I usually prefer Excel sheets for project documentation hence PM templates comes handy for me.
I am curious if every thing can be managed using only project management templates? Saving Changes...
Monitoring and Controlling Topics like Issue Tracking, Progress Reporting, Backlogs, etc. are key candidates for Excel usage. However, you have also more descriptive PM tasks as the PMP (and its subplans) where the pure usage of excel will reach its limitations. Saving Changes...
I'd say it depends of the size and complexity of your project. Excel sheets are very handy for small to mid-size projects. But once you project is of a substantial size you'll appreciate also other PM tools than excel for instance for time scheduling, document management, change management and so on. Saving Changes...
You can. You can also cook food on an open fire or commute to work on a horse, both of which have been improved upon massively by introducing more suitable modern technology.
A key part of a PM's role is introducing change, and so being familiar and comfortable with change themselves, and hence utilising the benefits that new technology can deliver. Saving Changes...
Drew CraigSr. Agile & Product Coach| VanguardPhiladelphia, Pa, United States
What are the guidelines and expectations set forth from an organizational standpoint? There's also a consideration of practicality. Saving Changes...
Santosh KurupPM I| InfrasoftTech India LtdMumbai, Maharashtra, India
True, excel templates are simple and handy, but mere templates may not suffice for running all your projects. Yet again, the Project Manager is the best person to evaluate the tools & techniques to be used to drive projects to success. As long as templates are used only for recording data without compromising other critical Project Management tasks, templates are good. Focus though should be on critical factors that will ensure Project success. Saving Changes...
It all depends on the complexity and the size of the project. More the data is more it required to have data manipulation/analysis program. Saving Changes...
As some of the members already noted, all depends on the project (size, complexity, number of stakeholders...) and your organisation.
If your company has some software different than excel for project management work, I recommend you start using it. It is important that you adapt to it soon, regardless of whether your projects are manageable only with excel. Saving Changes...
Stéphane ParentSelf Employed / Semi-retired| Leader MakerPrince Edward Island, Canada
Can you? Of course, you can. A better question is: should you?
The simple answer is yes.
Depending on size, complexity... you might have many spreadsheet or too many.
Then the question will be Should you? Like Stephane stated
Many very large project partially depend on Excel to manage project. A nice complement to other systems. Saving Changes...
Bernard Murray-GatesPrincipal Consultant| CITI LimitedNewport Pagnell, United Kingdom
Practically, yes, and in principal, a firm YES.
The management of most projects that most of us do can be supported by Excel templates where filtering, sorting, lookup and graphing functions can simplify analysis, decision making and communication.
Introduction of more 'sophisticated' planning and monitoring tools should be treated with caution: while they are ostensibly 'labour-saving' they can be unhelpful in 3 ways
(1) they demand a lot of data, which instead of providing more information, can actually obscure the essential nature of what's happening on the ground
(2) they can give a false sense of being 'in control' but makes you rely on abstract data which may be more or less reliable, and
(3) most stakeholders won't readily understand outputs like gantt charts, etc, and can feel either alienated or intimidated by such PM tools.
The truth, of course, is that projects are not managed by software, but by your interactions with your team and stakeholders. What is paramount is not capturing more data, but communicating the appropriate level of data to aid monitoring and control.
If you use simple, easily accessible tools and software that can engage your stakeholders and communicate your needs, decisions and status, then you are doing the right thing.
Good luck, Bernard Saving Changes...
