We are a business coach company that is currently reimagining itself in the same manner we have helped small and medium-sized businesses do so for decades. We had fallen into a state of technological stagnation, which led to the hiring of a new management team to review and improve our IT infrastructure. It was clear that this was only the beginning of a series to make changes. One of the most important areas was how we approached project managing, its integration into our company ethos and operations, as well as the critical role it plays in meeting the expectations we set.
A Change is in the Air
To launch the transformation project, I joined the team in April 2012. To track projects, the team was using Excel spreadsheets and email. This was a waste of time that cost everyone a lot of time. I have spent many years in project management and knew that a better, cloud-based solution was needed to help us move forward. I started a search for the best project management software,Ai. When we found Smartsheet and Google Apps, it was clear that we had found what we were looking.
Transform via the Cloud
Smartsheet and Google are so easy to use that everyone in the company was able immediately to begin using them. Smartsheet and its real time collaboration allow multiple people from the company to work together on project planning. Because everyone involved in a project can see the status of every activity, there is more transparency. This encourages self-ownership and personal accountability, which in turn helps us complete projects on time. We are always in control of all information sources through Google Apps.
I recently used Smartsheets and Google Apps for seven work streams that were representative of our company’s transformation.
Transition Planning: Every detail of our transition from the old system to the new was tracked in Smartsheet. Using Gantt charts made it easy to view updates.
Corporate Rebranding: Attachments are stored in Smartsheet, which makes it easy to find company assets.
Video Projects: We create videos for our clients. The creation of these productions, starting with storyboarding and ending with rendering, is all tracked and documented in Smartsheet.
Website Management: All information related to EMyth’s new website can be tracked in one central location.
Content Development: Our new Product Delivery System is now available to clients. Each phase of the new system’s development is tracked in Smartsheet.
Product Delivery: We recently started offering online coaching. Smartsheet was used to track the development and coordination of this product’s delivery.
HR: Smartsheet is used to manage the recruitment process for our growing Coaching Network, from the initial steps of hiring and recruiting new coaches to the final stages of laying out training programs.
Each of these work streams helps us get closer to our new company vision.
Immediate Impact
Smartsheet was also used by our IT department to manage our transition from Outlook into Gmail. Smartsheet is helping us save a lot of time every day by managing large projects like these,” Ben Ostergaard, our COO and CFO, told me. It’s also sparked a discussion within our team about technology, and the impact it has on us. Ben continued, “Smartsheet’s simplicity makes it invisible. We’ve moved on from the days of IT maintenance, crisis resolution, and IT maintenance. This allows us to focus more on the task at hand. We can all use these tools to solve our own problems.