Project planning, scheduling, budgeting, and risk management

The pre-production or pre-implementation phase of any business operation or practice is vital to the establishment of results or outcomes as it is decisive in determining whether the organization is looking towards a positive or negative conclusion of organizational activities. The processes involved during the pre-production or pre-implementation phase include planning, scheduling, budgeting, and risk management.

Planning covers the other three processes as it oversees every part of the plan or proposal from the timetable, the number of available resources as well as other options to obtain resources, to the identification of potential risks and threats that might jeopardize the success of the organization, and such. Aiding organizations in this critical challenge are various online softwares or applications that offer services for this particular need, and Plan Projects is one of them.

Plan Projects is a free online project management solutions service that assists groups, individuals, or organizations who require the need to organize and systematize projects. This service particularly targets individuals who work along the industry of website developing or designing and software engineers, but it is also made available for other fields or professions just as long as Plan Projects meets their planning management goals and objectives.

The overall purpose of Plan Projects is to provide its clients with a free online service that allows them to create an online database of projects and manage them through the added features that come with the service. Moreover, it boasts off one particular feature specifically designed for freelancers by which they will be able to obtain projects from project managers directly. (“ About Our Services”) The structured of Plan Projects was simply designed such that the service merely provides a way to file projects, identifying the due date for the project and adding tasks that will lead to the completion of the project.

In addition, the look and feel of the website is plain utilizing basic blended colors and traditional texts. It does not present multimedia presentations or flash animations. The website design was traditionally done with a toolbar for services and text at the main page for information about the program. As far as project management is concerned, the service is only focused on noting the different products and the tasks under each of them. It acts like an online note pad or to-do list which allows project managers to cancel tasks as they are accomplished.

The only difference is that there is a value-added feature which constitutes the involvement of freelancers who might want to accomplish some tasks under varied projects. Moreover, fees that freelancers might require for their services are easily calculated through another service feature and shall be automatically paid through PayPal. Opening Project Plans to freelancers allows project managers to gain access on a wider range of human capital for the fulfillment of plans or projects as it is able to choose individuals who shall be able to accomplish various tasks and responsibilities under each project.

In addition, Project Plans facilitates two-communication between project managers and freelancers by allowing them to post their personal information including contact numbers, and the posting of notes under each task from which freelancers and project managers will be able to present their ideas, obtained information, and such. What the program lacks are services that will allow project managers to conduct budgeting and risk management strategies and techniques.

The simple structure of the online program only allows scheduling and the listing down of projects and required tasks for completion. In terms of utility, Project Plans is only beneficial for project managers who lack human capital or resources in accomplishing their projects. This establishes the most important feature of the program – access for freelancers. Allowing freelancers to provide services for project managers who work in small-scale projects and organizations that lack able-bodied employees will be most beneficial to the efficient accomplishment of the project.

This is because project managers will be able to obtain extra minds and hands to accomplish tasks that will complete projects. In addition, this will be most advantageous in unavoidable situations wherein members or employees within the actual organization are unable to accomplish tasks before the set deadline, or are unable to work due to personal reasons such as illnesses, problems at home, etc. Moreover, project managers will be able to readily compensate freelancers through PayPal.

On the other hand, the basic features of Project Plans are not noteworthy as they are tasks that may be done through “ pen-and-paper. ” For instance, the project organization feature including the calendar, notes, and listing down of projects and tasks, may be done by simply putting it into writing. There is nothing extraordinary about its basic features as other online programs such as Basecamp, Ace Project, and iTeamwork also offer them, but provide more services that are unique and sophisticated realizing the overall goal and objective of project management.

For instance, Basecamp boasts off various services including communication tools, facilitation of client involvement, the creation of logos and application of various colors, file-sharing, message boards, monitoring the progress of projects, etc. , Ace Project promises to create project ratings and statistics, Gannt charts, workload reports, task reports, etc. , and iTeamwork is capable of assigning tasks to various team members, Project Plans allows project managers connection to various freelancers. In terms of advantages, the freelancer access feature is only the main thing that makes the program significant.