and any overtime hours can be calculated in an accurate and prompt manner.
Time tracking software
Time tracking software installed directly on a PC or mobile device is a modern way to calculate the number of hours worked.
After logging into the system and clicking the button to clock in and out, the website server will record the data.
Most software has a tracking option to ensure the time worked is logged correctly.
Calculate hours worked on a project: choose project management software
The solutions discussed above for time tracking can be effective in some cases. However, the accuracy and effectiveness of project management software such as Twproject are unparalleled.
Look at all the ways you can do it.
Time item customization
Project management software such as Twproject allows you to create time entries manually or using an automated tracker.
The first solution allows employees to select a task and manually enter, in an Excel-like sheet, the time spent working on it.
This way, the employee can focus entirely on their work and input hours spent on that task at a later time.
The second solution, instead, involves using a timer that automatically records the time spent on each task.
With a simple click on the playback button within the software, it will be possible to start recording the time spent on any activity.
With this solution, however, employees must remember to pause this timer during breaks.
Track working hours
Twproject allows you to monitor the worklog entered in real-time, highlighting any overshoots relative to the plan.
You can pinpoint the hours worked by task, project, or collaborator.
Report creation
A project management software should allow the worklog to be filtered and data extracted according to different criteria.
This will help create timeline reports that are very useful not only for the project manager but also for stakeholders.
Reminder
Forgetting to enter the hours worked corresponding to some activities can happen.
However, good project management software must have a built-in feature to remind you to enter the time spent working where it is missing.
Only in this way effective and truthful project management will be possible.
Twproject’s streamlined approach for managing timesheets helped with user adoption as the Advance team found it so easy to track their time.
Read the interview with Advance and find out how they optimized the calculation of work times with Twproject
To sum up, calculating the number of hours worked on a project is important for tracking productivity, appropriately managing costs, and promoting a positive work environment.
As we have seen, there are several methods for recording time worked, yet the efficiency of Twprojectin time tracking is unparalleled.
In the workplace everyone has their own habits and what a project manager soon learns is that the way of recording the time spent on the various tasks is very different depending on the person involved.
Some people focus on a task and complete it without distractions, putting off logging time spent until the end. Others prefer to range between multiple commitments in a day and gradually register their timing. Yet others find it useful for concentration purposes to activate a stopwatch that monitors project activity, turning the counting off and on when switching from one task to another.
But not only are we all different on a personal level, it is also the role we play that certainly determines how we count our time and categorize our activities in order to ultimately obtain a reliable work report.
In my experience, managing a small team of developers, coordinating and analyzing their work, mediating between the needs of clients and those of my colleagues, I find it useful for me to keep track of the projects regularly. Several times a day, I insert worklogs for projects I deal with, and for what purpose. On the other hand my coworkers, most of them developers, find it better to follow a task from start to finish and then write down the activities performed and the total times. In short, each experience and each person is unique.
In a recent article, we talked about the fact that one of the main resistance factor in the transition to a new project management system is the desire to migrate all the procedures used in the company so far within the new tool. This can be a blocking factor if you do not find a system that accommodates individual needs but at the same time shows advantages in terms of practicality and depth of analysis.
Finally, in addition to the different work and personal needs, in our opinion an efficient tool for recording working hours should give the possibility of entering timing at different levels of hierarchy in a project. A project manager may need to enter his timesheets at a more general level than the workers engaged in project sub-phases. An executive will be placed in a further grade, and so on.
The importance of accounting
Regardless of the method chosen, there is no doubt that for correct project management it is essential that each participant takes into account their working times, known as worklogs. Recording the hours or days that have been spent in performing a phase and more generally a project is useful both for those who carry out the time analysis and for those who carry out the work.
On the one hand, the transparency of work increases and this allows project managers to know in detail the operations that their team carries out to reach the objective; on the other, it helps workers to better plan their times and also to have an extra tool to report any work overload should this occur.
It is important that everyone feels comfortable with this monitoring operation. And as we have seen, the requests of companies, combined with the attitudes of workers, can give rise to various methodologies for tracking worklogs.
For this reason Twproject, a tool characterized by an extreme versatility in many respects, has developed a diversified method of entering hours according to the preferences and needs of individuals.
In Twproject there is not just one way to mark your worklogs, but you can use different tools and methodologies. Let’s see them in detail.
Timesheet
The first element of the menu item dedicated to this topic is the Timesheet. Here you will see all your assignments, i.e. projects or phases in which you participate. From this table you can enter your worklogs with a brief description of the activity performed and you will easily see how many hours you have left to complete your total working time. The integrated agenda, showing your appointments, will help you fill the table out.
No other project management software offers such a detailed entry method, which proves to be very useful at the end of the project or at any time you need to report on the activity carried out: with a simple click on the chosen assignment you will see the total list of all the worklogs entered up to that moment by a resource. This view can be very useful for providing a report on the work performed, for drawing up a final balance sheet and so on.
Time counter
This type of worklog is useful for those who work on one project at a time. On the main page you will find a widget from which to select the assignment and start a stopwatch. The same operation can be done from the relative Time counter menu item, which opens a specific pop-up with the list of projects and sub-phases assigned to the user.
From the moment you activate the tool, it will start counting the time even when you browse other pages and you can stop it at any time by clicking on the button in the menu item, possibly inserting a detailed description of the activity carried out and also if necessary changing the total duration.
From the to-do list
Finally, for those who are used to orienting their daily activity on the basis of assigned tasks, the to-do listis the mainly used tool. To make work easier for this category of people, with Twproject it is possible to insert worklogs directly from the to-do list.
At the closure of each to-do, but also during ongoing processes, you can add the hours worked, while the description will automatically be pre-filled with the description of the to-do itself. From the list it is also possible to start an automatic counter, so as not to have to worry about calculating the times at the end.
An easy and suitable solution for everyone
These three tools, or rather methods, allow you to freely choose how to monitor your own work and that of the other members of your team.
