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How to Choose a Project Management Software for Your Business

There are a lot of options available out there whenever it comes to organizing your work or projects in your business. Use of apps is a great way of organizing your business and personal workload. This is why businesses are recommended to make use of project management software’s as it enables communication and collaboration. When you use the right tool in managing your business the it will have a positive impact and bring success to your business.

Use of spreadsheets

One of the most popular solution for project managers is the use of spreadsheets. It does a good trick for small teams or teams that share a physical location. They will do a great job for a while however when things get bulky and messy then you will need the help of a project management software that is dedicated for that kind of job.

Why project management software

Project management software assist with the running of every aspect of the project from planning, scheduling, resource management, cost control to reporting. In addition, it creates a high level of transparency among shareholders and team members.

Project managers make use of project management software’s in that it helps them get organized from the start to the end of a project. It allows them to get a good grip of what should happen during that time, when, who and how it should happen.

The project management software basically allows project managers to centralize all their work and project related activities in one place. This gives them control and helps them to get organized. Using the right tools, one is able manage projects quite easily.

Selecting the right project management software

Due to the complex nature of diverse projects there is no project management software that is a perfect fit for all. Below are some steps that will help you get the best for your business.

Outline your needs

You will need to have a clear and honest assessment of your needs. The first thing that you need to do is to make sure that your team is ready to take on a new solution. For instance, in case you already have a project management software in place then you will need to identify how it complicates your processes. Where does it go off from your desired needs? You will need the kind of project management software that will help you in streamlining task and resource allocation.

You also need to identify what you need in a new solution. Make sure that you make a list of all the features that your team needs. Identify the ones that are a must have and those that you should have as well as those that you could have so as to better understand the importance of each feature. Also factor in whether you need customization options. Make an accurate inventory of all the things that you need and check if there are any compliance requirements.

You will also need to factor in who will be using the project management software. Do you have internal or external stakeholders? Project management require a less formal approach. however, in the case where you are working with diverse clients then you will need to look for professionals to roughly estimate the team size. Small teams can make use of a simple solution while a larger team will need a more sophisticated solution.

There is a project management solution for almost any business. We have seen them used in businesses such as adult forum websites like usasexguide to dating apps and many other businesses that have very different workflow demands.

Look for alternatives

Once you have a clear understanding of all your requirements then it is time to start your search. You will need to look for service providers that are able to match your needs. Ask for recommendations from other project managers or even look in trade magazines, specialty reviews and search engines. The more you look the higher your chances of not overlooking any potential match. Once you have a strong list of providers then you will be required to narrow down your search to the best providers. Consider the type of technology and how much it will cost you.

Test drive and evaluate the software

This might be the hardest part since this is the part where you get to actually try out the project management software to see how it is able to match your needs. Make sure that you contact different project management software providers for demos. They are goo way to find out if the project management software is able to match your needs. The free trials are quite popular with service providers and you only get a chance to try a limited account.

When test driving it is highly recommended that you mimic real world problems that you have in your business. Make sure that you involve all stakeholders which includes clients as well as team members. Accuracy when it comes to evaluation is very important as it will tell you how good of a system it is.

Evaluate cost

Before you make your final decision, you will need to consider the cost of different project management providers. There are project management software’s which are way cheaper than other project management software’s. make sure that you evaluate the best cost based on your needs and complexity of the software as well as the benefits it will bring to your business.

Whenever you are weighing the cost it might be a good idea to check implementation and adoption cost. Just in case a solution takes a very long time then the benefits might be null. Make sure that the choice that you select blends with your team’s communication and collaboration style.

Implementation

Even if you have selected and signed to a project management software provider then know that the process is not over yet. It is not just meant for the project managers but for the entire team. Make sure that you outline a plan that shows how the team will be able to use the new solution. In addition, make sure that you have all the necessary tools that you will require in the integration as well as all the documentation.

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Our Favorite Free Project Management Software Options

A project management software helps users to organize their projects, work efficiently, schedule the tasks, assign the roles and responsibilities and track the progress of the project.

