Hello fellow project managers! I need to put together a Gantt chart so that my execs have a bird's eye view of the status of each stream (there are 6-8 streams all flying solo at the moment), and so that I have the ability to manage the dependencies between each team and be able to forecast funding milestones. Each team is working independently (freelancers, vendors etc). This is a start-up so I am looking for the best value for money. Can anyone suggest the best tool to achieve this? I have looked at Trello BigPicture (it is quite finicky and manual), MS Project (I know this well, but it is expensive and not that collaborative), JIRA (I know this for singular Agile teams, not too well versed on being able to present a Gantt chart on multiple teams progress). I would like to stay as Agile as possible but also require some forecasting due to the funding milestones. Saving Changes...
Remember that your time will likely cost more than the tool. You could find the perfect tool but it might take you a while to learn it properly. Sometimes, tailoring a known tool can be a more effective solution.
When I was a program administrator, I used a master Project schedule to report on ten sub-projects. It allowed me to manage inter-project resources and dependencies. Saving Changes...
Nikki GauniyalSr Director| Cengage LearningLoveland, Oh, United States
To date MS Project is the best tool I have worked with to manage Programs. Another tool to consider might be Smartsheets - a tad bit harder to use since it is Excel based. Saving Changes...
Alyne Padilla LynchSr Business Process Analyst| Communications and Finance IndustrySacramento, Ca, United States
Excel can do wonders with charting options. Consider using slicers and customizing a chart for your specific need. If you don't have the excel skillset, seek out a self-proclaimed Excel guru (most offices have at least one). They're also usually eager to show off their fancy excel skills. Good luck! Saving Changes...
You can combine Project Gantt Charts (who will help you to manage funding milestones) with Trello Dashboards (that help you to introduce agile considerations for certain phases or activities). Saving Changes...
"The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not Eureka! (I found it!) but rather, 'hmm.... that's funny...'"
