Asana: Best all around project management tool
February 11, 2020
Asana: Best all around project management tool
Score 8 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Asana
Our team is using Asana with other teams in collaboration in a project management capacity. We are using it to:
- Break down the multiple components of our projects into tasks, responsibilities, roles, and timelines.
- Track multiple pieces of a project across complex team structures and time zones.
- Plan time and logistical execution for our parts of the project moving forward.
- Observe the overall project's progress as a whole (Kanban-like progress board).
- Document processes that need to be completed so that others can implement them.
- Timelines: With Asana, you can create Gantt charts that show you preceding/needed action items. When a part of a project is delayed, you can track how that will affect the forward trajectory of the project.
- User management / Roles in relationship to tasks: Asana allows you to see individual users and assign them tasks in an overall project, while also being able to see what items are needed as a whole. It allows you to see who is doing what and when.
- Organized File storage: There's one master view for file storage, OR you can store files in individual tasks. Overall, for visually-driven individuals - and for those who need a strong sense of organization, it's not that helpful.
- Visual organization inside of tasks: The view inside of tasks could be improved for visually focused individuals; I find myself wanting more of a "notebook" view that better integrates different types of media and notes altogether.
- Positive: Asana has allowed our team to work together with other complex teams and deliver in integrity. That's the name of the game in our world.
- Positive: Asana has allowed other members and teams to see our progress on projects, which has saved us time in communications, and therefore money.
Asana is better organized than Basecamp and less visually confusing. It's more user intuitive and clear about what exactly needs to get done and what elements depend on others being executed. Overall, the list and kanban views allow for a more natural, more organized viewing experience, and flexibility in different thinking styles.
Bitrix24 is an excellent tool at a lower cost and can be very powerful. Your processes determine a GREAT deal of which platform you choose to use - which is why it's so important to know them before you begin mapping these out in software. Overall, we have preferred Asana over Bitrix24.
Bitrix24 is an excellent tool at a lower cost and can be very powerful. Your processes determine a GREAT deal of which platform you choose to use - which is why it's so important to know them before you begin mapping these out in software. Overall, we have preferred Asana over Bitrix24.
Do you think Asana delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with Asana's feature set?
Yes
Did Asana live up to sales and marketing promises?
Yes
Did implementation of Asana go as expected?
Yes
Would you buy Asana again?
Yes
Asana Feature Ratings
Using Asana
2 - Usually, the team member assigned to marketing duties, and the project manager use Asana to help them see what they need to execute and deliver on their work. (ex: email marketer, Facebook ads person, copywriter, etc.).
2 -
- Basic web navigation: The interior of the platform is pretty straightforward.
- An understanding of Kanban (there's a board view of project management) - you'd need to understand how to move your pieces across their progress milestones.
- Project management - You need to be able to understand the overall project and the milestones that comprise progress. You need to be able to break your overall task into smaller pieces and then list those things out so that others can understand your project and its components. You will also need to understand how much time each piece takes and what components are dependent upon one another so that you can communicate with other team members when something is delayed or when plans need to change.
- Project management - breaking out individual components of overall projects into milestones and measuring their progress.
- Process development & monitoring - mapping out standard operating procedures.
- Client communication / Interior dashboard hubs - Many agencies use this as a way to communicate with their client's various components of the projects that they have been hired to do. It reduces conversation and meetings - clients can check-in at any time to see what has been done.
- Coaching and teaching other companies on how to work with processes and adapt them to their teams.
- Networking - Using our connection to the platform to be able to meet others in our industry.
Evaluating Asana and Competitors
Yes - We're using Asana to replace Notion.so - We are a creative team, and Notion has been a great internal hub for us for file storage, notes, and collaboration. The price has been great per user, and it integrates with Slack and other tools. However, we find that Asana is easier for task management and user designation/time contingencies overall. It also can sync to create master dashboards. This is a big deal when it comes to managing your project management as a whole.
- Product Features
- Product Usability
- Product Reputation
- Vendor Reputation
After mapping out our processes, we realized that we needed a more exceptional ability to track users, time, and progress through the projects. Asana's features were the winner for us - the ability to connect on mobile and desktop, to track overall progress, to see Gantt charts, to be able to use in conjunction with user roles, and master dashboards were the winning stroke for us.
We are in a creative industry - But we also need to get a lot of work done. That means that there may not be ONE tool that solves all of our problems. If I had to change the process and go through it again, I would invest in two tools at the same time - One for file storage and collaboration and another for project management and master dashboards (asana).
Using Asana
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
Like to use Easy to use Technical support not required Well integrated Consistent Quick to learn Convenient Feel confident using Familiar | None |
- Integrations - Via Zapier, it integrates with EVERYTHING, which helps you automate your workflow and get more done. This is all about productivity, so it lives up to the need there.
- Master dashboards / easy to link and replicate inside of the platform. You can manage one project, many at the same time (and see where they all are in their various stages of progress), and link boards together so that productivity can be viewed at many different levels and in multiple roles.
- File storage and organization - You can store a lot in Asana, but it feels disconnected. Files are either buried in tasks or a large section. I keep wanting folders and an internal visual hub where you would organize documents and spreadsheets - perhaps a bit like dropbox or google drive.
- Even though you can CREATE master dashboards, the ones that you may need do not come standard as templates. You have to understand how to link them together to create them yourself.
Yes, but I don't use it