There are two kinds of task management platforms: the type that makes your life easier, and then there is the type that makes your life harder. Some years ago, a team was asked to start using a CRM system that was meant to manage the clients, projects AND the team. This team had to manually type in notes for each client and each project. They had to manually create tasks and type in their task progress. Fast forward a few months, and management realized that the system wasn't working.
The reality was that the team still had to do their regular work in multiple applications, then duplicate what they had done in the CRM. The CRM did not integrate with accounting, client records, communication or document management. Some team members spent a lot of time typing and retyping notes. Others forgot or even refused to enter tasks in the CRM. Like with a good rugby team, the plan only works if every player does their part. So a rethink was needed.
A new solution was a CRM for client notes and a team task manager. Along with that, they used a team chat app, their email system and a cloud storage system for their documents. So instead of one solution, they had multiple apps and platforms to keep clients records, track tasks and progress along with document storage and communication solutions. When working from home (WFH) became prevalent in 2020, managing projects this way seemed like the only solution. After a few months, managers realized that this extra layer of work for employees and employers wasn't really assisting in progress. Productivity suffered. Communication was a nightmare. Documents were everywhere. But is there an alternative?
In the hybrid workplace, it is important for productivity management, team collaboration and progress tracking to have a great task management system in place. Remote workers want to be able to get approvals, collaborate with team members, chat or meet, get necessary files, track progress and update the rest of the team easily. Yet some solutions create more problems than they solve.
Some online task sharing apps are available to do some of what is needed. Yet most are difficult to set up or don't offer all the features required. Some will offer you free trials with ALL features, but then when you do sign up you will find that not all the features come as standard. So now you have to set up lots of other apps to do what you need it to do - each one of them adding costs and setup time. What should simplify your life, instead complicates it!
Remote collaboration requires that one central source of truth exists within a company. This means that instead of documents being shared via chat apps, email, cloud storage platforms or even USB (!), there is a safe and secure place for all documents to be filed and stored. With PIQNIC, we have accomplished this. Documents are stored by project, in a business-grade document management system with end-to-end encryption, that also enables you to search by keyword and file type. The latest version of a document is easily visible and available to each team member, even those working remotely. Team members can update documents and work towards the same goals seamlessly.
Team collaboration and project sharing is easy within the PIQNIC platform. Messages about a project are connected to that project, so you never have to go searching your inbox for the correct email chain to try to figure out what the last update was. Team chats happen on the platform, and again, are connected to each project. If a document is sent via this message system, it automatically gets stored in the project.
Team management is simplified. Each team member can see exactly what the team is busy with - you can see each task's progress and who the responsible person is. Decision-making can be assigned and done in the platform, with the relevant people receiving a notification whenever anything is updated. The decision status can be changed, and everyone in the team immediately is aware. No need for progress meetings or meetings to get decisions signed off!
Online task sharing has never been this easy! Repeatable tasks can be automated, creating workflow management that doesn't require a team member's input. Once a certain document is uploaded, it triggers a process that informs the accountant to pay the employee a milestone bonus. You can even collaborate with people outside your organization, like clients or suppliers. While they are working with you on your project, they get the full list of features, at no extra cost.
Now you may be thinking that you have tried various team manager applications and task management apps before that have promised great things, but never delivered. What makes PIQNIC different? PIQNIC has been developed with you in mind. Years of experience has taught the team at PIQNIC what works, and where all those other tools have failed you. While most project trackers are designed to do one thing well, they aren't designed to work the way you work. They are basically task organisers only. Or document storage only. Or chat apps only. PIQNIC is the super-platform that makes work easy. Document management, task management and team collaboration live in one place.
PIQNIC allows you to work and the tracking just happens automatically. If a decision is made using the PIQNIC platform, there is no need to send an email, move a kanban task to another board or update an app with this information. While making the decision, you've already done the work AND updated the team. While sharing the document with the relevant people, you've already filed it in the appropriate folder and project! While emailing one person, you've already communicated with all the team members. Tasks are organised, teams are updated, documents are stored correctly and safely. Nothing gets lost, overlooked or misfiled. Everything just works for you, and like a winning rugby team, everyone keeps moving forward. Why wouldn't you want to work this way?