Effective Web Design Project Management

One of the main keys to keeping a web design and development project on scope, on time and on budget is communication. From the initial RFP to the site launch and beyond, effective communication between you and your web design company is the straw that stirs the drink.

A good project management tool or suite of tools is an excellent way to ensure a high level of communication. In years past we were tied to Microsoft Exchange and Sharepoint for email and project communication, a costly endeavor. Now there are many free or low-cost alternatives available to businesses of all sizes.

For example, Google Docs allows a number of users to share and collaborate on word processing documents, spreadsheets, and calendars. Rather than emailing documents back and forth among all the project participants, documents can be edited and shared in real time. This keeps one accurate document–a source of truth–available to all parties, eliminating the risk of having multiple versions of the same document floating around without knowing which is the most current.

Basecamp is a software as a service (SAAS) project management and time tracking tool that allows companies to set up project teams. Similar to Microsoft Project, projects are broken down into Milestones (deliverables) and To Do lists (action items). To Do items and Milestones can be assigned resources (the person or people responsible) and dependent deadlines.

Users can also share all documents–PDFs, images, whatever–with all the other members of the team. Email communication is also handled through the application, rather than through individual users’ email accounts, so all project communication is housed centrally and securely, and can be referenced at any time.

These are just two examples of collaborative project management tools. Your company may have a solution in place, as may your web design firm. You will need to establish what system will be used and who will have access. The simple act of using such tools will help your web design project move along smoothly, and everyone involved will have all the relevant information at their fingertips.