This product is simple and one I wished for a long time.  To often I have had to convert my Project Plans into other formats so my I could share them with my team members.

This allows my project team to quickly open up my project, and update their progress, if required.

Mainly I found it handy for virtual meetings, it allowed all team members to open up the project plan, then discuss it either via the telephone or a series of e-mails as required.

An added bonus is you can use it to search through a project plan to help quickly pin  point the item(s) of interest.

And it’s priced right a 15 day free trail, and a one time fee of $39.00

A simple and elegant solution.

An Agile project tool, founded on principles of Scrum and Lean Kanban

I have to admit I haven’t used this tool much but what I have seen so far has impressed me.

One of my favourite ideas of the Agile methodology is the use a board with a list of items broken down into sections such as:  What needs to be accomplished what is being worked on and what has been done.  The problem is that using  a large physical board doesn’t do much when working with a virtual teams in different parts of the globe.

This application simulates the giant board and allows you to share it with your team members no matter where their physical location happens to be.

Some the noteworthy features are:

 manage requirements, risks, bugs, actions 
* plan sprints and releases 
* visualize your work on a Kanban wall 
* report progress using burn down charts 

It’s free for the first 3 users, and $20 per month per user after that, this can get pricy but it is a unique product.  If you are in need of such a product I would recommend that you evaluate it and see if the cost is justifiable.

I have used JIRA in the past and have found it an excellent tool for tracking:  Issues, Risks, Bug Tracking, and Scope Changes.   It integrates for Gmail, you can set it up that for certain issues, the required people are emailed so nothing is missed.

It is created around a team-centric view, so collaboration is easy and well laid out.

Some of it’s more notable features are:

 Subversion source control 
* JIRA issue tracking 
* Agile planning and project management 
* Continuous integration 
* Wiki and collaboration 
* Peer code review 
* Source code search, browsing and metrics 

Integration with Google Apps

* Activity Bar: put issues, code reviews, build results, email, events at the fingertips of every user. 
* Google Chat within JIRA Studio: real-time communication and build notifications. 
* Google Docs in wiki pages: embed individual docs or lists of docs. 
* Google Docs attached to JIRA issues: attach Google Docs to JIRA issues, with single-click preview. 
* Exchange gadgets: add Google gadgets to JIRA Studio, and JIRA Studio gadgets to Gmail or Google Sites. 
* Integrated user management: auto-login to JIRA Studio using your Google Apps account.

I love this application the only disappointing part is the cost of using it via Google Apps.

At s $25/month per user,  for even a small team the costs can add up quickly, this app is far more affordable if you purchase it and install it on your own servers and run it locally.  A shame because for me part of the attractions to the Google Apps market place is that Software publishers can afford to bring their prices down due to extra volume they receive by participating in the marketplace.

There is really not much to say about this products, simply put this is a very basic no frills replacement for MS Project.

It’s outstanding features are that it can import MS Project files, or allow you easily create new ones through the program its self and that you can share your work with others.

It integrates via Google docs so it’s handy for saving files.

While this may not be the best MS Project replacement it is totally free, and it works well.

There have been some reports of lost data, but I have been testing this product myself for the last six months with no problems.

As this is just the beginning you can bet that there will be many iterations before this finalized.

However for those interested in getting on the ground floor visit www.pmi.org/agile it contains all the information regarding this initiative.

As I am interested in this I will be posting regular updates as the certification progresses.

Before I go into further details, I would like to acknowledge that I have seen a number of debates regarding the usefulness of this or any other certification.  As well as what makes this any better then those who posses certification such as (CSM) Certified Scrum Master, see www.scrum.org.

It’s not my attempt to try and persuade anyone as to which is better or the value of certification in general but provide simple fact for those who are interested in pursuing PMI Agile certification further.

Important information to note:

Initial pilot for certification application will start around mid May-2011

Those who wish to be certified must prove they have at least 1500 hours of Agile project management experience, as well as the usual required PMI hours.   So if you had an overall PM experience of 5000 hours at least 1500 must be managing Agile Projects.

You need at least 21 hours of agile training, courses that are recognized can be found on the www.pmi.org website.   The good news is that some web seminars will be recognized.   Further at this time, you may apply and be approved for certification prior to taking any training, as long as you promise to take the course at a future specified date.

Finally you must pass the test – more information to come.

