Whether your business is medium-sized or a conglomerate: Now more than ever, projects are a
part of our everyday work, characterized by changing tasks, flexible working groups and the
participation of external specialists. Project managers increasingly face the challenge of having
to motivate and direct geographically distributed teams.
In this white paper, you will learn more about the significance of communication in project work. You will receive valuable tips on how to make your project management more efficient - and read some real-world examples of how companies implement Web conferences successfully.
Successful project management
How to manage projects more
efficiently using online meetings
Netviewer Whitepaper
October 2009
Contents
1. Project work in the company.................................................................................3
2. Typical problems in projects..................................................................................4
3. Ways to efficient project management..................................................................5
4. Advantages of online meetings in project management .......................................6
5. Application examples for online meetings.............................................................7
5.1. Software AG - Efficient project communication........................................................... 7
5.2. Festo AG - Developers work together more productively.............................................. 7
6. Conclusion .............................................................................................................8
7. Netviewer - The Web conference specialists ........................................................8
Extra: Five practical tips for project managers
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Executive Summary
Whether your business is medium-sized or a conglomerate: Now more than ever, projects are a part of our everyday work, characterized by changing tasks, flexible working groups and the participation of external specialists. Project managers increasingly face the challenge of having to motivate and direct geographically distributed teams.
With Web conferences, project meetings can be carried out just as if all participants were in the same room. The participants sit at their own desks, see and hear each other via the Web - and can interact with each other directly. This makes coordination more efficient and allows knowledge to be shared directly - and personal exchange of ideas becomes more meaningful. Thus project managers can build a powerfully effective team from specialists spread across the globe. In addition, business travel and the time-consuming organization of in-person meetings are minimized. Web conferences have thus become one of the most important project management instruments in many companies.
In this white paper, you will learn more about the significance of communication in project work. You will receive valuable tips on how to make your project management more efficient - and read some real-world examples of how companies implement Web conferences successfully.
1. Project work in the company
The assignment comes directly from upper management: Peter Kron is to develop a chocolate bar with a new flavor variety, Strawberry Dragonfruit, for an international confectionery manufacturer. As the project manager, his task now is to lead a worldwide team of food chemists, flavor experts and marketing specialists. Together, they have to discuss the state of market research, determine suitable aromas and develop numerous product variants along with the lab. Furthermore, countless meetings with suppliers and partners from around the world will be on the agenda. For example, they will have to find the right ingredients and draft the marketing strategy, including the logo and package design. The clock is ticking: In just a few months, the chocolate bar is to be available at kiosks and gas stations everywhere in Germany - after all, the competition never sleeps. - Though this example is fictitious, it reflects everyday reality (or something very similar) in many companies. To an increasing extent, employees from different locations work together to develop products, coordinate business processes or discuss new strategies. Intensive cooperation in project groups has become an indispensable part of this.
A project always means implementing a plan on schedule and within the defined budget. This usually requires knowledge from corporate management, project managers and experts from
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multiple separate organizational units, who gather in teams. By its nature, there is a relatively high risk that a project will fail - for example, because personne... [download for more]
