Project Managing For Dummies

I've spent much of my day playing with a new online management system our department wants to implement. I'll have my own site for our fellowship program and can do things like create calendars, task lists, link lists, upload document libraries and forms, etc. I met with a guy this morning who set me up and answered some questions and I came away a bit disappointed. It won't do half of what I'd hoped it would do, at least not as efficiently as I can do it another way. The concept is that it would be a central place for our faculty to get information and communicate. It's actually set up for a project-oriented office, but we're adapting.

My biggest concern is with a few sections begging for abuse. First, there's a place to upload picture libraries. It's supposed to be for things like logos and graphics for presentations. I know my fellows. When they're not being excellent doctors, they have an average maturity level of "crass twelve year old." The picture libraries would NOT consist of logos and professional graphics. They already have too much fun searching for each others' names on Google Images.

The other two sections I absolutely do not want them to have access to are the "Team Discussion" forum and a blog. I understand how in normal companies a discussion forum for different projects and committees could be extremely useful. Not for crass twelve year olds. I'm sure the blog would be equally as entertaining and counter productive. I'd just as soon not have that on a system maintained by hospital administration.

Taking out those parts pretty much leaves me with a cluttered online calendar and document library, which can't be accessed off campus. We already had that in the form of a shared server drive with a template calendar saved in a folder. I'd really hoped for something a little more useful.