Simplify Project Management with Salesforce
Contents Challenges in Project Management Features of Financial Force Project Management Key benefits of Project Management with Salesforce 02 06 10 1
An average Project Management plan demands a great deal of time, resources and workforce. Project Managers are often bombarded with assignments and responsibilities to manage the entire team involved in the project. But... Challenges in Project Management About 45% of executives are unclear about the business objectives of their projects.(http://bit.ly/1ekpcqk) From lack of skills to unbalanced project plans, organizations are dealing with unforeseen challenges in their project management everyday. The statistics are alarming! (http://bit.ly/1t6uuze) 2.5% rate of completion of projects 200% cost overrun 80% projects that needed overrun 70% schedule overrun (http://bit.ly/1luo7ih) Why Salesforce Time Cost Quality 2
Salesforce offers a wide range of Project Management Apps to undertake project management with ease and to create projects which are - Time-saving Cost-effective High-quality Cloud computing overcomes many barriers that otherwise Project Managers commonly face. Let s see how Project Management with Salesforce has an edge over offline Project Management. Geographical limitations Multiple members, teams or even organizations can be involved in a single project. The project team members could be working from different locations. In such cases it becomes difficult for the project manager to keep track of the project s progress. Online project management software keeps managers connected to each member involved in the project and helps them stay updated on everyone s activities. Managing third parties Many companies today depend on outsourcing work. When teams are working from different time zones, managing projects can be quite challenging. A web-based project management software can ensure smooth flow of communication between both parties through an online platform where information can be stored and exchanged. It also ensures transparency in the project. Managers can synchronize tasks and streamline workflow with an online Project Management software. 3
Real time updates Desktop applications for project management usually exchange information and data through emails. This process of communication is painfully slow, and let s face it, outdated! With web-based Project Management software everything is available online- data, statistics, analytics, dashboards, tasks-related information, customer details and more. It relieves you from the tedious wait to get a response from the other party and then acting on it. With Salesforce Project Management the team members can update data over the online suite in no time and also receive and share real time information on the project s progress. Centralized access With large teams involved at various levels of projects, task allocation and resources management can be time-consuming and at times, confusing. It get worse when project managers are assigned with multiple projects at the same time. When entire project data is available on a single platform, it gives centralized access to the Project Manager to track and assign tasks, manage workforce, and balance resources across the projects by automating the resource allocation process. 4
Managing Bulk Documents Projects revolve around numerous project assets- Lists, documents, files, emails, deliverables etc. Managers have to keep track of each project asset and make it accessible for those working on the project, including certain data for third parties. Sharing documents across the project team can be done easily if it s available online. Project Managers can manage a bulk load of documents on a single platform and share necessary information with those involved in the project with web-based Project Management Apps that can be integrated with Salesforce Regulated project timeline A Project is a team effort. Overseeing each member s work is not only difficult, but impossible in a big project involving several groups or organizations. This is exactly why many companies are suffering from schedule overrun and cost overrun that goes up to 200%. With an online Project Management software Managers can ensure timely completion of tasks with a Project Schedule which can be updated online as the project advances. With a well-planned project schedule, workload of individuals can be managed, resources allocated, tasks assigned according to skill set, and project timeline regulated, which in turn optimizes the workflow and avoids cost and schedule overruns. 5
Features of Financial Force Project Management Customer-centric Even the most experienced managers tend to sometimes ignore customers in the project management process. Managing the project doesn t end with the production of deliverables. A customer-centric approach to project management ensures you give the customers what they are looking for by interacting with them, addressing their concerns and acting on their suggestions. Putting customers at the heart of your project can increase the success rate of your project- Interact with Customers Involve Customers Meet Customers Deliver Value With FinancialForce, Project Managers can stay connected with customers throughout the project and make their projects more social with options like- Portal Access Project communities Customer portals Automated status reporting Customizable Configuration The Project Management software offers customizable features that can be configured according to industry-specific needs. It provides the option of adding/creating custom fields and unique project views for different departments or teams. 6
Increased Visibility Project Managers can access entire information of all the projects in hand, anytime. Without any overload of data, documents can be searched and filtered easily, saving time and effort. This enables convenient tracking of the project and ensures prompt completion of tasks assigned to individuals. Gantt Charts FianancialForce s Project Management software offers a Gantt view for projects to manage tasks and the project timeline. All teams involved in the project can be assigned tasks through timecard interface. The manager can stay updated about client tasks as well, storing entire project information on a single platform for ease of access and convenient supervision. http://bit.ly/1nmqvzu 7
Collaborative work Everyone involved in the project can stay updated about the project progress with entire project data on one platform. Teams can get real time updates of changes in the project and leverage the project workflow. Online access eliminates any shortcomings to the project due to time or geographical restrictions. Chatter can be integrated with the project management app so that individuals working on a project can connect with each other from anywhere. 8
Key benefits of Project Management with Salesforce For Project Managers Manage project from initiation to completion Oversee tasks of individuals Review multiple projects on a single platform Balance workload and resource allocation For Team Leaders Store entire data on a single platform Assign tasks to individuals Track progress of tasks For Individual Members Update task information quickly Access project information anytime Interact with managers and team leaders For Third Party Resources Access project data online Save time, money and resources Connect with Project Managers easily 9
Key benefits of Project Management with Salesforce (contd.) For the Company Cost-effective project management Ensure prompt completion of project Avoid cost and schedule overrun Get quick results https://appexchange.salesforce.com/category/project-management Project Management Salesforce Ready Apps https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/top-50-salesforce-project-management-tools-software-solutions-glynn Top Salesforce Project Management Tools and Software Solutions 10
Top 5 Free project management apps on AppExchange 1 2 3 4 5 11
Top 5 Paid project management apps on AppExchange 1 2 3 4 5 12
Images Courtesy www.salesforce.com www.freepik.com 12