Project management software includes various tools that help to automate and optimize the most important project management processes. Scheduling is spreading the work over, committing the resources to the tasks and creating a detailed plan of actions. Scheduling using project management software is extremely efficient. Project management software allows to list tasks, assign them to workers, make up a group schedule and personal to-do lists and track the fulfillment of the schedule.

Documents exchange automation is another important task of project management software. Documents circulation automation is useful for management of project. Using software tools makes it possible to share files, find the actual file version and get access to archived previous file versions. Other important project management software functions are communication, team and resource management, budgeting, reminders and notifications. Various project management tools may be combined in a single project management system software.

VIP Task Manager is a multifunctional project management solution that integrates various software tools into powerful project management system.

Project manager has many duties and responsibilities and should process large amounts of data. Project management software tools are intended for simplifying and automatizing project management processes. Let's consider what features and functions project management software should support. Tasks delegating and monitoring their performance are essential for management of project. So, task management tool is required.

Team collaboration is extremely important for successful project management. Multi-user project management software gives many additional benefits. It allows to manage teamwork, coordinate the workflow and establish communication between the team members.

Notifications and reminders help to keep track of multiple activities and give no place to forgetfulness. Automation of documents circulation allows to get rid of paperwork. File sharing helps to exchange information within a team. And, surely, project management software tool should be customizable and easy-to-use.

So, how to select the best project management tool? It is advisable that you try and compare several software solutions and decide which of them is the most flexible, adaptable and user-friendly, supports all the features you really need and has the optimal quality-price ratio.

Business development is the set of activities seeking to create and grow a business. This may be achieved by various means, such as bringing to the market new products and services, finding new sales leads or building strategic relationships with other companies.

How to manage business development?

It is reasonable to divide business development process to a number of accomplishable projects, such as carrying out a consumer survey or information gathering on the certain competitor.

Then it will be possible to organize business development management using project software and standard project management procedure. Project management software helps to streamline business development management. Is it possible to find cheap project management software? And is it reasonable to look for a low-price project management solution?

The more rational approach is to find a software solution with the optimum quality-price ratio that meets your and your company’s specific needs. It is desirable to try several project software demos and find an compare them.

VIP Task Manager is a high-functional and flexible project management solution that may well be customized for business management development purposes. You may test VIP Task Manager in a trial mode and check if it corresponds your needs.

Careful project monitoring helps project manager to get abreast of all project activities and prevent possible troubles. How to establish simple and accurate project monitoring? Project managing software may be used for monitoring project activities. First project manager works out and action plan and project schedule, spreads out the work and define time limits. Then, while the project is being accomplished, project managing software helps to control the fulfillment of the schedule and apply well-timed corrections.

Project monitoring software helps to implement different methods of project workflow tracking. It allows to make, submit and analyze reports, keep and track work diaries, find proper time for meetings and conferences. Whatever monitoring technique you use, the chief thing is thinking over the gathered information and using it to advantage. The collected data may be used for making reports to superiors, improving future timing and scheduling, pre-delivery and post-project assessment etc.

VIP Task Manager is a multifunctional project management solution, which may be used on all phases of project lifecycle for planning, scheduling, monitoring and evaluating the results.

Sales volume growth is the important business goal of every company. However, when the sales level starts growing, salespeople often find it difficult to cope with the increasing number of sales orders and large amounts of sales data. It becomes necessary to establish a well-organized and ordered sales management system. One of the rational approaches to this problem is to subdivide the sales process into a number of sales projects and make every salesperson responsible for managing his or her own project. Project management tools may be used for managing the projects as sales software.

Project management software allows to track the time expenses, which is essential for managing any project. Time tracker is usually built in a project management software solution. Careful document exchange and orders processing is important for the sales project control. Document management functionality is usually supported by project management software solutions.

VIP Task Manager is a multifunctional project management solution that may successfully be used for managing the sales projects. VIP Task Manager supports document management and file sharing, time tracking and task management, data analytics, sorting and filtering.

The main role of software in management is increasing the working efficiency and improving the employees’ awareness. Staff management software helps managers to coordinate the workflow and establish effective collaboration and communication within a staff. The employees are able to exchange information and improve their personal productivity. The minimum required functionality includes time and task management, multi-user support with different privilege levels and communication tools.

Staff management gets a specific character depending on working mode. Project fulfillment is slightly different from day-to-day routine work. However, they have much in common. That’s why project management software may also be used for managing the routine workflow and vice versa. Anyway, if you are going to purchase a staff management software solution, it is advisable to try it in both modes. You would need to try using a demo for management of project, and then see how the same software works for managing everyday routine workflow.

VIP Task Manager is an "all-in-one" ">staff management software solution, which may be successfully used both in project accomplishment and routine work modes.

Project management usually follows several standard steps: project planning and scheduling, then accomplishment and delivery, then closing down the project and post-project assessment. Software solutions help to optimize project management and planning. Software for time and task management, office automation tools, documents management software and many more software tools may be integrated into single multifunctional project management solution. "All-in-one" project management software may considerably enhance the project management process.

Project software for multi-project management should help to meet some specific challenges. Multi-project management is considerably different from single project management. The projects are usually on different phases; each project has its own scope and deadline; important resources are usually scarce and need to be distributed between the projects.

VIP Task Manager is a multifunctional project software solution, which is suitable both for single-project and multi-project management. It combines time management and tracking, documents exchange and sharing, team collaboration tools and many more.

Project management software tools include time and task management tools, communication tools and team management tools. All of them is necessary for successful project management. Are there project solutions that integrate all required tools into a complex multifunctional system? Yes, there are many "all-in-one" project management solutions on the market, which combine time and task tracking, communication and team management, and may provide even more benefits.

You may use multifunctional project management software for time sheet tracking. Tracking the amount of time spent on each job is very important for successful project management. Time sheet software automatizes and simplifies time sheet making and analyzing. You may use project management software solution for office automation and document exchange. Project management software may also help to establish a trustworthy notification system. It is recommended to use several project management solutions in trial mode and compare their functionality, usability and customizability before purchase.

