TeamworkPM – Affordable, comprehensive and the simplest solution

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TeamworkPM (TWPM) is one of the most intuitive and useful project management tools on the market today. TWPM is a web-based, comprehensive project management solution. I use it nearly every day and decided to share my enthusiasm with the world. It’s a sentiment I share with tens of thousands of users who login and use the program to manage their projects.

Development on TeamworkPM started back in 2007. In addition to providing out-of-the-box applications, it has a developer API that allows third-party developers to more easily  integrate TeamworkPM with existing software.

One of the most appealing things about TWPM can be found in its versatility. The Extra Nerds team, and especially the Project Nerd (me!), wholly rely on TWPM internally for business management and communication, and externally for managing diverse and multi-layered client development projects. TWPM is simple to learn, adapts well to all types of business requirements, and is accessible because of its intuitive and adaptive design. Most importantly, the development team behind TWPM consistently fine-tunes the form and function, based on user feedback.

A key feature of TWPM is that it’s web-based, making it simple for project managers to access their active projects online, in real time. Even better, there is a downloadable application for both Apple and Droid users, making it simple to review and update projects anytime, and anywhere! Combine that level of accessibility with a budget conscious, tiered pricing model and excellent user support – and you have a project management solution that really works. TWPM includes a basic Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool rounding out its excellent suite of features for small and mid-size business management. If you are cost conscious and looking for a scalable, affordable, and well-supported cloud-based PM tool, you might want to try TeamworkPM.

It’s fair to assume that most business owners prefer to spend time successfully completing lucrative projects, not searching for the perfect PM tool. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best solution. TWPM helps you organize your projects, leaving you with the time to do the most important things in your business and your life.

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What is the best way to price a project?

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Like any good IT company, we are faced with the question of how to fairly price project requests that come to us. We want to provide a good value to the customer, yet be able to pay our employees and keep the business viable. So, how do you price projects that will be of value to the company AND provide value to the client?

To answer that question, one needs to understand the cost of completing a project. Like most manufacturing projects, IT jobs comprise direct cost and overhead costs. In this case, the direct cost is for the developer. Overhead costs include the sales department, project management, any brick-and-mortar costs, etc.

Direct costs are usually determined by the developer. Finding a good developer who works at a competitive rate is a rarity and is something every company is working to find more of. Read Sid’s blog post here for a great strategy on finding reliable and cost-effective talent. If you are able to find a good developer who works at a good rate, then your company can deliver even more value to your clients.

Overhead cost may fluctuate somewhat, but every company needs to understand what their overhead costs are going to be. Once you understand your overhead cost, you need to be able to project what your sales will be. Then, you can split your overhead across all of your sales.

Our deep understanding of these two key elements of project pricing results in proposals that benefit everyone. We work with our developers to come up with an estimate of their direct cost; we apply the overhead cost; the total is what we submit to our client. It’s a recipe for success that Extra Nerds has consistently provided. It results in a satisfied client, a happy developer and a healthy IT firm.

This is the ideal win-win-win.

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Looking for affordable talent? Consider sourcing from rural U.S.

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Outsourcing your IT projects to a third party can be challenging, but the benefits can far outweigh the risks if you know what you’re getting into and are prepared to deal with some of the common pitfalls.

Most companies are familiar with the concept of outsourcing. A basic unit of work (a project) requires completion, and the best option for completing that project is to hire an outside contractor. In some cases, a company doesn’t have the necessary resources or skill set to complete the project in-house, or it’s more affordable to assign the project to an outside agency. It’s for these reasons that companies seeking help with IT projects typically look to outsource projects to India, where labor is cheap and skilled IT professionals are abundant. Unfortunately, many companies learn the hard way that you get what you pay for, and dealing with cheap IT talent in foreign countries can be fraught with a slew of management headaches, such as coordinating efforts in differing time zones, overcoming language barriers, and ensuring legal and tax requirements are met.

Rural sourcing in the U.S. aims to retain the benefits of providing businesses with outsourced, skilled IT professionals at an affordable price while also eliminating the woes of dealing with IT professionals in foreign countries. Highly skilled IT professions located within the U.S. in rural areas are available if you know where and how to look, and they charge hourly rates that are typically on par with workers in foreign countries. These rural areas are often located near college towns and thus consist of highly skilled college graduates who are experienced with remote IT work and charge a low hourly rate. Their rates are low because of the low cost of living in their rural areas, yet their abilities are on par with IT professionals in larger cities because of their quality university training.

