Wrangling a team of software developers is a lot like herding cats — only worse, because in this case the cats all speak a mixture of different (programming) languages. For most agencies, managing a software development team can be even more perplexing because you don’t speak any of those languages. Thankfully, with the right processes in place, anyone can build the skills they need to successfully manage a software development team. Here are nine tips to get you started.

Did you know that 57% of customer success organizations have taken the time to create a journey map? Process mapping is a critical business tool that helps organizations to visually depict their business processes, identify inefficiencies, and optimize their workflows. In this blog, we will learn what process mapping is, explore the different types of process mapping tools available, and discuss their features and benefits. Let’s dive in.

As an agency, you know how to provide guidance and deliver projects for your clients. But when was the last time you took a look at your own agency and planned out a strategic roadmap? Agencies spend around 7-20% of their revenue on their own marketing — but that's a pretty wide gap. How can you know what's a good ballpark investment for your agency’s marketing efforts? No matter what your budget is, you need a strategic plan to ensure your marketing investment is worth it.

How Cisco, Reddit, YuLife, and TheSoul Publishing make room for productivity.

A task tracking tool is essential for any project, no matter how big or small. It helps you stay organized and on top of your tasks so that you can get things done more efficiently. With the right task tracking tool, you can easily track progress, allocate resources, manage risks, and collaborate with teammates. To make sure you have the best task tracking tool to suit your needs, we’ve put together a list of the top 6 task tracking tools of 2023.

Empathy is tricky. In recent years, it’s become a sniffed-at, laughed-at, or memed trait. Still, leaders who do the work appear to hit their goals and see a boon in productivity, one of the most tangible business metrics.

We all love the myth of the “natural born leader”. The Alpha that takes charge of every situation, ensuring the job gets done, no matter what. But leadership is so much more than someone with an outgoing personality. It’s a collection of skills. Empathy. Listening. Coaching. Motivation. Powerful leaders act a lot like a Swiss Army Knife, deploying the right tool at the right time to get the desired result.

New hires slog through a lot before they’re ready to operate at the rate of someone who’s been there for years. And should you leave out important steps when getting someone set up, you could end up with a new employee who doesn’t know where to go for help, isn’t sure what they’re supposed to be doing every day, and ends up regretting their decision to join your company. New hires are also judging you during their first weeks at the company.

Effective project management plays a critical role in determining the success or failure of an organization. In fact, according to the PWC report, 97% of respondents agreed that project management strategies are critical to business performance and organizational success, and 94% agreed that correct PM strategies enable business growth. But with the presence of various project management strategies, it can be challenging to choose the right one for your organization’s needs.

If your agency is in the market for reliable project management software, you've probably at least heard of Asana. Originally designed as a productivity tool for Facebook employees, Asana is now one of the most popular project management tools on the market. While Asana does have a lot to offer, it's generally designed for simple task management. If you have more complex projects in the pipeline, then you may need a more robust management tool.

In today’s rapidly changing business landscape, success is not just about setting goals but measuring progress towards them. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) are crucial tools for any business that wants to achieve success. KPIs provide means to track performance against goals and objectives, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions that drive growth and profitability.

If your agency is on the hunt for a project management solution, you've likely heard of Microsoft Project. Launched in 1984, MS Project is the longest-running project management platform on the market. But is it the best option for your agency? With so many newer, more powerful project management tools on the market, it’s unsurprising that many teams are slowly moving away from the outdated software.

Creative project managers need to oversee multiple projects simultaneously. Juggling tight deadlines while keeping the creativity flowing is no easy task. A design project management software can help managers and teams manage requests, plan projects, and meet deadlines. Streamlining the project management side of things allows design teams to focus on creativity and client relationships.

Is your agency drowning in a sea of missed deadlines and incomplete deliverables? Implementing a stronger project management strategy could be the missing link in your process. But winning at project management is easier said than done. That’s why many agencies are turning to project management software tools like Scoro to bring order to chaos and instill a new sense of operational clarity. Scoro is a powerful project management tool, but it isn’t right for every agency.

They say that your company’s success is only as good as the goals you set. But with so many goal frameworks available (think: S.M.A.R.T goals, KPIs, OKRs, etc.), selecting the right goal type can be challenging. In this guide, we will cover everything you need to know about OKRs–from what they are to the different departmental OKR examples that you can get inspired from. Let’s dive in.

