www.lifehack.org: Most project management tools are meant for people running larger teams of 5+ people. If you’re using them as a solo freelancer without any team members to manage, they can be a little clunky & overwhelming. But there are several tools that can help you run your business & your projects as a solo freelancer
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It's always good to stay organized! Coming from high school, I realized it was no longer good enough to just keep a planner in order to organize my life. In high school, I could make do with simply remembering items I had to do or just writing them down in my planner. Coming to college, I have had to increase the sophistication of my organization system. This article definitely seems to point people in the right direction towards some of these tools. It feels great when you have a system that helps you stay on track!
With so many of these products out there, it's hard to pick one, or even a few, to use for any given business or projects. They serve similar functions, but often with vastly different shortcuts and overall design. Because of this, experimentation can often become a larger part of the puzzle than actual use of the software. Don't get me wrong, I love experimenting with new and different software. For me, figuring out what will work best is one of the most exciting parts of the process. However, when time is not of the essence, users may become bogged down with the sheer volume of products on the market. So it seems the entire industry has got a bit of a paradox on its hands. It's great to have so many options, but sometimes detrimental to have so little guidance on what will work where.
As in all things, the most important thing is to find a system that works for you. It doesn't matter how fancy the software is, how flashy it is, or how expensive it is. If the software doesn't do what you want and need it to do, then it simply won't work. As Kassondra said, you have to experiment, often for a while, before you can settle on what you will use.
I really wish that Microsoft Project was not so ungodly expensive. I like all of these products but Project is able to be linked to MS office programs which will allow you to integrate all of your processes. Within Project you can track everything and create all of your paperwork it is all about the initial investment in the setup. Planscope links to your invoice tool which is awesome to automate that process but the interface looks clunky. Klok looks like a slightly augmented calendar program with a sleeker interface but I don't see it as a project management solution even for personal use. Thrive Solo looks like it is a great free organizational tool with invoice creation built in but the interface seems like it is overly simplified. Flow is the only one of the tools that has an app associated with it and in the current market being able to manage on the run is really important. I like that wunderlist has prioritizing not just list creation. Overall these all seem useful for small scale outfits and could be really cool. I will say that I would rather pay a flat fee to get a program than pay a monthly fee though. I also want to be assured that the solution that I pick will be there for the long term if I am going to learn it which is why I feel that Project might be the best way to deal with a season as a TD or PM but it is a colossal undertaking to get it setup to automate your work flow.
As being a semi unorganized person I often fall into the stereotype of a messing designer. I have been working on getting better, but I still fall into the trap of poor time management and disorganization. So when reading this article I was actually interested in programs. I was a little sadden by the cost of some of the programs however I do plan to look at the programs that are free. I have a well regimented established schedule of how I work on week days however I know I am a disaster when it come to working during the day. I also need to work on how I spend time on the weekend. This article did give me a good list of programs to examine to work on my time management skills. Using programs may seem overwhelming and technologically reliant, but it really can help plan my work.
This program seems like some what of a rip off. The reason I say this is because there are so many other free programs out there that do just about the same thing. It's a good idea to be organized, in fact its imperative to becoming a professional, but I just don't see the need for anything beyond a digital calendar. In theatre time is everything so you can't afford to show up late or even to the wrong place, and with so many different theatre's you could be working for I can see where a calendar/ planner is helpful. But I certainly would not want to pay for one with other options out there that are just as good and free.
These all seem like great tools for designers and consultants, but none of them seem great for the collaborative nature of what we do in the entertainment industry.
The right project management software finds a balance between flexibility, collaboration, and ease of operation. The other major issue with adopting new project management software is lifecycle. Project management software is a huge investment, not only in the cost of the software. Everyone on the team has be get used to using it, and work their head around it. If a company goes under and fails to continue supporting the software, the whole firm has to adopt another piece of software and start all over again.
I think all of these products could be used in the entertainment industry. For some reason our industry never caught up (or didn't have the resources to buy the products) but it seems to me that these products haven't really caught on. Maybe it's because the scale of the projects at theaters I have worked on are smaller than others and so you don't need an individual program devoted to tracking projects. Another possible reason that they haven't caught on is because it is just another system that you have to teach people to use and they pay off of using the system is not worth teaching it.
I keep trying to find a product that I like and would work for our industry and keep striking out. I'd love to use Microsoft Project but it's pricey and a gigantic undertaking to get everything working properly. I'm interested in getting Access, or Filemaker to start working more for our projects but even then it needs consistency and a bit of setup, which isn't always possible. Maybe I can try using one of these programs and see if it'll work for our industry.
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