Project Tracking Software

 

Tools for Project Tracking

To ensure your project stays on track, you need to use Project Tracking Software. This software tells you if you are on track by showing you when you're ahead of schedule and when you're behind. And it tells you whether your actual progress is sufficient. It makes Project Tracking easy, because it shows you the: The percent complete of each task Amount of effort consumed Actual progress against schedule This way, you can identify project tracking issues early and fix them before they impact on your project. If you're serious about achieving project success, then you need Project Tracking Software to help you stay on track.

Keep Projects on Track! Every project has its twists and turns. There are changes, risks and issues that come up that impact on your ability to deliver it on time and under budget. With all this change and uncertainty, it's important that you use Project Tracking Software to keep abreast of it all. That's where ProjectPlan.com comes in. You can plan your projects and then use the "Task Information" area to enter your actual progress each day. And as you do this, the Project Schedule automatically updates, so that you can perform Project Tracking, real-time. You can re-plan your project whenever you wish, to make sure that you always have a solid planned view of your project delivery. And using the Project Tracking features, you can compare your planned vs. actual progress, to see if you're on track.

Project Tracking Software

Most successful Project Managers uses some kind of Project Tracking tool or software to keep an eye on the progress of their project each day. The reason they use Project Tracking Software is that it automates the process of comparing actual vs. planned progress. Otherwise, they have to rely on post-it notes or spreadsheets to try and track progress manually, and that can be time consuming and error prone. By using this Project Tracking Software, you can easily enter the actual progress of your project to date, and then click a single button to see the current vs. planned progress. You can then see, using this Project Tracking Software, whether you are ahead or behind schedule. And with this information, you can take action to fix progress issues when you need to. This keeps your project on track and improves your chances of success.

Summary: Want someone to purchase your terrific product or service? In addition to the quality of what you sell, offer them a trustworthy web site, too. Have you ever visited a web site and been attacked by screaming pop-up ads, gotten lost in a clutter of banner ads, had things flash and go boom? And have you ever visited a site that was informative, easy to navigate and generally pleasant to peruse? Which site gained your trust? Which site would you revisit? The more user-friendly building tools you use on your site, the more trust will be developed with your viewers. With this in mind, here are expert tips for making your online store trustworthy…

• Purchase an appropriate domain name Paying for your own domain name builds trust and is professional looking. Your own domain name will be – free of all advertisements (except products you sell or recommend). You want to sell your visitors on the content of your site – not the products of other advertisers.
• Use your domain name email addresses When searching for a host for your site, look for packages that include POP3 accounts and NOT alias accounts. This will enable you to send email from your site (you@yourbusiness.com), which looks much more professional than you@freeemailaccount.com. It is easier to trust someone who has evidently made an investment in his or her business.
• Include contact information Provide phone numbers, hours of operation (including time zone), a business mailing address and an email address. PO Boxes are not considered addresses. Many companies won’t deliver to PO Boxes, and many visitors won’t purchase from you if you use one. Work from home? Add a suite or building number to your home/apartment. Or use a mail forwarding service for a real address.
• Add contact links Place at least one way for your visitors to contact you on each page and place your Webmaster’s contact information on at least the bottom of the front page. This way your visitors can request information from you, and if there is a problem with your site, they can write to the Webmaster. Even if you and the Webmaster are the same person, place the Webmaster’s email address on the site.
• Watch your dates. People prefer to see a current copyright date on the bottom of sites. Some web sites also carry a “last updated” dates. Are your dates current?
• Include a personal touch Provide an “About Me/Us” page. Provide the names of the owner, president, executives, and staff on the contact page. Include individual and group pictures, small biographies if relevant, and email addresses where they can be quickly contacted. Don’t make it look as though your site’s owners want to be anonymous, which obviously generates suspicions.
• Avoid “enter”, “enter here” and splash screens Do you have an “Enter page” or splash screen on the front of your site? If so, delete it now! You will lose visitors who want information quickly because they’ll go to a rival site instead. Worse than an enter page is an enter page that forces someone to download a program such as Flash. If you want to use the option of Flash pages, fancy pointers etc., give visitors the option of viewing them. Don’t force them to download any programs.
• Cater to everyone Include alt = ” ” tags with your images to assist those with sight disabilities and the hundreds of thousands of people all over the world who use library-based text-only computer software and Web browsers.
• Make it quick Ensure that your pages load in less than 20 seconds with a 56K modem and 7 seconds using DSL. Most visitors will not have the patience to stick around much longer than that and will simply move on. A site that loads quickly and is neatly designed, will show that you are a professional company. It will also boost confidence in your potential buyers.
• Get recommendations Ask your clients for testimonials and permission to use their whole name on your Web site. If they don’t feel comfortable doing so, find others who will.
• Link it Make sure that all the links within your site or to other web sites are working. Download a links checker and use it monthly. Sometimes you’ll find that you’ve linked within your site to a page you’ve moved or removed. Other times you’ll find that pages outside your site have disappeared or are changed. Ask your Web Designer to design an interesting “error” page that will allow your visitors to get back on track if a page they bookmarked no longer exists.
• Spell it right If you want your site to be as professional as it can be, put each page through a spell checker or hire an excellent proof reader. Don’t underestimate the value of a properly spelled site.
• Provide guarantees If you have a money back guarantee on your service or product, say so. If you don’t, say what you do provide. Do guarantees include or exclude returning the shipping or handling fees? How about a privacy policy for your newsletter ailing list or code of ethics? Clearly place any type of guarantee on your site.
• Secure purchases The best sites provide the most secure purchase program available. This includes a secure server, secure gateway, and information that informs you that your purchase is as secure as is currently possible. Make sure you offer your customers secure purchases. If you don’t they will (and should) shop elsewhere.
• Don’t clutter the site. Use lots of white space to “break” up the text. It’s easier on the eyes that way. The only place to NOT use lots of white space is on the top of your pages.
• Watch your fonts. Save the fancy font types for special items or graphics. Arial and Verdana work well on sites, Times Roman does not.
• Drop it Eliminate the pop-ups, pop-unders, banners that wave or go blinkityblink all the time.
• View it Ask people to go to your site. Now without scrolling, ask them how they know what your business is about. If they can’t figure it out, fix this.

