Shared Project Management Software

The more time people work with project management software in a single user mode, the faster they realize the idea that this system should rather work in a shared (multiuser) manner. That’s because usually the PM has a team of administrative assistants to share a project plan with, or the project managers want to find some easier ways for introducing a shared project plan to their team. Such a shared project vision is easily justified by the following benefits to pursue:

• All personnel on the project team get access to the shared project files – working documents, charts, reports, etc, so the level of overall awareness increases essentially;
• All members of the team are enabled to instantly contribute their pieces of business data to update the shared project information in order to create one shared project database hosting a coordinated array of project information on different matters;
• The shared project’s manager obtains a number of controls at hands – the manpower, resources and other project matters are structured in a single virtual shared project space where they can be operated in an interrelated manner;
• The conception of the shared project management allows the project managers to delve into the project database to retrieve consolidated reports from there so they can study many-sided views of project performance, embracing the project workforce, progress, budgeting, etc;  

Considering elements of the shared project models with a help of real example:

As you can see the advantages of shared project management software over single user solutions are obvious. Let’s consider specific example of such a program – VIP Task Manager. This easy-to-use program features the following elements:

• Shared project database – this element is a structured repository of all project information to be shared. This is like a shared project folder where the project participants derive information from, and where they contribute their updates (changes, reports) to. The shared project database ensures a single framework for inputting your business data, so no collapses of project structure are allowed – everyone shares the same set of rules that cannot be violated.
• Shared project server – this component refers to client-server technology that allows multiple people collaborating at the same time (concurrently). The shared project server delivered with VIP Task Manager works as a central point of virtual network established by this program. It secures the database and maintains all interactions taking place between project team members. 

•  Shared project structure – in order to have your project working, you need to arrange a shared project plan including work breakdown structure, to assign individual tasks and responsibilities (to allot working packages), to establish shared project files to collaborate at, etc. All this can be done with a help of VIP Task Manager which provides you with possibilities to build multilevel hierarchies of projects, tasks and stages to allocate time, costs and other project resources.
• Online shared project management – this means a process of real-time collaboration between people whether via Internet or local facilities (corporate LAN or virtual network). VIP Task Manager is shared project management software that makes it possible to establish connections over all kinds of public or local networks, so it can be used to control and manage activities of virtual project teams.