Ok, Everybody, Let's Do This!

Managing projects and collaborating with co-workers.

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Conflicting personalities, control freaks, and co-workers who don't pull their share of the load are just a few of the potential problems you can encounter when working as a team, but at least sharing files and keeping track of the workload have gotten easier. These project management and collaboration tools help managers monitor workflow by allowing them to see who's doing what and who's running behind schedule. The tools also help employees collaborate by letting them swap files, edit group documents, and bandy ideas in chat rooms and on discussion boards.

The following programs are hosted, Web-based applications, meaning there's nothing to install on your computer or company servers. Most of them are so easy to set up and use that you won't even be tempted to speed-dial your tech guy. And you can access these services from home, the office, or anywhere you have an Internet connection, which makes it easier for your home office team to travel and for your satellite office employees to stay in the loop and feel part of the team.

Some of the programs can perform pretty neat tricks, like figuring out that if Steve in marketing says he will have his project done on Tuesday, you shouldn't expect it until Thursday. They might also keep bosses from doling out yet another big assignment to an overstretched team. And, of course, there are some features of questionable value, like letting employees see their work files while they fiddle away on Facebook. At least those employees will be fully aware of what they are blowing off to play Scrabulous.

Best For: Sharing files

Huddle

What it is: Online software that helps teams track milestones and collaborate on documents

What's cool:

Huddle makes it easy to share and edit files. You can upload files into Huddle or create Word and Excel documents from scratch and edit them in the browser window. Huddle saves each version of the document as team members make changes. You can also keep track of tasks and deadlines on a shared calendar. The system lets you see who is online and when team members last logged on. Huddleeven>offers an easy-to-install Facebook application so you can access your files from your Facebook profile.

Drawback: The ability to invite friends of friends on Facebook to participate in a project may not be a good thing.

Price: From free for three projects and 1 GB of storage to about $98 a month for 50 projects and 35 GB of storage

Best For: Setting realistic deadlines

LiquidPlanner

What it is: Web-based project management software

What's cool: LiquidPlanner employs something called "probabilistic" scheduling, which draws on employees' own estimates as well as their track records to determine how close a particular task and the project as a whole are to completion. LiquidPlanner also helps you spot bottlenecks, because users can flag a task that can't begin until another task is finished. Employees can share documents, post comments, and add profile photos.

Drawbacks: Team members can upload and download documents related to a task, but they can't edit tasks inside LiquidPlanner. Deadlines are displayed on a Gantt chart, a bar chart traditionally used by project managers. You can't view them on a regular calendar.

Price: $35 per user per month; $25 per user per month if you pay for the full year up-front

Best For: Holding virtual round-table discussions

WebEx WebOffice

What it is: An online workspace where employees can hold meetings and manage to-do lists

What's cool: Off-site employees can stay in the loop with virtual meetings. These are online gathering places where attendees can chat in real time, display documents for the group, and even gawk at one another via webcam. The team can also create group opinion polls, upload files to a shared folder, and discuss topics in a forum. You can even use WebOffice to create other business applications, including those for creating time sheets, tracking employee vacation days, and responding to customer service inquiries.

Drawback: You have to pay extra to use the virtual meeting tools.

Price: From $60 per month for five members to $2,500 per month for 500 members. Virtual meetings cost an additional $250 to $375 a month.

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