Tech Musing #1: Asana: The 'Tesla of Productivity Tools'

Kory Chinn
1/29/16
MIS 441
Tech Musing 1
Article: http://mashable.com/2013/08/06/asana-productivity/#oZuhmfDn4qq0

Project Management Software: Asana

This article discusses the development of the project management app: Asana. The software, which is used primarily for task management, was founded by Justin Rosenstein (a former Googler) and Dustin Moskovitz (co-founder of Facebook), and was born out of necessity from within the founders’ former companies. Rosenstein developed a task management software for internal use within Google, and Moskovitz worked on a similar solution within Facebook. They both realized that a better app for project management was necessary and that the issues they had of getting bogged down in meetings and reading and writing emails were ubiquitous. Together, they set out to build a collaborative, design-oriented product that people would want to use. Typically, project managers send out action items or ask people to complete a task, and individuals then maintain their own systems of to do lists, however, Asana seeks to organize this information, allowing all members of a team to view task progress and communicate in one place.

Relevance to MIS 441

This article is relevant to our class and project management because it introduces an alternative to MS project for tracking team progress. In terms of the SDLC, application of this project management software could be applied to the core process of planning and monitoring the project. Some of the useful features of Asana that facilitate this process include:

• Tracking task progress
• Calendar
• Gantt Chart
• Assigning team members to tasks
• Setting task priorities

In terms of enabling agile project management, Asana is easy to use and can be set up to provide a flexible and iterative project plan. With a simple and intuitive interface, a project can be set up to fulfill the principles of the Agile Manifesto. Primarily, it focuses on giving everyone involved in the project the ability to work and communicate in one place. There are messaging and commenting functions as well as the capability to upload attachments and files.

Importance as an MIS student

As an MIS student, this tool is potentially very valuable. Working in teams is a common occurrence in Eller, so having an effective way of managing multiple tasks for multiple projects across multiple teams is a key factor in achieving success. Moreover, it is free to use for small teams, yet is still packed with features. As an MIS professional, it is important to be aware of the project management tools that are in use. For example, Asana is in use in the following companies: Uber, Airbnb, Ernst & Young, Intel, and Tesla. In the future, MIS students may go on to work in these industries and tech companies and it could be beneficial to have experience with how they manage their projects.