Scenarios

A Right-brained Approach

Goal:

To introduce project management to a team of individuals not accustomed to using or following traditional project management techniques.

Challenge:

Let's face it, not everyone can glance at column after column of data on a spreadsheet, or on a timeline, and make sense of what they are seeing. And even if they can, they may not want to spend the time to do so. Susan knows that her predominantly "right-brained" team (as she affectionately calls them) could be even more productive if she could incorporate project management techniques into their business processes. The problem us that they are put off when confronted with spreadsheets and lists and dates and logistics - it's just not intuitive.

Solution:

Susan's previous attempts to get her small team to buy into the benefits of project management has been anything but successful. About four minutes into the meeting, she was talking to a room full of people who were either doodling on scratch pads or whose eyes had at some point simply glazed over. This time, using Project X, Susan has a unique solution to her problem - a visual approach to project management.

Project X lets people work the way they think by providing different ways to view project data. In Susan's case, she was able to present the project information in the Network View which presents tasks using color-coded graphics. The graphics are connected to each other based on the order in which tasks must be completed. This view gives people who are more visually inclined, or people who are short on time, a great overview of upcoming milestones and an understanding of where the project stands. No more endless spreadsheets or mountains of confusing data.

Plus with Project X's innovative, patent-pending technology that allows different types of media (like images, video clips, or sound bytes) to be added to tasks in the Network View, the team benefits from an interactive experience. Now, when they are looking at the project, it is not just information, but it is information that is visually and contextually relevant to that specific task. For example, a task that requires a diagram to be submitted to the client for approval can actually include a thumbnail of the diagram template. Or a task that requires meeting a client can include an image of the client or the client's company logo for easy reference. Project X has redefined project management for those individuals that prefer and respond best to visual cues-it's a whole new way to manage projects.

Not only that, but the Network View has helped tremendously in terms of providing the team with the big picture. Often, project members end up focusing on the details of their specific component of the project and lose sight of the fact that their ability to complete their portion of the project directly impacts other sections of a project. In fact a seemingly insignificant 1-day delay could easily turn into a 4-day delay down the line-not good. At a glance, Susan's team is now able to see how the work that one part of the team does (or doesn't do) helps or hurts the overall progress of the project. As a result, overall teamwork has increased significantly as has the team's ability to navigate the challenges that inevitably come its way.

Of course, with Project X, Susan still has access to all of the relevant data in the views which are more in line with traditional project management which means no tradeoffs for her. Buts most importantly, Project X has helped her overcome a communications challenge by giving her and her team the flexibility to work the way they think.

Key Project X Features:

• Network View
• Unique patent pending integrated media functionality (in Network View)
• Color -coded tasks for easy viewing