Module 4: Utilizing resources and tools for project success

Welcome back, and congrats on completing that
graded assessment. In the previous module, you learned all about project
roles and responsibilities, and we introduced
you to some tools that you can use to ensure
team accountability, like stakeholder analyses
and RACI charts. Coming up, we’ll talk about
project tools and resources, and the value of documentation. By the end of this module, you’ll understand the types of resources available
to a project manager, you’ll be able to document information in a formal
project charter, and you’ll be able
to compare and use various project management tools. Ready to get started? Meet me in the next video.

Project Management 101: The Power of Documentation

Welcome to Project Management 101! In this introductory session, we’ll dive into the often-overlooked yet crucial aspect of successful projects: documentation. While project managers may not make every final decision, they wield the power to guide those decisions through clear, comprehensive documentation.

Why Document?

Think of documentation as your project’s roadmap. It keeps everyone informed, aligned, and prepared for the journey ahead. It’s not just about ticking boxes – it’s about creating transparency, avoiding misunderstandings, and ultimately, achieving project goals. Here’s why documentation is your secret weapon:

• Crystal-clear communication: Decisions, goals, deliverables, roles – document everything! This ensures everyone, from designers to developers, understands their tasks and how they fit into the bigger picture. No more guessing, no more wasted time.
• Onboarding made easy: New team members joining mid-project? No problem! Comprehensive documentation serves as a valuable onboarding tool, bringing them up to speed quickly and seamlessly.
• Decision trailblazer: Remember that crucial decision made two weeks ago? Documentation keeps a clear record, eliminating confusion and facilitating future reference.
• Uncovering the unseen: Documenting decisions often shines a light on potential gaps, inconsistencies, or overlooked tasks. This proactive approach helps refine timelines, manage resources, and avoid pitfalls.
• Learning from experience: Project documentation becomes a valuable learning resource. Review it at the end to identify successes, challenges, and areas for improvement in future projects.

Types of Documentation:

Now, let’s explore some essential documentation types:

• Project Proposal: This is your project’s elevator pitch, outlining the problem, proposed solution, timeline, budget, and resources needed. Think of it as a roadmap for securing buy-in from stakeholders.
• Project Charter: This formal document officially authorizes the project, defining its scope, goals, stakeholders, and key deliverables. It serves as a binding agreement between the project manager and stakeholders.
• Meeting Minutes: Keep track of key decisions, action items, and next steps discussed in meetings. Share these minutes promptly with all participants to maintain clarity and accountability.
• Risk Management Plan: Identify potential risks, assess their likelihood and impact, and develop mitigation strategies. Documenting this plan ensures everyone is aware of potential roadblocks and prepared to address them.
• Progress Reports: Regularly update stakeholders on progress, highlighting milestones achieved, challenges encountered, and adjustments made. Transparency builds trust and keeps everyone invested in the project’s success.

Documentation Tips:

Remember, effective documentation is all about making information accessible and actionable.

• Keep it concise and clear: Avoid jargon and technical overload. Use simple language and visuals to convey information effectively.
• Structure is key: Organize documents logically, using headings, subheadings, and bullet points for easy navigation.
• Version control is crucial: As decisions evolve and progress unfolds, update documents promptly and maintain clear version history.
• Embrace digital tools: Utilize project management software, cloud storage platforms, and collaborative editing tools to make documentation easily accessible and up-to-date.

Conclusion:

By embracing the power of documentation, you can transform your projects from chaotic adventures into well-coordinated journeys. Remember, clear communication, informed decisions, and a shared understanding are the pillars of successful project management. So, grab your pen (or keyboard) and start documenting! You’ll be surprised at how this simple act can empower your team and pave the way for project success.

Ready to delve deeper? This tutorial is just the beginning! Join us for the next module, where we’ll explore specific documentation techniques and best practices for different project phases.