Organizing and managing the projects is important. Also, completion of the project on time is equally important. So, how do you achieve success in a project? Tracking the progress of a project manually is a possibility. However, when the scale of the project is high, then management of the progress, scheduling and completion becomes an arduous task. This is where a project management software comes into the picture.

Did you know that a project management software can be integrated to the current systems of your company, mobile phone devices and the cloud too? So, how do you choose the best software for project management?

How to choose the best project management software

When it is all about completing a project and delivering it on time, there are certain obvious points to consider – the functionalities, features, suitability for which team size, platform support and budget. Here are a few more aspects that you should look at while choosing the best software for project management.

  • Does the software help in task allocation and tracking?
  • Does it fit any business model or anything in specific?
  • How about the size of the team? There are many projects where the team size is massive. Is the software able to deal efficiently with it?
  • planning sprints
  • functionalities for creating user stories
  • does the software entertain third party integration?
  • How does the software work with the users? Is it user-friendly? Can a beginner team member use it without any hassle?
  • Compatibility of the software with mobile devices of different platforms and cloud.
  • Compatibility of the software with different browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Google chrome, Safari and more.

It is important to delegate work to the team members on time. Also, it is important to track the progress of their work completion. A good project management software should be able to take up this task efficiently.

Benefits of using a project management software

There are a lot of benefits of using a free project management software. Users can make use of this in their businesses, personal projects and beyond.

  • Helps the project managers to work efficiently
  • Schedule and assign the resources
  • Estimate the time of delivery
  • Plan and track all project-related activities
  • time tracking, planning, reporting and Calendar

Some of the best free project management software available are

  • Clickup
  • Paymo
  • Wrike
  • Teamwork
  • Asana
  • Teamweek and more

We are now in the era of B2I (business to individuals) where we collect the data and maintain massive information about each consumer and also provide an instant and personalized user experience for each. The role of a project management software application development and maintenance has a great role in reducing the cycle between business request, implementation, iteration and facilitating solution of business problems with technology driven capabilities. It helps to give more specific solutions to more specific verticals. It not only sets up leverage on building and strengthening competency as the primary focus but also develops and delivers first class solutions to suit the needs of the clients.

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WHAT IS PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE?

Project management software helps the project manager and the people associated with it to collaborate and achieve their goals effectively and efficiently.

The functions may include various factors such as division of work, time tracking, optimal utilization of resources, team collaboration, and more.

In today’s time, managing the projects has become very complex and challenging, especially information technology projects, which further leads to not meeting the time framework, over – budget, and lower return on investment than what is being predicted.

The project management software helps the managers and teams to complete their client requirements and manage time, budget, and scope restrictions.

Features of Project Management Software:

  • Planning is a significant part of project management as it helps choose the right skilled workforce and allocate resources wisely so that goals can be achieved effectively and efficiently.
  • This software helps in forecasting by taking into account the time and resources needed to complete a particular task.
  • Team collaboration allows the team not only to communicate but also hold work-related discussions and is also used to send private messages to the team members.
  • The software should offer enough and appropriate materials to the team members and other users as well to hit the ground running by providing these materials in the forms of articles, videos, webinars, and many more.
  • The most important feature of a project management system is offering its users the choice of customizations that attracts more people and is most helpful to those engaged in sales and marketing.
  • You can also use the chosen PM software on your smartphones as well because teams don’t always sit behind the desks all the time. For their convenience, this feature is implemented.

How to complete a task or project using project management software?

  1. Firstly, you need to plan the project appropriately, i.e., deciding on what needs to be done, who’s working on what and how the team is going to communicate, etc.
  2. Well – planned project guidelines can help you achieve your goals effectively and efficiently, so this part is essential for a team.
  3. Make a list of all the tasks that are needed to be completed so that proper attention can be given to each task.
  4. Before starting the project, take feedback about the application from your team members, like asking software engineers about technical aspects, etc.
  5. The next step is distributing the work, roles, and duties to the team members. It is who would do what so that there is smooth functioning of the goals without any disturbances.

