What Are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Ways of Distributing Project Information?

Project management demands the free flow of communication among stakeholders. Your organization's policies and/or access to software will determine how you provide timely and appropriate creation, collection, dissemination, storage and ultimately, the disposition of the information and knowledge. The distribution mechanism you choose should be based on the type of information to be disseminated, requirements of the audience and the timeline for necessary response. It is important to weigh the pros and cons of the available methods to ensure that all intended receivers can use the distribution methodology.

Face-to-face communication is suitable for group or individual meetings and can be either formal or informal. It allows for instant feedback, and you are better able to gauge whether the others understand what is being communicated. One disadvantage is that meetings can be costly if participants have to be brought in from other states and/or countries. In addition, you need time and resources to facilitate such meetings, with staff dedicated to ensuring the agenda is followed, the meeting starts and ends on time, and minutes are taken and distributed to all participants.

In today's information age with easy access to the Internet, computers and mobile devices, project information can be distributed in electronic version form. Given the shortage of time and tight budget controls for some projects, communication via the Internet is faster, cheaper and easier to retain for record purposes. Email works best for brief updates on project status, while large files can be sent as attachments or stored in the cloud. You can also maintain a project portal or intranet site to share project data. A major disadvantage is the risk of data loss or unauthorized access to confidential project information by hackers.

You can use hard-copy communications such as letters, memoranda and reports to disseminate project information to stakeholders. Written documents do not have to be delivered on the spur of the moment. Since they are visual and textual, they can be edited and revised several times to shape them for maximum effect before being distributed. In addition, they provide a permanent record of the communication which can be archived for later retrieval. A major disadvantage is storage. They require paper, which can be cumbersome to file and store in large quantities. Aging of the documents and susceptibility to loss or damage can lead to difficulties in managing project records.

Conference calls and video conferencing can be used to pull a large group together. You may use the telephone or online tools that allow for real-time video collaboration, if all parties are able to see each other. Most of the video conferencing tools also provide white boards and other options for document sharing and editing. One disadvantage concerns time zones -- it can be difficult to get everyone scheduled in a session depending on where they are in the world. Another is that the personal aspect of a conversation is taken away, and conferencing etiquette may not be observed by some users such as being on time and paying attention.