By now, you’ve
probably noticed that a big part of project management is guiding decision-making. Even if you’re
not the one making final decisions on major
aspects of the project, it’s still your job
to keep track of every new decision and use those decisions to create a plan. As you’ve learned, there are a lot of important
decisions to keep track of. That includes everything from identifying project
goals and deliverables to choosing the right
people to add to a team. It’s way too much for any one person to
mentally keep track of. It’s also important information for everyone on the
team to be aware of; not just the project manager. If a decision affects a
member of the team’s tasks, they’ll need to know about it, right? That’s why documentation is such an important part of
a project manager’s role. While your team may work deeply on specific
areas of the project, you might be the only person on the team who is aware of and communicating across all the different
areas of the project. Clear and consistent
documentation can ensure transparency and
clear communication. Documentation helps set
the stage for the project. It communicates the
answers to key questions. For example, what problem
are you trying to solve? What are the project goals? What are the scope
and deliverables, and who are the
project’s stakeholders? Lastly, what resources does the team need to
complete their work? This is all crucial
information for anyone who’s working on a project, regardless
of their role. Documentation also helps preserve decisions made early on in the project and can serve
as a reference point for team members who might join later in the project life cycle. It’s your job to ensure that
this information is easily accessible through some kind of formal documentation,
like an e-mail, a presentation, or
a digital document. Also, documenting decisions
can help you uncover tasks, timelines, or costs you
hadn’t previously considered. And lastly, this process provides a historical record that can be reviewed at the
end of your project. You can apply the lessons
you’ve learned in the future. Ok, let’s get into different
types of documentation. Up next, we’ll look at project proposals and
project charters, two types of documents
that can set you up for success early on. See you soon!

Fill in the blank: A senior organizational leader creates the project proposal _____ the project manager creates the project charter.

before

An organizational leader typically uses a project proposal to persuade the organization to move forward with the project.

Hello, and welcome back. Earlier, we discussed
the value of documentation in effective
project management. Now let’s talk about
two common types of documentation you could use
to keep track of details and keep your
stakeholders informed. These are: the project proposal and the project charter. A project proposal is a form of documentation that comes at the very beginning
of the project. This document’s purpose is to persuade stakeholders that
a project should begin. And typically, a senior
organizational leader creates the proposal. So you might not need to worry
about creating the proposal, but you will have to keep track of the proposal’s progress. The project proposal is
a great starting point to help you understand the
desired goals and impact. A proposal may be a
formal document, a presentation, or even a simple email to get others
on board with the idea. Then, we have the
project charter: a formal document
that clearly defines the project and outlines the necessary details
to reach its goals. A project charter helps
you get organized, set up a framework for
what needs to be done, and communicate those
details to others. So how do these documents differ? A project proposal is created earlier in the project life cycle than the project charter. The proposal kicks off
the initiation phase by influencing and
persuading the company to move forward with the project. The project charter
serves a similar purpose and often comes at the end
of the initiation phase. However, its goal is to more clearly define the key
details of the project. Another difference between
these two documents is that a charter will often serve as a point of reference throughout
the life of a project. The proposal is only used
at the earlier stages. Now that you know the difference between these two documents, let’s take a closer look
at the project charter, which you’ll learn more
about in this module. The project charter
makes clear that the benefits of the project
outweigh the costs. As you learned earlier
in this course, there are a few
questions you might ask yourself when performing
a cost benefit analysis. That includes questions like: What value will this
project create? And how much money could this
project save my organization? How much time will people have
to spend on this project? You’ll include the answers to these questions
in your charter. Including this type
of information ensures that you and your stakeholders agree
on the project value. The charter also helps
ensure that you and your stakeholders agree on
the details of the project. Project charter approval means that management is supportive, and it’s also a key
step to ensure that the project matches the
needs of the organization. After the stakeholders
and project sponsor have reviewed and approved
the project charter, you now have the authority to move forward with the project. Project charters can be
formatted in a few ways and can contain
different information depending on the project
and the organization. The information in a charter
might also be tailored to its audience or the needs
of specific stakeholders. For example, if you’re writing a project charter for a stakeholder who is a
marketing executive, the charter might include
information about how the project will impact
the organization’s brand. Or if the stakeholder is a
chief technology officer, the charter might
include information on the cost of engineering
resources needed to maintain the project. Regardless of the format or the audience, creating a project charter is a best practice for
ensuring that everyone agrees on how to move forward before entering
the planning phase. The project charter
is a living document. This means that it can evolve
as the project progresses. As the project manager, you’ll review and refine the charter throughout
the process. Now that you know more about the value of a project charter, it’s time to learn
how to create one. Meet me in the next
video to get started!

