Keeping everything on your company's server seemed like a good idea at first. Then you realized all of the things that could go wrong. Server failure could wipe out your entire project. Yikes. You've heard about cloud-based solutions, but how do you manage projects in the cloud? Surprisingly, it's not all that difficult.
Choose A Good Team
Managing a project online doesn't have to be difficult, but many businesses make it unnecessarily difficult on themselves by not having a good team. When you move projects to the cloud, you'll need to be able to configure and maintain server-based applications. Unless you're using Saas or Paas solutions, that means hiring a dedicated tech team or retraining the one you already have.
A good team can also reduce downtime. With an in-house solution, a failure of your company's server or hard drive system can basically put you out of business. Even when you have backups, there's usually a time-lag associated with retrieving the backup.
With a cloud-based system, you can minimize the risk of a single-data center failure unwinding your entire company.
Fix Application Problems Before Migration
If you have any problem applications, now is the time to fix them. Most businesses make the mistake of thinking that, if they're having a problem with an application, moving to the cloud will somehow fix it. In reality, the problem isn't in the infrastructure. It's in the application.
Use Tools To Help You Organize
Modern project management software makes online project management dead-simple. These programs typically utilize various interfaces that all members of a team can access, contribute to, and modify. Intelligent threaded messages keep communications streamlined and on-point.
Project managers, and even team members, can choose which individuals are kept "in the loop" on message threads so that projects move forward instead of stagnating. Key members are able to track changes to message and white board type interfaces in real-time without disrupting the workflow for other individuals who don't need "up-to-the-minute" updates.
Use Remote Access Tools
Most cloud-based systems can be accessed from practically anywhere. This is one of the major strengths of cloud computing. Take advantage of it. Expand your team to individuals who live all over the world. Send employees on business trips without interrupting project workflow and scheduling.
Remote access will create a virtual office for all of your employees - suddenly, it doesn't matter where you work. Projects are completed ahead of schedule because employees aren't chained to their desk.