ActiveCollab takes a clinical approach to tackling projects. It provides an ergonomically pleasing workplace that offers all the fundamental functions necessary to divide and conquer projects, making project management refreshingly accessible and boosting productivity.
We are assessing collaboration tools against four criteria that we see as critical to the future of this space. The criteria we used to assess ActiveCollab’s effectiveness as an enterprise tool are:
- Debates lead to elegant solutions.
- Project partitioning and allocation is efficient.
- Progress monitoring improves capital allocation.
- Risk mitigation improves project outcomes.
ActiveCollab more than makes up for its drab discussion function, whose drab editor results in a string of comments not conducive to debates, with its project and risk management offering.
The environment is project based, so all discussion threads, project notes, action items, and files are grouped by project, but users can monitor their activities across projects, and the rich report offering allows team members and leaders to ascertain workloads and time constraints and track costs and payments for individuals and teams.
Our Take
ActiveCollab designs with purpose. Its lean and useful graphics tools for managing two principle capital constraints – financial and human – is a testament to its understanding of product development.
Putting in place the business development aspects of submitting estimates and invoices reinforces that testament. Improving the ideation environment therein would be a good next step in the revision of this offering.
Much like applied research, project planning starts with the vetting of assumptions. ActiveCollab must enable users to address what ought to be a project in the first place.
Beyond that, the challenge for ActiveCollab will be to match its price points with its go-to-market tactic. Currently, that seems incongruent. ActiveCollab’s product offering is priced at a premium, which is a reflection of its considerable functionality. However, marketing is not only based on technical aspects; ActiveCollab will need to consider commercial aspects to improve its chance at market success.
Want to Know More?
Taking the Bore Out of Collaboration
Trello – Mellow
Vendor Landscape: Collaboration Platforms