Hi again. Let’s talk about how to
create a project charter. In the last video we discussed how project
charters, are a valuable document for project managers. Project charters are key for
securing approval from stakeholders and moving forward. Project charters can also be
formatted in many different ways and there are many different templates
available online for you to choose from. Here, we’ll use a template that’s
similar to one that program managers often use at google and
to fill in each section will use details from your project
at Office Green, ready? Let’s take a look!
At the top of your charter, you’ll want to add in
the name of your project. Let’s add in the name of your
project at Office Green, it’s called: Project Plant Pals. You also want to add in a brief summary,
let’s type that in. Our plan is to offer high
volume customers, small, low maintenance plants that can
thrive in an office environment. Next up, let’s fill in the section
labeled “project goals.” Remember that goals should be smart. Let’s add in the goal for Project Plant Pals which is to increase
revenue by five percent by rolling out a new service that provides office plants
to top clients by the end of the year. Great, now let’s add in
the project deliverable. Remember that a deliverable is
a tangible outcome from a project. As you learned earlier, our deliverables
for this project are to send 1000 plants to 100 customers and to launch a new
website for orders and customer support. Okay, now let’s add in the business case,
which captures the reasoning for initiating this project. Let’s type in: “this is a top requested
service from our customers and it will also improve customer
satisfaction and retention.” The business case is supported
by the cost benefit analysis and we’ll add that in now.
We’ll start with the benefits. The benefits or
expected gains of the project, include improving customer satisfaction and
an increase in revenue. Now, we’ll move on to the costs. The costs include the price
of the sourcing products, developing a website and
marketing materials. Let’s type in: “$250,000” for
the estimated budget. Nice, we’ve now outlined some of
the benefits and costs of this project. Keep in mind that these are simple
examples to teach you the basics of filling out a charter.
When running a real project, you’ll perform a more detailed analysis
to determine the benefits and costs. The key takeaway here is that benefits
should always outweigh the cost. Fantastic, let’s keep going. Next,
we’re going to add in the project scope as well as what’s considered
out of scope for this project. Remember scope is an agreed upon
understanding of what is included or excluded from a project. An item that is in scope, includes
creating a service to deliver small plants to last year’s top clients. An item that is out of scope, and
therefore not available to customers, includes plant care
after they’re delivered. Amazing. Hopefully you can see how stating what’s
in scope and what’s out of scope helps everyone working on the project understand
where they should focus their efforts. Great, now let’s add in your project team. Let’s see here. The project sponsor is Office
Green’s director of product. So let’s add that in. Who is the project lead? Well, that’s you. The project team may include marketing
associates, website developers and external plant vendors and more, so we can add in a few important
project team members here. Awesome. Let’s move on to additional stakeholders. Additional stakeholders may include
the vice president of customer success, who is accountable for customer feedback
and corresponding product requests. We can also add in the account manager who
will leverage their existing relationships with top clients. And let’s also add in
the fulfillment manager, who will help acquire the plants
needed to launch the service. We’re almost done, let’s add in how we’ll
measure success. Here we will type in that we want to see a five percent increase
in revenue by the end of the year. Let’s also type in that we want to hit a
customer satisfaction rate of 95 percent, three months after launch. That’s it. The project charter is filled in and now it’s ready to be reviewed
by your stakeholders. Now you’re done. You’ve seen how documentation helps
form the roots of a project and how it contributes to
the project’s ultimate success. Like nurturing a plant, you’re learning to nurture a project
to ensure its the best it can be. Up next, we’ll talk about the tools that
project managers rely on to guide their teams and
ensure that they complete their tasks. See you soon.