And for the forgetful, Twproject has a way of signaling, witha reminder sticky note, in case you miss recording hours for a few days.
In this short video you can find a summary of what has been explained so far.
As you have seen, Twproject offers a solution suitable for multiple work styles and will help you not run into internal resistance and finally have greater control over your work and that of your team.
If you like, you can do a free trial and experience what we have shown you. Don’t waste any more precious time and start tracking your work now!
The transition from idea to executive project requires the maximum attention to ensure that all steps are executed correctly and that the project is completed in the desired manner.
Being a project manager is all about successfully completing projects, yet doing so requires knowing how to avoid common mistakes that can jeopardize your work.
Although two identical projects can hardly exist, the problems that can affect them are often quite similar.
So, let’s see in this article what mistakes should be avoided during the project realization process.
From idea to executive project: 7 mistakes to avoid
1. Failing to involve your team in the planning phase
Getting your team involved in the planning phase is key to ensuring the success of your project.
Your team knows the ins and outs of each activity better than anyone else and can provide valuable input in the planning phase.
Be sure to involve your team from the beginning to ensure that your project plan will be realistic and feasible.
Not only will clarity regarding expectations empower your team, but it also provides a higher level of accountability to the project.
2. Lack of clear processes
Getting your team involved in the planning phase is definitely a key point, but it is just as important to establish clear processes for managing activities.
If your team begins to struggle, it may be because of missing or non-efficient processes.
You need to ask yourself: is the workflow properly optimized and useful for my team members?
Can they identify the steps they need to follow for proper management of their tasks?
If the answer to only one of these questions is no, the workflow will need to be reviewed.
3. Not breaking down (big) projects into smaller pieces
Breaking down a large project into small, manageable pieces will make your team feel more at ease and confident that they can successfully tackle what can seem like a huge job.
To avoid having your team become overwhelmed, take the time to understand every aspect of the project.
Break it down into small bits by finding out which activities are priorities, those that are related to each other, and those that are less important.
After you’ve done this step, assign each task to the employee who has the best skills to accomplish it.
4. Forgetting that project management also means people management
Too many project managers focus solely on scope, quality, cost, and schedule associated with their projects overlooking the fact that it is the team that actually gets the work done.
Failing or poorly managing people can lead to delays, frustration, dissatisfaction, and affect the quality of the final product.
To prevent this problem, make sure everyone understands how and why their role is important to the success of your project and schedule regular reviews.
Communicating regularly with your team members through regular meetings will help keep morale high and ensure that work is heading in the right direction.
5. Letting changes slip through the cracks
Additional requests and new features can put a strain on resources.
Without proper control, these can have a serious impact on the success of your project.
However, so-called scope creep can be reduced through strong project and product ownership management.
When you receive these change requests, you need to ask yourself some questions, such as:
Are these new features in line with the product vision?
Do the suggested changes add value to the end user?
Are they fundamental to achieving the result?
Clearly defining your product goals and identifying success factors can help ensure that change requests and added features that are not aligned with goals do not jeopardize timelines.
6. Failing to constantly monitor your project status
Monitoring the status of your project on a regular basis is crucial to ensure that your project is progressing as planned.
Without proper monitoring, delays or problems may arise that may become tricky to fix later on.
Be sure to constantly monitor the status of your project and promptly make necessary changes.
From idea to executive project: the solution
With so many common project management mistakes, it is no surprise that several projects end up exceeding time or budget or that so few completed projects deliver the expected benefits.
Clear processes, adequate resource allocation, and right communication with your team are key steps to ensure success.
The greatest reward for a project manager is to see a project plan come to life.
However, it is virtually impossible to successfully achieve a project’s goals without some support from a project management tool.
With so many moving pieces, project management even in smaller companies can be daunting.
Thus, before considering which projects to tackle, it becomes important to identify and consider the right solution that will help you and your team manage tasks, resources, and collaboration.
Project management software such as Twproject helps you deal with and fix all the errors we have listed in this article.
Thanks to this software, you will be able to establish and list objectives, set priorities, and identify dependencies through Gantt charts and checklists.
All this will help you to succeed in controlling the workflow before you even start executing your project.
Moreover, Twproject allows you to keep files, documents and integrations in one central location, thus simplifying day-to-day project monitoring.
Working on a project without project planning is like sailing the seas without a radar.
There are many dangers of not sticking to a project plan, and the risk of the vessel becoming shipwrecked becomes dangerously real.
Having a project plan helps ensure stakeholders have a shared perspective and clear and achievable goals, and establish an open and transparent channel for communication.
So what exactly is project planning? How can it help a team successfully plan a project? Let’s take a deeper look at it in this article.
Project planning means defining each project phase’s goals, scope, milestones, budget activities, and resources.
In other words, it is a document outlining the steps the team should follow to complete their project.
A good plan can be easily shared and understood with and by everyone concerned.
The concept behind project planning is to serve as a roadmap that shows all the steps and resources that need to be taken into account when trying to complete a project on time and within budget.
5 steps to plan for project success
1. Background research and planning
Before writing a single entry in yourproject plan document, you must do some preparatory work.
The best action plan is to research and know the facts before engaging in individual activities.
This includes:
Measuring the scope of your project and its value: this means understanding the ins and outs of your project: what the goals and potential outcomes will be, what partnerships you would need to strengthen to get the work done, and any potential risks or problems that might occur.
Interviewing stakeholders: to accurately represent what the final product of your project will look like, you need to know what your stakeholders will be expecting. Defining product ownership and decision-making, their levels of involvement, and driving factors with them becomes necessary. This will give project stakeholders greater trust in you and your team. It also shows stakeholders that you care about the success of your project.
Knowing your team: the last step before effectively moving on to project planning is to take some time to meet and connect with team members. Each team member is important, so knowing their experience, interests, availability, and workload helps shape a thoughtful plan.
2. Draw up a draft of the project plan
After you have collected all the information during the previous phase, it is time to start sketching out a draft project plan.