Once you have obtained your Agile certification to maintain it you must acquire at least 30PDU’s every 3 years.  If you are already a PMP and then acquire PMI Agile certification the original 60PDU’s per 3 years still applies only now 30 of those should be directly towards Agile management/participation.

http://www.smartsheet.com

If you want a simplified version of MS Project, and still retain something with bit more sophistication then a spreadsheet, coupled with easy collaboration then I would suggest looking at this product

Features

•          Import from Microsoft Project or Excel
•          Tasks and sub tasks (multiple-levels)
•          Status, Assigned To, Milestones
•          Gantt Chart, Grid and Calendar view options
•          Task dependencies
•          Customizable project fields
•          On-line sharing
•          File attachments on any task
•          Discussion & comments
•          Email notifications & reminders
•          View history of changes
•          Report across multiple projects
•          Attach Google Docs to any row in Smartsheet
•          Google Calendar integration
•          Open attached MS Office docs as Google Docs
•          Import and export Google Spreadsheets
•          Import Google Contacts

There is a number of good reason to use this product. 

First of all it’s easy to share with everyone and anyone.  I have always been hindered  when I have to share the project information by the fact that much of my staff or sponsor’s don’t have to MS Project.  Unless you work for an organization that has Microsoft’s Project Server and/or SharePoint distributing the information is not easy.  Usually I have to print to PDF or transcribe it to a spreadsheet that everyone can see. 

I also love the close Integration with Google products, such Gmail, and the ability to overlay the Smartsheet calendar with your own in order to view conflicts.

Hint:  Integrate the Google Calendar’s of other team members then overlay the Smartsheet calendar, this will allow you to see If there are any existing conflicts for the whole team.

It’s the 20% of Project manager that 80% of us use. 

The only negative is, that it is on the pricy side, you do get a 30day free trial but after that it’s $9.95 per month for the Basic service and goes up to $149.00 per month for the Enterprise version.  But when compared other solutions out there not bad.

First stop Google’s Apps Marketplace

Currently there are 40 applications dedicated to project management.

I have selected 5 I have found  to be best and will give an in-depth review of each one.

I will review their pros and cons.   While none of them are as robust as Microsoft’s Project tools they are much cheaper, in some cases free, and because they all reside in the cloud, the have the potential to become instant collaboration tools.

Have a look for your self and let me know what your favorites are and why.

1. Manymoon: Free Social Productivity, Project Management & Task Management
2. Smartsheet Project Management for Google Apps
3. Gantter Project
4. Mavenlink Web Collaboration: Manage Projects, Docs, Tasks, Time & Payments
5. Teambox Project Collaboration
6. Viewpath: High-Performance Project Management and Task Collaboration
7. Harvest - Simple Time Tracking and Timesheets
8. Glasscubes - Free Collaboration tool and Project Management
9. JIRA Studio - Software Development Tools
10. Comindwork - free Gantt, workflows and to-dos; fully customizable.
11. Zoho Projects: Free Project Management Collaboration Tool with Issue tracking
12. Gcamp
13. MeetingMix: Run Productive Meetings
14. TrackMyHours.com
15. Gravity: Agile Project Management (software)
16. Thymer
17. Cube Time & Expense Tracker
18. BeeBole: Timesheet, Reports and More ...
19. EmForge Portal: Project Collaboration Platform
20. Business Idea Evaluation Tool
21. DeskAway - Simplify Work
22. Acunote - Scrum, Agile and IT Project Management, Wiki (Free for 5 Users)
23. ToBeeDo
24. VeoProject Online Project Management
25. Wrike: Email-Integrated Online Project Management
26. ProjectGoo
27. flow.io: Lean Project Management based on kanban
28. 5pm: project and task management, time tracking and team collaboration
29. Covide Projectadministratie
30. Rapid Task – Powerfull ToDo list you can share
31. Bright Green Projects | Agile | Scrum | Kanban
32. Acunote - Scrum, Agile and IT Project Management, Wiki (Free for 5 Users)
33. Thymer
34. Gravity: Agile Project Management (software)
35. Simple ERP with Project Management, Invoicing & CRM WorkforceTrack
36. Strategicfrontend.com Channel: Free Gmail Contextual Gadget for Projects
37. iGTask for iCal
38. Team Up
39. Seavus Project Viewer
40. Strategicfrontend.com Channel: Free Gmail Contextual Gadget for Sourcing

To me the two have always been inseparable; a good Project Manager should also be a good Leader. I know many will argue the case that they have met PM's that turned out to be poor leaders. 

My point is that they are not good project managers.  These are managers who simply follow the rules, making sure the right forms and reports are filled out and filed as expected.

The question has stayed with me for days, so I decided to define good Project Leadership - the qualities that every good project manager should posses.

Let's start by defining leadership or Leader:

• Directing resources to a successful end goal
• Creating a vision that can be followed by everyone involved
• Inspiring others to that goal
• Building a team and inspiring them
• Listening not only to those who would be considered superiors but team members as well
• Addressing any issues, positive or negative, in timely manner
• Willing to overcome obstacles

If experience has thought me anything, it is this: ideas are easy, it’s execution that’s hard. Keeping these principles in mind let’s look the practical side of how to achieve the goals of leadership in the role of a Project Manager.

