By Linky van der Merwe
Project Management Software
Project management software is any software solution with the capacity to help with planning and estimation, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, communication, decision making, quality management, task management, documentation and collaboration.
You want information about scheduling, costs, time management, task assignments, quality control, issue tracking and more. When you need to make a selection of the right project management software for your business, there are a number of factors to consider.
Selection Criteria
1 | Software as a Service (SaaS) or On Premise consider:
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Client-server software is on-premise and installed onto a computer/server, giving the owner control and complete ownership of the software. Do check that the software is compatible with your servers and operating systems. It comes at a one-time price with a high start-up cost, as well as support costs. Integration with existing company software is easier. Collaboration can be difficult especially for remote users.
SaaS requires no local installation of software because the vendor manages all the code and the data. You access the system through a web browser, but ensure all of its features will display and function correctly in the web browsers used at your offices. Typically licensed per user with a subscription plan. No start-up costs and support is included. Integration with existing company software could be hard, but collaboration is easier, especially for remote users. |
2 | Features | Understand project manager and team needs before making a purchase. What vital features do team members need to make projects successful and to help overcome obstacles, but also list non-required, but desired features. |
3 | Company size | The size of your business, the number of projects and team members will help to determine which features are needed, as well as the storage space required. |
4 | Important trends | Consider the most important trends.1) Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions have gained popularity. PM software industry is one of most mature with 85% that are SaaS solutions. Now a standard offering providing ease of use, frequent updates, mobility etc.2) Collaboration software – include collaboration features to cater for widely distributed (virtual) teams (offered by 94% of software).3) Agile solutions making provision for Agile development (30% software are Agile solutions). |
5 | Main functionality | Software consists of modules to make provision for functionalities like:
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6 | Traditional project management functions | A variety of tools to organize your team and assist in decision-making processes like:
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7 | Agile project management – for software/product development | Consider the following functionality:
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8 | Platform | How the project management software is accessed.
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9 | Starting price | The cost of the software, or lowest base monthly payment. |
10 | Solve the problem | Determine the business problem you want to solve, then find the software that would give the best solution and the best return on investment. |
Source: Software Insider
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Very good article. I’m going through a few of these issues to decide on project management software as well.