In many ways, rurally sourced IT professions are a better choice over city-dwelling IT professionals because of their vast experience working remotely as a necessity of their location. Rural IT professionals rely heavily on good communications with their clients and are thus very responsive to emails and phone calls; they are able to easily utilize other communication technologies such Skype, Google Hangouts, and screen sharing tools such as Join.Me. This provides companies with an opportunity to employ highly available, highly skilled IT professionals who are native English speakers, registered with their state governments, able to provide necessary tax forms, and work in the same time zone as the businesses that employ them. Further, organizations exist that facilitate the search for these contracted professionals and even facilitate communications, invoicing and payments.

Businesses interested in rural U.S.-based sourcing should have a look at websites like ExtraNerds.com, Elance.com, and Freelancer.com. These services provide skilled IT professionals and simplify the process of outsourcing projects to U.S.-based IT professionals. Companies should be sure to have their project scope documented well and in as much detail as possible. This is true not just for rurally sourced projects but for any project being outsourced to a third party. Doing so will eliminate or at least minimize the amount of confusion between the business and the contractor over what the specific deliverables are. These finer points are what can kill a project, and it’s yet another reason why U.S.-based companies would do well to contract with native English speakers. When outsourcing any project, clear communications on project goals is vital. To eliminate as many obstacles as possible and maximize the likelihood of a successful project outcome, sourcing in the rural U.S. is a highly recommended option for many businesses.

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Why use WordPress? Recommendations from our WordPress Nerd

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Why should you use WordPress?

WordPress is a free open source content management system that, in the right hands, can be used to create beautiful and dynamic websites. When WordPress first came about over 10 years ago, it was primarily used to create blogging websites. Over time, due to its ease of use and popularity, it has evolved into a popular web-based software program.

One of my very favorite parts of WordPress is the content management system, commonly referred to as a CMS. A content management system is a program what allows a user to publish, edit, add and remove content from his or her website without the need for special software installed on the computer. A CMS allows a user to make edits from any computer, without the fear of making a mistake that will affect the rest of the website or its structure. If a website administrator can create a word document or type an email, he or she is pretty much equipped to maintain a WordPress website.

Not needing special software is priceless — especially for those who, after a busy day at work, head home only to realize they need to make an edit on their website. With a WordPress CMS, an administrator only needs the username and password and a computer, laptop or even iPad to make the change.

So there, in a nutshell, is my favorite reason to use WordPress to build websites. It’s customizable, convenient and the best option for our busy clients.

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The Good, the Bad and the Cloud – finding the right project management tool for you

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If you have ever been handed the title of “project manager,” either formally or informally, you know that assessing the ever-growing list of project management tools can be a task in itself. Building and delivering a successful project is much like constructing a building. You need planning, oversight and most of all…the right tools for the job. These days, there are an overwhelming number of project management tools flooding the marketplace, most promising to be just that – the only tool you’ll ever need.

Of course, any good builder knows that each project is different and may require specific tools, for a specific purpose. More importantly, any one tool that promises to do everything cannot possibly meet the needs of a real crafts person. I think of project management as a craft. Over time, an experienced manager has many tools in his or her toolbox, knowing how to choose the right one for the job. And, like any good crafts person, you learn to use your tools well, adapting only when the latest and greatest features greatly outweigh the benefit of user experience or personal style.

Assuming that you are free to determine how best to manage your project, here are some key components to consider when choosing a project management tool:

• How large is my team?

• What type of information do they need access to?

• What kind of communication does each team member require to stay on track?

• How comfortable are my team members, and potentially the client, with project management tools and methodology?

• Most importantly – what tool(s) work for me…the project manager?

After all, a tool is only as good as the person who is using it. A good builder doesn’t need the most expensive or sophisticated tool – just like a good manager knows how to manage projects efficiently and without reliance on extra features that don’t add value to the process. How many projects are planned, executed and delivered using email communication and a spreadsheet , simply because the manager was skilled at building a project from the ground up?  The reality is this: a true crafts person sees their tools as an extension of themselves, and the manager becomes the cornerstone upon which any successful project is built. As any good builder knows, you must choose the right tools for the job, become familiar and comfortable with them, while making sure to hone your craft…one project at a time.

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