This week we were asked to find resources that would be
helpful for instructional design projects. After all, there are many pieces to
every project--costs, time, effort, activities, resources, etc. Keeping track
of all of that seems like a herculean task! Nonetheless, there are many
resources that can help, especially in this age of technology.
1.
http://insightly.com/
Insightly is free for up to 3 users and then it is $29 per month. I was
intrigued by this tool because it is a Google App (and it's free--that's a
price you can't beat!). I really like
how you can import your Gmail contacts and any other important documents for
the project. It seems easy to use, especially if you already use Google
applications. In fact, after I set up my project "Let's Go Camping,"
I could see e-mails, notes (from Evernote, too!), files, milestones, tasks and
events associated with the project. It was all there in one spot and I can
invite people to that one spot, too, so this looks like it would be a great
resource to use with your project team and stakeholders. Communication should
be transparent and current if this Google App is used.
2.
https://basecamp.com/
While Insightly is free, it doesn't look quite as appealing as Basecamp,
another project management site. Basecamp has discussion threads,
"To-Do" lists, file storage, and calendars among other features.
Again, everything is all in one place, making it easy to keep your team and
stakeholders organized and in the know. Basically it looks to be like Insightly
only more aesthetically pleasing and possibly more user-friendly and it costs
$20 a month.
3.
http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/project-budget.html
Vertex 42: The Guide to Excel in
Everything has free Excel budget templates! Budgeting for a project is the
thing that scares me most (namely because of the unknowns), so having some
templates with the formulas and some of the budget areas already listed is a
big plus. I think this kind of resource would help me as I tried to get a
handle on the budgeting side of projects. As an added bonus, there are even
some tips and resources (with working hyperlinks!) at the bottom of the page
that can further help one plan the project budget.
Honestly, there are a plethora of project management
resources available on the internet; however, these are the three resources
I've found that I think would best serve me at this point. It's good to know,
though, that there are a number of project management resources available and
project managers who are active on the internet. (I actually found all of my
resources using Pinterest! I plan to peruse Twitter next.) That kind of support
should help me succeed with any project I am assigned or choose to tackle in
the future.
References
#1 Free Online CRM for Small Business: Customer
Relationship Software - Insightly. (2013). In Insightly.
Retrieved from http://insightly.com/
Portny,
S. E., Mantel, S. J., Meredith, J. R., Shafer, S. M., Sutton, M. M., &
Kramer, B. E. (2008). Project management: Planning, scheduling, and
controlling projects. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Project Budget Template. (2013). In Vertex
42. Retrieved from http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTemplates/project-budget.html
Project management software, online
collaboration: Basecamp. (2013). In Basecamp.
Retrieved from https://basecamp.com/
Smith, T. (2013, May 13). 10 Great Project
Management Tools for Freelancers. In SparkPlugging.
Retrieved from http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/10-great-project-management-tools-for-freelancers/