VIP Task Manager is a multifunctional application for management of projects and certain tasks. All the tools that are necessary for successful project management are combined in a single "all-in-one" solution.

Scrupulous project planning is an important part of project management. Project planner helps project manager to design a work breakdown structure, estimate efforts required for each task performing, and make up a list of resources. Project scheduling is a next stage of projectmanagement. Project scheduling tool allows to make a detailed action plan, define milestones and project deadline, and assign jobs.

Project scheduling software may be also helpful on other project management stages. During the project fulfilling it helps project manager to establish effective collaboration within a team, track time expenses, coordinate the workflow, get notified of important events and milestones. Every employee may use project scheduling tool for personal time and task management, as well as for keeping in touch with team mates.

Postproject assessment helps project manager to learn lessons and master his or her skills in projectmanagement. Project scheduling software provides powerful analytic functions for reviewing project experience.

VIP Task Manager is an 'all-in-one' project management and tracking solution that may be useful both for project manager and employees on every stage of project lifecycle.

Project tracking, which consists of time tracking and cost tracking, is extremely important for successful management of project. Time tracking is especially significant, because cost often depends on time spent. Time tracking may be combined with to-do list functionality in a very convenient manner. First a project manager creates a task list and assigns certain jobs to employees indicating estimated time for each task fulfilling and the dates when the task should be started and finished.

Every employee gets individual task list and starts performing the tasks. When the task is started, it should be marked as "in progress". When it is fulfilled, the employee marks it as "done" and indicates how much time it has taken in fact. Thus, the employee is able to report the progress without giving up work.

Project tracking software provides a project manager with ample opportunities of workflow monitoring, tracking the tasks statuses and applying correctives. It also helps project manager to assess project results and profitability after project delivery.

VIP Task Manager is a powerful project tracking tool, which is extremely useful both for project manager and employees on all project stages.

Teamwork applied to workplaces means a coordinated effort of a group to achieve a specific business purpose. Many employers try to impart teamwork skills to employees using workshops and trainings. But it may be really difficult to apply the learned skills practically. That's why it is extremely important to create favourable conditions for team collaboration. Team management software helps to create such conditions, which are: communication, tasks delegating and work process coordinating.

How to ensure effective delegating, coordination and communication within a team? Scheduling software helps to coordinate the workflow using group schedules. File sharing assures accurate documents exchange. Messaging allows team members to communicate with each other. Team leaders can also use team management software for assigning tasks and monitoring their statuses. Evidently, team management application should be multifunctional and multi-user. Different users’ roles and permissions should be supported.

VIP Task Manager is an "all-in-one" team management solution that helps team leaders and team members to collaborate, communicate and apply their teamwork skills in real life.

Time management embraces a number of principles, techniques and ideas that help to take full advantage of your time. The most popular time management practice is making a task list.First all the tasks should be written down in time manager software. Then the large tasks are subdivided into steps, the tasks are categorized and prioritized. Finally you get a detailed action plan.

But it may be rather difficult to be on schedule.The first reason is inaccurate estimate of time required for each task. Time tracking will help you to estimate time expenses more realistically. Time tracking program allows to compare supposed time against actual time.

The second reason may be that the number of tasks is overwhelming. At this rate you should better delegate some tasks and neglect the least important of them. When adding a task you may specify start and due date and set a reminder. Then you will never forget about delayed tasks and deadlines. It is strongly recommended to set start and due dates for the most important tasks.

VIP Task Manager is a time and task management software solution. It allows to create prioritized task lists, track time expenses and establish a trustworthy notification system.

First you write all the tasks in a task management tool, then break up large tasks into simple steps, create categories and classify your tasks, then set priorities. Finally you get an executable task list. Team leaders and heads of departments need to draw up schedules and assign tasks. Scheduling software may be integrated with a task management tool. Multi-user scheduling and task management tool may also be used as task tracking software.

Task tracking is very important for managers, as it helps to monitor workflow, establish effective teamwork and stay on schedule. Task tracking software allows to see which tasks are begun, what the progress is in percentage, when each task is supposed to be completed etc.

Every worker can see individual task list, estimated time required for task performing, start date and deadline of each task. This information helps to organize personal workflow and keep in touch with the higher-ups. For example, employee marks the task as "in progress" when starts working on it, and as "done" when the task is performed.

VIP Task Manager is a program for task management and tracking. It may be useful both for managers and employees. VIP Task Manager helps to organize teamwork and optimize the workflow.

Project management software is designed for management of projects. This software type is usually tailor-made for project manager’s purposes. Scheduling is important for management of projects, so such software solutions allow to create schedules and to-do lists. Establishing cooperation and communication within a team is necessary for successful management of project. That’s why software tools for communication and collaboration are required.

Project management software allows to monitor the statuses of different jobs: if they are performed or not, started or not. Some project management solutions have integrated documents exchange function.

Tracking the employees’ worktime using timesheets is crucial for management of projects. Software makes timesheet processing much easier. Time sheet tracking software may be combined with task list functionality in a very convenient manner. First the task list is made, and then an employee performs the jobs and marks them as “done”.

VIP Task Manager is a tailor-made application for management of projects. This software solution supports many features, such as task and time management, team collaboration and communication, project tracking and timesheet processing.

Project management software is usually designed to meet project manager’s needs. Can the same software solution be also used by other managers, team leaders and staff of your company? Yes, if the project management software solution is a multi-user one. Network project management software allows synchronous access of many users that may have different permissions. The users may communicate, make group schedules, share documents, create personal task lists and much more.

Multi-user project management solution may advance your business. Using project management software optimizes teamwork and communication within a company. Project management software may be used for scheduling, time management, documents exchange and file sharing. The managers can collect and analyze timesheets using networkproject management software. The same solution may also be used for establishing a reliable notification system within a company.

