One the best tools I have come across for managing content development and project management is Basecamp (from 37signals.com).
I started using this application as a means to keep track of some volunteer projects and then realized how useful it could be for all of my projects. The ability to create milestones and to-do items as well as draft and share content through “writeboards” has become a standard tool for my work.
A particularly handy feature is the ability to create mailing lists for each project and in order to share updates with other remotely located team members or clients. This also makes it easy for people to see what is being done without having to login to the project website.
I came across the following statements made during a 1995 O’Reilly interview by Jason Fried, president of 37signals:
Basecamp democratizes project management and makes it a team effort. Basecamp lets everyone get involved in managing a project–the thinkers, the builders, the managers, and the client. Anyone who has access to the project can subscribe to the RSS feed and be updated about anything that is posted to that project.
Basecamp embraces the openness, accessibility, and universality of the Web. You don’t need fancy project management software (and worry about which version or platform you have). You don’t have to ask your clients to install some new software on their computers (and deal with updates, patches, and so on). You don’t need to worry about Mac or PC. All you need to use Basecamp is a web browser and an internet connection. Every firm and client has access to that and knows how to use that. That’s standard issue. Plus, most people have that setup at home, so you’re never far from your projects.
I can definitely agree that the communication tools for project management are often too complex and hard to use. Status reports with graphs and Gantt charts look great and tell a compelling story. . .to other project managers. What is really essential is being able to keep clients updated and do it as simply and clearly as possible.
Basecamp and the related Writeboard and Campfire applications make it possible and easy for a virtual team or a remotely located freelancer to stay in touch and provide a professional communications tool for that is useful to both the team and their clients.