Tools to support virtual project teams

The virtual workforce is growing. Currently 25% of US workers work remotely at least part time. This is going to increase in the next few years to almost 43% according to Forrester Research. Thus the chances will increase that you will have to manage a virtual project team. There are many tools that help support a virtual team. One of the easiest to implement but also one of the most important is a central calendar for the team. The calendar should be editable by all team members and should be used to:

• Request and schedule meetings
• Show holidays and vacations
• Show major milestones

Most companies will have a calendar as part of their email or collaboration software. If you don't have access to one, tools such as Google Calendar work well.