If you’ve been reading our blog for awhile, you know how much we love Basecamp. Even though that’s still true, sometimes we need to test the project organization waters. After hearing a recommendation for a new tool, we tested out Podio to see how its features compare to Basecamp and to determine which product best fits our needs for project management and business development.
Hello Podio!
Podio is an online work platform that can be used to track client activity, profits and business development leads. It can also be used for team communications, offering the ability to share files and status updates.
Pros
- Tracking: Podio allows you to keep track of your organization’s progress within spreadsheets. Each workspace is designed for collaboration, allowing your team to enter the status and dates of specific leads. If you already have spreadsheets in Excel, you can import the information directly to Podio.
- Specialized tools: Podio’s most unique feature is the ability to use apps. Apps can be used to customize your workspace, adding a variety of functions, from business development to event management. Also, workspaces are integrated with Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote and other popular file sharing providers.
- Project management: Podio’s Employee Network can be used to keep your team connected. Here, you can chat and view tasks, files and posts created by your network. Podio also shows notifications in your toolbar, alerting you to your teams’ actions, that can also be sent via email according to your settings.
Cons
- Training: Podio’s custom workspaces can initially be difficult to navigate. With the ability to create new apps, workspaces can become complicated. The tool encourages you to add apps, meaning there are multiple boxes of information in your workspace. At first glance, there’s a jumble of numbers and updates that can be distracting.
Don’t Forget Basecamp!
Basecamp is an online project management tool, used to keep your team and clients updated. It is also a place for file sharing and discussions, with an emphasis on simplicity.
Pros
- User friendly: Basecamp is simple for your team to understand. Multiple to do’s and events can be viewed on each project. Also, team members can only see projects and posts with permission, meaning there is never an overload of information. If you have company updates, discussions can be created, and added to within message boards.
- Client Interaction: Client collaboration is arguably the most important factor in a project management tool, regardless of features. Clients can easily communicate and share files within Basecamp, and their input is autosaved. We currently use the tool to send weekly updates to clients. If your clients are used to email, Basecamp messages can be viewed, and replied to directly from an account.
- Visuals: Whether you’re reviewing images or documents, Basecamp keeps projects unclutterred. Each comment, file and link posted to an individual Basecamp project can be viewed in one place, keeping teams organized. Users can archive projects at any time, creating an easily recoverable filling system.
Cons
- Constricting: Although teams can quickly learn to use its features, Basecamp has limitations. Without 3rd party applications, users can’t easily track sales or other functions. We’ve personally turned to other tools for managing business development and PR content.
What they have in common…
- Mobile Apps
- Calendar view
- Emailed summary of daily events
And The Winner…
I’ll be honest, Basecamp is still my number one choice for project organization! Basecamp is intuitive, easy for clients and does project management extremely well. Even though Podio is a great option with its multitude of functions, any tool being used for collaboration should be simple.
What is your favorite project organization tool? Have you found one platform for everything? Let us know in the comments below!