There are two primary goals you should achieve at this stage to ensure that your work will be successful:
Note down the main elements of your project plan: write down the who, what, when, and how of your project.
Include your team’s input in your draft: once you have noted the basic needs of your project plan and how they will be met, it is time to involve your team in the drafting process. Promote active communication with your collaborators and determine how long it will take to achieve the planned objectives. Communication is key to achieving project success, so make sure everyone can get things done without putting the project at risk.
3. Project plan creation
Now that you’ve laid the groundwork for project planning, it’s time to build it.
A great way is to use planning tools such as Twproject.
Through this tool, you can clearly outline tasks, their duration, milestones, allocated resources, and budget using aGantt chart.
Flexibility is also crucial, as any project plan could be subject to change during the work cycle.
Twproject makes it easy to make changes to your project plan without losing track of progress, dependencies, and the impact each change may have on your project’s future.
4. Plan presentation and confirmation
Now is the time to officially submit your project planning to stakeholders and team members.
This will help ensure everyone is on the same page before the actual work begins.
5. Project execution and route correction
Now, the actual work officially begins. But it doesn’t end there!
Project planning is like a living document that needs regular updates and route corrections.
Some good tips to keep in mind for this phase are:
Always communicate with your project team and stakeholders at all times
Update your project plan when things change
Monitor risks as your project evolve
Therefore, it is clear how critical it is to invest time in a project planning process to ensure a successful strategy.
Planning does not have to be complicated, it only needs to be well implemented to become effective.
With proper planning and effective action implementation, your team will be on its way to success.
Yet, drafting good project planning does not guarantee that your project will proceed as planned.
Despite all the project planning, uncertainty is always around the corner.
Hence, the key to achieving excellent results is recognizing that thoughtful project planning is key to reducing risk and increasing success.
A project manager alone is unlikely to succeed. Still, with the help of good project management software such as Twproject, you can draft effective project planning that can be shared and is flexible in case of modifications.
Time management is the art of planning and scheduling your time among multiple activities to maximize its effectiveness.
Simply put, it involves knowing what to do and when.
Effective time management means taking control of your day and energy by achieving goals faster and less stressfully.
Doing so can better manage your time while also being mindful of your specific situation and individual characteristics.
Mastering time management skills allow you to directly contrast procrastination and eliminate the unpleasant feeling of losing control.
Properly planning activities and giving them the right priority is something that can be done very simply by using project management software. In fact, our work is never “an island” but is always connected to the work of our colleagues.
Using project management software can help coordinate the work of the whole team, for example, with Twproject, you can plan all project phases correctly and flexibly, you can insert all sub-tasks, giving them the right priority and assigning them to the right resources.
What are the strengths of time management?
Time management offers many benefits. Let’s take a look at what its top 5 strengths are:
1. Less stress
By taking control of your time, you reduce your stress and anxiety because you can keep your activities scheduled while meeting deadlines.
Since you can plan your day, you can leave room for irregularities or problems that could cause stress.
For example, if you feel a project may take longer than initially planned, schedule more time for that activity.
By prioritizing daily activities correctly, you can feel less overwhelmed and stressed by what you have to do.
2. Increased productivity
Successful time management boosts concentration and, by extension, improves productivity.
Doing too many things at once can take a toll on your cognitive abilities, making you feel unproductive or unhappy with your progress.
Planning your time in such a way that you complete one task before tackling another can increase your self-confidence.
To better plan your workday and prevent wasted time in deciding what to do or how to do it, there are a number of techniques:
By implementing time management techniques, you make it possible to focus more on improving the quality of your work.
Doing so can also allow you to consider all facets of your task and ensure you accomplish them correctly.
When you’re on track with your work and meet your schedule, your colleagues and employer will likely see that they can count on you.
Also in this case, using a project management software could be of great help, with Twproject for example, the resources involved have the progress of the activities under control and see that it has been done and what needs to be done.
4. Increased energy
A major benefit of time management is increased energy and motivation.
When you work disorganizedly, energy levels inevitably drop, and frustration goes rampant.
By having an effective time management strategy, you know when a specific task will be completed, reducing the energy you spend worrying about a deadline.
And yet, through proper time management, you can generally plan when work will be finished, allowing you to allocate space to your personal matters as well.
5. Increased confidence
When you complete a list of minor or major tasks that help you achieve a goal, you become more confident in your work skills.
This results from an increase in dopamine, also known as the feel-good hormone.
Successful time management will allow you to feel less overwhelmed or stressed.
This positive self-reinforcement will inevitably improve your self-discipline, driving you to seek to improve your time management skills more and more.
Thus, time management helps to achieve goals by meeting deadlines, reducing procrastination, andboosting productivity.
It is no coincidence that correct time management is closely connected with the tool used for work management. A tool that you can manage independently will help you keep your activities under control but cannot help you cooperate with your colleagues to achieve the project objective, with Twproject you can do all this, as well as enter the hours worked on the activities .
Twproject is a project management tool that helps you efficiently manage all your tasks and tracks the time of all your projects to ensure you or your team won’t overshoot your deadline. Try it for free.
Managing and reporting on European projects involves more specific and in-depth work than “traditional” company-level projects.
This kind of work touches both public entities and private organizations. It offers an opportunity to access funding credits and grants to overcome economic crises or to support innovations that could not be pushed forward through ordinary funding.
This article will cover how European projects are structured and how best to manage them.
European projects and NRRP: what are these?
European projects generally are a method of helping to achieve European Union goals.
This means the European Commission distributes allocated funds to help beneficiary projects, activities, and infrastructure that boost economic growth, equality and/or social welfare.
In particular, the NRRP – National Recovery and Resilience Plan – is an official document that one submits to the European Union to qualify for aid from the Next Generation EU (NGEU), a fund established by the European Union to stimulate economic recovery following the Coronavirus pandemic.
When managing and reporting a European project, it is imperative to know exactly what the European Commission will review.
