Sharp End Training is an online training company. It provide training for small business and small business owners with dedicated sites for different countries and parts of the world. Content can be adjusted to suit different market conditions.

At the moment, they have dedicated country leaders in India, Malta, the USA and Singapore.

Jonathan Senior,  Founder & CEO.

This is how they use DeskAway,

How are you using DeskAway and what value is it providing your team?
We use DeskAway to keep track of the projects we are working on. As a project manager, I love the flexibility it gives me to allow and disallow access to certain people and projects. It has stopped totally the flow of emails with attachments and the inevitable confusion and version control.

Were you using any other tool before before DeskAway?
We looked at bug tracking software, both hosted and self hosted. We looked at other solutions but they were far too technical. We pride ourselves on making things which are complicate, simple. We had no need to share code or other technical data.

Was there a learning curve associated with DeskAway? How did your team adapt to a new application?
No learning curve. One team member remarked “Oh so it’s like facebook. It emails me when there is a message and I delete the email and go read the message.”

What features does your team use the most?
We tend to have one “thread” per topic, that’s either an issue or a task. We don’t use the file storage much because we share big video and sound files. We can hotlink to the url in DeskAway easy enough though…

Are you emailing (sending tasks, attachments etc.) less because of DeskAway? How has DeskAway helped in lowering project costs, profitability, improving efficiency or just simplifying work?
Sending email attachments has stopped totally. When a new associate comes on board, we have a definite methodology that we work with and that is part of the deal.

Thanks!

How do You use DeskAway? Let us know @ himali(at)synage(.)com

Another really good article from Terry Starbucker, on teamwork and project management. He stresses on leadership training for supervisors who are managing the team and hence also the project.

All too often I see new supervisors struggling mightily with the idea of actually “managing” a staff – setting priorities, communicating the company vision, motivating,  holding people accountable,  and delivering the necessary coaching and corrections. Delivering such training can be expensive, because this is typically the largest management group in most organizations. Read More.

Even though the training may take time, it would however enhance the work a lot more afterwards. Its always great to work with a person who knows how to go about stuff and what to expect, rather than someone who is just fiddling around without having the necessary know how.

One of the ways we tackle this at DeskAway is by having frequent meetings where the work processes are walked through, thus if any particular step seems onerous or too difficult then solutions can be sought for that. Through these meetings we can also figure out if someone is struggling over something.

How do you’l ensure that the people in your team know what their job responsibilities are and that they have the necessary skills to manage the work?

Read an interesting article on Fast company on ‘Time Blocking’ as a method to avoid distractions and increase productivity. The writer has given the example of an office with no cubicle or private space where getting work done becomes a difficult task due to constant disruptions due to surrounding people.

Today with the internet, even in a cubicle or private office a person can find himself disrupted all the time with emails, chat messages, notifications and more!

Gina Trapani suggest in the article to block some time off where you are focussing on the particular work,

Being available to your boss and co-workers is part of your job. But the most creative and important work you do requires total focus and attention for an extended period of time. Your brain needs at least 15 minutes of uninterrupted time to dive in, concentrate on one thing, and get into the zone where you’re truly focused and doing your best work. Time blocking is a technique that sets the stage for that to happen. Read More.

I totally agree with this, definitely time blocking is needed in work as well personal life! I find it crucial to spend time with myself and also with friends and family. These time outs ensure that things are going on the right or desired track.

What do you think? Is this something you do to manage time better?

Quite a bit of buzz happening on Twitter. More compliments, praises, support queries, questions and the occasional grievance.

Thanks guys!

eLumenata, Inc. is an instructional design company specializing in virtual world educational design.

It is SIMPLE and EASY TO USE! It captures the most important aspects of PM and focuses the attention on those issues.

~Virginia Dickenson, Owner/President

This is how they use DeskAway,

How are you using DeskAway and what value is it providing your team?
Using it for project management - outlining projects, task lists, assignments; it is an amazing value - this way, I have the milestones, deadlines, etc - and can build the task lists around those issues. More important, it is SIMPLE and EASY TO USE! It captures the most important aspects of PM and focuses the attention on those issues.

Were you using any other tool before DeskAway?
I was using Google docs spreadsheet and prior to that, the Microsoft PM app online (not MSProject) - however, it was far too complicated to be of value.

Was there a learning curve associated with DeskAway? How did your team adapt to a new application?
Learn as you go - no time needed. My team LOVES IT.

What features does your team use the most?
Task assignments and groupings.

Are you emailing (sending tasks, attachments etc.) less because of DeskAway? How has DeskAway helped in lowering project costs, profitability or improving efficiency?
Yes - DeskAway eliminates the need for con calls that explain spreadsheets, gives our clients a place to see progress, and also allows for quick and efficient project changes.

Are there any other thoughts that you would want to share with us regarding our service, product etc.?
KISS!!!!! Keep It Simple Simon! Thank you!

Thanks!

How do You use DeskAway? Let us know @ priyanka.d(at)synage(.)com