Between 2020 and 2021, poor-quality software cost U.S. businesses about $2.41 trillion. Why? Sometimes it comes down to software having a poor user experience, but more often it’s due to a lack of structure within software development teams. So how do you choose the right people for software development teams? And what development methodology should you use? We’ll show you the basics below.

Times of crisis can trigger innovation—if leaders can guide the perception of a crisis, and if leaders understand how each team member responds to them. Study Abstract — Although a crisis provides room for creativity, organizations often suffer from creativity deficits in such a situation. Indeed, threat-rigidity theory suggests that an employee-experienced crisis may hinder employee creativity.

What is the first structure that you need to perfect before building any further? The foundation, of course! And when it comes to handling such projects, construction project management software is the foundation for success. Construction project management software helps with effective monitoring of the material, skilled and unskilled laborers, client expectations, employees, and deadlines.

As a spreadsheet tool for data entry, there's nothing wrong with a platform like Smartsheet. But if your agency needs a platform that can handle more than just Excel-style spreadsheets — or if you simply don't love digging through endless rows and columns to find the data you need — you'll probably want to look elsewhere. Where do you begin to narrow down the best Smartsheet alternatives for task management in 2023? We've got you covered with our top picks.

Whether your distributed workforce engages in real-time or asynchronous work—or both—research points to three systems that support it all. Study abstract: Collaboration is critical to organizations and difficult when work is distributed. Prior research has indicated that when individuals are distributed, organizations respond by structuring their work to decrease reciprocal interdependence, reduce the complexity of tasks that individuals perform, or accept moderate inefficiencies.

Whether you’re looking for a feature-rich platform or a simple and user-friendly interface, we’ve got you covered. Our comprehensive list includes the 8 best okr software that caters to a wide range of industries, team sizes, and budget constraints. Plus, we’ll provide you with key features, pros, and cons of each software to help you make an informed decision. So, grab a cup of coffee, and let’s dive into the world of okr management software!

Fifty-eight percent of those who made tech investments for their business over the last 12-18 months report having buyer’s remorse. Choosing the best project management tools for your agency is critical to your success. Unfortunately, as the survey cited above shows, investing in the wrong software is a common (and expensive) problem. Projects that stall, fall apart, or lack proper execution and accountability suck resources from your agency.

A guide to 12 must-have project management tools in 2023.

As of this 2019 GP Bullhound report, Slack was one of the fastest-growing software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies in history, reaching an annual average recurring revenue of $400 million in less than five years. Then the pandemic hit, and with that — well, you’ve probably seen the memes. Slack went from one of the leading business collaboration tools to a household name that remote workers everywhere rely on to stay connected to their teams.

As AI applications become more sophisticated, they can increase productivity in many ways. By automating mundane activities, AI can free up staff time to work on more engaging tasks. Smart algorithms can also help companies identify patterns and trends that traditional methods may have missed. This article explores the potential of AI to improve productivity and reduce labor costs. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, AI can help you be more efficient and save money.

Staying productive is one thing all employees always aim to achieve in their workplace. A productive workspace, along with the right productivity styles, can motivate people to work harder and better. However, it can mean something different for everyone. At the height of the pandemic in 2020, many companies tended to adjust to different work styles and setups. Productivity has different styles. You may still need to learn about it, but your team encounters it daily.

The corporate world has rapidly adopted remote work, bringing forth unique challenges in managing work, tasks, and projects. In this post, we’ll discuss the top 10 corporate remote team productivity issues faced by remote teams all over the world and illustrate how nTask Manager can help resolve these challenges with engaging examples, streamline processes, and increase overall productivity, driving business growth.

Are you searching for a detailed Harvest vs RescueTime comparison? Tracking work hours is essential when it comes to optimizing productivity. Employee monitoring and time tracking software like Harvest and RescueTime helps you do that. Additionally, Harvest can help you with tasks like invoicing and timesheet management. On the other hand, RescueTime can help you spot unproductive activities and block out distractions. So which time tracking software is best for you?

Struggling with your agency's resource management? With so many resources to juggle for any given project (from assigning tasks to staying on budget and on deadline), it's no surprise. Enter resource management software: a valuable tool that can help you make the most of your available resources for each project. However, despite the benefits offered by resource scheduling tools, only 23% of businesses surveyed in 2020 report using them — which seems like a pretty major gaffe!