Each applicant must complete a Financial Statement form, where:
Costs must not include profit for beneficiaries;
Costs must relate to a specific cost item;
Costs must be sustained during the project period;
Costs must follow national guidelines on taxation and social security.
This official document must be accurate down to the smallest detail, as it will serve as the basis for calculating what grants will be received once the Commission performs its formal checks.
Twproject: the tool for managing and reporting on European and NRRP projects
Considering the degree of accuracy required for the reporting and management phase of European and NRP projects, it becomes imperative to choose the best tool.
The tool is flexible and offers multiple features to meet various needs.
Most notably, it allows you to easily view work, milestones, dependencies, and progress while preventing bottlenecks.
There is a notification system and a statistics page to keep abreast of everything that is happening during your project.
When it comes to European projects, document management is a crucial aspect.
TwProject allows you to bring everything you need in one place.
Images, files, reports, text files, etc. – any type of document can be attached to a project and easily retrieved.
And if your documentation is already stored in a safe place, you can connect it with Twproject via a simple link.
From a cost management standpoint, this project management software also strives to offer the very best.
As we saw earlier, the Financial Statement is the document on which the calculation for contributions will be based. Hence, costs must be tracked and reported appropriately from the very beginning.
Thanks toTwproject’s charts and reports, you can easily track your actual costs and the expense entry to which they relate.
Also, many filters will allow you to extrapolate project costs based on different criteria.
And again, if several people are working on a project, costs can be accessed and modified only by those who are allowed to.
We were able to engineer a standardized process and model it within Twproject, thus having a streamlined, quick, efficient and effective process for carrying out the necessary reporting
Read the interview with Argea And find out how they easily create reports to be presented to the control bodies of the EU.
Managing and reporting on European projects: a specialist’s task
There is growing competition in applying for EU funding.
Therefore, those in charge of European project management and NRRP must be specialists who regularly refresh their skills.
Most people might think reporting on European projects is a strict, cold task.
The truth is, drafting reports to be submitted to the European Commission needs a human touch capable of presenting ideas and potential developments relevant to the EU.
However, this is only possible if the professional is supported by a solidproject managementtool, such as Twproject.
This will allow for keeping the documentation and data up-to-date and error-free, greatly simplifying the work.
Will AI know how to recommend how to choose a project management software? We wondered about this and wanted to give it a test! The result caught us by surprise 😉
We’ll let Artificial Intelligence have the floor to tell us how to choose project management software from its perspective.
If you are looking for project management software, then you should know that the right choice can make all the difference between the success and failure of your project.
There are many products out there that offer varying levels of functionality and flexibility. In this article, we will discuss how to choose the right work management platform for your needs.
What is project management software?
Successfully managing a project requires good activity planning.
The creation and execution of a work management plan are thus imperative and involve auxiliary tools.
These programs help professionals and companies manage their activities in a simple and orderly manner, as they make it very easy to:
analyze;
design;
plan;
monitor set goals
Also, they can come in handy for visualizing and organizing all the information concerning a project so that decisions can be taken based on clear and extensive facts.
How to choose the right project management software for your needs
Choosing the right project management software can be challenging, as many options are available. Your choice will also depend on your specific project needs and your budget.
Before deciding which software to make use of, you should consider some factors such as:
your project scale;
skills needed;
what features are essential to the needs and success of your project;
the number of users who will have to use it.
Good software should also include advanced features that can improve efficiency by preventing issues related to turnaround time.
Twproject’s features: the ultimate software for project managers
Twproject is a popular project management software that offers all the features to manage any project successfully. The software includes tools for:
activity planning;
activity scheduling;
monitoring of work progress;
risk management;
communication among team members.
Twproject also has some advanced features that make it particularly useful in managing complex projects. For example, it provides tools for analyzing data, including cross-referenced data, and creating detailed reports on activity progress at any time.
It also includes tools to track individual user performance and report problems before project delays happen.
Benefits of using project management software
Project management software can provide multiple benefits for anyone managing a complex project.
First, it can boost overall efficiency by streamlining many manually demanding tasks such as scheduling or activity progress monitoring.
Also, it can significantly raise team productivity by making it easier to track individual user performance and share information among staff members in real-time.
These programs can also enhance transparency and reduce the error margin, making it much easier to plan activities and provide accurate information on project progress at any time.
Finally, it can help cut business costs by saving valuable time by implementing automated processes within your team or organization.
How to improve efficiency with a project management software
However, even the best software is not enough if it is not used correctly or is poorly implemented.
To maximize a project management software’s efficiency, it is crucial to ensure that all members involved in project implementation understand how to use it correctly.
Furthermore, it is essential to ensure all users have access to project status information at all times.
Choosing the right project management software is never an easy matter.
Although there are many different options available, it is important to consider thoroughly what needs to be met to complete your project and find the solution that best fits those needs.
Make sure you weigh all available options and judge them by their features and functionality before deciding what to purchase.
If you follow the tips provided in this article, you will be on track to find project management software that meets your needs and helps make your work a success.
Not bad, right?
If even the AI recommends Twproject, all you have to do is try it out! 😉
If you are looking for an optimal solution to manage your team’s tasks and to-do lists, in this short article we will help you find the right software for you, with an updated overview for 2023.
Compared to other long lists that you will find online, ours will be short and effective, because we have selected and tested for you the 6 best products on the market, and we will examine them in their free and paid versions.
If you are looking for a flexible software solution that can meet the needs of workgroups of any size, from small businesses to larger companies, you can give Twproject a chance.
Twproject is an optimal tool because despite its simplicity it offers all useful tools for project management in every key aspects, from to-do lists, to task assignments, to worklogs, up to budget and workload management. Its strenght lies in the possibilty to combine a waterfall management, highly structured and useful for the project manager to keep the entire production cycle under control, with an agile system that responds to the needs of the individual workers to manage their daily assignments through simple tools. In a recent article we talked about the difference between waterfall vs agile management.
