Explain the Working of a Basecamp Project Collaboration Tool (Essay Sample)

Basecamp Project Collaboration Tool
Name
Institution
Basecamp Project Collaboration Tool
The program called Basecamp is a communication and collaboration tool used to organize information in an efficient manner for easy retrieval and sharing. The platform offers the opportunity to interact and organize the project in a logical way. In projects, care must be taken to ensure accuracy is maintained regarding resource allocation and management. Time should be utilized maximally to encourage effective use of resources. Basecamp project collaboration tool has many interesting features for use in projects because of its innovative design.
Summary and Description of the Program
Basecamp is a project collaboration tool that changes the way projects are organized from being complex and disruptive to simple interactive platform. The tool has many features that the helps users stay organized (Basecamp 3, 2016). The most imperative features are the six tools arranged on the website. These tools include campfire, message board, schedule, to-do, docs and files, and automatic check-ins (Basecamp 3, 2016). The campfire is primarily used for real-time chats and creating of pings. When one is having questions and is stuck, he can use the feature to communicate. Other active people will then provide feedback to the question or comment about something. The other feature is Messages Board that offers users the opportunity to participate in discussions (Basecamp 3, 2016). The information discussed in then kept for future reference. The message feature is important because it allows project controllers to contribute information later when free from other tasks.
To-do list tool provides the user a list of activities that should be done, changes to be effected, and breaking of heavy chunks to manageable products. On the other hand, the Docs and Files tool make it easy to organize Googles files, PDF, and other documents for easy individual retrieval among workers. A scheduling tool helps in tracking major events, milestones, and progress. Finally, automatic check-ins tool allows the users to understand what other people are thinking about, the current actions, as well as future plans.
Look and Feel
The overall look and feel of the website depict a summarized device and efficient tool for use in organizing projects. Most of its features use current communication tools that are suitable for managing projects to avoid delays and other technicalities. Moreover, the tool is convenient for effective working of managers planning to control projects to run as per the estimated schedule. Not technical training is required to assist users in learning anything because it is an interactive technology with videos and demonstrations of what should be done (The Standish Group, 2013). The apparent target audiences are project managers, employees in organizations, entrepreneurs, and students pursuing project management courses. However, the program does not give all the operations required for a project such as the Gantt charts, project budges, and estimates (Maitra, 2000). It only assists in attaining proper organizations of events in the project.
Assessment
Usability
The tool is highly used in finding project data about the products that should be designed and implemented. The use is common in cases where people want to make changes to projects designed. It also assists in creating an avenue for the exchange of information about new ideas (The Standish Group, 2013). The contributions can help someone to avoid significant risk and losses associate with a project.
Relative Advantage
The website helps in promoting evangelization of information about a new project for users. The method is a form of marketing, and its use helps in spreading communication about new inventions that managers can incorporate in the project. The website also offers primary research. For people having small projects, this will be an avenue for promoting their means of finding useful information for promotion of their projects.
Potential applicability to My work Needs
I see the platform as the best place for organizing my projects. Most of my task entail controlling and supervising my team members. When using this website, it will be easy to communicate to them at reduced costs. The project will also help me save valuable time for use in doing other relevant activities (The Standish Group, 2013). In some cases, the use of the website will be a leeway to finding the right people to assist me in the organization and running of my project tasks.