If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard those words I’d, well, I wouldn’t be writing this blog. I’d be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro or sipping green tea in Tokyo.
When is a project management system truly needed? Simply put, when you don’t know what’s going on in your agency. Whether you’re a creative team of three or 15, if you can’t immediately tell where every job stands, you need a system.
Are your projects deadline-based (and every job is “on fire”) or budget-based? If deadline-based, you need a system.
Is information entered in a single place or shared across multiple desks, e-mail accounts, Post-it notes, and megaphones? If the latter, you need a system.
Are your Clients frustrated because no one seems to know when (and where) the job will deliver? You REALLY need a system.
Do you know exactly how long it took to write the copy or does “a couple hours” sound fair? If guesstimating, you need a system.
If you were to get hit by a bus tomorrow, would anyone else know the critical business data that’s stored in your head? You need a system.
My point is this… in order to more efficiently (and profitably) run your agency, you need some form of project management system; ideally, one that’s web-accessible.
Or, you could just invest in fire extinguishers, earplugs, flowers, a crystal ball, and a crossing guard.