Every month, we invite agency experts from around the world to share their advice on some of the toughest questions facing the industry. Teamwork’s Head of Partnerships and webinar host, Logan Lyles, was recently joined by Databox CEO, Pete Caputa, to discuss how agencies can use a 5-part framework to increase their margins–a hot topic in today’s macro environment.

As a consultant, you’re always juggling multiple projects, deadlines, and clients, which can escalate to chaos quickly. That’s where project management software for consultants comes into action to streamline your workflow, boost collaboration, and help you stay organized. With so many options on the market for consulting firms, it can be challenging to choose the right one.

From managing daily tasks to improving overall efficiency, businesses rely on effective process management to stay ahead of the competition. But with so many moving parts, it can be challenging to keep track of everything. This is where Business Process Management software (BPM software)comes into play. Think of your BPM system and software as a powerful tool that helps you to manage and optimize processes, improve efficiency, reduce costs, and drive growth.

In agency life, there’s no better feeling than the buzz of winning a new client. Did someone say “open bar”? But with it now being 16 times more expensive to build a long-term relationship with a brand-new client than an existing one, there’s never been so much pressure on agencies to get client onboarding right. That’s why more and more agencies are choosing project management software to track projects and centralize communication between stakeholders and your team.

A Gantt chart, also known as a bar chart, is a type of chart used to show the progress of a project over time. It combines elements from both timeline and project management diagrams, in that it visually organizes all the tasks in a project according to their completion dates, allowing stakeholders to easily identify delays and potential bottlenecks.

Are you constantly putting out fires, in dire need of a vacation but have no time to spare, and lost in terms of long-term business goals because you're too busy trying to survive each day? If this sounds like you, you’re probably in the early stages of growth at your agency, what Teamwork CEO Peter Coppinger has coined the “Deliver” stage in his eBook, The Ultimate Guide to Scaling Your Agency.

A recent study found that 33% of companies spend one or more days per month collating project reports. Using Airtable may seem like the best idea for managing your agency’s workflow quicker while staying organized. But, maybe it’s not. Yes, Airtable’s functionality is seamless, it’s a well-known app, and it offers a good bit of customization.

Project management is all about ensuring that projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to stakeholders’ satisfaction. Project management KPIs provide a valuable tool for project managers to track progress, identify risks, and make informed decisions. Whether you are a seasoned project manager or just starting your career, this blog will equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to use project management KPIs to unlock project success.

With a proliferation of tools, teams often find themselves bogged down by manual tasks, disconnected data, and an overwhelming number of apps to manage customer relationships. This can lead to a reduction in productivity, team alignment, and ultimately, business growth. What’s the solution? Automation! Welcome to Part 2 of our Teamwork + HubSpot No-Code Automations series!

Though remote work is more common nowadays than it used to be, it can be challenging without the right remote work software. Miscommunications, difficulties with time management, fragmented team communication, and countless distractions are not only the hindrances you might face while working from home. However, if you prepare yourself and your team with the right remote work software toolbox, it can help your team be more productive and keep employee engagement high.

A recent report by Wellingtone finds 52% of project managers are somewhat or very dissatisfied with their project management maturity. Nowadays, project management is often only as good as the software you have running it. And if you’re already using project management tools like ClickUp, sometimes the grass really is greener on the other side. While ClickUp gives its users features that help them stay organized and in touch with other team members, it lacks some key benefits.

The outsourcing industry has come a long way in the past few decades, posting huge growth numbers year on year – even during the pandemic. But outsourcing remains a complex business and both BPOs and the clients that use them are always looking for an extra competitive edge. Traditionally, Asian countries like India, China, and the Philippines have been the go-to places for BPOs to locate themselves and for clients to choose.

Every company in the outsourcing sector needs a strategy to reduce costs, improve customer service, and boost performance. Fortunately, by establishing the right outsourcing metrics, your Business Process Outsourcing company can quickly boost employee productivity and set your company up for business success. In this article, we’ll cover 10 crucial outsourcing metrics and highlight three benefits of tracking them. Let’s dive in.

Outcome mapping is a powerful tool used in development projects to measure the impact of interventions on individuals, communities, and organizations. Unlike the traditional approaches, outcome mapping emphasizes the changes in behavior, relationships, and actions that result from project activities. If you compare the project success of traditional project development approaches to that of using an outcome mapping approach, you would likely find a significant difference.