Getting things done effectively during the day can be challenge, whole books have been written on the subject.  Add in the complexity that comes with having multiple simultaneous projects to manage, each with multiple team members, and the possibilities for confusion start to multiply rapidly.  A project management/collaboration tool can help you stay on track and complete tasks on schedule while tracking time and resource allocation.

One such project management tool is the Basecamp application.  Here is a small breakdown on how Basecamp works (see the Basecamp website for more)  and a description of some of the application’s benefits.

The better way to get projects done. That is the tag-line on the homepage for Basecamp. When you see list of users from National Geographic to Adidas, Trek, and Patagonia you can guess they are not making an empty boast.

Safe and secure. First off any system that you use to share any data regarding your accounting firm should be secure and safe. Knowing that all Basecamp plans include SSL encryption and their servers are, “protected by biometric locks and 24-hour surveillance” is sure to ease anyone’s mind.

The Dashboard. There is a dashboard within Basecamp that allows you to get a bird’s eye view of milestones, projects, comments, to-do lists, files, and more. It is from here that you get an idea of where everything is at in one glance. Flying at 3,000 feet can give you a good overview but click on any of what you see and instantly be taken to a ground level view.

The base in Basecamp starts with projects. Projects are what every other tool within Basecamp are attached to. The amount of projects allowed get depends upon the subscription plan you select.

They do have a 30 day free trial but in small print they also offer a free plan. The free plan has enough limitations to make it prohibitive to use for any serious work. You may be able to get by with it though if you are creative enough.

Breaking it all down. As with any project it is good to break it down into small, manageable chunks that have a deadline. Basecamp does this via milestones that are date specific and attached to a particular person.

The projects also have messages, to-do lists, writeboards, chat, files and time tracking.

The key is collaboration. The collaborative nature of Basecamp is key to what makes it tick along so well. There is a flow of communication to those that are subscribed, via email, to any project.

Milestone messages. You can keep track of versions of files while keeping everyone up to date with milestone messages. When a message is created everyone who is subscribed can get an email.

Instead of having to login directly any person can reply via email to the conversation. Everything is still kept track of within the milestone in case there is another person added later in the conversation.

Larger projects can have several people working on several different milestones. Being able to keep track of all of these within one area can save a lot of time. It is also an effective way to keep communication open and up to date.

Basecamp has a lot to offer that is covered via video on their website. It is worth taking a look at and testing out on your next project.

Have your own experience with online project management tools? Send a comment.

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