The 5 Best Free Project Management Tools

There are effective free project management tools out there - some are more robust than others, but all of them provide ways to collaborate and complete projects quicker. According to Digital Trends, here are the best free project management tools:

Trello: Trello is a project management tool designed to organize every component of your project into task cards. This tool is valuable in just about any environment, providing a simple means of creating checklists and assigning tasks to team members in real time. The tool allows users to share projects and attach documents to task cards, each of which syncs across compatible devices via the cloud. Also, users can adorn cards with photos, colors, and deadlines, and the software keeps a record of all activities for future.

Asana: The app, available on both Web and mobile platforms, provides an iTunes-esque workspace housing a navigational sidebar offering projects, a user inbox, and features like Focus Mode and Milestone. When the state of a  project changes, users receive updates in their inbox, and can view which tasks still need to be completed using the Milestone component. 

Evernote: This tool is basically note-taking software formatted into different notebooks, serving as a personal project management utility as opposed to a collaborative one. However, as outlined in our guide on how to use Evernote, the software is capable of doing more than making a rudimentary list. The free service comes bundled with an enormous ecosystem of integrated apps. The tool lets you format notes into a visual presentation, or publish to a blog, allowing you to include photos and voice memos in the process.

Basecamp: The tool has an impressive track record with known companies, including Nike, Twitter, and National Geographic. Basecamp’s Web portal features a discussion board, and a to-do list, allowing members to comment on specific tasks, while serving as a streamlined hub for file sharing that you can integrate with your email. Basecamp features a calendar to stay on top of deadlines, and tracks progress on specific tasks. It also gives you the ability to upload collaborative files, and tweak the site’s granular controls to include information relevant to each individual user.

Google Drive: Every feature the aforementioned project management tools offer is available with Google Drive in some form. Considering that many people have registered a Google account, this makes sharing calendars, documents, spreadsheets, and maps easier than doing so with the other tools on this list.

Related articles

• 10 Must-Have Personal Project Management Tools (lifehack.org)
• Handy Project Management Tools (keithpwilliams.wordpress.com)
• 11 Web Tools to Effectively Manage Your Business Calendar (smallbiztechnology.com)

Project Managers Get Lost with Apple Maps

As of late, Apple has delivered significant updates across virtually every facet of the company. In fact, the tech giant has released 4,000 new APIs to developers; a more aggressive push in cloud services; and changes across its mobile and desktop operating systems.

But, one area of Apple’s business that is seriously lacking in function and updates is Apple Maps. Maps are important to Apple because, just as search has been at the heart of how people find their way around the Internet, maps are the key to how many people use their smartphones.

According to Apple, there is a feature in iOS 8 that will give venue owners the ability to add more indoor positioning data. But from what we understand this was far from what Apple had intended. A source told Apple Insider, “There were multiple improvements that didn’t make it into iOS8,” a source tells us.

After two years of parting ways with Google, Apple is still working on its Maps app. Some key changes included enhanced, more reliable data; more points of interest and better labels to make certain locations like airports, highways and parks easier to find; a cleaner maps interface; and public transit directions.

Further ahead, the report noted plans to integrate augmented reality features to give people images of what was nearby. So, why didn’t they appear?

One source said, “Many developers left the company, no map improvements planned for iOS 8 release were finished in time. Mostly it was failure of project managers and engineering project managers, tasks were very badly planned, developers had to switch multiple times from project to project. I would say that planning, project management and internal politics issues were a much more significant contributor to the failure to complete projects than developers leaving the group.”

Over the years, Maps have been a sensitive area in Apple’s business. It was at the 2012 WWDC that Apple unveiled a new version of its Maps app, but it turned out to be a disastrous move for the company. Unreliable data produced random renderings and bewildered users, and even prompted an apology from CEO Tim Cook with the promise that things would get better.

Apple appears to be taking similar steps to bring search closer to its core business, so there will be two areas to watch to see how the company evolves.

Related articles

• Apple Maps Are Still Lost (techcrunch.com)

Zoho and Google Apps join forces

According to PC World, Zoho is joining forces with Google to provide project management tools to both audiences. By using their Google login and password, users will have access to features like:
-Assigning tasks to people
-Setting milestones and meetings
-Sharing documents and running forum discussions and wikis
-Online group chat sessions.

Read more about the collaboration here.

Sunil Chandra: Enterprise Users, High Expectations

Sunil Chandra was our second keynote presenter yesterday morning. He took the time to walk the audience through the tremendous changes we have all seen in terms of the increased speed of communication and the sheer volume of information that is readily available. He was very clear that with these changes, people are increasingly bringing the expectations that have developed with retail technology into the workplace. Therefore, corporations must become increasingly sensitive to these expectations as they develop the enterprise technologies they require.

Here is Sunil sitting down with us to tell us more about his keynote presentation yesterday.

Keynote Speaker: Sunil Chandra

Sunil Chandra, Director HR Technology & Operations, GOOGLE

Accelerating Fast: HR Systems and Operations

Sunil is responsible for the technology and operations underpinning Google’s HR function. He is responsible for ensuring both the operational integrity of our people processes as well as partnering with our Engineering group to bring innovation in the way we use technology to attract, retain and grow Googlers worldwide. Prior to joining Google, Sunil was an executive responsible for large parts of Barclays Capital Global Technology Services unit and for operations at McKinsey & Co.

Business has always had to contend with change, but with the new millennium, the pace of change has increased exponentially. The availability of information on the internet and through wireless devices to an "always connected" generation has hastened the speed of innovation and removed geographic boundaries. So how do businesses deal with this rapid pace of change and build systems and scale operations in such a tumultuous environment? Google HR technology faces this paradigm everyday. Traditionally systems models thrive on incremental changes through the phases of development to launch a finished product. Today though, these models give way to a much more iterative development cycle. Rather than control information flows, we aim to liberate them. Traditional reporting gives way to real time analytics. In this session, Sunil Chandra will discuss how Google works in this atmosphere of rapid change and ambiguity and continues to achieve operational excellence in their systems and processes.

Welcome to ProjectWorld and the World Congress of Business Analysts!

Our flagship event has arrived and we're excited to bring together leading practitioners and professionals with experience and knowledge of industries all involved in every facet of project management. We will be posting over the next two days details of the main conference, collecting interviews, photos, perspectives and testimonials about the experience here this year's event.

The team has brought together so an amazing panel of keynote speakers including Sunil Chandra, Director HR Technology and Operations with Google, as well as Lt. General Russel L. Honoré, (Ret.), Commander of Joint Task Force Katrina LTG. Also there is a long list of companies represented including BMO Financial Group, JetBlue Airways, Highmark, Boeing, Wachovia, Microsoft, Robbins-Gioia, SunTrust Bank, and IBM to name a few. All the presentations follow this year's theme of Real People Sharing Real Solutions bring you their individual focus on the challenges and solutions they have experience in their own organizations.

As we begin this year's conference, I leave you with a few words from our Conference Director, Jennifer Finer as she discusses some of the great elements that can be found at the conference this year. Be sure and check back here and the event website as we bring you updates from the live conference.