Asana vs Small World Labs

• Fast: Unlike other PM platforms I've used, Asana is very fast. In fact, it's so fast that when you leave a comment on a task, anyone else looking at that task at the same time will actually see updates as you type. You can easily move tasks into different projects by dragging and dropping. There is no lag time between opening new projects and tasks. Everything seems to load instantaneously.
• Intuitive: Asana doesn't have a steep learning curve. The default view is list-based. Your team will have no problem learning how to add new tasks, use the WYSIWYG editor, or assign tasks. Use familiar commands like "@" to tag a follower on a task.
• Keyboard shortcuts: The keyboard shortcuts are incredibly helpful. Simply press enter to enter a new task, tab+backspace to delete, use familiar copy/paste and undo commands, and much more. PMs with a lot to juggle will appreciate the shortcuts.
• My Tasks: The "my tasks" view provides a single, centralized location for you to see everything on your plate. Use section headings and drag and drop tasks to re-order. I use this to prioritize my week. It helps me focus on what's really important.
• Searchability: The search in Asana is intuitive. Our task backlog dates back three years, and I can still almost always find what I'm looking for via a simple keyword search. Projects are archived, not deleted, so I always feel like my historical information is safe.
• Flexibility: Projects can be set up as a waterfall/list view or as kanban. This product should work well for teams with different styles.
• Integrations: Asana integrates with everything. There's a great Slack integration, but my favorite is the Instagantt integration. Using Instagantt in tandem with asana is a super easy way to create attractive digital project calendars.

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• A flexible, configurable platform that can be managed and updated without a requirement for technical skills.
• Drag and drop, point and click update site administration.
• A platform that is updated frequently with new features and capabilities (about once a month).
• A broad, comprehensive feature set.
• A platform that works in multiple languages.
• Consulting before and during development phase. Ongoing consulting and strategic planning after product launch.
• Product roadmapping is clear and well thought out. Good communication about what is coming and how it can be used in our community.
• Senior management is very accessible and knowledgeable about the product and the industry. Attends and contributes to strategy conversations.

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• Emails: Asana can lead to inbox-overload. By default, you are subscribed to updates on any task that you create or follow. Updates include someone marking a task complete, leaving a comment on a task, or adding a file to a task. This means that if your coworker adds a file, makes a comment, then assigns the task back to you, then marks the task complete, you're looking at 4 emails in 10 seconds. You can always unsubscribe from emails or write rules to categorize them in your inbox, but the default setting will leave you inundated.
• Assigning responsibility to multiple team members: It is possible to assign a task to multiple members of your team, but I don't like the way asana handles this. Rather than assigning the one task to multiple people, asana creates DUPLICATES of the original task. This can be frustrating because it creates redundancy.
• Dependencies: Assigning dependencies is a new feature for asana. While it's great that this is now possible, it's pretty clear that it's not a focus for the software. The dependencies don't show up clearly in the list view, though they are obvious within the task view.
• Overwhelming: This is probably more of a governance issue for my team specifically, but our Asana has gotten overwhelming. I count the flexibility of Asana as a pro, but it does come with risk. The lack of rules and controls leads to a "wild west" situation where anyone can organize tasks, projects, templates, etc. anyway they want. We have some team members organizing all their tasks by team function, others organizing tasks by project, others using entirely separate Asana workspaces, etc.

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• If I were to nitpick, I'd say that you have to pay attention. Small World Labs adds new features monthly so you need to keep up to speed with what is available or you won't add something you have access to. I get updates on new features and can read about them in their client community, but you do need to pay attention.

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• I'm not sure how this impacts our ROI. We are able to manage our workload better and see the workload we have.

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• The specific details are proprietary to our organization, but we've seen an increase in membership retention and in online applications for membership.
• Our community has been very active, which has increased the overall activity across our web properties substantially in terms of vists, page views, and time on site.

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