Project Management

As a small business, managing multiple projects simultaneously can be challenging. You need a streamlined, efficient way to keep track of tasks, deadlines, and team collaboration. Let's explore how small businesses can use InfoLobby to manage the main steps involved in project management, even when juggling multiple projects in a single workspace.

1. Setting Up Your Workspace

The first step is to set up your workspace. In InfoLobby, a workspace is where you and your team collaborate on projects. For small businesses managing multiple projects, having a single workspace with clearly defined project areas can streamline communication and task management.

• Create a Workspace: Go to the InfoLobby dashboard and click on "Create a Workspace." Give it a name that reflects your business or the department handling the projects.
• Invite Team Members: Add your team members to the workspace and select their privileges in that space. Ensure everyone who will be involved in the projects is included.

2. Creating Projects and Tasks

Once your workspace is set up, it's time to create your projects and break them down into manageable tasks.

• Add Projects: Within your workspace, create a new table called "Projects." This table will serve as a central repository for all your projects. Customize it to include fields such as project name, description, start date, end date, and project manager.
• Define Tasks: Next, create another table called "Tasks." Link this table to your "Projects" table so that each task can be associated with a specific project. Include fields like task name, description, assigned team member, due date, and status.

3. Assigning and Tracking Tasks

With your projects and tasks set up, you can now start assigning tasks to team members and tracking their progress.

• Assign Tasks: Go to the "Tasks" table and assign tasks to team members by selecting their names from the dropdown list. Make sure each task has a clear deadline and status.
• Track Progress: Team members can update the status of their tasks (e.g., not started, in progress, completed) and add comments or attachments as needed. This real-time visibility helps keep everyone on the same page.

4. Communication and Collaboration

Effective communication is crucial for successful project management. InfoLobby offers several features that facilitate collaboration.

• Comments: Use the comment section within each task or project to communicate with team members.
• File Sharing: Upload and share files directly within tasks or projects. This ensures that all relevant documents are easily accessible to everyone involved.
• Meetings and Calendars: You can create a separate meetings table to schedule and track meetings about projects or tasks. This helps you keep track of important deadlines and ensures that team members are available for crucial discussions.

5. Monitoring and Reporting

To ensure your projects stay on track, it's essential to monitor progress and generate reports.

• Dashboards: Use dashboards widgets to get a visual overview of your projects. You can track metrics such as task completion rates, overdue tasks, and project timelines.
• Reporting: Use InfoLobby's automations tools to generate detailed reports on project performance. This data can help you identify bottlenecks and make informed decisions to improve efficiency.

Conclusion

Managing multiple projects can be challenging, but with InfoLobby, it becomes a manageable and efficient process. By setting up a well-organized workspace, creating clear projects and tasks, assigning and tracking tasks, facilitating communication and collaboration, and monitoring progress through dashboards and reports, small businesses can master project management and achieve their goals.