Maria Marsala. As founder of Elevating Your Business, Maria helps professional service CEOs, presidents, practitioners and executives build better companies as they increase sales, improve productivity and work smarter. Receive MORE Business ezine and your free business tools at ElevatingYourBusiness.com

Copy-writing service We have several freelance article writers in our network that can offer a professional copywriting service. They know exactly what is required  to promote your content around the Internet. Good quality content should be an essential part of your Internet promotion strategy - quality articles bring links and traffic.

Copywriting is an art and the correct use of words and the structure makes all the difference to your presence on the internet. Article Packages 100% Original content written according to your needs - you supply the topic and main keywords and leave the rest to us. Pricing is volume based and start at around $20 and article and falling to $10 for ten or more articles. You choose a topic, be it for a website, blog or ezine to drive traffic - we syndicate the content for you and post to web ezine's for you if you wish.

Listings on the BizFaceArticles and BizFace forum is automatic Once the article set has been written you will be ready to distribute to article  directories of your choice. Webmasters will see the article and publish it on their websites, with links pointing back to your webpage using the information in your resource box. Each article will be between 400-600 words in length - you have copyright and reseller rights one full payment is received. Articles will be written using well structured English either using OUP standard rules or American publishing standards. Articles can be written with SEO in mind with correct use of targeted keywords - well structured and keyword stuffing. You can order as many articles at once as you want. If you plan to order more than 100 contact us for bulk rates We do not write any articles with adult content, gambling or drugs and abide by strict guidelines ensuring no offensive racial or homophobic material is produce. If your interested please contact us via the feedback form

We are also looking for eBook submissions and publishers in the area of business books - if you have an idea please contact us.

This post is to find on: RACI Analysis Tutorial

How to do a RACI Charting and Analysis – a Practical Guide

RACI is an acronym that stands for: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed. A RACI chart is a matrix of all the activities or decision making authorities undertaken in an organisation set against all the people or roles. At each intersection of activity and role it is possible to assign somebody: Responsible, Accountable, Consulted or Informed for that activity or decision.

When you here these types of comments in and organisation a RACI Analysis may be overdue:
‘My boss always overrules my decisions whenever she wants’
‘The approval process for even the simplest item takes so long today’
‘It seems everyone is putting together a spreadsheet on the same data’
‘Things are always slipping through the cracks’
‘I have the responsibility, but not the authority, to get the job done’

Definitions of the RACI categories: -

• Responsible: person who performs an activity or does the work,
• Accountable: person who is ultimately accountable and has Yes/No/Veto,
• Consulted: person that needs to feedback and contribute to the activity,
• Informed: person that needs to know of the decision or action.

