Types of Project and Task Management Tools

To-do lists, task management, project management, team collaboration, portfolio management, time monitoring, pipeline tracking, and kanban are just some of the tools available for decluttering your work table. 

There are so many tools for organizing your tasks that it sometimes feels like there should be a dedicated tool for determining what your team requires.

Once you’ve moved past to-do lists and realize you need a more ‘complete’ solution to manage your team’s work, your options are task management tools and project planning tools.

What is a Project Management Software?

Resource planning tool allows you to consolidate a project’s scheduling, project planning, cost control, budgeting, real-time team communication, and collaboration.

These tools assist with a wide range of Project Management complexities clearly and straightforwardly, such as managing people and financial means as well as task management.

Functions of Project Management Software

Although there are several differences and styles to pick from, the main goal of a project planning tool is to make the scheduling and monitoring of tasks and main objectives within a project go as easily as possible while keeping resources and stakeholders in mind.

Today’s management software, on the other hand, has progressed to the point where it not only assists in the planning and execution of tasks to meet deadlines but also assists in making more accurate estimates and monitoring project expenses. 

Any project planning tool should include the following features:

1. Task Management

It must allow for creating schedules, assigning project tasks, and describing how each task interacts with the others to make project planning easier. Scheduled deadlines and progress reports are examples of these tasks. 

These project management solutions contain a central file depository where every stakeholder has access to them, facilitating team cooperation. This typically entails file sharing, messaging, and sometimes even a kanban board-style area. For those preparing for project management certifications, incorporating tools and strategies from these solutions can be beneficial, and utilizing PMP practice tests can help solidify your understanding of key concepts and best practices.

2. Time Tracking

We must not lose sight of the fact that a project must be regarded as cost-effective to be considered successful. The importance of keeping track of the team’s working hours cannot be overstated. Even better if the hours are fed into a computerized system that allocates projected time frames to each task.

Furthermore, a very useful tool for project management allows for resource allocation based on each member’s productive capabilities, which can only be understood if software tracks time in real-time and automatically.

3. Metric Dashboard

Metrics aid decision-making. For example, project cost information is one of the most significant insights in project management since it helps determine whether projects will be successful without taking into account timelines or customer satisfaction. 

This type of information will allow for modifications in service charges as well as the reevaluation of services that may not be worth giving.

Types of Project Management Software

Project Management software can be classified by functionality, industry, or the resource planning tool that serves as its foundation, depending on the goal. 

Following are the types of project planning tools based upon the user utility and their bond to each other:-

1. Individual

A single project manager uses individual project management software. It might be in the form of a spreadsheet or a simple application that has all of the project management software capabilities that the PM requires. It may be installed throughout the company, but there is no way for various people to interact with each other via this user interface.

2. Collaborative 

A collaboration software program works by bringing together entire teams; typically, there is a single source of planning data that other project team members can access, view, and work on. To avoid stepping on one other’s toes, this is frequently adjustable. 

These solutions may be more low-tech, but that’s fine as long as they meet an organization’s goals. To function properly, the software does not need to be spectacular. 

However, even if numerous users can access the project at the same time, these tools can only work on one project at a time. The inability to integrate data from other projects is a significant drawback for this application.

3. Integrated 

For a corporation with multiple projects running simultaneously, integrated software is the best project management software. Data from current and former projects are linked, resulting in a single mainframe that can be accessed by several teams working on various projects. 

Each member of the team has access to information about their initiatives. These project management solutions usually can integrate data and information, allowing various projects to be monitored in a dashboard-style interface. 

The server-based program allows users to customize their access, allowing them to create permission-based logins for each project or job. 

Portfolio management, job dependencies, time tracking, in-app communications, and scheduling are all common features. Their user interface is typically inviting and allows for differences between various tasks; in some cases, they even come with a mobile app version.

How to Choose a Project Management Tool?

Using the incorrect software could make your job more difficult. To incorporate the appropriate tools, one must first understand the requirements that this software must fulfill.

The first stage is to determine what the organization needs and where the current system is failing. 

It’s critical to list features that must be included in the PM Software; do you require customization or access-granting capabilities? Do you consider reporting tools to be a must-have? Is it required to support a variety of projects? 

Another crucial consideration is if the solution is consistent with the existing workflow technique. This could also be a good time to check on the current system and assess how things are going.

Who will make use of this device? Is it solely for in-house personnel, or will clients and external stakeholders be able to access it? If this is the case, it must be professional as well as user-friendly. In this example, the feedback provided adds a lot of value to the client’s experience.

Conclusion 

Nowadays, the most crucial issue to ask yourself when selecting project management software is if the platform will assist you in better understanding your variable costs, which reflect the invested person-hours. 

Without question, this is the most difficult obstacle to overcome to succeed in project deadline and resource prediction, strategic task allocation, and profitability measurement.

The truth is that technology currently provides us with several benefits, and those who understand how to make use of them will be able to push their business to new heights. 

So, while selecting project management software for your company, make sure it supports a transparent culture, is quick and efficient, adheres to your quality standards, and will ensure that a project is lucrative for your firm.