Project Management Tools - Review

In case you’re interested in my thoughts on Project Management Tools and what might work best for you, check out my latest blog that includes some pros/cons for Basecamp 2, Basecamp 3, Teamwork, Smartsheet and JIRA. While the title says it is for FileMaker developers, it absolutely applies to Xojo developers too!

https://beyondthechaos.biz/project-management-tools/

Another example of apps going to a monthly fee instead of a purchase.

As a 1-man operation, I really use a detailed to-do list because I need to make sure I get stuff done instead of making sure someone does it. You mentioned subsets for tasks, I find that to be more important for the way I work as any of the collaboration tools.

I have used a Mac-only product for years called “Things” and it really does most everything I need. I have used various time-tracking apps but have been using Bkeeney’s Task Time for a while now and like it. It has one basic drawback for me which isn’t huge but I would love to be able to put the database on dropbox or something so I can work in different places. Bob has an iOS version now but when I click learn about syncing to desktop, I get a 404 and an extremely detailed writeup about syncing.

Just my thoughts.

I’ve heard of Things before - but as your projects become more complex, it is my understanding that you can’t put as much structure to them. (I might just need an education in the software though!) Teamwork allowing the subtasks is beneficial in a development world. But, the other thing that these solutions help with is interaction with the client, so that you aren’t relying on email to manage your projects with them and you can manage tasks across different clients, all from one place. A task list and a project management solution are not equal. I use Basecamp 2 even to manage my internal projects where I am the only one working on it, but I use Apple’s simple Reminder program for my personal to-do lists. By putting things in Basecamp, I also set myself up to bring in others to help me if needed. I’d love to see how Things works for you.

That’s true, it is just a glorified to-do list, but from that view, it really is pretty powerful. You can have overall “Areas” and then create “Projects” with the Area. Then the project can have to-do tasks with lengthy descriptions, due dates, person assigned to (but I don’t use that part). And then each tasks can have an item-list - a really basic to-do with no fields other that the description.

You can then display task due today, as a list in due date sequence and so on. It certainly isn’t a project management program and has huge gaps if you try to use it like that. But it seems to work for me. And I love how it syncs - you can have it installed on any number of desktops and iOS devices and they all stay in sync without any effort. I’m not trying to sell it by any means but it was really well thought out and developed.

Another tool I use (again, Mac only) is Day One which is a journaling program that you can tag entries with virtually unlimited tags. It
also syncs to all your devices automatically. Use the tags to tie entries back to Things and you can collect a lot of information.

Because I also run a Photography business, I was forced to go to “renting” Adobe Photoshop instead of buying it. That model works well for Adobe but not so much for small business individual photographers. And I’ve just had a personal objection to software you have to rent by the month. But you have to give me some slack, I’m old and a curmudgeon and basically just a little bit cantankerous. But my 40 year old daughter tells me I’m better than I used to be. I was really testy when I worked in the corporate world…

Too funny!
The main thing is that you have something that works for you. If you are staying on top of your clients, not dropping the ball, and not trying to manage things through email, you are ahead of most.

I ran across a site called freedcamp.com … sorta like Basecamp2/3 but targeted at smaller shops. I am giving it a try for now and will let you know how goes.

Would love your input on it - I haven’t tried that one yet. (There are so many out there!)

so I got a few minutes to play with it. Reminds me of Basecamp. Has a nice iOS app. Using a small screen to view the website makes it a little hard to read/use (1080p is the minimum to be really useful). The free version is nice but limited. The Pro or paid version is $4/month for the first user and each additional users is $1/month each. So for small shops it works out to be cheaper than Basecamp. Has very similar functionality.

I am using it now for a startup I am working with. I can give a much better review later on.

—sb

Is it only on iOS or desktop/browser as well? The price is great, although, for a few projects, Basecamp 2 is only $20/month. Would love to hear what you think is missing. Thanks for remembering to fill me in… looking forward to future updates…

it is a website based app. It also has an iOS client. From my laptop I use the Chrome/website.

sorry for not being clear there.

@scott boss - from the website, it looks like you get subtasks, Gantt, time-tracking & Kanban, which you don’t have natively in Basecamp. You can integrate time tracking, Gantt & Kanban, but not subtasks. The different apps/clients are good. The price is dead on right. Questions I would have… can you create templates to start jobs from? Someone else mentioned this solution to me on Monday… their impression was that they took Basecamp 2 and kept developing it. (That’s a bonus for me… not a Basecamp 3 fan.) They also said it was a bit buggy, but if they get some people on board, maybe they can make a go of it. Please keep me in the loop as you work in it.