What is ASANA?
Asana is a web-based project management tool that helps teams to manage and collaborate on tasks and projects. It was founded in 2008 by Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein, who were former Facebook and Google employees respectively. Asana provides a central platform where team members can create, assign, and track tasks, set due dates, communicate progress, and share files. Users can organize tasks into projects, assign responsibilities to team members, and track the progress of each task in real-time. Asana also allows users to set priorities, deadlines, and milestones to ensure that everyone is on track.
In addition to project management, Asana can be used for team communication and collaboration, with features such as commenting, direct messaging, and integration with other tools such as email, calendars, and file-sharing services.
Asana is used by a wide range of organizations, from small startups to large enterprises, to manage projects, workflows, and team communication.
How does Asana work?
Asana provides a centralized platform for teams to manage tasks and projects, you operate Asana through an internet browser. The company also offers a mobile app to help you stay updated on the go.
Project team members share a collaborative workspace to access project information. Tasks represent distinct pieces of work, and appear in Asana as digital cards, containing details about to-do’s, approvals, milestones, or other project information.
All project data is stored in the cloud, so regardless of what device you use or who changes any part of the project, you’ll see the latest version in real-time, making it an effective project tracker.
Asana addresses several key pain points related to managing projects. Here are some of the ways in which Asana can help:
- Centralized task management: Asana provides a centralized platform where team members can create, assign, and track tasks in real time. This helps to eliminate confusion and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
- Clear accountability: With Asana, it’s easy to assign responsibilities to team members and set deadlines. This ensures that everyone knows what they’re responsible for and when tasks need to be completed.
- Real-time progress tracking: Asana allows users to track the progress of tasks and projects in real-time. This helps to identify bottlenecks, manage dependencies, and ensure that projects are completed on time.
- Improved collaboration: Asana provides features such as commenting and direct messaging, which allow team members to collaborate more effectively. This helps to improve communication and reduce the risk of miscommunication.
- Integration with other tools: Asana integrates with a wide range of other tools, such as email, calendars, and file-sharing services. This makes it easy to manage tasks and projects alongside other workflows.
Overall, Asana helps to streamline project management, improve collaboration, and ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget.
How to use Asana for project management
Asana is one such popular project management tool. Hundreds of companies use it, including Google and NASA. It is a favorite for its approach to solving common project management challenges. Use it effectively and you’ll make project execution a breeze. To effectively manage a project, Asana provides a range of capabilities to help the project team stay organized and on track.
Each team member can easily access tasks assigned to them and their respective due dates. The inbox feature delivers updates and notifications for tasks being followed, allowing for the quick response and navigation to the relevant tasks.
Asana’s search capability enables the swift location of any item in the system. At the same time, its sort and filter options offer various views to help visualize progress across tasks based on priority, status, and other criteria.
Throughout project execution, the Progress section in Asana provides a snapshot of the project’s overall status. Here, you can review milestones, track recent status updates, and check custom fields such as approval status. You can also create updates that communicate information to the entire team without scheduling a meeting, which is particularly useful when working with remote team members.
Overall, Asana’s features help streamline project management and facilitate communication between team members, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful project completion.
Managing a project in Asana involves several key steps. Here’s a general guide on how to manage a project in Asana:
- Create a Workspace: To get started, create a new Workspace in Asana. Give the Workspace a name and add a brief description to help team members understand its purpose.
- Create a project: Create a new project in Asana. Give the project a name and add a brief description to help team members understand its purpose.
- Create tasks: Once you’ve created the project, start adding tasks to it. Give each task a name, assign it to a team member, and set a due date. You can also add additional details, such as subtasks, comments, and attachments.
- Organize tasks: As you add more tasks to the project, you may want to organize them into sections or columns. This can help to group related tasks together and make it easier to track progress.
- Assign responsibilities: Ensure that each team member knows what tasks they’re responsible for and when they’re due. You can use Asana’s notifications and reminders to keep everyone on track.
- Monitor progress: Use Asana’s progress tracking features to monitor the status of each task and the overall progress of the project. You can use Asana’s reporting features to generate reports and track metrics such as task completion rates and project timelines.
- Communicate and collaborate: Use Asana’s communication features, such as commenting and direct messaging, to collaborate effectively with team members. This can help to ensure that everyone is on the same page and reduce the risk of miscommunication.