Project Management Tools: Essential Resources for Optimizing Efficiency

Target Audience: Project managers, aspiring project managers, team leads, and anyone involved in project execution.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the importance of project management tools in optimizing efficiency.
• Identify the key functionalities offered by different types of tools.
• Learn how to select the right tools for specific project needs.
• Gain practical tips for implementing and utilizing project management tools effectively.

Tutorial Outline:

1. Introduction:

• Begin by highlighting the ever-increasing complexity of projects and the need for effective management tools.
• Emphasize the role of tools in enhancing communication, collaboration, transparency, and overall project success.
• Briefly introduce the different types of project management tools available.

2. Key Functionalities of Project Management Tools:

• Task Management:
  • Explain how tools help create, assign, track, and prioritize tasks.
  • Discuss features like deadlines, dependencies, and progress tracking.
• Communication and Collaboration:
  • Explore built-in communication channels like chats, forums, and video conferencing.
  • Highlight document sharing and collaborative editing capabilities.
• Documentation and Reporting:
  • Underscore the importance of centralized document storage and version control.
  • Show how tools facilitate report generation and data visualization.
• Resource Management:
  • Demonstrate how tools manage personnel, budget, and equipment allocation.
  • Discuss features like timesheets, expense tracking, and resource leveling.
• Risk Management:
  • Explain how tools help identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks.
  • Discuss features like tracking issues, managing changes, and contingency planning.

3. Selecting the Right Tool:

• Discuss factors to consider when choosing a project management tool, such as:
  • Project size and complexity
  • Team size and location
  • Budget constraints
  • Integration with existing systems
  • Features and functionalities needed
• Offer advice on comparing different tools, including:
  • Free trials and demos
  • User reviews and ratings
  • Vendor support and training

4. Implementing and Utilizing Tools Effectively:

• Provide tips for introducing tools to your team and overcoming resistance to change.
• Emphasize the importance of training and onboarding to ensure proper tool usage.
• Share best practices for setting up the tool, including customizing workflows and permissions.
• Discuss strategies for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of tool usage.

5. Case Studies and Success Stories:

• Showcase real-world examples of how project management tools have improved efficiency and achieved success.
• Introduce interviews with project managers who have effectively implemented tools.
• Provide actionable insights and takeaways for viewers to apply in their own projects.

6. Conclusion:

• Recap the key points covered in the tutorial.
• Reiterate the importance of project management tools in today’s competitive environment.
• Encourage viewers to explore and leverage the power of these tools to optimize their project management skills and achieve success.

Additional Resources:

• Provide a list of helpful resources, such as software recommendations, online tutorials, and project management blogs.
• Encourage viewers to join online communities and forums to connect with other project managers and share best practices.

By following this comprehensive outline and incorporating engaging visuals and interactive elements, you can create a valuable and informative tutorial on project management tools. Remember to tailor the content to your target audience and focus on delivering practical, actionable advice that can be readily applied in real-world scenarios.