VIP Task Manager is an integrated project management application with multi-user support. It helps to manage large projects, optimize team collaboration and control the work progress. VIP Task Manager may be useful for all employees as well as for managers and team leaders.

While implementing the project, everyday workflow control and corrections are required. How to assure simple project tracking?

Project management software makes project tracking much easier. Project management software allows to see the statuses of jobs and the progress of each job in per cent, get notifications of milestones, send alerts to all employees or only to some of them automatically. Also applying corrective actions becomes much simpler. Project management software allows to assign jobs and to turn the task over to another employee just in a few clicks.

Efficient team collaboration makes project manager’s work much easier. Project management software helps to improve communication within a team. It allows to share files, make group electronic schedules, set group alerts of important events and so on. Personal time management increases efficiency of teamwork, which also makes project management much more effective and simple. Project management software may be also used for individual time management.

VIP Task Manager is an easy project management software solution for simpleproject tracking. It increases personal productivity and efficiency of teamwork, optimizes communication and document circulation, thus being useful both for project manager and every team member.

Business management is usually divided to six categories: strategic management, marketing management, HR management, IT management, production management, and financial management. But more and more business processes does not fit this standard scheme recently.

New business management standard may be called integrated business management process. This new standard requires great skill and responsibility of managers. How to organize effective business management process? What software tools may be useful?

An integrated business management process product should support such features as:

• Multi-user network access to common database;
• Different users’ permissions and roles;
• Communication functions;
• Document processing and sharing;
• Team and task management functionality.

The above-listed functions are supported by so called project management software. Both software for business management and project software include document management, communication tools, multi-user mode, task management and team management.

VIP Task Manager is a piece of project management software that may be successfully used for controlling the integrated business management process. The product corresponds the needs of managers of all levels.

Project management triangle consists of three constraints, namely scope, cost, and time.

• Scope constraint deals with the requirements to the final product.
• Cost consists of various expenses associated with the project realization.
• Time constraint relates to project deadline and milestones.

Controlling the three constraints is an important part of project management. Tracking any changes on a daily basis is one of the main project manager’s duties. Monitoring of scope, cost and time constraints becomes much easier when using project management tracking software. Time tracking is bound up with cost tracking, because cost usually depends on worktime spent.

Project management software is particularly useful for time expenses tracking. It helps to make a common schedule and individual to-do lists for every worker, keep an eye on the status of each job, turn the tasks over to other employees, send alerts of milestones to team members, co-ordinate teamwork, make, collect and analyze timesheets.

VIP Task Manager is a kind of project software for time tracking, task and team management, to-do-lists and timesheets making. It helps project manager to monitor scope, cost and time constraints.

Project manager is responsible for project realization and achievement the project goal. It is a very demanding job. Project manager’s position requires great skill and responsibility. Project manager has many duties, such as defining the project requirements, building a team, organizing teamwork and collaboration, everyday control of the workflow, making reports to senior managers or project sponsors.

Project manager’s software may help to cope with the duties. Let’s see what functionality is required.

Project manager needs to assign jobs and make schedules. So, scheduling software is an important project manager’s tool. Project manager has to ensure effective teamwork. So, the next project manager’s tool is team management software. Project manager needs to monitor the project progress. Thus, project manager’s software should help to track the statuses of the job.

Sometimes it could be necessary to give an access to project manager’s software to other employees or team leaders. Multi-user support may be helpful.

VIP Task Manager is an “all-in-one” project manager’s software that combines all the features required for successful project management, such as time management, team management, to-do-list functionality, notification system, document management and file sharing. VIP Task Manager helps project manager to cope with the job.

One of the most important project manager’s duties is to ensure proper communication and collaborationwithin a project. What software solutions may help with this?

It is possible to improve communication and team collaboration using project software.

Let’s see the examples.

• Project management software helps to delegate duties assigning and re-assigning jobs.
• It allows to send notifications of important events and milestones to all employees or to some of them automatically.
• Group schedules are very helpful for establishing collaboration within a team. The same tool may be used for group scheduling.
• Careful documents circulation is important for effective communication and collaboration. Document management software may be integrated in a project management solution.

Obviously, the project management solution should support many functions that are required for effective collaboration and management of the project.

VIP Task Manager is a multifunctional project management solution. It may be used for establishing team collaboration, as document management software, as a reliable notification system, as a group electronic calendar. It serves well both for team collaboration and for management of the project in general.

The marketplace is rapidly changing nowadays. Hierarchical management doesn’t allow to react fast enough. Teamwork becomes much more important than hierarchical structure. Communication and cooperation help to react faster to new challenges. That’s why the old management model gives place to newer, more adaptable collaborative management.

Project software helps employees and managers to collaborate more effectively. This software type is also called group collaboration software, or project collaboration software.

Teamwork becomes more effective and fast thanks to better cooperation and automation. Using project software managers are able to monitor the workflow, assign and re-assign tasks, track their statuses, send alerts and notifications and much more. Employees may increase their individual productivity and learn to do teamwork.

VIP Task Manager is a collaboration software solution that corresponds the needs of collaborative management. It combines group electronic calendars, communication tools, reliable notification system, project management features and many more functions.

Does time management in fact allow to manage time? Surely, you cannot affect time itself, but you can use it more effectively. Time management embraces many techniques and principles that help to make better use of your time. The most popular of them are prioritizing, to-do list technique and Pareto’s rule.

You can choose the ideas and practices that are more suitable for your needs and integrate them into your own united time management solution.

Time management program may help you to systematize your favourite practices in order to increase their efficiency.

There are many time management products on the market. How to select a proper time management program?

• Time management solution should support all functions you may need: task lists, priorities, reminders, categories, statuses, sorting by category, status, time etc.
• It should be adjustable and customizable in order to fill your individual needs.
• It should have user-friendly and intuitive interface.

VIP Task Manager is an “all-in-one” time management product, easy-to-use and customizable. It allows to implement any time management idea or principle to your taste.

What Is a Time Sheet?