In the setting phase of Twproject, the project manager can create a general WBS and an interactive Gantt, which will allow to keep deadlines and budgets under control over time. Then, the manager can start assigning tasks and managing daily work through to-do lists, kanban boards, weekly planners. Every need, whether of the project manager or of the employee, is covered in Twproject.
In short, the main features of Twproject are:
Waterfall/agile management
Gantt chart
Kanban board
To-do list
File sharing
Worklog and attendance sheets
Budget and resource management
Workload management
Pricing: from 4.89 € per user/month.
Pros: Twproject is a complete tool for all the different working roles, allowing you to differentiate positions in the organization and offering better time and cost management than many other products on the market. In Twproject, the project manager always has a constantly updated overall view of the project.
Cons: We haven’t found any.
Twproject is the right answer to those looking for a complete but simple tool, an exhaustive but highly flexible system.
Wrike is also a very popular task management software and is well suited to the needs of both small workgroups and larger enterprises.
It has an integrated work time tracking system, but it is a bit lacking in the possibility of adding free annotations because it does not have tools for notes or concept maps.
Wrike’s main features are:
File sharing
Monitoring progress on tasks
Workflow statuses
Milestones
Pricing: Free to $24.80 per user/month.
Pros: unlimited projects; customization according to the different needs of the type of team.
Cons: Gantt chart and tracking timer only available in paid plans; lack of annotation tools.
Whether you’re part of a small team or managing a large company, Wrike can do it for you. However, if you’re a creative thinker, you might feel a little limited.
Monday.com is currently a highly advertised product that offers task management functions in a simple and intuitive manner. It features several task management features that will let you create assignments with ease.
However, as is to be expected for such a sponsorized tool, its cost is not exactly among the cheapest.
Monday.com’s main features are:
Calendar view
Time tracking
Automations
Unlimited tabs
Pricing: $8/user per month to $16 per user/month.
Pros: integrated messaging system especially suitable for teams working remotely; user interface that allows you to view more information in one place.
Cons: somewhat disorganized and dispersive navigation; lack of some functions, especially the dashboard, in the mobile version.
Currently one of the leading players on the market for task and to-do-list management, with tools that foster team collaboration. However we hope that over time it will improve in flexibility.
ProofHub is powerful, all-in-one project management and team collaboration software that has amazing task management capabilities to help you get more done. From setting priorities with custom to-do lists to assigning tasks and deadlines with ease, ProofHub ensures that everyone is on the same page.
You can also collaborate on documents, files, and presentations, and communicate with team members using chat, comments, and discussions. ProofHub is easy to use and its flat pricing plan makes it a great option for businesses of all sizes.
Comments and @mentions for effective collaboration
Customized workflows
Online proofing
Pricing: Flat pricing at $45 per month (billed annually) for unlimited users.
Pros: simple learning curve, suitable for teams of any size, a centralized hub for organizing and storing data for small or medium sized groups.
Cons: notifications are sometimes overwhelming
An all-in-one project management and team collaboration software, ProofHub caters to the scalable need of teams of any size. This makes the tool suitable for a number of different industries and workflows.
Basecamp is also a particularly useful application for remote teams. Its operation is simple: enter a project and divide it into tasks to be completed, then save the latter in the form of a to-do list. Then you can assign tasks, define due dates, add notes and attachments.
However, Basecamp lacks some rather basic project management features: first of all, the ability to prioritize tasks and track time; furthermore, this platform does not offer tools such as Kanban boards and Gantt charts. If your team can do without these tools, Basecamp is a good solution for a medium-sized company.
What Basecamp offers:
Real-time messaging
Simplified task management
Self check-in
Project Progress Tracking (Hillcharts)
Pricing: Free to $299 per unlimited users/month
Pros: good price/quality ratio; placing all tools, communications and documents related to a project in a single place, which facilitates collaboration in the group.
Cons: lack of some basic features; somewhat limited storage space if collaborating on multiple projects and if team members upload several files.
A simple interface with essential information concentrated in a single view, particularly effective if your team works remotely and with independent timing.
Trello stands out for having Kanban cards as its main focus: therefore, its main interface looks like a large bulletin board with different cards on which users act as if they were noting information on post-its.
In order for Trello to be efficient for projects with higher complexity, it is necessary to purchase a paid license. In that case you will be able to unlock some additional features like Gantt charts and others. Therefore, our doubt is whether the effort is worth it, since there are other software that offer the same features at lower prices.
Trello’s main features are:
Organizing in “boards”, “lists” and “cards”
Checklists
Files attachments
Unlimited integrations (premium version)
Public/private boards (premium version)
Increased customer support (premium version)
Price: Free to $17.50 per user/month.
Pros: instant notification system; ease in viewing deadlines; good navigation and visibility also in the mobile version.
Cons: no offline work; file upload limitations; not suitable for projects with multiple work teams.
Trello is a very visual and highly adaptable solution that is useful when working remotely. However, it is not efficient when working on large projects or if you intend to make long-term plans.
Conclusion: how to choose the right task and to-do list mamagement software for you
1. Define your team’s main needs
In a previous article we addressed the reasons that should lead you to opt for a project management software, instead of relying on individual initiatives, which are still too often limited to paper notes or at most shared Excel sheets.
In our experience, many employees complain of not having the right technology and tools to optimize their work. In fact, it is not always possible to keep track of every project activity, meet deadlines, monitor progress and manage your team without an adequate tool.
But how to understand what to use? We recently talked about the ten aspects to keep in mind when choosing a good project management tool. In short, you should focus on the key aspects of task management and understand which ones are critical to your team. Consider these ten points and prioritize them:
Workflow: project’s phases
Gantt charts
To-Do lists
Time tracking and resource management
Internal collaboration
Budget management
Customization
Integrations
Remote and/or mobile use
Language and assistance
Finally, remember that the ultimate goal of good task management is not to leave anyone behind. With careful management of activities you will be able to strengthen the sense of belonging to the group and not waste resources, being these economic resources but also and above all human ones.
