How and Why We Changed Project Management Systems

If you’ve been following our journey over the last few years, you might already know that 2024 was a major growth year for us. Client projects were more abundant and more complex, necessitating new team members and, yes, a new project management system. 

Where We Started

We’d been using an application called Basecamp for several years when we realized our needs were outgrowing the functions of the platform. Basecamp functions kind of like stacks of paper in different baskets, or interconnected to-do lists. It served us well for a time, but we started to need calendar views, subtasks, and the ability to better follow tasks that are the responsibility of other team members but still affect our work. 

How We Narrowed Our Search

There are many project management systems out there to choose from. We did preliminary research on our own, filtering options through their ability to help us organize and track project status, assign tasks, and see project timelines. Then we hired a team of online business management developers, The Wonder Brew, to assist with deep-dive functionality research and present us with the best options. Our search was narrowed to Asana and Teamwork.

Why We Chose Teamwork

Informed by The Wonder Brew’s research and expertise, as well as our own needs, we chose to migrate our project management to Teamwork. We chose Teamwork because of its ability to assign and add dependencies to subtasks, differentiate access levels for multiple types of users, and provide a quick view of a project’s status. We were especially drawn to Teamwork’s proof delivery function. We share a high volume of deliverables with our clients, so an easy-to-use proofing function integrated with our new project management system was a must. 

Room to Grow

With our clients as busy as ever, new clients emerging, a growing team, and business goals that involve creating more content to support and celebrate the communities we’re a part of, we needed a project management system that would give us room to grow. Teamwork is a powerful system that can handle highly complex organizational needs, and we’re still learning everything it’s capable of. We might even share some tips, tricks, and favorite features here once we really get it dialed! 

Low-Cost Alternatives

We acknowledge that a project management system like Teamwork might not be in every organization’s budget. If your team needs a more affordable option, you might consider Trello or Todoist, which both offer relatively robust capabilities in their free versions. 

For a super-simple option, you can use the checklist feature in Google Docs. Share the Google Doc with those who need access, then click the checklist option to the left of the bullet point button. Clickable boxes will appear when you create a new line. This option is great for taking notes and documenting action items during meetings, or when you need to keep a list of tasks and mark them complete in a shared workspace. 

Pick Our Brains

We’re always happy to chat about our internal systems and our experiences with platforms we’ve had experience with, but don’t use at WCA. Let us be a resource for you!