With every major technology, the social world is disrupted in some way, whether it be good or bad. New technology can create jobs, for example. Or it can take them away. Technology can stop wars. Or it can create them.

One of the technologies to bring the most profound change to civilization has been the internet. Because access to information is limitless, and communication is instantaneous, the web has fundamentally changed what modern businesses must do to be successful in today's competitive market.

Work management software is the best technology to utilize in the business world today. There are many reasons for this, but in this article, I wish to explore two distinct observations regarding how work management software has crossed major business boundaries. These three observations are categorized by the way that software can 1) eliminate the restraints of geography, and 2) eliminate the restraints of hierarchy. Below, I will explain how both the internet and project management software made these two elements possible.

The Restraints of Geography


Geography has always been an aspect of the physical world that puts restraint on projects. For example, Christopher Columbus's 1492 voyage to the Americas was hindered by a major geographical feature - the Atlantic ocean. But since then, the engine has allowed for massive cargo ships and passenger airplanes to transport goods and people across geography. The ocean, with new technology is no longer the same issue today as it was for Columbus.

When the internet was created, it changed geography as it allowed for instantaneous communication across the world. Mail, fax, and phone calls have in many ways been overtaken by the internet and its many email services. No postage stamps. No waiting time.

As far as the knowledge base of the world, prior to the internet, one would have to go to a library to find resources on a foreign country. But now, photographs of the entire area of the world is a click away on Google Earth.

In terms of project management, the elimination of geography allows for companies to expand beyond where they could have expanded otherwise. Businesses can now have a broad outreach, for they can communicate across the world, through cultures, and even languages (as many work management platforms support multiple languages).

Of course, aspects of geography still remain, for example, when product must be shipped. But each day that technology grows, geography is less of a hindrance to a project. Twenty years ago, who would have thought that one could order goods across the United States in only two days, free of cost? Well, Amazon proved it could happen.

The Restraints of Hierarchy

A less obvious restraint that is overcome by work management tools is company hierarchy. I don't mean to say that a system of importance among employee roles is made obsolete, but rather, the ability for power to be abused by higher authorities is no longer a common problem in a company.

I like to think of the American Revolution and how the King of England was able to rule the American colonies from such a vast distance. He made new laws without the consent of the people, even enforcing those laws with an army. The two factions went to war.

Similar tensions can happen in the workplace. Some managers, after assigning tasks, will keep themselves remote, not answer calls, or refuse to give employees room to voice an opinion (or even a nod of the head). Whether it is because of the "big boss syndrome" or the inability to communicate, these managers are able to maintain an unhealthy hierarchy simply by distancing themselves from employees.

With work management systems today, however, company hierarchy is becoming less and less of a problem. Because communication, reporting, documentation, project planning, and all other elements of management are maintained in one central location, any negative environments within the workforce can be recognized at an instant. While harassment can happen in the back room when nobody is looking, with online work management, bad management behavior is visible by everyone.

Work management tools today are becoming more and more sophisticated at eliminating these two restraints, geography and hierarchy, and companies are succeeding even in the face of economic problems. From tasks, projects, and programs, all work matters have skyrocketed in efficiency. For every type of project, from that of government facilities to musical industries to construction companies, many businesses today are turning to work management software.