If you work with or lead a team of any kind you are aware that communication and organization are foundational to a successful project.  Our work with all types of non-profits and ministries around the world have made this truth even more apparent to the team at Collision Media.  Basecamp is a project management and collaboration web app that is remarkably simple and intuitive.  We use Basecamp at Collision Media internally to organize every project and to collaborate with our team and our clients.  It's invaluable to how Collision runs its business, and I think it could be a game-changing tool for any ministry or non-profit (or any other organization).  There are other project management tools out there, but we use Basecamp because of its proven record.  Here are five reasons why you might want to take a look at Basecamp for your team:

1.)  Everything in one place

One of the most obvious advantages of Basecamp is its unique way of keeping everything in one central location, or the cloud, if you will indulge the cliche.  Each team member is given their own login and password and has easy access to files, notes, and messages for any project at any time.  Have you ever tried to collobarate with a team by email?  Often multiple email threads and conversations can get lost and the intrinsic simplicity of email can actually be a hindrance to getting work done.  Basecamp uses it's organization features, and email, to keep everything in one place, easily accessible whenever you need.

2.)  Collaboration Is Key

Collaborating with a team in Basecamp is one of its principle strengths.  It's simple to write a message and select the team members that you'd like to recieve the message, but it's more than just messages.  Basecamp gives you access to a unique document creation utitlity called a Writeboard.  The Writeboard is essentially a minimalist word processor that allows multiple team members to edit.  It also keeps track of who edits and when they edit.  It's a fantastic way to collaborate on any kind of text content.

3.)  Lists

I'm a list person.  I like to check things off my list, and I get a certain amount of satisfaction when a task is completed.  Basecamp gives you the abilitiy to create as many lists as you'd like.  Each task can be assignable to a team member, and each task can be given a due date.  If you're a list person, this could be a very useful feature for you and your team.

4.)  Sharing Files

Sharing files can be a real pain.  We've all experienced the annoyance of finding a document that a coworker emailed you a few weeks ago, only to realize the document is out of date.  Sharing files and keeping files up to date is a feature of Basecamp that pays for itself.

5.)  All on the Same Page

Whether or not you use Basecamp to keep your team organized, using some kind of system is essential to keep a team organized and productive.  Basecamp gives you multiple ways to analyze progress on a project with the use of calendars, milestones, and time tracking.  When you login to a project, you should be able to tell within a few seconds where the project is and where it's going.

So, do you use Basecamp?  Do you use any of kind of project management tools?  We'd love to know what your team does to stay organized and be productive.