2. Take a free trial
As you have seen, it is clear that by now the choice of software solutions in the world of task management is vast. Therefore, after you have opted for one or more solutions, our advice is always to do a free trial. The reasons are in our opinion the following:
Don’t spend your money right away buying the first project management software that comes into your mind; many of them offer a free trial period. Of course, be careful to use this service well and watch out for the trial period to expire! Choose who gives greater guarantees also in this sense.
Very often, together with the free trial, you will be able to access customer support and therefore explore all the features, understand their use and compare your needs with the experience of those who know the system well, also taking advantage of any customizations. Also remember: if the platform you choose doesn’t have the features you want, it doesn’t mean they won’t be there in the future: the best software companies are constantly testing and regularly releasing new versions of the product.
Would you like to give a chance to our first on the list? Twproject offers you a free 15-day trial and in our opinion it is a very useful solution for managing projects of teams of all sizes, perfect if you need to rely on a single platform wich is easy to use but also accurate and elaborate.
These are for us the best task management and to-do list software of 2023.
Let us know about your experience and what your final choice will be!
Many of our clients, in fact, after exhausting efforts, have chosen Twproject specifically because of the simplicity, user-friendliness, and versatility of its Gantt Chart.
Project management, as you know, involves continuously managing a number of activities, people, timelines, costs, etc., so in all of this a Gantt chart can be a valuable aid to ensure that you don’t miss a deadline and suffer serious consequences. However, this tool is not always easy to use or provides straightforward charts.
But what is it exactly? And what are the parameters for finding the best Gantt diagram available on the market? Let’s check it out in this article.
What is a Gantt chart?
A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar graph showing the schedule of a project and the various activities between the start and end date.
Each bar in the chart represents a task, while the dates are arranged horizontally at the top of the chart.
Modern Gantt charts can also show dependencies between tasks, that is, how each task connects to the others.
This chart allows you to clearly provide deadlines, milestones and progress of the project.
Although no two Gantt charts are the same, here are its key components:
Date/Time: The date and duration of each activity is often displayed in days/weeks/months, but can also be represented in minutes/hours, depending on the project and sector. The length of each rectangle identifies the duration of an activity.
Activities: all those tasks that are part of the project and live in various stages of completion. Activities can be stand-alone, as well as connected to others.
Milestones: Milestones or milestones are critical tasks for the completion and success of a project. At the conclusion of each block on a Gantt chart, milestones are represented by different shapes or icons.
Task manager: this may be several people or an entire team depending on the task.
Task ID: The task ID is included in the Gantt chart to help everyone involved readily identify the specific task. This ID number is unique to each task, much like a task ID card.
What are the advantages of a Gantt chart?
A Gantt diagram makes it possible to significantly streamline the process of planning a project.
Since it is an easy scheme to create, use and maintain, it proves to be a valuable aid for project managers.
Here are some advantages of a Gantt chart:
1. Project status overview
The greatest advantage of using Gantt charts is the ability to see everything about the project in one place.
It functions as an excellent visualization and prioritization tool. In fact, the Gantt provides the overview of the overall project, informing the involved members about the end result, order, duration of tasks, start and end dates, dependencies and progress.
Communication is an integral part of a project and can have the power to make or break it.
The lack of communication is in fact one of the main reasons for the failure of many projects.
Gantt charts are known for providing crystal-clear communication and allowing project managers to provide input on certain activities and pass along relevant information.
3. See overlapping activities and dependencies
Sometimes, a particular task cannot be started unless the previous task is completed.
Such dependencies can make things difficult to manage especially in the case of complex projects that have too many activities whose connections are not so obvious.
Using a Gantt chart, it is easy to see which tasks depend on each other and plan accordingly.
4. Increased remote work efficiency>
Remote work is becoming increasingly popular at the European level. This mode of work is one of the trends expected to dominate the project management world in the coming years.
However, working with a remote team it has its challenges and there are many more difficulties in coordinating and keeping up-to-date employees in different parts of the world.
A Gantt chart therefore makes it easier to “stay on the same page” while working together. It allows, in fact, a real-time view of what has already been done, what is in progress, and what is to come regardless of country and time zone.
5. Increased flexibility
Change is a crucial part of project management.
Even with a project plan that appears to be foolproof you still have to be prepared to have to make ongoing changes.
A tool like the Gantt chart allows you to quickly enter and see any changes and see how they affect subsequent activities.
Twproject: why it is the best Gantt diagram on the market
Let’s jump back in and see now why, in the end, so many PMs choose Twproject and its Gantt for their project management.
There are plenty of project management tools that offer the ability to create simple and complex Gantt charts.
However, Twproject offers dynamic features that will make the work easier, including:
Real-time resource allocation: TWproject includes a dedicated page to monitor and modify resource allocation in real time. You will be able to easily identify an over- or under-allocation and likewise easily change it.
Flexible work schedule management: this tool allows you to set the working hours and absences of each team member, so you always have an up-to-date capacity.
Project status oversight: TWproject features dedicated dashboards that allow you to view projects statuses in real time and get notifications related to critical events. Furthermore, a dedicated statistics page will show the health status of each project and task.
Sharing and communication: TWproject knows how important communication is in project management. That is why this tool allows easy sharing of ideas, notes, documents, images and links.
With Twproject’s Gantt, we plan ahead and monitor progress, identifying the critical path, anticipating project delays or interruptions before they happen and thus improving the workflow.
Almost everything happens sequentially, but the key is to do as many things as possible simultaneously, provided you have the resources to do so.
Particularly in the most dynamic and hyper-competitive industries, the capability to reduce cycle times is a competitive advantage.
Project management plan: Estimate activity duration, costs, and resources
Cost, duration, and resources required to complete the project activities depend on your project scope.
Getting a correct estimate is essential, as it helps determine whether the plan is feasible, set expectations, and keep costs under control.
