Tracking multiple projects - issues, solutions, tips

Many of project managers face challenges of multiple project tracking and often experience problems with this activity. Issues with tracking multiple projects can appear on different stages and because of different reasons. Most common reason of problems in multiple project trackingis miscellaneous nature and organization of projects that should be managed. Different projects may have different inputs and outputs, different reporting information, different specifics and issues, so tracking multiple projects seem to be very intricate activity for project manager who can not be absolutely competent in everything that he/she is intended to control. To track multiple projects successfully and avoid many issues project manager should follow several essential guidelines:

• You should not go too much into details when tracking multiple projects, especially if projects are miscellaneous. To track multiple projects effectively you need to use adopted, standardized and laconic reporting information that tells you what exactly is completed, what milestones were passed, how much time and money was spent, what is the next step etc.
• To perform track of multiple projects properly you should delegate competence and duties to reliable sub-managers who can assist you and solve specific issues if they appear - the process of tracking multiple projects can be greatly facilitated if you have competent on-site controllers who can collect, adopt and deliver appropriate reporting information to you.
• Ensure basis for successful multiple project tracking on the stage of planning. Do not plan too much of details. Make sure that plan is described in understandable terms. To track multiple projects properly plan projects in task-oriented and stage-oriented way.
• The sense of multiple project tracking is actually to check if projects are moving according to plan, so make sure that you will receive reports described in the same terms that were used in your plan.
• Install special software for multiple project tracking. Proper multiple project tracker can help you to observe all previous requirements and will greatly increase your effectiveness.

Such software is an answer for the question "How to track multiple projects?" - The best way to trac multiple projects is to plan and control them with a help of real-time groupware. Some of advantages of real-time multiple project tracker software:

• Possibility to use standardized multiple project tracking tools
• Possibility to plan and track multiple projects within one database
• Possibility to plan and track of multiple projects by time, costs and quantity quickly and easily

VIP Task Manager is a time and task planning groupware which allow breaking-down projects into tasks, assigning tasks to executors, placing tasks into task groups, and tracking course of task performance in real-time regime. This software is effective for tracking multiple projects.

VIP Task Manager is easy-to-use multiple projects tracker which allows multiple users to access one database via LAN and Internet. It features:

•  Assigning tasks to team members, tracking task performance
•  Setting timelines and priorities for tasks
•  Time, quantity, KPI, productivity and cost control
•  Management of small projects, daily tasks and business processes
•  Customizable task attributes and workflows
•  Instant e-mail and in-system notifications
•  Task Tree, Task List and Scheduler (Calendar) mode
•  Multiple projects, departments, sub-teams management
•  Access rights management
•  Free server part and no recurring fees

Read also a new article about process management - project management client-server software for Windows