Project Management Website - Basecamp

1. Overview

The Overview tab of Basecamp gives you a quick glance of what's going on with your projects. It allows a team member to see the chronological order of any action taken on the project, including messages, milestones met, to-do items that have been assigned or files that have been uploaded. Here you'll find:

• A Project overview & recent activity, the most current at the top, including Messages, To-do items, Comments and Files attached.
• To the far right (in the gray shaded area), you'll see the list of People on this project.
• From this page you can Create New Messages, To-Do Lists, Events, or attach Files (although we recommend attaching files to messages rather than uploading directly for searchability purposes) by clicking the appropriate links.

2. Messages

Basecamp messages are similar to sending an email, but everyone assigned to a given project can see the message – making it easier for other team members to “jump in” and offer suggestions or help where appropriate. When you post a message, you can select who on the team receives it. They are then sent the post via email. You won’t have to worry about accidentally deleting a message, or trying to find a message in your inbox, instead you can quickly view a posted message and take the desired action. Additionally, you can go back and view the entire conversation at any point in time.

To Post a Message:

• From the Overview page select New message or the Message page select Post a new message on the far right.

• Enter Title.
• Select Category (you can view all messages by category later).
• Enter Message. You will have the ability to do some formatting with the message (bold, italics, bullets, number list).

 

• Next, you can add an attachment by selecting Choose File under Attachments. Browse your computer for the file/document to attach and upload. Files should be attached to a post versus simply uploading the file because the file is then associated with a specific message and/or task and keeps the file in context.

• Finally, select the people you would like to receive your message. If you would like a copy sent to yourself, include your name as well when you check the recipients.

Please DO NOT check the box next to All of Modern Retail. Check only the recipients that are familiar with your accounts and/or situation. If you are unsure of who to contact, please start with your Project Manager.

• When you are ready, select either Post this message or Preview.

Receiving and Responding to Messages:

• Recipients will be notified of a Basecamp message via email.
• Content, images and attachments can be viewed directly from the email.
• To respond to the message, either reply to the message from your email or click the Message Title and you will be directed to Basecamp. From there you can enter your message and include any attachment, as well as view the message thread all in one place. Your conversation will be stored in the Basecamp database to be accessed at any point in the future.

3. To-Do Items

In this section, you can assign tasks to a individual on the team (i.e. reminders to schedule a meeting, to upload a file or make a phone call) and establish due dates if applicable. First you will create a To-do list (ex. Blog) and then you will add items under that list (ex. Fall trends, Spotlight on Designer, etc.) Once the item is completed, the task can be checked off so everyone knows it's complete. When you select the To-Do tab, you will see:

• To-do lists in bold.
• Related to-do items below with a check-mark box to click when complete.
• Name of the person that the item is assigned to and the due date is to the right of the task.
• The comment bubble to the right shows comments have been made and the number denotes how many .

Create To-Do List

• Create a To-do List by clicking on New to-do list on the Overview Page or on the New to-do list on the To-Dos page.

• Enter name of to-do list (required).
• Optional - add description or notes about this list.
• Select Create this list.

Create To-Do Item

• Enter to-do item.
• Select drop-down of who is responsible. 
• Enter due date if applicable.
• Check box if you want person to receive an email.
• Select Add this item.

Add Comments

To track activity of an item or add a file, you can add a comment.

• Click on the comment bubble.

• From here, you can enter your comment and attach files.
• You can modify who receives the comment by selecting from the list. You might remove someone from the original list because the string no longer concerns them. When you do this, they will no longer get a notification email, although they can still go back and view the entire string at any time.

Edit, Reorder or Delete Lists and Items

• You have the ability to reorder the lists by clicking on Reorder list in the light blue bar towards the top of the page.
• Hover your mouse over the icon to the left of the List Name and drag to where you want the list to be.
• When you are done, click Done reordering lists.

• To-do items can be reordered by hovering over the item with your mouse and then dragging and dropping the icon as above.
• To-do lists and items can be edited by hovering over the item and then selecting the edit option to the left.
• To delete list or item, hover and select the trash can icon.

4. Calendars

Calendars are comprised of  Events and Milestones, the due dates of the project. These include design review meetings, development dates, training dates and the date the site is projected to go live. The whole  team works on the estimates of how much time it takes for a given piece of the project to be completed. The Project Manager is the lead for establishing the milestones and helping the team to adhere to them.

Event Vs. Milestone

• Events help you keep track of deadlines, vacations, and important milestones
• A milestone is a significant stage in the project development. 

Create Event or Milestone

• Create an Event or Milestone by clicking on New event on the Overview Page or on the Add a new event on the Calendar page.

• Enter Event/Milestone name, date, time (if applicable).
• Select Event or Milestone.
• To make a multi-day event, click Make this a multi-day event. You will then be able to select a start and end date for the event.
• Click Add this Event.

• You can add up to 10 new milestones at a time for a project by selecting Add milestones in bulk.
• Select Date due from the calendar, add Milestone titles and select Responsible party from the drop down box. 
• Finally, select Create these milestones.

Once you create your events and milestones, they will show up in your calendar as well as your overview.  

5. Writeboards

Writeboards function a lot like a chalk board. You can “write” or type parts of a document onto the Writeboard and ask other team members for input, to add or remove content. This is a great space to brainstorm on a needed document and allow everyone easy access to it.

Create Writeboard

• Click on the Writeboard tab (there is no option from the Overview section).
• On the far right, select Create a writeboard.

• Enter writeboard name then select "Create a new writeboard"

• Add content and select contacts to share writeboard with. 

Edit Writeboard

• To edit a writeboard, select the name of the writeboard from the list by clicking on the title.
• Click Edit.
• Upon completion, select recipients to notify of changes if necessary.
• Click "Save as the newest version."

Add Comments

You may not want to edit the original writeboard. You may instead choose to add a comment at the end. 

• Click on the writeboard name from the list.
• Scroll to the bottom of the content and select Add a comment.
• Check boxes to notify people by email if applicable.
• Enter comment and select Add this comment.

6. Files

You can view any uploaded document or image that has been attached to a previous message. To attach a file to a post, see number two (2. Post a Message) above.

Again, files should be attached to Messages rather than directly downloaded through the File tab as it will keep the file in context and make it easier to search for in the future.

You can view files either from the email or by clicking the link in the message to go back to Basecamp. Keeping all the files in Basecamp gives everyone on the team access to needed documents, files and images.

 

Of course, this is a lot to digest at one time. We are certain though that once you start working with Basecamp, you will find it an invaluable tool. If you have further questions, you can check the "Help" section in Basecamp, review our other help topics, or submit a support request.