For those who create
Information systematization and visualization
MindMap helps generate and structure new ideas!
- Use RedForester to collect and structure information (input data, intermediary results, portfolio) and have brainstorms.
- Express your thoughts in a simple and logical way – RedForester will help to achieve this.
- Find information faster. Minimizing map’s branches leads to attention concentration.
Each node on the map may have its own type
- Start with taking notes, then manage your notes setting node types.
- Make saving, search and knowledge management easier with plugins using particular node types.
- Create your own node types and use the existing ones.
Teamwork and spread of knowledge
Cooperative map editing
- Simultaneous map editing allows to maintain its relevance and synchronize team work.
- All users work with the map simultaneously. This gives an opportunity of free but controlled spread of knowledge. Knowledge is very important for a team and a company. Managing knowledge and access to it is a process that influences everybody.
Managing visibility and access to information
- RedForester provides flexibility in setting access rights to nodes and information saved in the system.
- You may create a public map which will be available even for unregistered users who have a link to it.
- You may create a private map and invite users with different roles, as well as manage group access rights.
Commenting and Notifications
- Leave comments to nodes – it’s a good way to discuss the knowledge, documentation and information that you saved on the map. Exchange opinions with your colleagues.
- Set-up email notifications. The map structure will let you subscribe to only those notifications that you need at the moment. Other systems attack you with spam, RedForester lets you focus on the main points.
- Use Android application for quick view, commenting and creating nodes in a selected branch.
- Add plugins for integration with other notification systems (instant messengers, etc).
Search on accumulated data
- Use hierarchy, icons, node colours for a fast visual search on the map.
- Use full text search on all saved content.
- Search on typed nodes’ fields using flexible query language (being developed).
- Search on separate map branches.
- Use special Filter interface for displaying search results (being developed).
For those who control
Project situation analysis
- Workflow management in the form of Mindmap provides a good overview of the situation in the team at the moment. For assessing performers’ employment, estimating accuracy of tasks given to them or reacting to the encountered difficulties on time you just need to have a look at the project map.
- Users may add comments to any node. Comments let clarify task description or ask the responsible person any other question.
- RedForester mobile application will let monitor the project continuously and control deadlines for task completion from any place.
Notifications of hazardous use cases
Notification system will notify you not only about new events on the map, but also potentially vulnerable places in planning, resource assignment and significant schedule slippage.
- There are plugins available for monitoring changes in node features on the map. If deviations in processes become significant, the plugins will send email notifications to responsible people.
Term forecast and milestone planning
RedForester doesn’t force you to use one particular way of planning. Break your project into milestones, stages, sprints or tasks – as you like.
In RedForester, project work planning is easier with the help of special plugins for managing directors and project managers.
- Unloading reports in Excel and Google Sheets. Tables in the form of adapted Gantt diagram will help to evaluate the performance of teams.
- You may receive general information on labour time or unload a detailed man-hour chart with task names and contractors.
Knowledge distribution control
Understanding of skills of all team-members is extremely important for a managing director and a team leader for task distribution, planning and project support.
- For such nodes as “team”, “contractor” or “contact person” you may create a feature entitled “Limits of competencies” where you may have a list of technologies a person/company masters. After that it will be easier to find the contractor you need just by keyword search according to the required experience.
- Having filled in all the information about limits of competencies of each team, you may see all the contractors’ knowledge and experience gaps, as well as the influence of lack of experience on performance and efficiency of every team.
- Create your own knowledge base as a separate branch on the map and as far as the database is being populated you’ll see who creates nodes and who is the knowledge holder.
For those who perform
Tracking functions
RedForester provides all opportunities for task management.
- You may set task types or use the existing ones.
- Tree structure lets structure tasks and subtasks, preserving hierarchy.
- Appointing performers, monitoring tasks and task groups. You may see each task setter and responsible person.
- Notifications about changes in task/sprint statuses.
- Flexible set-up of “Task” node type. (its appearance will depend on what project management system is used by the managing director). If there are not enough fields in a node (for example, for notes and some information), the performer may add them himself.
- With the help of plugins you may set rules for changing task statuses and rules for reacting to node features changes, for example, limitations on “In process” status for only one performer’s task or notification about changing the task priority. Open API will let technical specialists develop their own plugins adapted to project management in a certain team.
- There are other ways of displaying nodes on the map, such as displaying tasks in the form of Kanban boards.
Plugins
Within the concept of RedForester, plugin is a third-party code that interacts with the service’s open API.
There are three types of plugins:
- Methodology – new business rules set by users themselves. For instance, workflow for tasks and integration with third-party services.
- Reports – displaying different information sheets in tables or in a personal web-interface.
- Interface – displaying RedForester map data in the alternative interface. For example, Kanban board, mobile application.
API documentation, examples of its use and timely technical support provided by RedForester developers will help you create new plugins.
Using and saving new knowledge
RedForester map structure allows to create a user-friendly knowledge base which will be managed by performers when they find interesting solutions while working on the tasks. Other users may complement existing sections and add their own, which results in a useful exchange of ideas and experience.
If performer faces difficulties with the project implementation, he may use earlier gained experience and the team knowledge. It also makes sense to subdivide the issue item by item to compose a “map of issues” with weak and questionable points marked. Colleagues’ fresh look at a suggested structural solution will help find other ways to fulfill difficult tasks.
Education and portfolio
Use RedForester to create well-structured training documents with an opportunity to communicate and interact with a study circle (comments, students’ personal branches).
Create public maps to present your competencies, knowledge and portfolio in a visible and understandable form.
Your employers will appreciate an easy and well-structured way of presenting information.
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