Category: Tool

Tool

process of sketching

July 10, 2022

How to Pick the Best Online Website Sketch Tool Free?

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Reading Time: 4 minutesThe process of sketching is crucial to your web designs, so you should always consider using the best tools for the job. And speaking of which, …

Hardware • Tool

chain saw

June 20, 2022

Things to consider before buying a mini chain saw

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Reading Time: 3 minutesMini chainsaws are ideal for light-duty lumberjacking tasks such as trimming branches and cutting small logs. Their tough design and powerful motors cram a lot of …

Tool

Software tools for project management are a dime a dozen these days. You have both open source and proprietary packages ranging from free to costing hundreds of dollars. But just because a software package is marketed as a solid project management tool doesn't make it so. As with all things software, there are some great tools – and some not-so-great ones, too. Often referred to simply as PM software, there are a number of common components every package needs. In fact, five such components are described below. They are compliments of the Janiko Group, an Atlanta firm that specializes in project management as a service. They offer on-demand project management. 1. A Measurement of Baseline Before anything else, a PM tool needs to have some means of measuring the baseline. Team members need to know the foundation from which they are starting. They need to know the minimum standards. They need to know what a completed project looks like in its minimum iteration. All of these things together make up baseline. Just as with scientific research, there is no way to measure the progress or success of a project without a comparative baseline. Creating a PM tool without a means to measure baseline is like building a house without a foundation. It is bound to crumble sooner or later. 2. A Measurement of Progress It goes without saying that PM tools need a way to measure progress. Project managers and team leaders need to be able to see progress at a glance. They need to be able to look across the entire spectrum of the project and know exactly where it is at all times. Without such a measurement, it is exceedingly difficult for managers to figure out where they are and what they are doing. 3. The Ability to Track Tasks The progress of every project is encapsulated in the individual tasks that make up a whole. As such, PM software needs to have the ability to track tasks as these are introduced, while they are in progress, and once they are completed. In a Kanban management system, tasks are visualized as color-coded squares on a board. Tasks change color and location as they progress throughout the project. How tasks are assigned and expressed is determined largely by the model being followed. Kanban is a form of waterfall project management whereas other methodologies might follow the agile core. Regardless, managers have to be able to track tasks in process. Otherwise, they are lost. 4. Budgeting Snapshots and Forecasts In order for managers and coordinators to do what they do they need an accurate assessment of financials at all times. Far too many PM tools skimp on this one component. Yet, financials are a big part of project completion. Managers need to know where they are in terms of their budgets. They need to know how much they have spent and how much remains. 5. Automation Capabilities Until recently, automation wasn't part of PM software. But now that some developers have begun to introduce it, automation is quickly becoming an indispensable tool. It allows for the automatic scheduling of certain events within the project management arena, to the extent that completion of one task automatically triggers and schedules the next. Automation takes a lot of the guesswork out of task scheduling. PM software abounds. Everywhere you look there are packages ready and waiting to be deployed. If a package does not include the five things described in this post, it is probably not worth looking at. Fortunately, there are some PM tools out there that go above and beyond.

May 16, 2022

Factors to Consider Before Buying Project Management Tools

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Reading Time: 2 minutesAs a project Manager, you’ve probably had to choose between different software management software and tools and found it difficult to pick one. This problem is …

Tool

April 6, 2022

Is Trinka AI worth a try?

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Reading Time: 5 minutesThe new English grammar checker and language enhancement writing assistant on the block

Tool

December 4, 2021

Top Ethical Hacking Tools

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Reading Time: 2 minutesHacking tools are a set of computer programs and scripts that will help you recognize and exploit weaknesses in your computer systems, web-based applications, networks and …

Tool

CNC Designs

September 23, 2021

CNC Tools

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Reading Time: 3 minutesIntroduction: CNC stands for computer-numerical control tools that are also called operating machinery. These tools are used for equipment like vertical millers, routers, and centre lathes. …

Tech News • Tool

May 13, 2021

18 Essential Photography Tools and Resources

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Reading Time: 8 minutesToday images are an essential element in a good content marketing strategy, and their proper use is increasingly important in blogs and websites. We’ve all heard …

Software • Tool

Best Windows Tool to Record and Capture Screen

March 30, 2021

Best Windows Tool to Record and Capture Screen

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Reading Time: 3 minutesScreen Recording, whether it’s to record a presentation or a tutorial, can be daunting. To create practical video tutorials, you need software that provides the best …

Tool

March 19, 2021

5 Useful Tools That Every Project Manager Should Know About

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Reading Time: 2 minutesThe work of a project manager is not easy at all and he is constantly struggling with all the complex things that he has to take …

Tool

January 29, 2021

Why use firewall audit tools?

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Reading Time: 2 minutesIf you are planning to conduct a firewall audit manually for your organization, wait. You might just be wasting your valuable time. From the European regulations …