When projects start piling up on you and your coworkers in the new year, you may begin to panic and wonder how you’ll ever remember all the tasks associated with each one and how you’ll get them all done on time. Instead of stressing out more than necessary by depending on yourself, consider using apps and online tools that are designed to outline and manage your projects for you. Here are the 5 apps that we, at Innovatively Organized, recommend most to our clients:

1. Liquid Planner- This online project management software allows you to easily distribute tasks among coworkers, schedule tasks based on priority and on best-case/worst-case estimates of time, and view your project analytics and reporting. Also included in this software is document sharing abilities and a timesheet so that team members can track their time.
2. Smartsheet- This is a project management tool that allows you to view your entire project all in one sheet. The sheet includes the status and budget of your project. It also allows you to compare your estimated and actual cost and time of each project. What’s great is that there are many templates to choose from that can suite different needs for each project.
3. Basecamp- This project management app’s simple interface allows you to view your to-do list, files, and discussions with team members all in one place. It also includes a shared calendar between team members and allows you to track daily progress. 
   
4. Pro Workflow- This app features a comprehensive dashboard that displays the summary data of your project and the tasks at hand. It also includes a timeline so you can visualize your tasks and provides messaging for you and your team members, clients, etc.
5. Azendoo- This project manager is partnered with Evernote, Box, Dropbox and Google Drive so your project can be handled seamlessly with all your favorite tools. It is great for handling to-do lists and allows you to share task lists and files with team members.

What’s important is finding the right project management tool for you and your team. Share and test out these apps with your coworkers and then decide which ones you’ll use as team to make your project as efficient as possible.

When a client signs a contract with you, the process of faxing or scanning documents is tedious and makes the negotiation process longer and more stressful for everyone involved. Fortunately, EchoSign has changed the way in which people can do business. EchoSign allows users to send, sign, track, manage and access documents digitally.

Here’s why we love this app:

• It works on your iPad and iPhone. However, the iPad is probably a little more user friendly if you want to use it with your clients
• It connects with Dropbox so you can upload an agreement directly from your Dropbox account
• It’s capable of in-person signing when you’re on-site with clients OR you can send a document to get signed via email
• You can easily access the status of documents that are out waiting for signatures

E-signing your documents through EchoSign is a great way to save time and paper. You also won’t have to worry about you or your client losing any service agreements or other important documents.

Want more app recommendations? Download our Free Essential Productivity Apps Checklist! 

For those busy professionals who constantly work on-the-go, we recommend a scanner app called JotNot. We love this app because users can easily convert their paper documents into a digital format by taking pictures of each page. It is a great and affordable option for a portable scanner.

Why we recommend it:

• It can batch scan multiple pages into a single document
• You can adjust the file size and resolution
• You can save your document almost anywhere, including Dropbox, Evernote, etc
• It only costs $0.99 in the iTunes store

What do you think of JotNot? Let us know in the comments below!

We understand that you are constantly on-the-go.  Whether you are catching your bus for your morning commute, heading to another meeting, visiting a client, or en route to a conference, you are always moving but you’re still expected to get things done.  Our goal at Innovatively Organized is to help you stay productive on-the-go, utilizing your time efficiently.

One way you can use pockets of time throughout your day is by editing documents or reviewing files.  While you are waiting to meet with a new client, for instance, is a great time to pull out your tablet or laptop and continue working.  There are two main components to efficiently editing documents on-the-go:

Sync your devices

Make sure you have access to the documents you need when you are not in the office.  A service like Dropbox allows you to store all of your files in the cloud, which can then be synced across all of your devices, allowing you to access them from almost anywhere.

Have the right tools

You will also need a tool that allows you to edit your documents.  We recommend the Docs2Go app because it allows you view, edit, create, and format Microsoft Word and Excel documents, as well as view PDFs and Powerpoints.  Docs2Go can sync with your Dropbox account, so once you have finished editing a document, you can save the updated version to Dropbox and access it at a later time. Below are a few screenshots of how to connect Docs2Go with your Dropbox account.

Next time you find yourself with at least ten minutes, pull out your pending contracts, proposals, projects, or letters that need attention.  You’ll make the best use of your time while on-the-go, while also keeping your documents synced and ready to be picked up again later.