Project Management Software and Techniques

[Keith Bloemendaal]

Not sure if this is the right forum for this discussion, but I am building new homes so thought I would start here. 

Having come from a decent sized home builder as their project manager, I use several tools to run my projects. Just wanted to share what I use, and see if any one else wanted to share what they do. 

I am not a big fan of high cost software that runs on a desktop, I much prefer cloud apps, especially ones that sync and work seamlessly over multiple devices. 

Evernote:

One of my favorite tools, I use it mostly for mind mapping and idea gathering. Like when I started researching to get my GC license, I gathered all the info in an Evernote notebook, using the web clipper to save whole web pages about my state's requirements, books needed, fees, procedures, applications, etc. All in one neat spot I could access from anywhere. 

Google Drive/Apps:

I am a paid user of Google Apps (Google for Work now I believe), and for $10 per month I get all the features plus 1TB of storage for my docs. Everything I do is saved in Drive. I organize it like you would any other file system, and again, I can access on my phone or anywhere I can get online. 

My email runs through Google Apps/Gmail, my docs are all done in Drive, Calendar is managed through Apps, I even make custom maps for my projects in My Maps from Google. 

Google Sheets:

I use spreadsheets to manage my projects extensively. I use one to track my cost estimates compared to actual costs by line item. I use another to track timelines and scheduling (still working on my template for this, if you know of any good ones, let me know), and just about anything else I can think of goes in various spreadsheets. 

Pen and Paper:

Yes, I keep a legal pad on my desk and in my truck at all times with lists to keep me productive on what is needed and most important. 

I also use a 3 ring binder for each project to keep paper copies of everything I have in the project folder on Drive. I generally keep this in my truck until the project is complete. Then I analyze the data and file it away for safe keeping and for use if needed for future projects. 

What about you?