As a project manager, tools are some of the
most helpful resources you have at your disposal. They’re essential for
tracking progress, so it’s important to keep them top of mind throughout
the entire project. Let’s talk more about
why tools are so useful and why it’s important to choose the right
ones for your needs. There are lots of
different tools out there, and you’ll learn
more about them later. As a reminder, tools are
aids that make it easier for a project manager or team to manage resources
and organize work. They’re useful because
they can help you track detailed information
about all kinds of tasks, and they make it easy to communicate with lots
of different people. And remember, effective
communication and tracking are huge parts of a project manager’s
day-to-day responsibilities. Just think about how much tougher your job
would be without help from collaboration tools like e-mail or digital documents created in Google Docs
or Microsoft Word. Let’s imagine this in the context of our
project at Office Green. As lead project manager, you have tons of
information about the company’s plan to provide office-friendly plants
to top clients. But what would
happen if you wrote every project detail on a whiteboard instead of
a shared online document? Well, every member of
your team would have to stop by your desk to get
the latest information, and that’s definitely not the most efficient
use of anyone’s time. But if you store
this information in easily-accessible
online documents, you save everyone
on the team time, energy, and a major headache. Today’s tools have made it so much easier to share
information with teammates. Even better with project
management tools, information sharing
goes both ways. That means team members can
also easily update you on their progress
without the need for extra meetings or phone
calls. How great is that? When you choose the right
tool for a project, you make it easy for
teammates to let you know if a task is on
schedule or if it’s delayed, which lets you quickly see how any changes might affect
the rest of the project. Project management tools
increase visibility and transparency for everyone,
including stakeholders. You can use a variety of tools to accomplish many
different things, like tracking progress on tasks, deliverables, and milestones. Tools can also help
you manage a budget, build helpful charts
and diagrams, manage contracts and licenses, and keep stakeholders informed. Tools can be straightforward, like digital spreadsheets
or documents, or they can be more
sophisticated, like scheduling and work
management software. It’s important to think
about the needs of the project when
choosing which to use. One thing to keep in
mind is that if you choose a more sophisticated tool, your teammates and
stakeholders will need some time to get
familiar with it. For small projects, that might be more trouble
than it’s worth. So for small projects, a straightforward tool
might be more effective. But if a project has a big scope, then it might be worth the
team’s time to learn and ultimately work with a more sophisticated
project management tool. You should also keep in mind
that sometimes you won’t have a choice about the
types of tools you use. If an organization has already decided to use a specific tool, then you will need to work
with what they give you. It’s all about
remaining flexible. Are you starting
to see how you can use tools to keep
projects on track? Whether they’re straightforward
or sophisticated, tools have the power to help you communicate and manage
more effectively. Next up, we’ll cover some
of the most common types of tools for effective project
management. See you there!

Hi there. So, you’ve learned about how tools can make you
more effective. Now let’s learn more about the different types of tools
used in project management. These include scheduling and work management software and tools for productivity and collaboration. Let’s get started. One common tool type is scheduling and work
management software. There are lots of
different types of work management
software on the market, including popular
tools like these. Certain tools may work better for your project depending
on a bunch of things; for example, the project
methodology you’re running or the number of tasks
and people involved. So, why would you choose to use scheduling and work
management software? Well, it can be really
useful for assigning tasks to multiple teammates and for tracking
progress on that work. It can also help you visualize
your team’s progress. For example, if you’re using work management software
to assign and track tasks, you’re more likely to notice
if your team completes 50 tasks one week and just three tasks
the following week. That’s a clear sign that
you need to check in to see if there’s a problem
that’s blocking progress. If you hadn’t been
tracking their tasks, you might not have
noticed the issue. That’s part of the reason why work management
software is so useful. It provides an overview of how the project is going so you know when you need
to check in with your teams to get
tasks back on track. Another type of project
management tool we’ll discuss is tools
for productivity. Productivity tools can be very helpful for
you and your team. This includes word
processing tools, like Microsoft Word
or Google Docs. You can use these to create shared documents with the team, like the project charter we taught you how to
fill out earlier. You can also use these
tools to build documents like meeting agendas
and status updates, and we’ll talk more about
these in a later course. Spreadsheets are another
useful productivity tool. They’re versatile, and
you can use them to make documents, like RACI
charts and project plans, as well as other helpful charts you’ll learn more about
in a later course. And presentations created in tools, like Microsoft
PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google Slides can
be a great way to package your project in a
visual, easily-digestible way. Now, let’s discuss
collaboration tools, which you’ll probably rely on to work closely with
your teammates. These include tools you’re
probably familiar with, like email and chat. Tools like this can
help you quickly and efficiently check in with
each other on questions, comments, and other topics
related to the project. Productivity tools like
documents and spreadsheets, and collaboration
tools like email and chat, are all pretty simple, which means they’re great
for smaller projects with fewer tasks and teammates
to keep track of. Scheduling and work management
software is better for bigger projects with
a larger number of tasks and a bigger team
of people to manage. Cool. You’ve learned more about the types of
tools available to you, including scheduling and
work management software, productivity tools, and
collaboration tools. We’ll spend the next video
diving a bit deeper on some of the most popular project
management tools out there. Meet you there.

Project Management Tools Tutorial: Master the Art of Organization

Welcome to the world of project management tools! This tutorial will equip you with the knowledge and skills to navigate the vast landscape of software designed to make your projects run smoothly and efficiently. Whether you’re a seasoned project manager or just starting out, this guide will provide valuable insights and practical tips to help you choose the right tools and maximize their potential.