Conclusion:

The demand for tools like project management software is increasing at a very rapid rate, and many companies are accepting the application for their business. Earlier, many companies had difficulty using the same because of its complexity, and still today, some company’s employees have a little problem in adopting it. But overall, the software is handy in utilizing abundant resources and the completion of tasks effectively and efficiently.

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Best Project Management Software Available on Mobile Devices

There are many project management apps available today which help users to organize their project-related jobs. By using these apps, schedule tasks become easier and it also helps in assigning the roles and responsibilities. Overall project management apps that are available on the mobile devices help users in tracking all kinds of activities related to their project.

It is very important to manage and organize the entire project management process to deliver the project on time. To achieve this you need to schedule and manage tasks properly. For scheduling and managing the project related tasks, you need to make use of the appropriate tool. Project management apps on mobile devices are helping project managers to keep work on the go.

The majority of the project management apps are compatible with iOS as well as Android devices and some are web-based as well. This is the reason you can make use of these tools anywhere, anytime. The best part is you can also integrate these project management tools with the existing tools or system in your company and achieve highest flexibility at your workplace.

How to choose?

You need to very careful when you are choosing the project management app for your company or business. It is very important to consider all the functionalities and features. The app you choose should be suitable for the team size, it should provide platform support, and meantime you should also consider the budget.

Benefits of project management apps

  • Project management app helps in scheduling and assigning the resources
  • It helps in estimating the time of delivery
  • These apps help in tracking and planning all kinds of activities related to project
  • Project management apps are very useful for project managers since they help in executing their plan
  • These apps also guide them in managing and keeping track of activities related to the project on the go

Best project management apps

Here is a list of project management apps that can be used both for Android and iOS.

  • Nifty
  • Monday.com
  • Trello
  • Teamweek
  • Casual
  • Meister Task
  • Asana
  • Podio
  • Basecamp
  • Projectmanager.com
  • Feedcamp
  • Wrike

Let’s look into some of the project management apps in detail.

Monday.com

mondaydotcom

Monday.com is one of the best project management apps available today and it comes with the best features like Calender, reporting, planning, and even time tracking. This app can fit a business of any size. In this app, project development is tracked by using Kanban, charts, and timeline. It has features and required functionalities for creating user stories, planning sprints, and even assigning work to team members.

This app comes with the collaboration of many features and it allows integration if required with third-party applications.

Nifty

Nifty can be considered as a collaborative workspace that helps in planning the project. This app is best suitable for communicating with the team and with stakeholders. If you are looking for an app using which you are planning to automate project progress and reporting then Nifty is the right choice. Nifty is also a good choice if you are planning to combine multiple tools for encompassing project cycle entirely. Nifty can create a perfect balance between daily jobs like files, tasks with big-picture planning.

When you use Nifty, you can manage the projects in Kanban-style. Here tasks are always connected through milestones. In Nifty the feature called project overview is available and through this, it is possible to get birds-eye-view of the project and its progression. Through Nifty it is possible to create documents directly in the project. Irrespective of the pocket wherein you are working, it is easy to communicate with team through using Team Chat.

Trello

trello mobile app

This is one of the project management apps available which is highly flexible. Trello is very easy to use and it is web-based. Trello can be utilized by any company irrespective of its type and size. Trello can be used on mobile devices or if needed on desktops as well. Trello supports Safari, IE, Firefox, and Chrome browsers.

  • When Trello is used, it is possible for you to communicate with your team irrespective of their location
  • This app can be easily integrated with existing apps in the business
  • Trello fits in for any project of any size
  • Trello can also be used for general purpose like planning a family vacation
  • Trello is compatible with all the devices
  • Trello’s enterprise version is the right choice for business of large size

Casual

hookup apps free

This is the unique project management tool you can choose and it is the single tool available that allows drawing of workflows. When it comes to workflows, Casual looks like the mind map software.

  • This project management app is best suitable if you are planning to perform repeated projects or similar projects
  • This app can also be used by non-project managers and it is user-friendly
  • Casual is best when it comes to organizing ideas and tasks

Bottom line

These are some of the project management apps which you can make use of in your business. Even though there are best apps available today, you need to be very clear in choosing them since it should fit with the existing system and the features it provides should be useful for your business.