A time sheet is a method for tracking the amount of an employee's time spent on each task. This method is simple as all the great things.

The simplest time sheet records only the start and end time of tasks. But it may also contain a detailed list of tasks accomplished throughout the project. The more information a time sheet contains, the more benefits you can get of it. Surely, making and analyzing time sheets should not be time-consuming, otherwise making time sheets and reports will become just a waste of time.

Fortunately, gone were the days of manual collection, compilation and calculation of employees’ time sheets. Time sheet tracking software makes all these processes much faster and easier, therefore, more effective.

Advantages of Time Sheet Software

• Time sheet tracking makes sense only if the time sheets are accurate and are submitted timely. It is anything but a secret that most of people hate paper work and reporting. The only way to ensure accurate time sheet submission is to make it as easy as possible. Time sheet software allows to make time sheets in a very fast and convenient way. Your employees will like this!
• Collecting time sheets is also very easy, even if your employees are based at different locations.
• Time sheet software allows to compile and analyze time sheets in easy and convenient manner. You won’t have to piece together information - the time sheet program will do this for you.

But that’s not all. Actually time sheet tracking software can make much more for you than just collect and compile time sheets. It also provides you with extra functionality, which allows you to analyze the information collected and use it for different purposes.

The Additional Benefits You Can Get

• Network time sheet programs allow simultaneous online access for many users, so you can see how the work advances. So you are always in control of workflow.
• You can track the time spent for each task by each employee. This information will help you to estimate time expenses for future reference. So, time sheet tracking software is very helpful for project management. This is especially important for industries where the customers are billed based on time spent.
• Comparing the time spent on similar tasks by different employees, you can compare their personal productivity. Maybe, it will make you to reassign some tasks and realign roles. So, a good time sheet program may have an HR function.
• Time sheet program may also have to-do list functionality. At first one can create a to-do list, then, while performing the tasks, transform a to-do list to a time sheet. Thus, the same application could be used as a time management tool simultaneously.

VIP Time Sheet Tracking Software

VIP Task Manager is a time sheet program that makes creating, collecting and compiling of time sheets much more easy and fast. Also it is helpful for project tracking, human resources management, team collaboration, workflow control and analytics. VIP Task Manager keeps you in control of your employees’ time and labour expenses.

Keep an eye on your To Do List

The tasks in our To Do List have different statuses, some of them are already completed or canceled, others are in process or put on hold, etc. It is a normal working process, but if at some moment it turns out that we have too much tasks that are put on hold or uncompleted for a long time, it’s necessary to take appropriate measures. So, it’s extremely important to control the number of the tasks with different statuses.

"Tracking task statuses" To Do List

• From time to time don’t forget to track your tasks
• Track how many tasks are not completed, put on hold, etc
• Use software to calculate the number of the tasks with different statuses

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Group your tasks by "Status" field
3. Go to Chart panel
4. Track the statistics of your tasks on the chart

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Anchors for effective work start

If you often spend much time before start accomplishing some tasks, try to use some ‘anchor’. It is some subject that is connected with a certain emotional state for you. When we need to start the work on this task, we ‘turn on’ required anchor, ‘come into’ this state and in that way make yourself proceed to the task. If you try this simple advice, you will save much time that you used to spend on ‘switching’ to the work.

"Setting anchors" To Do List

• Most often people use music as an anchor. Try to connect different kinds of music to different kinds of tasks
• Use selected anchor only when you need to accomplish this particular task
• Use software to attach any music files to the task

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Create a new task
3. Open "Attachment" tab and attach some musical file that you connected with this task
4. Open this file and start doing task

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You should realize how much time a new project will take

When you plan a new project, you should estimate how much time it will take. As each project consists of a great number of subprojects and subtasks, it’s difficult to determine its estimated time at once. First, you need to set each task and define the time that it will take and only then you will be able to calculate project’s total estimated time and to set your further working plans.

"Project estimated time" To Do List

• Start project setting from setting its tasks
• Estimate the time that each task can take
• Use software to calculate project estimated time

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Create a new task group, e.g. "Project 1"
3. Create its subgroups and tasks
4. Enter tasks' estimated time
5. At "Estimated time" field of "Project 1" task group you will estimated time total value

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Reports on the sales via several clicks

Creating reports allows the leader to evaluate the work of department or particular managers. For example, if it is a sales company, a report can demonstrate how many products were sold by what team member, what kind of product each of them sold and how much money his/her sales made. Looking at this report a team leader will be able to estimate the productivity of each sales manager and reward his/her efforts according to the merits.

"Making sales reports" To Do List

• Before creating report, define what products you need to report about
• Ask the leader what time interval he/she wants to be reported about
• Use software to create graphic report on arranged sales deals

Action plan

• Start your team management software
• Create a new custom fields 'Quantity', 'Price', 'Total' and 'Product'
• Enter following formula into ‘Formula’ entry field of ‘Total’ custom field

$cf_quantity * $cf_price

• Set filter to display the tasks of required resources and for required time interval
• Enter task custom field values and group the tasks by ‘Assigned’ and ‘Product’ fields
• Go to Charts panel and select ‘Total’ from drop-down list on Charts toolbar
• Print out the chart

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Step by step towards the goal

In order to achieve something in your life first you need to define your goals. You can do it by using sequential switch from ordinary tasks to the goals that include them. For example, ask yourself why you create a report. Obviously, the answer is to consolidate your status in the company. Why do you need it? Probably, you want to achieve career development. Why is it important for ? You want to become independent . So, with the help of several steps from your current tasks you defined your main goal.

"Setting goals" To Do List

• Pay attention to the tasks that you perform
• Ask yourself why you perform them and step by step define your main goals
• Think what else you can do to achieve your goal
• Use software to set your goals

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Create a new task that describes your goal
3. Enter additional information into task notes section, if necessary
4. Continue doing your tasks

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Procrastination may become a system

Let’s imagine that you need to back up the information on your computer each week. If you forget to do it once, it doesn’t matter. But when some virus attacks your PC and backup copy wasn’t created for a long time, the losses can be great. If you regularly tracked your To Do List, you’d discover that this task was ignored for a long time. Overview of your regular tasks and their statuses will give you a warning that some of them are put off too often.

