Can i build a workflow and project management system, using google sites and google apps?

By reviewing your requirements, it seem to me that you have a set of project management templates and an internal process for approvals. However, your current system is lacking transparency and robustness. You are probably having your project teams download documents from a local server, complete them email or send a printed copy for approvals? In my recent blog post, I listed 10 great tools for project management. I would suggest you start here http://strikingprojectmanagement.com/10-great-project-communication-tools/ and pay particular attention to box. Box allows you to move you document storage to the cloud, allows online editing, assigning tasks and issue approvals. Full document commenting and version control is all built in to the platform. It does not offer Gantt chart functionality, however you have suggested your requirements are for a light weight system. If I have misinterpreted your requirements, please let me know and I will provide other suitable alternatives. Chris

Hi, for such features as: workflow, PM ability, task scheduling, collaboration, document storage, templates and authorization facilities - Casual http://casual.pm/ might be the thing you are looking for.

I've been using google apps as simple project management tools. But what you're describing probably requires some more complicated and professional softwares. I considered google docs "watered down" Microsoft words, with some function but not all. You can create simple task tracking sheet, you can create simple work flow chart, schedule, burn chart, but when it comes to actually tracking the project, resources allocation, and dynamic control between different team members, google doc comes short. It is very possible that being somewhat un-techsavvy, I haven't discovered some of the advanced features of google doc. If that's the case, I'd love to learn from people with more experience. Since I've been looking for simple project management solution that doesn't involve monthly fee, and an easy online services so I don't need to deal with multiple excel sheets and version control. But so far, I haven't found anything. I used to use smartsheet, which is an OK project management program and the monthly fee is reasonable. However, smartsheet doesn't have resource management, which is a bit problem when you manage shared resources across multiple projects. At this point, I think the best way to manage simple projects is still excel sheet, it'll add on to your work load since you need to constantly communicate to your team and update status, but between "multiple version of schedule" and "more work for project manager", I choose the latter any given day.