Step 1: Understanding the Project Management Landscape

• Types of Project Management Tools:
  • Work Management Software: Asana, Trello, Jira – Plan, track, collaborate, and automate tasks.
  • Collaboration Tools: Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom – Facilitate communication and real-time interaction.
  • Productivity Tools: Evernote, Google Calendar, Todoist – Manage personal tasks and time effectively.
  • Budgeting Tools: Mint, QuickBooks, Xero – Track expenses, create budgets, and manage finances.
  • Data Analysis Tools: Tableau, Power BI, Excel – Analyze project data, identify trends, and make informed decisions.

Step 2: Choosing the Right Tools for Your Project

• Consider your project’s needs: Size, complexity, budget, team size, and industry.
• Evaluate tool features: Task management, collaboration, communication, reporting, integrations, and user interface.
• Trial and compare different tools: Explore free trials and demos to find the best fit.
• Align with your team’s preferences: Choose tools they’re comfortable with or willing to learn.

Step 3: Getting Started with Popular Tools

• Asana: Master task creation, assignment, tracking, and progress reporting.
  • Tutorial: Create a project, assign tasks, set deadlines, track progress, and communicate with team members.
• Spreadsheets: Learn basic and advanced techniques for project management.
  • Tutorial: Create project timelines, budgets, task lists, and data visualizations.
• Additional Tools: Explore other popular tools like Trello, Jira, Slack, and Microsoft Teams through dedicated tutorials and resources.

Step 4: Advanced Techniques for Project Management Tools

• Automations: Set up workflows to automate repetitive tasks and save time.
• Integrations: Connect different tools to create a seamless project management ecosystem.
• Reporting and Analytics: Generate reports to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and make data-driven decisions.
• Collaboration Best Practices: Utilize tools to facilitate effective communication, feedback, and team engagement.

Step 5: Staying Updated and Adapting

• New tools and features emerge constantly: Keep yourself informed about the latest developments.
• Be open to learning new tools: Stay adaptable and willing to expand your skillset.
• Share your knowledge and experience: Help others in your team learn and utilize project management tools effectively.

Bonus Resources:

• Online courses and tutorials
• Project management blogs and communities
• Tool-specific documentation and support

Remember: Project management tools are powerful resources, but they’re just one piece of the puzzle. Effective project management requires strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills. Use these tools wisely, adapt to your specific needs, and watch your projects reach new heights of success!

This tutorial is just a starting point. Feel free to explore the resources provided and delve deeper into specific tools and techniques. The more you learn and experiment, the more confident and effective you’ll become in navigating the world of project management tools.

