Online project management isn’t just for businesses anymore. With proper training and thinking outside the box, there are many creative ways to use these types of systems to help manage everyday life. From team management to school projects and everything in between, these systems are very flexible and can therefore be used for many purposes. It may take some thought to use an online system for multiple projects, but in the end it will almost always offer great benefit to the entire project team.

Some examples of creative uses for online project management systems include:

• Classroom Management: Teachers can use online systems to keep parents or even older students in the loop on what’s going on. By uploading a syllabus or a list of current skills being worked on, homework assignments, or upcoming projects, parents and students can stay on top of what’s happening and where they stand.
• Churches and other organizations: Committee chairs can manage all types of projects using online programs for these types of programs. Fundraising committees can use them to assign tasks to committee members and keep up with campaign progress. This can save time by reducing or eliminating the need for face-to-face meetings. It also eliminates wasted time chatting in such meetings.
• Families can use online project management systems to manage daily life. Shared calendars are great for spouses and older children to see what’s happening each day. Charts and other tools can be used to let everyone see progress toward certain goals, like saving for a vacation. Parents can even order homework no matter where the kids are, as long as they have internet access.

The possibilities are endless with just a little creativity and some time to configure the system for the particular situation. Of course, some time may need to be spent on training if not everyone involved is familiar with the software. A cost-benefit analysis is required with this, but very often it will be worth using an online project management system in most circumstances or situations.

Very often time is wasted unnecessarily because the usefulness of these programs is not fully understood. Taking some time to familiarize yourself with the software and using it before throwing everyone into the fire is the best way to ensure that the project runs smoothly and that all of the software’s features are utilized to their full capacity.