1. Simplify your Workload with the Right Project
Management Tool
As your business grows, whether small or medium, it becomes essential that you introduce latest
technologies such as management tools on the cloud to enhance its growth. If you want to sustain
the competition, you must evolve with the times and have the right project management tool,
which will simplify your workload. Integrating the right kind of management software will not
only reduce the workload, but also help you organize and streamline all the processes. When you
implement a Project Management (PM) software in your organization, you will notice the
productivity increase many fold. With services like Software-as-a-Service provider (SaaS),
making things easier, it would be wise to invest in a good online project management software.
However, before investing in a PM software you need to be sure that it is the right one for your
organization and that you are dealing with a genuine vendor.
Want a FREE Project Management tool? Check out Apptivo’s Project Management
Tips to choose a Right Project Management Tool
Though the success of your business and project ultimately depends on your staff, their potential
can be tapped to the maximum, and the workload can be reduced drastically by choosing the
right type of management software. Here are a few tips to keep in mind before buying any PM
software.
● Ask these Questions – Make a list of tasks that you want the PM software to perform. Identify
the requirements of your business on the basis of -
(a) Current size and the future expansion of your small business.
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2. (b) Whether you want to go for SaaS model or you want to implement it on your local server.
(c) Your budget.
In brief, you should look at every aspect of your work and all departments where you can
implement the PM software.
● Look out for Crucial Features – Some of the features that you need to see in a PM tool
include assigning privileges to people specific tasks, file sharing, time tracking, organization and
automatic updation of projects, document management, e-mail and invoicing facility.
● Choose the PM tool from a vendor who provides trial period – Most of the vendors provide
15 to 30 days of trial period. Take advantage of this period and clarify your doubts with the
service provider before finalizing on the product. Also talk to him about the data security and the
backup of your data.
● Choose a user-friendly tool – The best option is to buy a software that is easy to work with
and can be introduced to your staff with no hassles. Before investing on the PM tool, test
whether you can perform a few basic tasks with ease. They are -
(a) Creating task lists and setting milestones.
(b) Check out the functionality of the calendar and create new events
(c) Delegating tasks, creating due dates and closing tasks
(d) Test for other functionality of the tool depending on the type of project your business
handles.
● Report Generation - Another important feature that you need to look out in a project
management tool is the report creation. The report will be generated on the basis of time sheets,
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3. milestone achievement, pending achievement, how much of work each team member has
completed, overdue task and the task completed.
● Flexibility of the Vendor - Buy your PM tool from a vendor who is willing to customize the
software as per your requirements, update the software as and when required and also provide
technical support in case of glitches in the future. Keep in mind the future of your business when
investing in a management tool.
Leveraging the right project management tool will propel your business to greater heights, and
stay competitive in the era of innovation and jet set growth.
Maya Pillai is passionate about helping small businesses and professionals. She is a blogger for
Apptivo's Small Business University.
© 2011 Apptivo Inc. All rights reserved.