Earlier, you learned about different types of
project management tools, from scheduling and work
management software, to tools for productivity
and collaboration. Now let’s discuss a
few popular tools you might be expected to use, or at least be familiar with. There are many different types of work management software that automatically make
project planning and tracking a lot easier and that are much more efficient than manual project tracking. One tool that we’ll focus on
in this program is Asana. Asana is a work
management platform that helps teams plan and coordinate their work from daily tasks to
strategic initiatives. Asana provides a living system and a source of truth where
everyone’s work lives. With Asana, everyone
can see, discuss, and manage team priorities, giving teams clarity on
who is doing what by when. It’s great for building project
plans, assigning tasks, automating workflows,
tracking progress, and communicating
with stakeholders. As a project manager, you can use Asana to
create a log of tasks, like gathering cost estimates
from external vendors, and assign a task to
people on the team. All tasks are visible and organized in the format of the project manager’s
choice—like in a list or on a calendar—and designed to
drive transparency and connection with all the tasks related to the overall goal. It’s easy to use with
external stakeholders as well, because within Asana, you can share status updates and other communications with people outside your company. Another great tool we’ll focus on throughout this program
is the spreadsheet. Spreadsheets are
extremely versatile, and you can use them for
a wide range of tasks, from creating timelines
and billing charts to managing budgets
and tracking tasks. You can add and view project information in
a variety of formats, depending on what you
need in the moment. For example, let’s say you
enter a list of tasks, due dates, completion statuses, and task owners
into a spreadsheet. From there, it’s very simple to sort the
list by due date to see what’s due next. You can then filter the list
of tasks by task owner, so that you only see the
things you’re responsible for. You can also highlight the rows of the sheet in different colors to visually illustrate the
tasks with the least progress. With spreadsheets, you
can easily transform, visualize, and
manipulate information. Spreadsheets and more
comprehensive tools like Asana are just two options for
effective project management, and it’s a good idea to get a basic understanding of the variety of software
options out there. Then, if your company doesn’t have a standard software tool, you can choose the right
one for the project needs. Being able to recommend the
right tool for the job can be a great way to add value to your team at the
beginning of a project. Keep in mind, however, that software options
are constantly changing. From the addition
of new features to the launch of new tools, there’s no way for you to know
every software available, and no company would
expect that of you. Many of these tools have similar functionality,
like task tracking and task assignment, so if you understand
one tool deeply, you should be able to easily adapt to a new tool on the job. Now that you’ve learned
a bit more about Asana and the power of spreadsheets, take some time to
explore these tools, since we’ll be working with
them later in the program. Coming up, you’ll hear
from a project manager who will tell you all about
their experience using tools during their day-to-day
role at Google. Stay tuned.

Hi, I’m Amar. I’m a Senior Engineering Program Manager at Google Shopping, and on a day-to-day basis, I drive programs which span across multiple
products at Google. As a Project Manager, tools are our best friends. Tools and the tools which will help us drive the execution—those should be near
and dear to us, and those are near
and dear to me. What I look at is what tools will help me
create the body of work. There are a lot of
open source tools as free tools, like Google
Spreadsheets are there, Google Docs is there. Many of these tools are
out there, and there are some other supporting tools also, like JIRA and ALM. These will help you
create the body of work. This will help you define that what needs to be
delivered and when. This will help you
create the timeline. There are timeline
tools, like Gantt Chart, Gantt tools, that
you will find out. Then there are tools
which will help you drive the visibility across the board and that drive the
dependent ecosystem. We want to make sure when we
are starting the project, we look at the available
toolset so that we are not defragging
the system that much, we are not really kind of adding too many complexities on new
tools in the ecosystems. We want make sure that, ok, what are the current tools
which are out there? Have a look at this toolset. Find out, are those supported? Find out what’s the
current adoption rate, and look at what are the gaps. If there are gaps, go for new tools. Propose new tools to
improve productivity. But if there’s an existing toolset which our team is following, which your team is following, try to learn those tools because those are the tools which
will get quick adoption, and those will be an amazing
toolset to have with you.

Nice work! Getting through all this
material is a huge accomplishment. Take a moment to consider how much you’ve
learned so far about the ins and outs of successfully
kicking off a project. You dug deeper on initiation, the first
phase of the project life cycle, and how important it is to
determine your project scope, including what’s in-scope and what’s not. You also learned about project goals and
deliverables, and you learned how to measure project success
by creating success criteria early on. Then you learned to define project roles and
responsibilities. Choosing the right people for
a project team is a big decision and one you’ll always want
to consider carefully. You now know how to create a stakeholder
analysis that tells you how and when to communicate with
different stakeholders, and you learned how to create and track team
accountability using a RACI chart. You also studied the final
steps of the initiation phase: identifying resources, creating
documentation, and selecting tools. You learned about the resources
that project managers rely on to achieve
the goals of a project, from budgets to people to the materials
needed to complete a deliverable. You also learned the value of documenting
your work using a project charter, which is a key step to getting
approval to start your project. Lastly, you learned about the many types
of tools that can help you be a more efficient project manager—from straightforward tools like email, to sophisticated
tools like Asana. Completing this course is no small feat,
and you’ve put in hours of work. Give yourself a pat on the back! You’ve earned it. In the next course, you’ll jump right into
the next phase of the project life cycle, and my colleague, Rowena,
will be your guide. Get ready to have some fun as Rowena shows
you the ropes of serious project planning!