Since the 1950’s the utilization of projects as a regular way of operating has been explored by many companies in various different industries. At one stage public and private sectors in the United Stated alone were said to spend a collective 2.3 trillion dollars on projects annually. Over the last few years however, due to economic downturns in a lot of areas, the number of new projects being approved, has began to dwindle.

The Need for Online Collaboration Software

This difficulty regarding the commencement of projects, especially larger undertakings, has forced businesses and project managers alike to change their management styles. Many companies are consequently moving toward bottom-up administrational approaches, which means that project collaborators are often requested to give input regarding many facets of project planning and execution. This is in dire contrast to the traditional top-down management style, in which management generally directed all aspects of project preparation and implementation.

Project managers are also being forced to relinquish their traditional ‘command and control’ management methods, due to the overall inefficacy of these approaches in the contemporary business environment. Dynamic and fluid practices, such as ‘agile methodologies’, are instead being utilized, as they deal more effectively with the current international business situation. One extremely useful aid in this transition has been online collaboration software packages.

Online collaboration software, which has grown in popularity since the 1970’s is consequently becoming a standard project tool in many industries. One of the main advantages of such software is the fact that managers and collaborators alike can quickly and remotely monitor and steer many aspects of concurrent projects when needed. This is generally undertaken using either software based, or online management applications.

Software Packages

The transparency provided by most online collaboration software packages regarding task allocation, milestones, budgets, deadlines, risks and communication, furthermore aids project operations, as collaborators can be genuinely involved in most aspects of project development and management. This contribution from team members also means that the manager is not required to micromanage every aspect of the project, allowing for more efficient operations.

One of the main benefits provided by modern online collaboration software regarding the contemporary high paced, business atmosphere however, is the fact that many project aspects can be accessed in real-time. This real-time information permits both managers and collaborators to tightly control important project aspects such as budgets, milestones and deadlines, which in turn reduces the likelihood of detrimental events such as going over budget or missing deadlines. This additionally increases consumer and management confidence in the utilization of projects, increasing the likelihood of further projects in the future.

In conclusion, it can be noted that although the number of projects being approved has declined in many industries in recent years, this trend does not have to have a dramatic economical effect. It is believed that if businesses and project managers have the ability to change the style of their operations, and implement tools such as appropriate project management software packages, projects will continue to be a competitive, flexible and efficient way of doing business.