Efficiencies come long before the website is finished

We often encounter clients whose business culture is meeting-prone. They summon a meeting at the slightest provocation. Not trusting new communication tools like email or old ones like the phone, they want face time to convey something that sometimes doesn’t exceed a sentence.

For such people and for efficiencies in jobs with myriad elements and some complexity, Panmedia uses project sites. These are valuable tools for organizing jobs, assigning responsibilities,, making lists and checking off tasks. They centralize communications for the client and agency side.

After our first discovery meeting with clients we send them a URL with a user name and password for access. All actionable items are then posted on the project site and emails automatically alert those involved.

Apart from posting messages and uploading files, clients can categorize, track versions and share deliverables. They add as many to-dos as they want and those that are complete are moved to the bottom of the lists.

Communications are listed in reverse chronological order, and it is easy to attach files and images to messages as one does with email. On the project site the client lists files with icons, names and descriptions and can sort by date and time or from A to Z. Related files are grouped by category.

The project manager and everyone else involved are able to keep track of what is due and when and who is responsible.  They can color code milestones for late, upcoming and complete, and even post related to-do lists.

For the agency side, the time tracking feature is helpful for billing, creating reports and tracking time against to-do lists.

Finally, there is a project overview that gives the big picture on any job and shows what’s fresh and what’s ahead.

The project site isn’t a panacea for inefficiencies, but it helps to prevent time wasting and keeps everyone focused.