Project management plan: Allocate resources to work packages and activities according to skills and interests
Resources include labor, materials, equipment, space, and technology.
After defining the resources needed, it is crucial to determine the skill level required for each activity.
The scope and complexity level of the activities will help determine in which areas high, medium, or low-level skills are required.
Project management plan: Create contingencies
Projects rarely work as planned, so it is important to prepare backup plans.
Contingencies can be determined by analyzing historical data to identify risks that have occurred on similar projects in the past.
For example, if a vendor who provides a key project component experienced performance issues in the past, this could affect your planning.
In that case, the contingency plan could include alternative supplier selection, and cost estimation should this risk occur.
The key here is to consider internal and external factors that may impact project objectives.
Many factors beyond the organization could add risk to the project, including the consumer price index, the economy, government issues, and the actions of competitors.
Project management plan: Creating a baseline for performance metrics
Develop an integrated scope-program-cost baseline for project work, which will serve as a control tool.
You can measure and manage performance by comparing project execution with the baseline.
Performance should be measured during the entire project life cycle; this way, problems can be spotted in time and corrective action taken before it is too late.
Project management plan: Document everything and build a knowledge base
This can be a great way to learn from others’ mistakes and successes.
In organizations where this historical knowledge is not documented, it may be more challenging to organize work for future projects because there are no best practices.
It becomes clear that creating a project management plan is essential not only for the success of a project but also for ensuring that similar projects are well planned in the future.
Project management software such as TWproject facilitates creating your project plan to produce a high-quality project management plan.
This project management tool is flexible and offers a variety of tools to meet different needs.
Moreover, not only does it help in creating a project management plan, but with its user-friendly and easy-to-use interface, it allows you to monitor the progress of several projects at the same time.
Generate your project management plan with Twproject.
Project management for public works is crucial, especially considering the returns in such a construction project.
Preventing costly mistakes becomes the number one priority.
From planning and design to resource management, budget allocation, and more, project management for public works aims to keep the entire process efficient and on track.
In this article, we will take a closer look at what this is all about.
It is a holistic practice to deliver construction on schedule and within budget.
Public works project management is a complex discipline that requires addressing many important issues, including cost control, scheduling, procurement, and risk assessment.
Project managers interact with all team members, from architects to owners, to contractors.
The construction industry usually involves various constraints, especially regarding building works.
Therefore, perspectives in the construction industry need to be broader.
Peculiarities of public works project management
Civil engineering project management is a group of techniques and methodologies used to construct or repair roads, bridges, sewer systems, and other civil projects.
Considering the high level of complexity and a low tolerance for errors on these types of projects, the techniques used are often specific and refined project management skills.
There are three areas of interest in civil engineering project management:
Tenders;
Government requirements;
Documentation.
These topics can also be part of project management in other sectors, but they have unique aspects in civil engineering.
All (or nearly all) projects are completed using government funding, adding complexity as the project budget may be somewhat limited.
Besides financial limitations, political pressure and a project profile can often impact the overall project plan and support.
Tendering suppliers, construction companies, and professional staff is a complex and multi-stage process for any large project.
Since project funding is government-based, specific requirements related to the procurement process, licensing requirements, union affiliations, and more are often included in the funding agreement.
Construction project managers must take the time to review the requirements in detail.
Compliance is indeed necessary for funding to be approved and not frozen at a later date.
Government requirements are often provided as a specific section of the agreement.
This may include project milestones, specific press conferences, non-disclosure clauses, financial reporting, etc.
Also, public works projects require a greater level of documentation for two main reasons: the duration of the project and the government’s reporting requirements.
Such a project can involve extensive timelines, as the scope tends to be very broad, and the government needs all the details to justify the investment.
To do so, many project managers may hire a documentation specialist to ensure that the information is reported accurately.
How to simplify project management for public works?
As we have already seen so far, construction projects are incredibly complex and structured endeavors.
Whether the project consists of building a road or renovating a bridge, each project has many moving parts that must be precisely coordinated.
Just like any other project, construction project management has distinct phases: design, planning, and scheduling of the construction itself.
Each phase has many elements and is part of an even more complex overall process.
Therefore, trying to single-handedly and with simple computer tools apply all the project management practices that such a construction needs will only lead to frustration.
To streamline project management work for public works, choosing the right project management software can make all the difference.
You need to make sure that the tool you choose is “robust” and dynamic enough to support the complexity of a construction project.
A good project management solution allows you to improve forecasting, centralize information, increase efficiency, and keep costs and schedules in line.
It also reduces risks, eliminates errors, and facilitates communication.
Especially in public works project management, it, therefore, becomes essential to rely on good software.
Among the professionals working in the public procurement field, a particular role is covered by project management for the Head Project Manager (RUP – Responsabile Unico del Procedimento, in Italian).
But what is it all about? What are the specific tasks of this position? Let’s discuss it in this article.
The Head Project Manager is the professional who, according to cf. Art. 31, co. 3, Legislative Decree 50/2016, is responsible for performing all tasks concerning the planning, design, assignment, and execution of contracts not assigned to other bodies or individuals.
Over the years, the legislation has conferred increasingly clear and defined tasks and responsibilities to this role:
The European Commission directive (EU 24/2014) on public procurement recommends the presence of a project manager;
In Italy, the new Public Procurement Code (Legislative Decree, No. 50 of 18/4/2016) has been published;
Also, in 2015, ANAC – the Autorità Nazionale Anticorruzione (National Authority for Anti-Corruption) – published the first document with guidelines regarding the role of the HPD;
In 2017, a new version of the Procurement Code was published;
Also, in 2017, ANAC issued an updated version of the Guidelines.
From this moment, the HPD becomes equivalent to a project manager in the public procurement sector.
This professional figure is extremely important for public administration operations, as it improves the management of public contracts and significant works.
Public procurement is a hot subject, where discussions and debates often arise about major works that, although considered necessary, are dropped.
