Do you ever wonder how you can stay on top of the newest technology? Or what the next big thing will be? We asked some of our project managers for their recommendations, how they stay on top of technology and how they integrate the changing technologies into their everyday routine. Here are their top agile project management tips and life hacks:
Browser extensions
Browser extensions can be added to make your tedious tasks online into simpler, more efficient and personalized ways of working. Think of extensions as an army of little helpers for your professional and recreational online activity – remember, extensions are here to help you!
Font Face Ninja (Chrome, Safari) – details on any text in a browser screen, mask mode hides anything that is not text
Page Ruler (Chrome) – Measure anything in the browser screen to see it’s dimensions, this is handy for designers and developers
Google Docs Offline (Chrome) – Edit Google docs and sheets offline to then be synced once connection is established
Muzli 2 (Chrome, Safari) – For a new window or tab default page, this loads lots of digital design inspiration and resources
Software and Programs
In Project Management – communication is the cornerstone to high-quality performance. Whether it communication to clients, developers or other teammates, these tools help in every step of the process:
Jira – Clone tool – when working with multiple platforms on a project this tool can help replicate the same stories to different components, or platforms.
Slack – This communication program is incredibly useful to help speed up quick communication between teams, client user integration in specific channels, and easy file sharing.
Google Hangouts – Need an impromptu chat or video call? A quick scrum? Jump on a hangout to keep communication going.
Appear.in – Great impromptu conference call and video chat service hosted completely in the web browser. Provides a common web address, such as appear.in/mobomo that can be forwarded quickly and even password protected if needed.
Strategy
Project Stacks – It can be difficult to work outside of our comfort zone on some projects. However there are often new technologies, techniques, programs, and methods available to be utilized in a project. It is important in the industry to push limits and be on top of emerging technologies and techniques. In order to explore these opportunities in a timely and organized/structured methodology, projects can be run specifically and purposefully using these technologies and/or techniques. Little microcosms of experimental project setups that explore these potentially beneficial project components.
An example could be utilizing a new project management tool like Trello to run the project stories and sprints, while simultaneously utilizing a complementary tool like Wunderlist that integrates. This could become a very nice strategic stack and otherwise may not have been explored.
In short, keep pushing boundaries and stay agile; not only in your projects, but in your approach to projects.
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