Introduction

Effective collaboration in project management can seem daunting, but increasingly, collaborative tools such as Asana, Jira, Trello, and Kanban have simplified the process. These tools aid project managers and teams to efficiently communicate, assign tasks and roles and keep track of project status and progress. Collaborative tools to simplify project operations and multiply the productivity of project teams have gained popularity in recent years [1], especially in the tech space. While these tools seem more widely applied in the tech sector, they are cross-functional. They can be used for projects in other industries, such as construction, engineering, and event management [2]. Here’s how collaborative software tools help project teams amplify productivity and simplify collaborative project management, regardless of industry.

The Impact of Collaborative Tools on Project Management Outcomes.

Project collaboration is how teams and team leaders plan, coordinate, control, and monitor the project. A well-coordinated collaborative project management process works across departmental, industry, and international boundaries. Effective communication, consistent procedures, and appropriate project collaboration tools are three requirements for successful project collaboration. Most complex project processes relying on collaborative work technologies help to simplify tasks. This simplification of operations can be the difference between the failure and success of a project depending on effective communication, consistent techniques, and project collaboration tools.

Project collaboration is vital for successful project management because it can improve team members' efficient communication, decision-making, and creativity [3]. When project managers properly implement collaborative strategies by employing a workstyle that promotes openness, allowing teammates to express ideas and concerns freely, delegating tasks and defining team roles clearly, and providing required resources that encourage creativity and boost productivity. These strategies can be enhanced by using clear communication channels, consistent processes and techniques, and an appropriate collaboration tool.

Project collaboration tools are software features, apps, and platforms that help project managers and teams manage their tasks, communication, and resources. Features of collaboration tools include real-time messaging, group chat, file sharing, shared calendaring, project coordination, and voice and video for one-on-one and group communication. Other features may include Kanban boards to visualize workflows, with customization options such as central management for streamlining project administrative tasks in some establishments [4]. Some popular collaborative tools are Trello, Asana, Zoom, Slack, Microsoft Whiteboard, Zapier, WorkOtter, Zoho, Airtable, ActiveCollab, Basecamp, Jira, Lighthouse, and TeamLab. These tools can impact projects in the following ways:

1. Increase employee engagement - Effective communication channels keep every team member informed, listened to, and felt heard. This boosts team morale, lowers discord, and encourages creativity.

2. Improve team flexibility - Collaborative tools allow team members to actively participate in team sessions no matter where they are located or their department in a company, especially in teams who work cross-functionally.

3. Improved access to creative talent - Collaborative tools have increasingly, since COVID-19, allowed companies to source creative talent globally. These tools enable team members to work together cohesively regardless of time zones and widen a company's talent pool.

Communications, Team Roles, and Stakeholder Management in Project Management.

Project management involves coordinating diverse activities, resources, and stakeholders to achieve project objectives within defined constraints. Effective communication, role clarity, and stakeholder management are integral to project success when working collaboratively.

Communication

Communication between team members is crucial for project collaboration, meeting deadlines, and ensuring everyone stays in the loop. Selecting a communication channel to keep project team members informed is vital to practical cooperation [6]. Collaborative tools have varied features to help project managers and team members stay in touch and updated on project status. Communication helps teams build trust, clarify ambiguities, and maintain project cohesion.

Team Roles

For teams to function effectively, every team member needs to know what is expected of them. They must know their role in the project team, assigned tasks, and contribution to the project. “Team members are more productive when roles and responsibilities are clearly defined. There is less duplication of effort; less confusion, disappointment, and frustration; and greater productivity.” [7] Using the team or workgroup feature in collaborative tools enables the project manager to hold team members accountable and efficiently manage the delivery of different tasks in a project. In teams with clearly defined roles and responsibilities, members look beyond their positions and come to value, understand, and respect the unique contributions of each other as they recognize that the team's overall success happens when the team shares project responsibility and ownership.[8]

Stakeholder Management

Stakeholders are those individuals with a stake or active interest in a project. They can range from clients to team members, and their input impacts the project. When dealing with stakeholders, no matter how big or small their perceived impact may be on a project, collaborative tools make managing stakeholders more accessible. It’s essential to identify all the stakeholders in your project upfront [9], and collaborative tools [10] can help the project manager and team to identify stakeholders, analyze their needs and level of engagement in a project and smoothen communication about the project.

Collaboration gaps in project teams and how they negatively impact projects.