All of this is due to incorrect evaluation of time and cost estimates.
This is why the Head Project Manager becomes essential to coordinate and verify successful work.
How is the Head Project Manager chosen?
Any contract confirmation is accompanied by the appointment of an HPD through a formal act of the manager.
The HPD is elected from among employees who hold a managerial position or from employees with the professional skills relevant to the assignment.
The ANAC guidelines outline different levels of the HPD and mention all the requirements, including training, qualifications, and professional experience, for each of them.
Should no person in the workforce meets these requirements, the HPD, which, as mentioned, is a mandatory figure, will be sought and selected in external individuals.
The appointment of HPD is mandatory and cannot be declined.
Selection of award procedure, award criteria, type of contract;
Supervision of the fair conduct of the selection;
Review of administrative documents submitted in the tender;
Review of anomalous bids;
Appointment of the tender committee and, if no conflict is present, participation as chairman in said tender committee;
Supervision of project implementation activities, including workplace safety, schedule compliance, cost, and quality.
How to become an Head Project Manager
Thanks to specific knowledge, skill, and expertise requirements defined by the ANAC Guidelines, it is possible to ascertain what skills and knowledge Head Project Manager must possess.
In this respect, different training courses have appeared that help professionals specialize and fulfill the role of Head Project Manager.
These training courses share many similarities with those related to project management, which is not surprising given that the figure of the HPD is that of a project manager with expertise in public procurement.
Courses, more specifically, focus on jurisprudence, technological insights, management techniques and the analysis of real industry cases.
The training courses to become an Head Project Manager comply with Standard UNI 11648:2016 (Requirements for the Knowledge, Skills and Expertise of the Project Manager).
The teaching method is often a mix of one-on-one lectures, group or individual laboratory sessions, and the analysis of case studies and real-world examples.
On a final note, the Head Project Manager must be specifically trained and have a proven track record in activities similar to the procurement nature.
Besides being appealing because of the field’s uniqueness, this role can also be particularly interesting from an economic point of view.
The actual earnings depend on the type of contract, but the amount of money allocated to the HPD is not to be underestimated.
That of the Head Project Manager is a special and unique project management role that combines the skills of a traditional project coordinator with the great responsibility of managing large works.
An Executive Summary synthesizes key points from a larger document, usually a business proposal or business plan.
The good news is that it is a short text that, as the name implies, serves as a summary for a more comprehensive report.
The somewhat bad news is that it is a critical document that can be difficult to draft considering its many different important purposes.
On the one hand, an Executive Summary is used to outline each section of a business plan, investment proposal, or project proposal.
On the other hand, it is used to showcase a business or project to investors and other stakeholders, so it must be persuasive to get their interest.
The push to write an Executive Summary comes from the fact that everyone will pay attention to it because it is considered an accessible document where one can find all crucial information.
Specifically, it provides a brief statement that addresses the problem or proposal detailed in the attached documents, followed by background information, a summary analysis, and a conclusion.
An executive summary is designed to help managers and investors decide whether or not to follow through with a proposal.
How to draft an Executive Summary
What should be included in an executive summary differs based on the content it will cover.
For example, a startup plan may include a description of the product or service, financial projections, and key business metrics such as revenue growth and funding request.
So, before beginning to draft this document, it is crucial to properly consider the type of information the target audience would be interested in knowing.
Here are the key components to include when drafting an Executive Summary:
1. Eye-catching introduction
Getting the audience’s attention early on with a catchphrase is critical.
Do this by talking about them and the problem they are trying to address.
The advice here is to be concise and direct, build a good case and do so engagingly.
2. Define the issue
Clearly state the problem or objective that the proposal addresses.
This section should illustrate why it is an issue and why it needs a solution.
Doing so aims to assure stakeholders that you fully understand the situation.
3. Describe the solution and the expected outcome
Briefly explain the solution being suggested while mentioning the advantages and benefits it will bring.
These include, for example:
Earnings: improved sales numbers, greater cost savings, customer retention, etc.
Time: more time for further value-added initiatives that drive competitive advantage.
Authority: Improved brand awareness and leadership in the industry.
Efficiency: simpler and leaner processes.
4. Outline the risks
To present a proposal, it is crucial to consider every detail, including potential risks.
Here the potential challenges are listed, and it is shown how you plan to prevent or overcome them.
This small detail will make the project appear safer to approve.
5. Provide factual evidence
Everything included in an Executive Summary must be supported by verified and substantiated data.
More often than not, you will not have enough room in this document to provide every piece of evidence needed.
Yet, in those cases, it is good practice to state which section of the business plan you can refer to verify the claims.
You should never lie in this step; every data and number should be accurate and well documented.
The goal of an Executive Summary is to “sell” more than describe.
By selling, we mean the direct sale of products and services and the sale of a new idea or project to be launched.
In this section, you need to explain why stakeholders should agree with what is presented.
7. Check the details
Once you have drafted the Executive Summary, before sending it to stakeholders, it is important to check the following:
Length: an Executive Summary should be concise, usually just one or a couple of pages long. If the reader has questions, they can refer to the details in the full report. As a rule of thumb, the Executive Summary length should be between 5 and 10 percent of the official document.
Jargon: avoid slang and use terminology that the target audience can easily understand. Writing for medical experts will be very different from writing for people in finance.
Avoiding ambiguity: although the Executive Summary is brief, it must be such that it can explain the various key elements very clearly. Some concepts may be difficult to synthesize in only two or three sentences. If you feel that a statement may generate more doubt than answers, it is better not to include it.
Content: Discuss the main points in the same order as they appear in the full document. Refrain from adding information that is not included in the report.
Format: Check if there are guidelines regarding formatting to be adhered to. Should this not be the case, the Executive Summary can be structured loosely yet in a user-friendly manner. Pictures or infographics can also be included if necessary to improve understandability.
Last, a well-written Executive Summary allows you to highlight a proposal’s highlights and entice the target audience to take action.
