Enjoyable project management software?!

I find it astonishing that I am writing this: I have found a project management software that actually saves me time and makes my life easier. It is 37 signals’ basecamp software. Basecamp website

Basecamp was recommended by several folks as I searched around. We were using the established and familiar but otherwise horrifying timeassistant, and I checked out the open source phprojekt and dotproject and didn’t find them to suit my purposes. I’m happy with our basecamp subscription.

Things we now use it for

• Communicating task requirements (storycard titles and descriptions) and status
  • It also provides for template to-do lists (common tasks can be stored and brought into new projects)
• Sharing files
• Posting/sharing milestone dates
• Time tracking (only available with the paid subscription)
  • within projects.
  • across projects.
  • and my favorite - one click to review the time elapsed on a particular task to date.
  • exporting to exporting time to csv files for further slicing and dicing in spreadsheet software.

Things it isn’t

It isn’t a work authorization system, except in the most blunt way. I can restrict people to certain projects, but not to tasks within a project. It won’t prevent someone from charging time on someone else’s storycard, this has to be enforced manually, after the fact.

It does not handle cards assigned to multiple people exceptionally well.

I still use the corkboards for ordering tasks: basecamp provides no means to order tasks across projects, and only a weak way to order tasks within a project.

It doesn’t automate any form of estimation or planning.

It isn’t a communication tool on its own. I have yet to get a client very interested in using it.

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