Recently, Right Touch Editing had a client project that involved editing 100 short files, categorized into two topics. The files were located in two SharePoint folders, one for each topic. Within each topic were three folders: to be edited, edited, and finalized. This provided a good structure to work from but we lacked a client-provided file tracker.
We had a week to complete the project, and each day the client wanted a progress report. Because we lacked a tracker, I spent time each day tallying our progress. The client was stressed about not knowing the project’s status and not being able to reassure their leaders. I lost valuable time each day triple-checking the status of each file.
I could have easily saved myself a lot of time and relieved my client’s stress by creating a spreadsheet that I could upload to SharePoint and update throughout the day as I moved files along. Instead, I got so caught up in reacting to the chaos that I neglected to think about how to avoid it.
The Real Cost of Editorial Chaos
When team members can’t quickly look up the status of a project, they spend their time trying to determine it—time they could have spent actually working on the project. Isn’t that just a minor annoyance?
Not so much. Research firm IDC says the cost of such inefficiency can be as much as 20–30% of your revenue.
And without one source of truth, there’s no guarantee that the status they come up with will be accurate. That can lead to more time lost and even missed deadlines.
Don’t discount the human cost to this editorial chaos, either. Wasted time and uncertainty create stress, a stress that’s easily avoidable with the right tools in place. Continue to enable the chaos, and you’ll find your team members burning out and leaving.
Project Management Software Isn’t a Quick Fix
Getting started with project management (PM) software—or any tool that will manage a large piece of your business—is no small investment of time and money. There are hundreds of PM tools to choose from and evaluating even a handful can take months. You’ll want to consider not just ease of use but also the technical setup and financial investment.
Then, you need to design the workflow in your new tool. Will you be able to map your current workflow directly into the tool, or will you need new steps? What about categories and tags to help you search the tool more efficiently? And, perhaps most importantly, who should answer those questions?
And, of course, the editorial team will need to be trained to use the tool and deal with minor issues. Plus you’ll need a point person to address any major issues, either with the workflow or the tech itself, which will require further training.
All of this happens while your project work continues on, squeezed in between deadlines moving slower than anticipated—a lot slower.
Before You Invest in PM Software
There’s a lot an editorial team leader can do to fight project chaos without a big, fancy tool. Whether you don’t have the time or budget for a PM tool or you don’t have the volume of projects to require one, try one or more of these solutions.
Simple File Management
Create a shared drive with project-stage folders. This solution is best for small teams and simple workflows. Be clear about who works in which folder, when files are moved to the next folder, and how team members learn there’s work in their folder. You’ll need a strong communication plan as well, such as daily workflow updates.
Timeline Tracking
Manage the workload by setting up a shared calendar or spreadsheet. Use this solution with timeline-focused teams. Make sure key dates and deadlines are visible and regularly updated.
Team Communication
Use a communication hub, like Slack, Teams, or Discord. This is best for remote and hybrid teams. Having one place for all conversations and file-sharing makes it easy for team members to stay up to date and access their files.
Process Documentation
Write down your process! No matter what kind of team you have, documenting your workflow will help standardize processes and give team members a resource when they wonder what to do next. Make the documentation ridiculously easy to find, such as storing it in your shared drive and linking to it in the project tracking sheet, the calendar, and your communication hub.
Regular Updates
Have regular team check-ins or use status reports. Again, no matter the type of team, regular communication is crucial for keeping everyone up to date. With large project volumes, limit the updates to active projects or those with current and near-future dates. Keep meetings short and reports even shorter. What do team members really need to know until the next update?
Even with simpler solutions, it can take significant time to create the workflows, get everyone comfortable with the tools, and work out any bugs. But if it helps projects run smoothly and keeps your team members from pulling their hair out, it’s worth the investment.
Three Signs You’re Ready for PM Software
So how do you know if you’re ready to level up to PM software? Consider one or more of these indicators.
Volume: When Your PMs Can’t Keep Up
Check in with your project managers. Ask about their struggles:
- Do they frequently have to put in extra hours to keep all the projects moving along?
- Are they spending most of their time fighting fires and struggling to make deadlines?
- Are project deadlines being missed?
- Do your project managers need to see each other’s workloads to schedule shared team members for competing projects?
Complexity: When Projects Have Too Many Moving Parts
How complex are your projects? Does the workflow include, say, five or more steps? Do you have content types, each with different workflows and team members? How long does a project usually take? If we’re talking days, you might spend more time working in your PM system than working on the project. But if we’re talking weeks or months, you may want help tracking all the details.
Coordination: When Team Size Creates Communication Chaos
Even simple projects could require a lot of coordination, especially when you have simultaneous projects. The more people on the project, the more information-sharing that’s needed. Add to that passing projects to other teams and potential varying availability of each team member, and you need a tool to help you coordinate everyone.
So what does implementing PM software actually require? In part two, I’ll share how these challenges play out in a real editorial program and give you a framework to assess your team’s readiness.
