Interview with Disarea’s 5pm Team

This is also why the team decided to launch new products like SpiderScribe and smartQ as separate apps so they don’t make their existing software too complex. They gave us a sneak preview by telling us that they are working on a CRM, but they didn’t want to tell us anything more than that yet. Find out more about 5pm’s online project management software, the company behind this SaaS app and what they have in store for the future.

Why did you decide to develop a project management tool?

As usual – we built one to manage our own projects.

Why should people pick your project management software and not that of another provider?

People should pick the PM app that works for them, and if it happens to be 5pm, then it’s just better for us. 5pm is great for teams that need a simple interface, but at the same time need more features.

How do you see SpiderScribe evolving further? Will we be seeing more features for this service?

Yes, SpiderScribe is a young app and we plan to expand it. Though our goal is too keep it very simple to use.

Why did you decide to make smartQ a separate service?

smartQ implemented many new things, like custom workflows and custom fields. Incorporating those things into 5pm would make it too complex. So we decided to make smartQ as a separate app – it just fits better for projects with a multi-step workflow, like support ticket management.

Video: introduction to smartQ

What new trends are you seeing in project management?

We don’t really track any trends. I would say it’s all becoming more social, giving people meanings to connect through different services.

Are you planning any new integrations of other apps into 5pm in the near future?

Yes, we plan to look into it.

May we expect Box.net integration in 5pm soon?

I cannot comment on that – we have to check their API yet – we were checking Dropbox and also thinking about Google Drive if it takes off.

What are some of your favorite SaaS apps that you’re using at 5pm?

We use GetSatisfaction to manage our user community portals. We use GoToMeeting, Dropbox, Mozy, etc.

What is your personal favorite feature of 5pm?

Timeline. Though it’s going through a redesign right now.

Are there any other types of products that the Disarea team would like to work on in the future?

We are working on a CRM right now.

Are there plans for making an Android version of your mobile app?

Not right now – we are working on a new iPhone app for 5pm.

Do you have any quick project management tips that you would like to give to our site’s visitors?

Split your projects into small tasks and attack them individually one by one.

Anything else you’d like to say to our readers?

“Get more done by 5pm”