Better Project Management Tools

I would like to use a mind-map like interface to organize data in multiple hierarchies.

So, for example, I’d start out using “FreeMind”:http://freemind.sourceforge.net/wiki/index.php/Main_Page to capture and organize ideas according to one hierarchy, like the type of feature they represent, then I’d switch to a different dimension and organize them according to relative priority & timeframe, then another to organize them by who is responsible for completing the tasks.

Actually, that’s a lie. I don’t really want to use a mind map UI to do all the organization. What I want is to be able to do my first organizational pass using a mind map, then I want to be able to switch into a spreadsheet view to add additional hierarchy information. Then I want to be able to view and perhaps tweak the map in a hierarchy based on the information I entered in tabular view. Most importanly, I want to be able to toggle between all these views, and have the changes I make in one view be reflected in the other.

As an added bonus, it would be cool if I could then easily map all of those dimensions into fields in the “change management system i’m using”:http://trac.edgewall.org/wiki/TracProject. Again, I’d like these changes to propagate bidirectionally with the mindmap and tabular view.

Update: I’m not sure this is exactly what I want.  I am sure that I’m not happy with the existing tools for organizing and interacting with task information.

One thought on “Better Project Management Tools

  1. Hobie Swan

    Let me know if you want to try out MindManager Pro g, a really nice mapping tool that integrates with Microsoft Office, Word, PowerPoint, Project and Outlook. It has several map templates (such as an org chart view) as well as a linear outline view. You can also export map contents as OPML and to other project management tools using .MPX. So if it’s many different views of information you are after, MindManager might give you what you are looking for.
    Thanks

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