How to use monday.com for project management

If you’ve juggled numerous tasks, deadlines, and team members, don’t worry – this article is here for you. Whether you are a newbie or a seasoned project manager, monday.com offers an intuitive and powerful platform to help you stay organized and collaborate effortlessly. In this guide, I will show you how to use monday.com for project management effectively. From creating projects and tasks to assigning responsibilities and communicating with your team in real time, I have got you covered. 

No more endless email chains and scattered spreadsheets; monday.com offers a streamlined and visually appealing way to manage your work. So, grab your coffee, buckle up, and dive into the world of monday.com and supercharge your project management skills!

What is monday.com?

monday.com is a versatile project management tool that simplifies collaboration, organization, and communication for business teams. At its core, monday.com allows project managers to manage and track projects effortlessly in one place.

Through its user-friendly interface, monday.com lets you create multiple boards to visualize your workflows, tasks, and deadlines. You can easily invite team members, assign tasks, set due dates, and monitor progress in real-time. 

What makes monday.com different?

monday.com stands out among other project management tools because of its flexibility and user-friendly interface. Unlike traditional and rigid software, monday.com’s strength lies in its adaptability to any workflow.

With its colorful and customizable boards, monday.com is a perfect project management software for managing projects. You can easily switch between different views, whether a timeline view, calendar view, or Kanban-style board.

Furthermore, monday.com promotes seamless collaboration within teams with its intuitive interface. You can leave comments, @mention colleagues, and share files directly on tasks, keeping everyone on the same page. In addition, monday.com promotes effortless teamwork through its user-friendly interface, encouraging seamless collaboration among team members.

How to use monday.com for project management?

1. Project requests and approvals

First, you can use monday.com to simplify project requests and approvals. With the help of a dedicated project board, team members can easily submit project requests using a standardized form, ensuring all necessary details are provided upfront. No more back-and-forth emails trying to gather information!

monday.com’s automation features come into play as incoming requests are automatically routed to the right team members or managers based on predefined criteria. You can rest assured that each request lands in the appropriate reviewers.

Once approved, you can set up status columns to track each request. Everyone can see where a request stands in the approval workflow, preventing delays and keeping everyone informed.

By embracing monday.com for project requests and approvals, you will enjoy a smooth and transparent workflow, leaving behind the hassles of email coordination and speeding up the initiation of projects.

2. Portfolio management

You can use monday.com for effective portfolio management. You can see an overview of all your projects in one place so you can easily manage your portfolio. 

Create a dedicated board for your portfolio, and add projects as individual items. Customize columns to display key information like project status, deadlines, team members, and budgets. A clear visual representation allows you to track progress and identify potential opportunities across multiple projects.

monday.com’s intuitive dashboards and reporting features also help you gain insights into your portfolio’s overall performance. Within a few clicks, you can see the project timelines, resource utilization, and financial metrics, making it easier to prioritize projects and align them with strategic objectives.

Furthermore, the platform’s collaborative capabilities enable seamless stakeholder communication, fostering transparency and effective decision-making. Team members can leave comments, update project statuses, and share documents directly on the board, streamlining communication and keeping everyone on the same page.

3. Use dashboards for visualization

Another way to harness monday.com is by utilizing its dynamic dashboards for visualization. Think of these dashboards as the command center for your projects, giving you a visual snapshot of important metrics and the overall progress. With colorful charts and graphs, you can easily track project health and performance at a glance.

Employ widgets to highlight current data, such as task completion rate, upcoming deadlines, and budget utilization. This visual representation assists in detecting trends, anticipating delays, and recognizing areas that require attention.

Effortlessly share these dashboards with your team or stakeholders, ensuring everyone stays informed and aligned. Whether a high-level overview or a detailed breakdown, dashboards make complex information digestible and actionable.

4. Reduce project risks

Mitigating risks is crucial for any project, and monday.com provides an effective solution. By consolidating key project information and fostering cooperation, you can minimize risks and ensure seamless project delivery.

Utilizing the Risk Register board on monday.com to predict and manage risks before they become issues. Seamlessly calculate potential risks and make real-time adjustments whenever necessary.

Customize columns to segment and highlight risk details, such as risk status, probability, and impact. These columns can be linked to tasks and projects on your Portfolio Management board, giving you a comprehensive overview of risk factors across the entire project. 

Moreover, the platform’s real-time updates and notifications inform the team about risk status and mitigation efforts, ensuring prompt actions. Collaborative features enable seamless discussions and issue resolution directly on the board, preventing risks from escalating.

5. Resource allocation

monday.com is a great work management platform for resource allocation. The software makes it easy to ensure your team’s skills and time are used efficiently, ultimately leading to project success.  

Utilize the platform’s Workload View to gain insights into your team’s availability and workload distribution. Visualize who is working on what and when preventing burnout and optimizing productivity.

Create a project board to outline resource allocation and assign team members to specific tasks. Customize columns to showcase task deadlines, work hours, and each team member’s expertise.

Real-time updates ensure that everyone stays informed about changes to tasks or team assignments. The Workload View helps you make informed decisions, redistributing work if needed and ensuring a balanced workload across your team.

6. Manage problems with the Issue log

monday.com provides an excellent solution for managing project problems. Every project encounters challenges, and the Issue Log is your go-to solution. Managing problems is especially important for many projects. For example, a tiny bug in a software development project can cost you thousands of dollars. 

Create a dedicated board for your Issue Log, making it simple for your team to report and address problems. Customize columns to categorize and prioritize issues, whether technical glitches, roadblocks, or unforeseen hurdles.

