Spreadsheets and emails. For a project manager, both are useful- but only to an extent.

Here are how these tools hamper your project’s progress. Also, learn how to break free of their limitations.

Limited scope for conversations

Creating and running a project doesn’t just mean you fill information into tabular columns. It also means you have conversations with relevant team members, and record takeaways from those conversations. It also requires you to attach files that are relevant to the project or task.

On both these counts, spreadsheets fall short. You may end up using multiple sheets for different tasks, only to have significant bits of information spread across tools or pages.

You need a system that would not just allow you to do the above tasks, but would also let you collate the information and files in a single place. That’s exactly what I’m Productive provides you with. So, no more hopping around tools and spreadsheets looking for the data you want.

The black hole of a trail mail

Emails have become a mainstay online. While useful in many ways email is often a disastrous tool in project management.

The very idea of sifting through deep mail trails to find a nugget of information can be dread-inducing. Teams often use emails as a way of collaboration. You ask someone something over an e-mail. And back comes a response to the same mail. But the problem begins when the trail deepens.

But there is a solution to that problem- one which combines the power of arranging information into neat grids ala spreadsheets, with the collaboration that email allows. With I’m Productive, you can easily communicate with team members, and also use its simple interface to cluster information however you want to.

No fast way to create plans

A common pain point of using spreadsheets is creating charts and calendars. Sure, there are templates available for these. But even then, you will need to customize them according to your needs. Then, there is the inevitable formatting you’ll have to do. This is especially true in a project management scenario in which the new plans should be prepared on short calls. Many of these plans are designed to be improved upon depending on project progress and contingencies.

This calls for constantly updating the charts.

I’m Productive is designed with such challenges in mind. You can create project plans in a short time, with minimal effort. Making updates are easy as well.

Hard to manage multiple projects simultaneously

Despite the drawbacks of spreadsheets and emails mentioned before, nothing is more problematic than this: managing more than one project at the same time.

Handling simultaneous projects could feel like literal juggling- while your hands are already more than full.

The biggest challenge is knowing the status of individual projects. Another issue is with switching fast from one project to another. And you would have to see your team members’ workload from time to time. Spreadsheets and emails only go so far in helping you with these.

What can help is a powerful project management system like I’m Productive. It could help you gain all such insights- project status, individual workload, the tasks, the projects simultaneously running etc. on a single screen.

So, move beyond spreadsheets and emails. More efficient project management and a more predictable project delivery mechanism await you.