Over at Hathway Tech where we specialize in joomla web development we have been getting busier and busier with every new project. It was a pain keeping messages, tasks, client feedback, bug reports, and other project info consistent across email, google docs, and local computers. A few months back we discovered Basecamp, an excellent project management tool that has streamlined our business significantly.
So what is so cool about Basecamp? Well, it is basically an all-in-one project management tool that allows you to focus on web development instead of worrying about consistent communication. It is entirely web based, accessible by clients, managers, employees, and contractors, and delivers enormous value for its cost.
One of the things all web developers struggle with is gathering content from the client. Often times you assign clients to submit their content via email lists, then they reply in the body of the email, ask questions throughout, and everything gets jumbled up. With Basecamp, your clients can log in and write messages, give feedback, report bugs, etc. You can even assign clients to-do items! Each to-do item has its own comment thread, so your clients can ask questions and give feedback. If you take a hard stand and insist that all communication once the deal has closed goes through basecamp you will enjoy having all of the data in one place. For those that have many projects going on at various stages of development it can allow you to focus on the right project and know that they others are waiting for client feedback or content submission.
Basecamp allows web developers to create milestones (think big, like "finish design requirements"), then to-do lists related to those client items (more specific, like "lay out jReviews template"), and finally, to-do items on each to-do list (deliverables like "code custom fields into detail template"). The coolest thing is that you can assign each to-do item to anybody with project access, be it a contractor, employee, manager, or client. To-dos get checked off when tasks get completed, and emails get sent automatically to key participants. You can even upload files and pictures as comments.
It also allows anybody with access to post messages. This is great for bug reports when you require specific information for each bug like operating system, browser, link to the page with an error, and a screenshot of the error. IE debugging doesn't have to be such a pain any more! Oh yah, any time you post a message you can select which participants get emails, which get automatically sent out and then post email replies back to the message as comments.
I could go on for days about this excellent tool but would rather let you check out Basecamp yourself. Clients and prospective clients, insist that your web developer use basecamp if you want your project done on time and up to spec. Web developers, at least take it for a test ride. You won't be dissapointed.
Jesse Dundon is a founding partner at Hathway Tech, where he is responsible for project management, training, and overall business strategy. He is a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, avid rugby player, and a true scholar of Joomla! and web development in general.