Collaborate effortlessly within the platform. Team members can leave comments, share solutions, and track progress directly on the issue card, ensuring clear communication and quick resolutions.

Leverage the power of the Issue Log to streamline problem-solving. You can stay informed about issue resolutions with real-time updates and notifications, preventing bottlenecks or misunderstandings.

By embracing monday.com’s Issue Log, you’re not just managing problems but fostering a culture of proactive solutions. Keep your projects on track, handle challenges with ease, and ensure successful project outcomes.

7. Manage time off requests of your team

monday.com is excellent for managing your team’s time off requests. Balancing work and well-deserved breaks becomes effortless with the specialized PTO Requests board.

Create a dedicated board for PTO Requests to centralize and streamline time off submissions. Project team members can easily submit their requests, ensuring all necessary details are provided upfront.

Customize columns to track requested dates, reason for time off, and approval status. This transparency empowers your team to plan around scheduled absences and maintain project momentum.

Collaboration is seamless within the platform. Managers can review requests, leave comments, and approve directly on the board. Team members are notified in real-time, keeping everyone informed.

Leverage the PTO Requests board to ensure fair workload distribution. Utilize the insights to avoid overlapping absences and ensure projects stay on track even when team members are away.

8. Team reflection

Team reflection is essential for any project. It fosters continuous improvement and growth. monday.com makes this process a breeze with the Lessons Learned board.

Create a dedicated board to capture insights and reflections at the end of each project phase. Team members can contribute their thoughts, highlighting successes, challenges, and areas for enhancement.

Customize columns to categorize lessons learned, project phases, and suggested improvements. This organized approach makes it easy to identify recurring themes and patterns.

Collaborate effortlessly within the platform. Team members can discuss, share perspectives, and brainstorm solutions directly on the board.

Leverage the Lessons Learned board to create a knowledge repository. As your team accumulates valuable insights, you’re equipping future projects with valuable information to navigate challenges effectively.

9. Project summaries and reports

monday.com is capable of creating comprehensive project summaries and reports. The software makes it effortless to transform data into actionable insights.

Craft a dedicated board for Project Summaries, where you compile key details, milestones, and outcomes for each project. Customize columns to showcase project objectives, achievements, challenges, and next steps.

Collaborate seamlessly within the platform. Team members can contribute their perspectives, share their observations, and provide valuable input, enriching the project’s overall story.

Leverage the Project Summaries board to generate detailed reports. With a few clicks, you can generate visual representations of project progress, performance, and impact, simplifying communication with stakeholders.

By embracing monday.com for Project Summaries and Reports, you’re not just documenting projects – you’re facilitating transparent communication, highlighting successes, and identifying areas for growth. Elevate your project management by turning data into compelling narratives that drive future success.

monday.com automation: Making your workflows more efficient

Time is gold, and monday.com helps you protect that resource. Whether crafting a custom workflow or integrating existing ones, monday.com’s automation is your efficiency boost.

With monday.com automation, you’re not just streamlining tasks; you’re freeing up your time to focus on what truly matters – driving your projects forward and achieving remarkable results.

1. Create a custom workflow 

Tailoring your workflow to your exact needs is a breeze with monday.com. Define the steps, set triggers, and automate repetitive tasks. Need to notify a team member when a task is complete? Or assign tasks based on specific criteria? Custom workflows cover you, ensuring tasks move smoothly from one stage to the next.

2. Integration workflows

Seamlessly connect your monday.com workspace with other apps you use daily. Integration workflows allow data to flow effortlessly between platforms. Imagine creating tasks in monday.com directly from emails or turning form submissions into new projects. It’s all about syncing data across your tools, reducing manual data entry and potential errors.

Pros & cons of using monday.com

monday.com offers many advantages. 

• Versatile customization: monday.com offers extensive customization, adapting to your unique project needs and workflows.

• Intuitive interface: Its user-friendly design makes task management a breeze for experienced and new users.

• Collaboration powerhouse: Real-time collaboration, comments, and notifications keep teams connected and projects on track.

• Visual Dashboards: Visually appealing and informative dashboards provide quick insights into project progress.

• Integration Flexibility: Seamless integration with other tools enhances productivity and data synchronization.

Even though this tool is great, it also has some drawbacks that you want to consider.

• Feature Abundance: Features could feel overwhelming for simple projects or smaller teams.

• Mobile Experience: Mobile app functionality might be limited compared to the web version.

• Customization Complexity: Deep customization could require more advanced technical skills.

How can monday.com help your online business?

monday.com can be a game-changer for your online business in various ways. Its intuitive work management tools can help you streamline tasks, manage projects, and collaborate effectively with your remote team. Whether you’re handling marketing campaigns, product launches, or customer support, monday.com’s customizable boards and automation features ensure smooth workflows and timely delivery.

Secondly, the platform’s centralized communication hub keeps all team discussions, updates, and files in one place, reducing email clutter and enhancing transparency. This is especially beneficial for remote teams who rely on clear communication for efficient operations.

Moreover, monday.com’s reporting and analytics capabilities provide valuable insights into project performance, helping you make data-driven decisions to optimize your online business strategies. From resource allocation to tracking project timelines, the platform empowers your business to stay organized, productive, and adaptable in the dynamic online landscape.

FAQs

Does monday.com have process mapping?

monday.com doesn’t have process mapping. The software provides a different workflow via visual tables and automation features. The platform complements your process map.  

Who are the competitors of monday.com?

monday.com has many solid competitors, namely GanttPro, TeamGantt, ClickUp, etc. Check out our article to learn more about the best project management software in 2023.