What are the Criteria for Selecting Project Management Software?

As a business owner, you may notice your project manager is having difficulty keeping track of the progress of a project. Those involved are also missing deadlines and failing to deliver needed outputs. When you ask for updates, the information you receive varies depending on who you talked with. If all these things ring true to you, it may be time for your company to consider a new project management software with good features.

Finding the Best project management software requires time and attention. Instead of immediately relying on the most popular application, you should assess the software first using the following criteria:

Resource Management Capability

One of the many critical aspects of project management is handling resources effectively. Managing resources goes beyond saving money, as it includes handling schedules, people, as well as equipment and supplies. Your project manager should be able to track all available resources efficiently.

Best project management software should make resource management-related tasks simple. The tool should have features that allow proper monitoring of resource utilization while letting you alter the project plan in case priorities change quickly. It should also be able to generate reports which illustrate the workload of every team member, so the manager can immediately act to prevent missed deadlines.

Resource management is essential in ensuring project success. Note that a recent study revealed that “inadequate resource forecasting” and “resource dependency” are two of the main reasons for project failures.

Collaboration Support

Useful project management software improves communication and collaboration among everyone involved in the project. The tool should make it possible for the team to be updated and to share inputs in real-time, even if they are physically apart.

It is challenging to keep track of information that has been discussed in meetings or mentioned over phone calls or emails. Well-designed software, like LiquidPlanner’s Contextual Collaboration feature, will ensure that everyone is up to speed and knowledgeable of the team’s progress.

Document Management

The software should securely store documents and allow effortless sharing among users. It should have tracking and document history features to ensure accountability and the integrity of all files in the system.

Data Analysis and Management

Project managers should be on top of everything and able to plan. Given this need, your project management tool should be able to generate reports, compile and analyze data, and integrate essential information. With all these facts available, you and your project managers can effectively strategize to manage risks and ensure the achievement of project goals.

Accessibility

The user interface is one of the vital aspects of good software, but one that is often overlooked. Keep in mind if your team cannot maximize the use of the software, all its sophisticated features will be worthless.

For people to rely on the software, it should be “user-friendly.” Users can readily access and navigate the system without trouble. Moreover, the design of the interface should allow all project information to be viewed, altered, and shared using any device.

The items mentioned above are just some of the most critical criteria that you should consider when looking for reliable project management software. At the least, make sure that the tool will assist your team in organizing, planning, communicating, and monitoring the progress of the project.