Do You REALLY Need a Project Management System?! Well, the short answer is yes. If you want to keep on top of *gestures vaguely* everything, a project management system is an absolute must-have.
There are a lot of things in business that are optional. For example, you might not ever want a Facebook account, or you might only ever want to use Apple products. You might choose to work exclusively from 11pm - 3am every day.
But when it comes to organisation, there really isn’t an option.
Post-it notes and big sheets of paper have their uses, but will they automatically reschedule recurring tasks? Can you set permissions so that only the relevant people can see what is needed for their own tasks? Do you get a cute animation when you tick of a successful project? No.
Some people are put off by the idea of a project management system because it can take a while to set up and get right. If you’re not a naturally organised person, it can be difficult to decide how to set up your various projects and it might seem as though it won’t work for you. However, it really is worth the investment. A few hours of creating a workflow that will save you so much time and stress in the long run.
So why do you need a project management system?
YOU HAVE A LOT GOING ON
As a business owner, you’re never just doing one thing at a time. Between your own services, accounts, marketing, emails etc, you’re likely to be spinning a thousand plates at once and it would be more surprising if something didn’t fall though the cracks.
Pen and paper certainly has it’s benefits but a digital project management system really is a must-have a this level.
YOU CAN ACCESS IT ANYWHERE
It is accessible everywhere that you have an internet connection, whether you are working on your sofa at home, or on a beach in Bali (I wish!), as long as you can log in to the system, you can see what tasks you have to do.
Being able to access my project management system (and my clients’ project management systems) remotely has saved my butt a lot of times! Like when I’ve walked into town, settled down in my favourite cafe and then realised I’m not sure what I need to work on first.
Most project management tools also have apps that you can access from your phone/tablet - perfect for when you’re on the move and need to check in with something.
Note about apps: Having work related apps on your phone has its pros and cons, especially if you don’t have a dedicated business phone. Remember to always set strict boundaries and respect them!
IT MAKES WORKING WITH A TEAM EASY
Especially if your team is remote!
A system like this is also perfect if you work with a team, be it full-time staff, clients or a VA, you can allocate tasks to them and grant them access only to the things that they need to see to complete them.
This also allows you a top level overview of what is happening in your biz, without having to chase people. You can check whether tasks have been completed, leave comments, attach files, and more, whenever you want to without having to be directly in touch with your team - perfect for if you are in different time zones or you’re working strange hours (I know you are!)
STAY ON TOP OF RECURRING TASKS
I know with my business there are some tasks that I really should be doing weekly, or monthly, but the time seems to come around so quickly, that they often get forgotten about, or missed.
With a project management system, you can set up recurring reminders for these tasks, so that they always appear exactly when and where you need to remember them. Of course, if you keep finding yourself unable to keep on top of them, just one click means you can allocate them to your team.
I use Asana as a one-stop HQ for everything in my business - important links, files, brand guidelines, client information: everything. Instead of rummaging around Googledrive, DropBox, Canva etc to find what I need, having everything in one spot saves me so much time and stress and makes it infinitely easier to go about my work.
So yes, if you want to work smarter not harder; better and more efficiently, you need to be investing in a project management system.
