There are many different project management software that we can use and one of the most popular is Bascamp. It is a great project collaboration tool with client. However, it is actually possible to use WordPress as a project management platform. We may use specific plugins, such as WP Project, Ndizi and Collabpress. However, when we use them, we will need to make sure that users are able to log in, especially if the project management content isn’t meant to be accessed by public. These plugins should be able to provide us with specific functionality and feel.
Because clients often don’t use project management tools, we often need to use email, which is not an efficient thing to do. With WordPress, we can create an individual page for each client and with specific themes and plugins, we are able to add necessary items on the sidebar that can be used by clients. We could use a plugin to password-protect each page. However, WordPress already comes with built-in feature for this purpose. In the WYSIWYG interface for each post, we should find the visibility option that’s set as “public” by default. We can change it to password-protected and this opens an important opportunity for project management. We may install Dropbox Uploader onto these pages and this allows clients to upload files directly from their pages to our Dropbox accounts. Clients don’t need to sign up to their Dropbox account and files will be sent directly to us.
The comment section is an important area for communications and notes. It is recommended to use the Disqus comment system and a comment box can be added to the sidebar with a shortcode in the text widget. This should reduce the amount of emails that are sent to our inbox. It means that we won’t be lost in a complex maze of messages. Any project management tool includes a to-do list and for this rease, we are able to create a Google Drive form with specific fields. For this purpose, we may need to create separate forms for each clients and tasks will need to be funnelled into each spreadsheet.
Once we create the form, we will be able to embed it into the page. We could grab the iframe code and paste it into the WordPress page. This is an easy way to create task submission form for each client. The spreadsheet setting includes the ability to allow us get an email each time we get a response. It would be necessary to send appropriate notifications to the client. In this case, we need to create a specific spreadsheet and share it using the option in the dropdown menu, that’s found on the file tab. Projects can also be time-tracked by adding specific fields in Google Drive’s spreadsheet. It is also better to use Google Calendar that can be attached to client’s page. It means that clients are able to take a glance on any essential events and deadlines.