By following these steps, you can effectively manage your project in Asana and ensure that it’s completed on time and within budget.
01. Create Workspaces on Asana
Asana Workspaces are virtual environments within the Asana platform that allow teams to organize and manage their projects, tasks, and workflows. Workspaces in Asana provide a dedicated area for teams to collaborate on projects, assign tasks, track progress and communicate with each other.
Overall, Asana Workspaces is a powerful tool for managing team projects and workflows. They provide a centralized platform for teams to collaborate, communicate, and stay organized, which can help to increase productivity and improve project outcomes.
Here are the steps to create workspaces on Asana:
- Log in to your Asana account.
- Click on your profile icon located in the top right corner of the screen.
- Select More than select “Create new workspace” from the dropdown menu.
- Enter a name for your workspace and click “Create.”
- You can also create projects within your workspace by clicking on the “+” button in the left-hand pane and selecting “New Project.”
That’s it! You have successfully created a new workspace on Asana. Repeat these steps to create additional workspaces as needed.
02. Create a project On Asana
To create or set up a project in Asana, follow these steps:
- Log in to your Asana account: Go to Asana’s website and log in to your account using your email address and password.
- Click the “+” button: Once you’re logged in, click on the “+” button in the Project window of the dashboard.
- Select “Create Project”: From then, select “Blank Project”.
- Enter project details: Give your project a name to help team members understand its purpose.
- Choose a project default view: Asana offers different project Views to choose from, including “List”, “Board”, “Timeline”, and “Calendar”. Choose the project View that best suits your needs.
- Then Click Continue to go to the Next phase.
- Click Go to the Project. Now your Project is Ready to Assign a new Task.
By following these steps, you can create or set up a project in Asana and get started with managing your tasks and projects more effectively.
03. Creating New Tasks On Asana
To create tasks on Asana, follow these steps:
Go to your project: Navigate to the project where you want to create a new task
Click on the “+ Add Task” button: In the project, click on the “+ Add Task” button located in the top right corner of the screen.
Enter task details: A new task form will appear where you can enter task details. Give your task a name and assign it to a team member by typing their name in the “Assignee” field. You can also set a due date for the task by clicking on the calendar icon and selecting a date.
Add additional details: You can add additional details to the task by using the fields provided. For example, you can add a description to provide more context, attach files, or add subtasks.
Save the task: Once you’ve entered all the details, click on the “Arrow” button to save the task. The task will appear in the project and will be assigned to the team member you specified.
You can repeat these steps to create as many tasks as you need in your project. Asana also allows you to duplicate tasks, which can save time if you have similar tasks to create.
04. Organize your Task on Asana
To achieve the goals of a project, it’s important to organize your list of tasks into a well-structured plan. Asana provides various tools and features that can assist with project planning. You can organize the task by adding it to a section or column. You can create a new section by clicking on the “+ Section” button in the project. Drag and drop the task into the desired section or column.
05. Assign responsibilities to Asana
Assigning responsibilities to team members in Asana is an important step to ensure that everyone knows what they need to do and when it needs to be done. Here are the steps to assign responsibilities on Asana:
- Assign tasks responsibilities: To assign responsibility to a team member, click on the task and click on the “Assignee” field. Type in the name of the team member you want to assign the task to and select them from the drop-down menu.
- Set due dates: Set a due date for each task to ensure that it is completed on time. You can do this by clicking on the task and entering the due date in the “Due date” field.
- Notify team members: If you want to notify the team member that you have assigned a task to them, you can mention them in the task description or comments. To do this, type “@” followed by their name and select their name from the drop-down menu.
By following these steps, you can assign responsibilities to team members in Asana and ensure that everyone is on the same page.
06. Monitor progress on Asana
As the project progresses, make sure to follow up with team members to ensure that they are on track and to address any issues that may arise. You can do this by commenting on the task or sending them a direct message in Asana.
Monitoring progress on Asana is essential to ensure that tasks are completed on time and to identify any potential roadblocks that may arise. Here are the steps to monitor progress on Asana:
- Check task status: The first step is to check the status of each task. You can do this by clicking on the task and looking at the status field. If the task is completed, it will show as “Completed”. If the task is in progress, it will show as “In progress”, and if it has not been started yet, it will show as “Not started”.