"Tracking regular tasks" To Do List

• Create a schedule of your regular tasks for a certain time period, for example for a week
• Mark completed tasks in order that you will be able to define whether it’s accomplished at the end of the week
• Use software to track regular tasks and discover procrastinations

Action plan

1. Start your Task Management software
2. Set filter to display uncompleted tasks
3. Track regular tasks by their Date Created field
4. If some task isn’t accomplished for a long time, take appropriate measures

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Project accomplishment should be carefully organized

Usually any project consists of several subprojects each of them can include some more small subprojects and tasks . Each task should be delegated to a certain team member . All tasks must be recorded in the form of To Do List in order to let each person organize his / her workflow . So , the process of project setting and organization can take much time. You can save great part of this time by using specific project management software.

"Setting project" To Do List

• When you set the project , start from dividing it into the smaller subprojects
• Think over the tasks that should be done within each subproject
• Select the most appropriate team members to accomplish each task
• Use software to set project tasks and assign them to required resources

Action plan

1. Start your team management software
2. Create a new task group , for example “ Project 1” and its subgroups if required
3. Set filter by required task group or subgroup
4. Create new tasks
5. Assign the tasks to required resources

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Let your subconsciousness solve complex problem by itself

Tasks can be delegated not only to the people, but to your subconsciousness. Let’s imagine that you have a complex task that can’t be divided into smaller ones. The most effective way for solving such problem is to obtain as much information about it as possible during certain period of time and then completely ‘switch’ to some other tasks and be busy with them for definite time. You will see how desired solution will be found during or after accomplishing the tasks that are not related to your problem as your subconsciousness continues working on it.

"Delegating to subconsciousness" To Do List

• When you have a complex problem, don’t be afraid if you can’t solve it at once
• Obtain as much information about this problem as possible and then turn your attention to some other tasks that are not related to it
• In some time return to this problem and try to solve it again
• Use software to schedule the time for finding the solution of your problem and then accomplishing other tasks

Action plan

1. Start your organizer software
2. Create a new task to solve a complex problem
3. Schedule it to required time interval
4. Create and schedule other tasks to the next time period
5. Return to the problem after you accomplished other tasks

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CPI helps to estimate the effectiveness of your staff

When you compare the time that was scheduled to particular task and the time that this task actually took, you should make definite conclusions about the productivity of employee who the task was delegated to. Calculate the value of cost performance index (CPI), i.e. the ratio between task estimated and actual time, and you will see whether you have any problems with the time of task accomplishment and your staff productivity.

"Cost Performance Index calculation" To Do List

• When you assign the task to your employee, estimate the time that it may take, you can do it together with your team member
• When the task is accomplished, calculate the ration between its estimated and actual time
• Make proper conclusions in accordance with obtained value
• Use software to calculate task cost performance index

Action plan

1. Start your team management software
2. Create new task custom fields ‘Task actual time’, ‘Task estimated time’ and ‘CPI’
3. Enter the value of ‘Task actual time’ and ‘Task estimated time’
4. Enter following formula into ‘Task CPI’ formula entry field

$cf_task_estimated_time / $cf_task_actual_time

5. Estimate the value of CPI

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Take your time under control

Any working process can’t go without permanent time control. If you forget about the time, you can easily procrastinate with the tasks and exceed their due date. Constantly overdue results of your work may cause that your leader and team mates will consider you are non-punctual and irresponsible person. In order to avoid such impression and deserve the respect of your colleagues and direction, get into a habit to control how mush time is left before task due date and how much time you still need to accomplish it.

“Tracking due date and time left” To Do List

• While working on the task, don’t forget about the time
• Periodically estimate what part of the task is already done, how much time you will still need to accomplish it and how much time is left before task deadline
• Use software to track task due date and time left

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Set filter to display only uncompleted tasks
3. Display ‘Time Left’ and ‘Due Date’ columns
4. Compare the time in both columns
5. Take appropriate measures if you discover the procrastination with some task

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Never stand still

In order to constantly produce the highest quality in our changing world, it’s necessary to improve the products you put out and the processes that provide them. Competent company managers always try to find new techniques or methods that can increase the productiveness and quality of company work. So, always assign the time for planning the improvement of work organization and conditions and your company will stay effective and competitive.

"Planning the improvement" To Do List

• Find out what points of your company or department work should be reconsidered
• If you have some ideas what should be done, note them and prepare to discuss with your staff
• Use software to plan the improvement of working processes

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Create a new task 'Work Improvement'
3. Open Notes tab and enter your ideas
4. Click 'Ok'

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The tasks can be assigned to resources automatically

Frequently certain managers in the company work with particular clients and the tasks that are related to these clients should be automatically assigned to team member who had dealings with them earlier. In our days of advance you can simply lighten your working process and save time even on delegating and assigning the tasks to your employees. All you need for that is to have specific team management software that will help to spend less time on work organization and more time on your productivity increase.

"Automatic assignment" To Do List

• When you are delegated the task that is also assigned on your colleagues, start doing your part of the task
• When it's completed, don't hurry up to run to other team members and tell them that you did it or any other details about the task
• Use software to exchange the comments about the task with your colleagues

Action plan

1. Start your team management software
2. Create new task custom fields ‘Assignment’ and ‘Client’
3. Into the formula entry field of custom field ‘Assignment’ enter following formula:

iif ($cf_client=1, 2, iif($cf_client=2, 1, 3))

4. Create a new task and enter its 'Client' field

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How to avoid procrastination

If you often tend to procrastinate with some task and don’t know how to improve your effectiveness, this article is exactly for you. Here is a simple but useful tip. Try to schedule definite time when you have rights to do this and only this task and nothing else. When you start procrastinating with accomplishing the task, you have nothing that can replace it except doing nothing. But by doing nothing you feel how your time is passing, start worrying and finally proceed to the task.

