Aquent is known for connecting companies with freelancers in a variety of domains, notably that of marketing and creative services. It recently released RoboHead 3, an updated version of its Web-based system for project management designed with creatives in mind. Aquent had been offering the basic framework to their customers for about two years before deciding to launch it as a separate offering in July of 2004.

RoboHead is integrated with Aquent's own system, which is said to process over 3,000 checks a week for its contract workers. RoboHead is thus a way to make use of Aquent's underlying project management technology to handle not only payments, but a fairly broad spectrum of the entire project process, from creating schedules, reviewing and approving documents, integrating team member communications to organizing file storage.

While project management systems are traditionally thought of as a tool for large organizations, Moody feels this is more misconception than fact. "We have small design firms using RoboHead and we have global corporations using it. If you have a need to schedule projects, track tasks, collaborate on projects, manage approvals, etc., RoboHead can help. Several of our smaller customers use RoboHead to communicate with their clients, while the larger corporations use it for internal and external project management."

When asked how RoboHead could improve client communication versus traditional approaches, Moody indicated that many firms are still trying to fit a square peg in a round hole by relying on email. "It's amazing how many companies try to manage creative projects via email. Email is a great tool, but it isn't a very effective one for project management. RoboHead provides a common repository for all communications and collaboration. Project Managers, Traffic Manager, Designers and Clients can all know exactly how a project is progressing, who has the ball, how the project is developing relative to the budget, who still needs to approve a project, and so on. Security is an important aspect of the tool and RoboHead only allows individuals to see stuff that they are supposed to see."

For those in need of an even more extensive feature set, Creative Manager Pro, from Creative Manager, was updated in early May to version 7.8, adding compatibility with OS X Tiger and a variety of new features. Creative Manager Pro is available as a hosted service, and can also be installed and run locally.

As an example of the new functionality, the system now supports the addition of automatic assignments and hour allocation. To employ this, a manager would pick the desired team for a project, and the required skills for each assignment type would be automatically matched to the skills of the chosen team members. The number of possibilities provided by Creative Manager Pro, while extensive, might prove to be overkill for small design shops, but its depth in areas such as accounting and financial reporting will be attractive to sophisticated users.

In contrast, when ProActive Software’s ProWorkflow launched in 2002 it originally targeted small software development houses. While its client list has grown to include firms such as Disney, its focus is still small- to medium-sized businesses, many of them in the creative sector. One of ProWorkflow’s strengths is its customizability, ranging from modest possibilities using its hosted version through to total control via the availability of its Cold Fusion code base.

Web-based project management solutions offer those responsible for managing projects the tantalizing prospect of no longer being always on call to move things forward. While this is a position some might find uncomfortable, the re-definition of the role this makes possible is attractive to others.

Karl Fountaine, of Fountaine Design, a New Zealand-based three-person shop providing graphic design and advertising services, uses ProWorkflow to manage project workflow. For Karl, part of the appeal of such a system is that, “I now know if I have to leave the business for any time my staff will know exactly what work is in progress, and when it is required—my business no longer relies on me being there every minute of the day.”

While RoboHead, Creative Manager Pro and ProWorkflow are mature products that have gone through a number of upgrades, they are by no means the only solutions available, so it’s essential to try out as many of the alternatives as possible before making a commitment. After all, such a system will play a central role in the life of the business, so it not only has to meet current requirements but meet future needs as the design firm evolves. For example, Creative Manager Pro can integrate with the financial data from such accounting applications as QuickBooks, but it also provides full-blown accounting functionality of its own. Most solution providers do offer trial accounts that can provide an essential hands-on assessment.

Creatives will probably never relish the practices involved in tracking and managing their design projects. But faced with increasingly demanding clients, the growing sophistication and browser-based accessibility of Web-driven project management systems created with their needs in mind can help both them, and their managers, execute more effectively.