Trello project management system – what is it and how to use it?
Content:
1. What is Trello?
2. Trello Features
3. Benefits of Trello
4. Conclusion
One of the most popular among them is Trello, which is an understandable, convenient and functional task manager. In our next article, we will consider the main features and advantages of this system, as well as talk about the possibilities of its application.
What is Trello?
Trello is a project management and team coordination software. It is presented as a cloud platform, so it does not require installation on users' computers. The first version of Trello was released in 2011 by American programmer Joel Spolsky, and in 2017 Atlassian bought the project for $425 million. To date, the program is available as an online application on the website, as well as a mobile application for iOS / Android and a desktop application for Windows and MacOS. In October 2019, it "took" the mark of 50 million users, and its interface is available in 21 languages of the world.
Project management tools have firmly entered modern life and have become an integral part of any product teams: from IT departments of large corporations to numerous startups.
Trello is based on the Japanese kanban board methodology, which has proven itself in managing software development projects. However, this program is suitable not only for IT, but also for many other tasks and industries.
In fact, Trello can be thought of as a kind of CRM, since it has all its key attributes: tasks, statuses, clients, contacts, history, file attachments, comments, etc. At the same time, a distinctive feature of this software is the simplicity and clarity of the interface. Unlike the confusing tables and tabs of other platforms, Trello offers user-friendly boards, cards, and lists. But, despite the seeming primitiveness, this system has very wide advantages with a lot of useful "chips" that will be very useful to experienced users.
Trello can be used not only as a multifunctional CRM, but also as a simple and understandable task tracker. It is best suited for small startups or companies working on digital products, but will also be handy for any project teams. The functionality of the software is also applicable for individual planning, it helps to store information in an orderly manner and create To-Do-lists. It is actively used by some medium and large companies, including Google, National Geographic, Kickstarter, etc.
Trello Features
The system interface consists of three main elements: board, card and list. Next, we will talk about the purpose and capabilities of each of them:
- Automate the work of an online store or landing
- Empower through integration
- Don't spend money on programmers and integrators
- Save time by automating routine tasks
Board
At the heart of the Trello interface is a virtual kanban board, which contains lists that consist of individual cards. This hierarchy helps you efficiently organize information with an unlimited number of boards with an unlimited number of members.
Users can use ready-made board templates for various purposes and topics (“team scripts”) or create their own boards. It is possible to structure them in every possible way, copy, add to favorites or archive. The system offers three levels of access to boards: public boards (unlimited access), team boards (access for team members only) and private boards (access only by admin invitation).
List
The list is the next structural element that is placed on the board and consists of a selection of thematic cards. Lists can be moved between different boards, sent to favorites or archive, it is possible to add or remove cards from them.
Card
The card is the main working tool of Trello, which has very wide possibilities. You can place text on them and, add tags, comments, attachments, checklists, participants, and due dates. It is possible to move cards between lists and boards, copy, add to favorites or archive, track changes, export and share a link to them.
Benefits of Trello
This service has a lot of important advantages that make it very popular and widespread in various fields. These include:
- Simplicity. The clear interface of Trello makes it much easier to implement in any teams, projects and areas. The basic principle of kanban boards is the distribution of tasks into three lists: scheduled, ongoing, completed, as well as their management by drag and drop. Even a child can easily and quickly figure out the functionality of this system, which is its main advantage.
- Functionality. Despite its apparent simplicity, Trello has a huge number of features, including a smart search engine, a detailed history of actions, a card / list / board filter, label systems, hotkeys and notifications, a calendar, etc. The full functionality of Trello is available online from any desktop or mobile device without lengthy installation and configuration.
- Versatility. With Trello, you can create individual boards, lists, and cards for an unlimited number of teams and projects. For example, for developers, designers, project/product managers, copywriters, marketers, etc. This system is suitable for literally any type and scale of activity, including a personal task tracker.
- Availability. Most of the Trello service features are available absolutely free of charge without any restrictions on the terms of use, the number of participants, etc. There is also a paid version of Trello Premium, which allows you to upload large files (over 10 MB) to the system and integrate it with an unlimited number of third-party applications (the free version has no more than 3).
- Integrations. You can make your work in Trello even more productive, faster and more convenient by integrating with many external services (so-called "Improvements"). For example, integration with Google Drive, Slack, Twitter, OneDrive, MailChimp, Dropbox, Github, Evernote, Zendesk, SalesForce, Jira, etc. is available here.
Conclusion
Trello is a popular cloud-based project management system based on the principles of Japanese kanban boards. It has a simple and user-friendly interface, but at the same time it is very multifunctional and versatile: it can be both a personal task tracker and a CRM for a large IT project.
Most of Trello's features are available completely free of charge, and its options are easily expanded by integrating with a number of third-party services and platforms. If some integration you need is still not found, then you can always set up a connection between Trello and other systems via ApiX-Drive.