"Scheduling time to the task" To Do List

• Stop procrastinating with unpleasant task
• Schedule exact time that is assigned only for this task
• Even if you procrastinate with task accomplishment during this time, don’t proceed to something else
• Use software to schedule exact time to accomplish definite task

Action plan

• Start your organizer software
• Create a new task
• Schedule it to appropriate time
• Work only on this task during this time

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Encouraging words can greatly motivate employees

Each person needs to be important and valuable for the company and people he or she works with. It can motivate the individual to become more and more productive. Sometimes it’s enough to say one encouraging word and the employee feels that you appreciate his/her professional and personal characteristics. It takes you a moment but may make a great profit in the future. Just deposit several minutes and you will have well-motivated and highly-effective team member.

"Appreciating employees" To Do List

• Think how often you say encouraging words to your employees
• If you didn’t pay attention to it earlier, change your politics now and don’t forget to motivate your team members with some kind and encouraging words. It may be while you are assigning a new task to them or checking already done one, etc
• Use software to add some comments to employees’ tasks

Action plan

1. Start your team management software
2. Open the task that you assigned to your employee
3. Open task Comments section and add some encouraging words
4. Continue your work

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A task is like a meeting

Imagine that you can’t start working on some high-priority task because there is always something that hampers you. Let us suggest a simple but useful tip to you. When you need to meet with a certain person, you will certainly be able to protect this time from other tasks. So, try to schedule the meeting with yourself and treat to the time of this meeting in the same way as you appreciate other meetings – you can’t put off or miss it. Now you can be assure that the task will be started exactly in time.

"Meeting with a task" To Do List

• If you have a task that must be necessary done but you put it off for a long time, change your approach to it
• Imagine that you are assigned to attend the meeting and you can’t miss it or be late
• Use software to schedule the task

Action plan

• Start your organizer software
• Create a new task
• Assign it to the most appropriate time
• Start doing the task

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Reports on completed tasks are useful both for employee and employer

Creating reports is integral part of any work as any team leader needs to control the work of his/her company or department. Reports on completed tasks allows manager to evaluate the work that was carried out by the employee, and team members can demonstrate how much productive they are. When the employee remembers that the work he/she does will be checked, it motivates him/her to work more effectively in order that employer can appreciate spent efforts at their true value.

"Reporting on completed tasks" To Do List

• Define what time interval you need to report about
• Find out what kind of report your employer wants, printed out or exported to Excel
• Use software to make report on the tasks completed during definite time period

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Set filter to display only tasks completed during required time interval
3. Print out the tasks or export them to MS Excel
4. Continue doing your work

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Out of sight, out of mind

The task that you are assigned to do may become non-relevant at some moment and should be put off till the time when it is important again. It’s a normal situation but the problem is that we can easily forget to come back to this task and it will never be accomplished. Postponed once, the problem is put aside and disappears from our mind till we come across it by chance. But when it happens, we probably don’t need it any more. What can be done to avoid such situation?

"Tracking postponed tasks" To Do List

• If you put off a certain task in your To Do List till some time, don’t forget to come back to it
• Get into a habit to track the tasks that were postponed for some time
• Use software to create a recurrent task to track the tasks that you put off

Action plan

1. Start your Task Management software
2. Create a new task 'Track put off tasks'
3. Set it to repeat every week or every month
4. Continue doing your tasks

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Use software to save time and efforts

In our business life we often face the necessity to make some statistics calculations per the projects or groups of tasks. For example, you need to calculate total budget obtained as a result of several sales operations. It takes much time and energy especially when there is a great volume of data. Why waste the time on the task that can be automated with the help of software. It would be more effective to automate the calculation process, use saved time for other more important tasks and in that way increase your productivity and save the efforts.

"Automate calculations" To Do List

• Pay attention what kind of calculations you frequently make to get some statistics per the project or the tasks you’ve done
• Think if it’s possible to arrange this data and calculations in such a way that they can be automated
• Use software to store the data and calculate them

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Create a new task group, e.g. 'Project 1'
3. Create a new custom field, for example 'Budget'
4. If required, make it aggregated per other data, e.g. budget = quantity * price
5. Make it aggregated for the task group, e.g. count the total budget for ‘Project 1’ task group

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Two birds with one stone

When we start a big project, we need some time to draw into it. To relief this process and to use this time rationally, it’s recommended to accomplish some small tasks that are related to the project in one way or another. While working on the task that is similar to the future project, you make up your mind to the right direction and unconsciously prepare yourself to proceed to the project. So, you kill two birds with one stone – accomplish one more task and get ready to start a serious work.

"Proceeding to a big project" To Do List

• Before you start a big and serious project, think what tasks you should accomplish to get everything ready for this important work
• Accomplish these tasks before you proceed to the project and it will be easier for you to redirect your attention to its accomplishment
• Use software to schedule appropriate tasks to the proper time before starting a new project

Action plan

• Start your task management software
• Create a new task
• Schedule this task to the time before you plan to proceed to a new project
• Start doing the task and then switch your attention to the project

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Tracking the tasks can motivate you to accomplish more

Comparing the tasks that you scheduled to this day and the tasks that you actually accomplished is very important part of work organization. Firstly, if the task is overdue and it happens more and more often, you can timely discover problems with your time management and start working on its improvement. Secondly, you will motivate yourself to work more productively when you realize that the task is accomplished in time or even earlier. So, in any case it’s useful for your effectiveness to track your To Do List during the day.

"Tracking the tasks during the day" To Do List

• As you accomplished a task, mark it as completed and record the time that you spent on it
• During the day compare the state of your actual work with your today To Do List
• Make proper conclusions in accordance with your work results
• Use software to track the tasks assigned to this day

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Set filter to display only the tasks assigned to this day
3. As you accomplished some task, change its status to ‘Completed’ and enter Actual time
4. From time to time track the tasks and realize whether you are as productive as you planned

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How to prevent your colleagues from overloading you

Do you suffer from constantly growing list of the tasks assigned to you? You work hard and productively but your To Do List doesn’t become smaller, but bigger and bigger. What is the reason? Maybe your colleagues and employers don’t realize the volume of your current work and constantly add some more one. The only solution is to let them know that you are up to your neck in work. In that case they will first think whether you are able to accomplish one more task without stress and overwhelming and won’t press on you.