Collaboration can sometimes be threatened by common oversights in a project team [11]. For example, where channels of information are unclear, it could lead to relaying insufficient information to team members. Another example could be the non-acknowledgment of an achievement, which could strain team inter-relationship and be perceived as a lack of support for team members. All such actions would impact the project negatively. Ineffective collaboration dramatically increases the chances of project teams experiencing a lack of motivation, innovation, and little to no team morale and cohesion, which may delay tasks and risk time and budget constraint breaches. Collaborative tools lessen the risk of this occurring as project teams, and managers can communicate details of the project or specific tasks to each other via these tools.

How collaborative tools like Asana improve team collaboration and productivity.

Asana is a great collaborative tool [12]. It can help project managers designate tasks and assign roles within teams, as one of Asana’s features is roles and tasks assignment. It also allows the project manager and team members to track specific tasks and gives an overview of the overall project progress. It can indicate timelines, highlight project issues/blocks and communicate specific tasks status and milestones using visual illustration features such as a Kanban board, Gantt chart, and timeline tracker.

One user said,” Major projects have many moving parts, people involved, and tasks to complete. Asana helps us plan everything out, track all the work, and stay updated with everyone’s progress.” Maggie Green, Project Manager, 1A Auto [12]. Asana, like most other collaborative tools, aids in linking project teams working together on a project regardless of location and can be employed to manage projects irrespective of industry.

Conclusion

Collaborative tools have proven invaluable assets in project management, revolutionizing how teams work together and transforming the efficiency and productivity of projects. By facilitating seamless communication, enabling real-time collaboration, and providing centralized platforms for document sharing and task tracking, these tools have, and continue to empower, teams to break down geographical barriers and work together seamlessly [13]. They foster a sense of cohesion, promote transparency, and enhance overall project coordination. With their ability to streamline workflows and enhance team collaboration, collaborative tools have undoubtedly become indispensable companions for modern project management, paving the way for successful outcomes and driving innovation in an increasingly interconnected world. Project managers and teams, try out Asana to experience the ease collaborative tools bring to project management.

Resources

[1] Teamly, “Project Management: The Risks of Poor Collaboration in the Workplace.” Blog Publication. [Online]. Available at: Lack of Collaboration in the Workplace - The Complete Guide

[2] Study.Com. “Cross-Functional Team Overviews and Examples.” Course Documentation. October 14, 2022. [Online]. Available at: Cross-Functional Team Overview & Example

[3] Tech Target. “What are Collaboration Tools? Definition, Types and Benefits.” Online publication. [Online]. Available at: What are Collaboration Tools? Definition, Types, and Benefits | TechTarget

[4] Open Growth. “The Importance of Collaboration in Project Management.” Online Resource. April 5, 2023. [Online]. Available at: The Importance of Collaboration in Project Management | OpenGrowth

[5] Govisually.Com. “Top 5 Cross-Functional Collaboration Tools.” Blog Publication. [Online]. Available at: Top 5 Cross-Functional Collaboration Tools - GoVisually

[6] g2.com. “Team Communication,” Technology Glossary Definitions. [Online]. Available at: Team Communication | Technology Glossary Definitions | G2

[7] National Institute of Corrections. “Evidence-based Decision Making in State and Local Criminal Justice Systems: 1k: Establishing clear Roles and Responsibilities.” Online Resource. Retrieved from: 1k: Establishing Clear Roles and Responsibilities | Evidence-Based Decision Making

[8] P. R. Scholtes, B.L. Joiner, and and B.J. Streibel. The Team Handbook. (3rd ed.) Madison, WI: Oriel Inc. 2003.

[9] A. Watt, M. Barron, A. Barron and J. Solera. “Project Management: Stakeholder Management.” BCcampus- Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Available at: 5. Stakeholder Management

[10] Project Manager.Com. “Project Stakeholder Management: What is Stakeholder Management?” Online Guide. [Online]. Available at: What Is Stakeholder Management?

[11] Elium. “5 Reasons Collaborations Fail.” Blog Publication. [Online]. Available at: 5 Reasons Collaboration Fails - Elium

[12] Asana.Com. “What are Collaboration Tools Anyway?” Asana Website. [Online] Available at: Online Collaboration Tool & Coordination Software • Asana

[13] Tech Target. “4 Reasons Businesses Need to Use Collaboration Tools.” Online publication. [Online]. Available at: 4 reasons why businesses need to use collaboration tools.