- Check task due dates: Check the due dates of each task to ensure that they are on track to be completed on time. If a task is running behind schedule, you may need to adjust the due date or allocate more resources to that task.
- Check task comments: Check the comments section of each task to see if there are any updates or issues that need to be addressed. Team members may use comments to ask questions or provide updates on their progress.
By following these steps, you can effectively monitor progress on Asana and ensure that tasks are completed on time.
07. Communicate and collaborate in Asana
Asana is a powerful project management tool that can help you communicate and collaborate effectively with your team. Here are some tips on how to use Asana to streamline your communication and collaboration:
- Use comments: Use comments to communicate with your team members. Comment on tasks to provide updates or ask questions. You can also mention specific team members in your comments to make sure they see them.
- Set up notifications: Set up notifications so that you get notified when someone assigns you a task or mentions you in a comment. This will help you stay on top of things and respond quickly.
- Use the inbox: Use the inbox in Asana to see all the updates and notifications in one place. This will help you stay up to date on what’s happening in your projects.
- Use the calendar: Use the calendar view in Asana to see all the tasks and deadlines in one place. This will help you plan your work and ensure that you don’t miss any important deadlines.
By following these tips, you can use Asana to improve your team’s communication and collaboration and work more efficiently towards your project goals.
How can we use Asana for 2 different projects?
- Once you have set up your first project in Asana, you can your second project in Asana. Simply Click on the Button Create -> project and then repeat the process as first Project Creation. Within your existing workspace, customize it to meet your needs, invite team members, and manage your tasks and deadlines.
By following these steps, you can use Asana to manage multiple projects and stay organized and on track.
How to invite people On Asana for Project Management.
To invite people on Asana for project management, follow these steps:
- Login to your Asana account and select the project that you want to invite people to.
- Click on the “Share” button in the top right-hand corner of the project.
- Enter the email addresses of the people you want to invite in the “Invite people” field. You can enter multiple email addresses separated by commas.
- Choose the level of access you want to give to each person. Asana offers three types of access: “Can Comment” “Can Edit” and “Set as project Owner”.
- Add a personal message if you want to, and click “Send invitations.”
The people you invited will receive an email with a link to join the project. Once they click on the link, they will be prompted to create an Asana account or log in if they already have one. After that, they will be added to the project and can start collaborating with you and the rest of the team.
How to delete a project on Asana.
To delete a project on Asana, follow these steps:
- Open the project that you want to delete.
- Click on the Dropdown Menu Beside the project name.
- Select “Delete” from the drop-down menu.
- In the confirmation window that appears, click on the “Delete” button.
Note that deleting a project will permanently remove it from Asana, including all of its tasks and subtasks. Once a project is deleted, it cannot be recovered, so make sure to double-check that you really want to delete it before doing so.
Also, note that only the project owner or an Asana administrator can delete a project. If you are not the owner of the project, you will need to ask the owner or an administrator to delete it for you.
Can we use Asana for Free? What features we can use for free?
Yes, Asana offers a free version of their software that can be used by individuals or teams. The free version of Asana offers several features that can be used without any cost, including:
- Task Management: Create and manage tasks and subtasks, assign due dates and priorities, and add comments.
- List View: View tasks and projects in a simple list format.
- Board View: Organize tasks into columns for a more visual representation.
- Calendar View: See tasks and due dates on a calendar.
- Assignee and Collaborator: Assign tasks to team members and collaborate with them.
- Basic Search: Search for tasks, projects, and people.
However, the free version has some limitations, including a limit on the number of projects you can create, a limit on team members you can add, and fewer features than the paid plans. If you need more advanced features or want to add more team members, you may want to consider upgrading to one of Asana’s paid plans.
A last word about Asana for project management
Asana is a powerful project management tool that can help teams of all sizes collaborate and stay organized. One of its key strengths is its flexibility, which allows users to create customized workflows and project structures that align with their specific needs.
However, like any tool, Asana has its limitations, and it may not be the best fit for every team or project. For example, some users find its interface overwhelming or difficult to navigate, while others prefer more advanced project management features like resource allocation and Gantt charts that aren’t available in Asana.
Ultimately, whether Asana is the right tool for your team will depend on your specific requirements and preferences. It’s worth taking the time to evaluate different project management tools and consider factors like ease of use, features, and pricing before making a decision.