"Available task list" To Do List

• Put all your tasks, their due dates and statuses on the list
• Keep this list available for your employers and colleagues
• Use software to keep your colleagues aware of the tasks in your To Do List

Action plan

1. Start your team management software
2. Create the tasks you need to accomplish
3. Enter their statuses and due dates
4. Grant your colleagues the permission to view your task list

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Control the time that you spent on the project

When the project is already accomplished, it’s useful to compare the time that was estimated for its tasks at the beginning of the work and the time that was actually spent. By analyzing the difference between them, you and your colleagues can make up a conclusion about your productivity or procrastinations. Constant control under the time that you spend on the tasks will give you a possibility to discover whether you have any problems with time management, and to start working at your self-improvement in time.

“Reports on Actual and Estimated time” To Do List

• When the project is completed, don’t give it up at once
• Pick out the tasks that are related to this project and record the time that you actually spent on them
• Use software to make graphic report on project Estimated and Actual time and print it out

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Set filter by required project’s task group
3. Enter task's Actual time
4. Go to Charts panel and select ‘Estimated time’ from the first drop-down list and ‘Actual time’ from the second drop-down list on Charts toolbar
5. Print out the report

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'Newmavashy' method

If you think how to increase the productivity of the meetings in your company, we recommend you to try Japanese technique ‘newmavashy’. It consists in holding a meeting to prepare for the main meeting. It means the discussion of the subject within each of several team groups of the specialists. After that one or two persons from each group take part in the meeting. This method allows to effectively discuss the subject of the meeting and save the time of the teams.

"Newmavashy method" To Do List

• Before the meeting where specialists of different groups should take part, assign the meetings within each group
• After these small meetings assign one or two persons of each group to represent their group at the main meeting
• Use software to schedule small meetings within the groups and assign the representatives for the main meeting

Action plan

1. Start your team management software
2. Create new tasks ‘Discuss the subject’
3. Schedule them to the time before the main meeting and assign to required teams
4. Create a new task ‘Attend a meeting’
5. Assign required employees to this task

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Meeting may be replaced by data exchange via computer

Everybody knows how much time can be wasted during the meeting. Frequently the aim of the meeting is to inform the team of some work innovations or project’s details and so on. There is no necessity to hold a meeting in order to spread such kind of information. By using a computer and specific software designed to exchange the data among the members of the team, you can easily provide required employees with new information and save their time for more important tasks.

"Information exchange" To Do List

• Before holding a meeting, stop and think whether it is really necessary
• If you just need to inform the team of some task or project details, don’t waste your employees’ time on attending the meeting
• Use software to provide the employees with required information

Action plan

1. Start your team management software
2. Open a task you need to discuss
3. Add comments to this task comments section
4. Assign required employees to receive notifications about task changes

Don’t let the paper pile grow

You frequently find out that your desk is covered with the piles of papers. You can take each of them into your hands several times during the day, but the paper still stays at its previous place. What are the reasons of your disorder? They may be various, such as lack of scheduled time for documentation process or just lack of organization. In both cases the best decision of your problem is to schedule exact hours in your timetable for paper handling. So, you will get rid of endless paper piles on your desk and accustom yourself to be disciplined and productive.

"Paper handling" To Do List

• If you are tired of endless paper queues on your desk, think when it is the best time in your schedule that you can devote to sorting the documentation
• Schedule paper handling to this time and keep to your plan
• Use software to schedule the time for work with the papers

Action plan

1. Start your organizer software
2. Create a new task ‘Paper handling’
3. Schedule this task to the most appropriate time
4. Keep to your schedule

Avoid stress and overwhelming of your team

If you have a team of equally skilled specialists and a task that should be delegated to one of them, there is a question who it will be better to assign this task to. The answer is simple. By delegating additional task to that employee who is already overloaded with current work, you will make him feel stress and overwhelming and can decrease his productivity. So, select the employee who is less busy at the moment and has less urgent or important tasks in his/her To Do List and delegate a new task to him.

“Tracking employees’ load” To Do List

• Before delegating a new task, be careful and don’t hurry up just to get rid of this task
• Track the number of tasks that each employee has and compare their importance and time that each one need to spend on them
• Delegate the task to the person who is less loaded at the moment and in the near future
• Use software to track employees’ task lists and assign the task to less loaded team member

Action plan

1. Start your team management software
2. Set filter to display uncompleted tasks of required resources
3. Sort them by their priority
4. Select the employee who has less urgent tasks and assign a new task to him

Time spent on report creation can be saved

It’s often required to give the leader reports on the time that was spent on some tasks by different employees or the whole departments. Such reports allow tracking the productivity of each department or team member and comparing which one can more effectively manage their work. But making report may become a time-consuming task, if not automated. By using specific software you can minimize the time spent on report’s creation.

"Actual time reports" To Do List

• Define the time period you need to report about
• Pick out the tasks that are already completed by required employees or departments
• Use software to make report on task Actual time of required employees or departments

Action plan

• Start your team management software
• Set filter to display only completed tasks from required time interval
• Group the tasks by ‘Department’ or ‘Assigned’ field
• Go to Charts panel and select ‘Actual time’ from the drop-down list of Charts toolbar
• Print out the chart

Task notes can help to proceed with interrupted task faster

Everybody knows how difficult is to continue the task that was started and interrupted earlier. You need to refresh where you stopped and remember what should be done next, so, it takes your time and energy. Surely it’s better not to interrupt the task accomplishment, but if it’s still necessary, note briefly the ideas that you didn’t completed yet, any suggestions about the better decision and everything that will help you to resume the work on this task easier and faster.

