cross-posted at bluemassgroup.com
Assembla, a Needham, Mass-based software development company, is pleased to offer all campaigns free use of its “StandUp” distributed team management tool.
Stand-Up, or “Scrum” as it is often called, is a technique used in agile software development to reduce wasted meeting time, increase information flow and better management oversight. Using three simple questions, each team member submits a daily report noting achievements, tasks, and obstacles.
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http://offers.assembla.com/sta…
…more on the flip
Assembla CEO Andy Singleton notes similarities between campaigns and agile development teams, including relatively short project cycles and the need to maximize quality information while reducing overall conversation. See Andy’s blog posting about the StandUp tool here.
http://blog.assembla.com/assem…
Why do a standup report?
* It saves time for the person doing the reporting. The form takes only a minute to fill out, and it saves time in email, chat, or meetings.
* It saves time for the manager, who can quickly browse and see what people are working on.
* It gets stuff finished faster by focusing people on the most important tasks. After you read through the reports, you will see if people are working on things that are important, and you can ask them to work on higher priority tasks.
* It gets problems resolved quickly, by flashing a little red “needs” sign from the people that have obstacles
* It increases productivity. Studies show that the act of writing down a goal makes the writer more likely to achieve it.
“StandUp” refers to the technique used in various process management programs wherein employees must stand up to speak and issue their reports, thus reducing the time they actually speak.
Another benefit of using a StandUp tool on a campaign can be a by using multiple spaces for different teams. While the overall campaign can use a StandUp, each project manager or area manager on the campaign can create his or her own StandUp space for that particular team or task.
If you have questions or comments about StandUp, please post them here or on the blog.