Hopefully you are not looking for a one size fits all solution when you search for project management software, because you won't find it. What exactly is project management software? If we ask Wikipedia , the answer is that it is software that supports project management in carrying out its tasks.
But if you consider that every project is unique, has different tasks to complete, a wide variety of people with different knowledge work on it and a variety of project procedures and methodologies can be used for a project, you will quickly notice that the solution to work support for project management cannot lie in "one" software solution. No, from email clients to spreadsheets, to software-as-a-service solutions in the cloud, to database-supported multi-project portfolio solutions. Everything can be project management software.
Project Management Software: An Overview
The only important thing is that you find the right solution or solutions for you. Otherwise, you might end up like Paul Watzlawick says:
“If the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.”
Categorization and selection of project management software
But how do you find the right software for you and your project? One way is to categorize software from a technical perspective.
Planning software is probably the classic among project management tools. The creation of Gantt charts and project structure plans are the most important and most used features of these tools.
Resource management programs are another tool frequently used by project managers. Rooms, machines and even employees can be assigned to tasks and their workload can be controlled.
The focus of controlling software is on recording expenditure and controlling project budgets, as well as determining key figures for reporting.
DMS or document management software is used to manage and archive project documentation.
Communication support tools are intended to facilitate collaboration within the team and with stakeholders.
And then of course there are special software products for risk management, for profitability calculations, configuration management or much more.
A classic project management software often combines the first three aspects of the above list, i.e. planning, controlling and resource management.
But you can also categorize software in other ways. A well-known model for this is the M-model by F. Ahlemann, which attempts to comprehensively depict the organizational structure and processes of a project-oriented company by summarizing the phases of a project cycle and assigning them to different business levels.
Project management software: An overview: The M-model according to F.Ahlemann
Figure 1: M-model according to F.Ahlemann (Image source: Wikipedia)
The individual phases such as idea generation and project planning are supplemented in the M model by general project management tasks such as team collaboration and configuration. With the help of this model, you can now determine your software requirements and classify them if necessary.
categorised by size, type, risks, methodology or philippines telegram data industry and the appropriate software accordingly. No matter how you look at it, it will be difficult, if not very difficult, to find "the one" software that is right for you. Today's market has become incredibly large. Just search the internet for the words project management software and you will quickly be overwhelmed by the "top 10, top 20 or top 50" project management software. No wonder, considering there are well over a million hits on the relevant search engines. I can therefore only recommend that you first clearly define your requirements and then make your selection on this basis (e.g. here on Capterra ).
software costs
One aspect that you should keep in mind when choosing the right software is the cost. First of all, there are the license costs. You wouldn't believe how many different license models there are. From computer licenses to role and user licenses to project scope licenses. From indirect license costs to usage fees to free software. The spectrum seems endless.
But introducing the new software also incurs costs. Training and consulting costs are examples here. Also think about the operation of the software. Is it an in-house solution or a product from the cloud? Who administers and maintains the solution? How critical is the software to the project? Do you need a support contract, perhaps including guaranteed response times? Is the product only suitable for one or more projects? Finally, think about customization. Can you simply use the purchased software out-of-the-box? Or do you first need external support to adapt the system to your needs and, if necessary, import existing data?
You see, questions upon questions - and indeed, it is not easy to find the right software. But always keep in mind that the software supports the project, but does not execute it.