Tips for using the features of Project Management Software Effectively
Tip 1: Where, Who, When, What.
The most important consideration when using the reporting feature in project management software is to decide what information you need from the report. For example where is the information you need, select the sheets you wish to include in the report. On whose work do you want reports on, so for example all tasks that were issued to Judy Day. When these tasks were completed, you may want all tasks assigned to Judy day with a deadline in the next 14 days.
The next consideration is what part of the sheets you want so you may want the status of all the reports assigned to Judy Day with a deadline in the next 14 days. You can also adjust all of these options before you run the report so it only contains the information you need.
Tip 2: More Parameters with Project Management Software
In the reporting feature of project management software you may need information for more than one contact or more than one date, to achieve this you can select a variety of different parameters to hone down your search, results are more specific and it will save you time by generating more specific content. Using the feature to view more than one contact means you can compare the output of each member of your team and this means you can assess accountability for each person.
You may need to then send these reports to other team members, which is achievable in different mediums these can usually be sent by email as well as within the project management software itself. Use this to keep team members updated on theirs and others progress within the project so deadlines are always met. Other team members depending on their access rights can amend the report and the build parameters.
Tip 3: Check for Additional Features
As well as the usual features offered by any Project Management Software there are always those little extras. These little extras could make your life a lot easier and save you time and money. Additional features may include being able to transpose your report into a spread sheet, this will enable you to manipulate the information on this medium and use the information in a different way. Also you can send it to someone outside the business who does have access to your project management software.
Other reporting features include attaching the report to an email document as either a PDF or a spread sheet these as mentioned above can then be viewed by others outside the business.
You can also print the report so you have access to a hard copy, this will be especially useful when engaging in group meetings to discuss progress, though these will be less frequent when using this type of software as all progress can be tracked on line by all those who are involved but is still good to know you can still conduct business on paper should the need arise.