A RACI analysis is useful for:

• Workload Analysis – when used against individuals or departments overloads can be quickly identified,
• Re-Organisation – to ensure that key functions and processes are not over looked,
• Employee Turnover – newcomers can quickly identify their roles and responsibilities,
• Work Assignment - allows duties to be redistributed effectively between groups and individuals,
• Project Management - allows for flexibility in matrix management situations allowing for the right balance between line and project accountabilities,
• Conflict Resolution provides a forum for discussion and resolving interdepartmental conflict,
• Documents the status quo - the output from RACI is a simple yet effective method of documenting the roles and responsibilities in an organisation.

How a RACI exercise is done:

1. By Identifying the functions and processes within the organisation or department and describing the key activities taking place. Avoid obvious or generic activities such as; attending meetings.
2. By Describing each activity or decision by using a suitable action verb. Examples: Evaluate, Record, Monitor, Collect, Develop, Publish, Authorize, Schedule, Determine, Prepare, Approve, Inspect, Report, Decide, Write, Operate, Update, Conduct, Train, Review or Plan.
3. When the action implies a judgment or decision (for example, evaluate, monitor, inspect, and review) create a phrase to indicate the primary outcome. Examples: Monitor service desk customer requests to identify training needs. Analyze call statistics to identify product problems.
4. The activities or decisions to be made should be short and apposite and apply to a role or need, not to the specific person currently carrying out the task.
5. Create a Matrix with roles along the top and activities or tasks down the left side and in each of the table cells enter the appropriate RACI code.

When the analysis is done and the RACI matrix populated, any ambiguities need to be resolved. The Matrix is reviewed and questions are asked of the data pattern to explore what it is telling us. The way to do this is to proceed along the vertical and then the horizontal axes in turn and for each column or row asking: If I find … then what does this mean?

Vertical Analysis

• Lots of R’s: Is it possible for the individual(s) stay on top of so much? Can the activity be broken into smaller, more manageable chunks?
• No empty spaces: Does the individual(s) need to be involved in so many activities? Are they a ‘gatekeeper’ or could management by exception principles be used? Can (C)onsulted be reduced to (I)nformed - or can things be left to the individual’s discretion when something needs particular attention?
• No R’s or A’s: Should this functional role be eliminated or have processes changed to an extent where resources could be reassigned?
• Too many A’s: Does a proper ‘segregation of duties’ exists? Should other groups be accountable for some of these activities to ensure checks and balances and accurate decision making throughout the process? Is this a ‘bottleneck’ in the process—is everyone waiting for decisions or direction?
• Qualifications: Does the level of the person fit the requirement of this role? Are too many senior personnel involved for routine decision making that could be deployed downwards?

Horizontal Analysis

• No R’s: Who is doing the job and getting things done? Are there too many roles waiting to be approved, be consulted or informed. Whose role is it to take the initiative?
• Too many R’s: Is this a sign of ‘over the wall’ activities?
• No A’s: Why not? There must be an ‘A.’ someone must be accountable for the thing happening – the buck stops with this person.
• Too many A’s: Is there confusion with too many fingers in the pie? It can also create confusion because every person with accountability feels they have final say on how the work should be done.
• Too few A’s and R’s: The process may slow down while the activity is performed or the procedure may be outdated and can be streamlined if not needed.
• Every box filled in: Do all the functional roles really need to be consulted? Are there justifiable benefits in consulting all the roles or is this just covering all the bases?
• Lots of C’s: Do all the roles need to be routinely informed or only in exceptional circumstances – too many in the loop can slow the process down?
• Lots of I’s: If they are too many people are involved—usually too many C’s and I’s can dramatically slow things down.

Change Management Issues

Developing RACI charts surfaces many organizational issues because it reconciles the three elements of roles and responsibilities:

• Role Conception: what people think their jobs are,
• Role Expectation: what others in the organization think another person’s job function is and how it should be carried out and,
• Role Behaviour: what people actually do in carrying out their job?

RACI is a useful tool which can become overused and be a catch all for all types of problems so be sensible about the level of granularity for the definition of tasks/activities. Take it to a deep enough level that it is meaningful and at a level of that is sensible - who is responsible for making the coffee is not required. It is also important to stay focused on the original reason for undertaking the RACI exercise and ensure that this goal is achieved. Rather than creating a perfect RACI covering the organisation in exquisite detail be realistic and understand that 80% of the reality of a situation will be more than the organisation ever knew before the exercise was started.

Call by when you have a moment to see how we are getting on - or visit the main forum on:

BizFace Forum

RoyMogg Admin