If you are a project manager, you are no stranger to a never ending stream of collaborative tools being jammed into your computer!

But do they actually work? Is the latest online work platform really any better than the old fashioned office whiteboard to-do list?

et’s explore, reviewing three popular tools and seeing what office life is actually like when using them.

Basecamp:
What is it? Basecamp is one of the most-used project management tools in the world. It does everything – workload division, internal comms., asset storage and retrieval, email auto-updates, etc.
What’s good? It has a three-tier price structure that will suit organisations of any size. Famously easy-to-use, the interface boasts bookmarks, timed alerts and simple “chat with colleagues” functionality.
What’s bad? Lacks workload prioritisation features. Also you can’t edit assets within Basecamp – you have to export them, edit then re-upload, which is a bit of a pain.

TeamGantt
What is it? It’s all in the name. Team Gantt produces a huge Gantt diagram for every job your team has, which you can view according to team-member, project or date.
What’s good? This makes it ideal for people who take things in visually and agencies with teams working on multiple projects. There are automatic email updates for when you have work due in the next day and daily auto-generated reports on your clients.
What’s bad? There isn’t an app, which restricts use somewhat. It’s hard to get Gantt diagrams onto phone screens though! Ask Logic or Ableton where their app is…

Podio
What is it? A PM tool especially useful when managing a lot of freelancers. You can set up projects which display all data at a glance: cost, progress status, members responsible, etc. You can also organise by client and project.
What’s good? Projects are very customisable, from branding to workflows. It’s easy to set people up on it, and it integrates with apps like dropbox for easy asset management. What’s bad? It’s not the most straightforward interface, so if you are heading up a constantly changing team of freelancers, you’re going to be spending a lot of time explaining how to do stuff on Podio.

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