"Task notes" To Do List

• While working on the task, try not to interrupt it on half-way
• If you need to interrupt the work on the task before it’s completed, briefly note everything that will help you to return to the work faster when you proceed with the task next time
• Use software to add notes to the task that you need to interrupt

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. If you need to interrupt task accomplishment, open task notes section
3. Add notes that will help you to continue the work on this task faster in the future
4. Apply the notes to the task

How to proceed to work faster

Many people need some time to make up their mind to start working day. It’s normally until it doesn’t take too much time. If your employees spend the whole morning discussing their previous day, checking e-mails or something else, you should try to eliminate such procrastinations. For example, make it a rule to hold the meetings each morning and discuss what was done, what should be done, what problems were faced, etc. In such a case, the employee has to remember the previous working day and think over the tasks that should be done this day, so, he or she automatically draws into the work.

"Morning meeting" To Do List

• Assign short meeting to the morning of each day
• Define the questions that should be discussed during these meetings, for example, what tasks were done during the previous day and what problems each employee had during their accomplishment, what he or she is going to do this day, etc
• Inform your team members about the meetings and their subjects
• Use software to create a task ‘Meeting’, assign it to required employees and inform them about its subject

Action plan

1. Start your team management software
2. Create a new task ‘Morning meeting’
3. Schedule it to appropriate time in the morning
4. Assign required employees to attend the meeting
5. Enter meeting subject into task notes section

The problem decision should be well-weighted

No work goes without solving different problems. There is nothing awful in it, it’s a component part of working process. So, you shouldn’t be afraid of it and just learn how to take proper decisions. But if you always try to solve the problem immediately as it appears, you have a chance to overlook some important details and get undesirable results in the future. It’s rather smarter to put off the problem-solving for a certain time if there is no hurry and return to it when you have enough information that can help to take the right decision.

“Making a decision” To Do List

• Before taking a decision on a certain problem, stop and think whether it’s so important to do it right now and whether you have enough information to solve it correctly now
• If the matter is not urgent and you find difficulty in estimating the situation at the moment, put off the problem-solving and start gathering additional information about this question
• Return to this problem when you have enough data to take a proper decision
• Use software to register the problem that should be solved in the future and enter additional information about it into task notes section

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Create a new task, e.g. ‘Decide whether Smith’s offer is profitable’
3. When you obtain the information about this task, enter it into task notes section
4. Take a decision when you have enough data and change task status to ‘Completed’

Everything changes and the plans also

We live in a constantly changing world and it’s naturally that the plans you made are not permanent at all. For example, your daily plan may need some changes during this day. The same is with your short-term, long-term plans and even with the main goals. There is nothing terrible in it, just the opposite it is recommended to revise the plans from time to time in spite of the period they are assigned to. It will help you to correct your goals and plans in time in accordance with the current obstacles.

“Tracking the plans” To Do List

• From time to time track all of your plans, whether they are daily, weekly or yearly
• It’s recommended to track your short-term plan each one or two weeks
• Long-term plans should be tracked not less than each four or six months
• Once a year you should revise your main goals and consider whether they are as actual as were earlier or need some changes
• Use software to create the tasks reminding you to track your short-term and long-term plans

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Create a new task ‘Track short-term tasks’ and assign it to repeat each week or two
3. Create a new task ‘Track long-term tasks’ and assign it to each four or six months
4. Create a new task ‘Track main goals’ and assign it to repeat once a year
5. Make changes into your tasks, if required

Track your To Do List before accepting a new task

Almost each task has the date by which it should be accomplished. If the task is overdue, it may cause the procrastination with other assignments. Besides that, we start feeling stress and may lose self-confidence. But the reason of procrastination may be not in our skills or discipline, but in incorrect deadline setting. One of the mistakes is that we often agree with the due dates that are offered to us by other people and forget to co-ordinate them with our To Do List. If we first look at our current tasks and estimate when we can accomplish a new one, we’ll avoid stress and procrastinations in the future.

“Due date setting” To Do List

• When you get a new task with the certain due date, don’t hurry up to accept it as is
• Track your Task List and determine if the offered due date is possible for you
• If you realize that you won’t have enough time to accomplish the task in time, discuss this question with the task owner and if it’s possible correct task due date together
• Use software to track your tasks and add comments to the task

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Set filter to display the tasks that must be accomplished by required date
3. If you have no time to fulfil a new task by its due date, open it and add comment to its owner
4. If it’s possible, correct new task due date

You should have enough time for task control

If you are going to control the task that you delegate to the employee, do it beforehand and not at the last moment. First of all it’s useful because you will stimulate the team member to accomplish the task before its due date, and secondly you will have enough time to check the task carefully and return it back if there are some mistakes or imperfections. So, by planning task control some time before its due date, you will help you and your team member to accomplish it successfully and in time.

“Timely task control” To Do List

• While delegating a task to your employee, try to plan the time when you can control it
• Reserve enough time before task due date to carefully control the task and correct the mistakes if it’s necessary
• Use software to plan the time for task control

Action plan

1. Start your organizer software
2. Create a new task, e.g. “Control Joe’s task”
3. Schedule this task to a proper time before its due date
4. Continue doing your tasks

Set the goals and the means for their achievement

When you set your goals, you should define what means you need to achieve them. It can be money, time or some additional skills and knowledge, etc. Determine which of these resources you already have and which should be found or reached. If you realize what you are lacking to achieve the goal you set, it will be easier to eliminate the difficulties towards your aim and approach your life dream faster.

“Means of goal achievement” To Do List

• While setting the goals, define what means you need to achieve them
• Define whether you have these means or need some actions to possess them
• Take the first step towards your goal by obtaining the means you lack of
• Use software to enter a list of means you need to achieve the goal you set

Action plan

1. Start your task management software
2. Create a new task, for example “Apply a new product line”
3. Find out what you need to achieve this goal and enter it into task notes section
4. Start achieving the goal