Define a clear goal

Be it internal sponsors or an outside client understand what they are trying to achieve.  Get involved in the discussions early.  Help them develop the vision of what they are trying to achieve.  This vision should be simple and clear, one that can be easily communicated to the project team.

If you are a project manager in the IT department, or any technical discipline, make sure you understand the business side of the project.  No one ever said let’s create a new system just for the sake of having a new system.  There are always reasons such as changing market conditions, legislative reasons, a potential to gain profitability.  Once you understand these goals, make sure to relate them to your team, this will help to motivate them as well as make it easer to develop the detailed analysis.

Build your Team and inspire them

As project managers we don’t always have the luxury of selecting whom we get to work with on our projects.  But if you are lucky enough to have that option, get to know the team members and make sure to select them not only on their level of skill, but their compatibility and willingness to work with others. 

Give them the freedom to communicate freely and make sure they understand that when they have to report negative results they will not be punished for it.

Whenever I am faced with a new team I always like to start of with a little speech. 

“In 1986 the space shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds after it’s launch, due to a failure in the O-ring seal.  It was a design defect.  Two years earlier an engineer who worked on the space shuttle tried to warn his superiors of this possibility.  Afraid of negativity they demoted and eventually fired him.   I promise you that if you find any problems on this project, or have any suspicions that there is a possibility of a risk, you will not be punished for it.  In fact I encourage all members of my team to speak up, the sooner we address any issues the less impact they will have on the project.”

Cohesive, productive teams feel trust and support throughout the project. You and other team members must earn trust.  Discourage rumours and backstabbing, these will kill trust and ultimately the project will suffer.

Stand up those to whom you report

I don’t encourage negative confrontation, but if you feel that your mangers, sponsors or customers are asking you to take the project in the wrong direction be willing to say No.  This doesn’t mean starting an argument but you can initiate a dialog.  With proper facts persuade those you report to, to do what you feel is right.   You must do so with conviction and show that you are willing to stand by your principles.  Use every negotiating tactic you have at your disposal.

This is often one of he biggest obstacles a project manager will face, your willingness to address these issues as soon as possible will go a long way towards building your respect in the organization.

Communicate clearly and often

Spell everything out for your team upfront, be honest.  Don’t try to paint a positive picture, give your team the positive and negative of the challenges they will face.  Unless you are honest with everyone your credibility will be destroyed quickly.

Be willing to take ideas from your team, perform risk brain storming sessions to expose any weakness in the project and act to correct them.

Give feedback, positive and negative.  People like to know when they are performing well. Even if you cannot offer tangible rewards, a pat on the back can significantly raise someone’s morale.  On the other hand you must be willing to address any issues when team members are underperforming.  I have seen too many managers unwilling to confront an employee hoping the problem will resolve itself, only to find that it keeps getting worse until the situation spirals out of control.  Any issues must be confronted immediately, but remember to address the issue and not the person.  

If you have a team member that is constantly behind schedule ask them why. Don’t simply accuse them of slacking off.   Sometimes there are circumstances you may not be aware of, and together you can resolve the problem.  In the end you must make it clear that the continuation of the problem will not be tolerated. If necessary don’t be afraid to let them go.

Remember - feedback should be constant, don’t wait until staff review comes around to let people know how they are perfuming.    Periodic reviews should be used to officially recap what you have been telling your resources all along, there should be no surprises.

Build realistic expectations and goals

If you are given insufficient resources (people, equipment, time, budget…) make sure you take this into account and build a plan that will be realistic.  If you simply decide to follow what you are told, you are not a leader.  You must be willing to create a plan that guarantees success, otherwise you will lose everyone’s respect and your project will fail.

Remember to always ask yourself, am I doing the right thing, and inspire others to do the same.

  I thought I would share it with everyone on my blog.  Please have a look, and let me know what you think.

Over my 20 year carrier I have been fortunate to work and gain considerable experience with all of these methodologies. 

My biggest concern is the miss-application or miss-interpretation of these methodologies which I had seen quite a few times.  Usually when I am called in to “rescue” a project that has spiralled out of control.

For example, many organizations that try to adapt to Agile will take the iterative approach while still holding on to the old principles.  Concentrating more on the timelines & task lists rather than focusing on scope and quality of the deliverable.  While others take the “let’s just do it” attitude with no preparation at all.

My hope is to allow the readers to compare and choose the methodology that will work for them the best.  For those who are thinking of switching, are the beginning stages or are having trouble adapting, my objective is to provide a guide through the transition.

While the information is readily available the goal is to provide a clear visual guide that will be simple to understand.  This is already proving to be a laborious task.  For this reason it will be a few weeks before you see it posted.  So please check back from time to time and check to see when it’s completed.

If there is anything you that would be of interest to you regarding this subject please send me your comments.