The idea behind project management is to plan, schedule build teams, create budgets, continuously keep track of the work in progress and make necessary amendments to the various steps until the work in hand is deemed completed and handed over. In the recent times, we have made significant changes to how things are done based on standards and well-researched principles. http://paretocrm.com/blog/choosing-project-management-software/

1. 22 STEPS TO
CHOOSING THE RIGHT
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
SOFTWARE

2. THE RIGHT PROJECT
MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
For larger firms, custom software such as ERP can be a desirable option, but it
involves a significant monetary investment, time and resources to implement
successfully.
ERPs can be disruptive as the transition from manual management to automated
management is difficult to implement on an enterprise level.
Further, there are shared software services that can be accessed on the Cloud
which is a feasible option for most of the SMEs.
Though customization is limited when it comes to shared software services, they
usually cater to most of the common requirements quite efficiently.

3. 1. CRITERIA
What are the criteria for choosing the right software to manage your project? We
try to answer this part of the larger question here.
The idea is to list down your project’s requirements and compare them with what
each vendor has to offer and choose one that serves the best.
Factors to consider here are:

4. 2. FUNCTIONALITY
This is one of the first requirements to meet – the functionality or the project
management features offered by the vendor.
Every industry and business has its own requirements and the PM software
being considered should definitely meet the functionality requirements.

5. 3. CUSTOMIZATION
In case, the perfectly matching PM software cannot be found, an existing
solution can be customized to suit your requirement.
This is quite common among licensed software that’s not shared by multiple
users.

6. 4. TECHNOLOGY
The underlying technology is as important because an advanced technology will
cater to long-term benefits.
Sharper and latest technologies will help you manage the project more efficiently
without using up too many resources and bandwidth.
Real-time systems and cloud computing are definitely the need for the hour
when things need to be managed on the go from across distances.

7. 5. INTEGRATION
Project management can be more efficient only when it can interact and
integrate well with various other elements or departments of the firm like
accounting and payroll.
Integration with external tools will be definitely an added advantage for the
business in total.

8. 6. EASE OF USE
The UI/UX elements are a must too.
The manager and the teammates should be able to use the software easily for its
implementation to be successful.

9. 7. TRIAL
Getting a trial version is the best way to try and confirm whether particular
software suits your requirements or not.
Many software vendors even offer a free trial without asking for a credit card
number – so why not try a few?

10. 8. COST
Cost is definitely an important element to consider. Software licenses can be
quite expensive.
So considering the features, functionality and scalability, the right investment
which is affordable must be chosen.

11. 9. TRAINING
Without training the team on how to use the project management software, it
cannot be implemented successfully.
So the vendor must provide in-depth training and user manuals to the entire
team.

12. 10. SUPPORT
Prompt customer support is a must for any project management software.
While choosing the vendor, customer support is an important aspect to consider
unless you wont to be left to deal with your problems on your own.

13. 11. MUST–HAVE FEATURES
Make sure that the project management software has a set of most important
features related to your industry.
The chances are that the same software will not fit a construction company and a
digital agency, so keep in mind what you want your program to do in the first
place.

14. 12. QUICK AND EFFECTIVE
COMMUNICATION
Communication is an important factor that aids in efficient project management.
The project management tool should facilitate quick and effective communication
within the team and stakeholders whenever required for the entire project to run
smoothly.

15. 13. INTEGRATIONS
The right project management software must support integration with internal
and external tools that further support the organization’s data flow.
This is integral for the management to compile the information while calculating
the project’s metrics.

16. 14. REMOTE ACCESS
Most of the organizations require the project manager and the team to be
working even from remote locations.
Hence, remote access to the software is also imperative.

17. 15. TIME STAMPING
Time is a crucial factor in project management.
Time stamping ensures that the details of all transactions with regards to when it
was input are stored in the database which can help to restore crucial
information when required.
It also helps in logging historical data for future reference.

18. 16. BUDGET TRACKING
Any project cannot do without a Budget.
Tracking the project cost against the budget through the stages is another
important aspect which ensures timely and successful completion of the project.
Monitoring the actual against the budget will also help the managers to rework
on the project in a timely basis if it seems to be exceeding.

19. 17. SCALABILITY
The right software will let the organization through scaling up and down as per
the needs.
Whenever there’s a surge in the data or resources required, a competent project
management system will be able to accommodate the same without any
disruption.
Ideally, there should be ample scope for additional modules or added
functionalities as and when required.

20. 18. CLOUD COMPUTING
Cloud computing has become an increasingly trending software option for most
of the organizations.
It promotes shared services which are more feasible options in terms of finance
and resources.
Moreover, since the data and software are centralized, its maintenance and
security are also managed by the service provider.

21. 19. EMAIL/SOCIAL MEDIA
INTEGRATION
Email integration has become a norm.
The project managers and team members must be able to send the reports by
email from the software directly.
Social media integration becomes integral to the marketing team.
If the project’s progress and success can be shared in the social media, the
marketing team can boost the organization’s brand reputation.

22. 20. DATA BACKUP
Data backup is essential for every project.
Daily data backup should be taken and stored in multiple storage locations and
media whether data is stored in the cloud or locally.

23. 21. SECURITY
Information security is the most critical aspect of any software.
Cloud and online software are the most vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks which
make security another important investment for the organization.
Physical, as well as, cyber security for the data are critical features for a
competent project management system.
User and role authorization, security logins, firewall and antivirus are a part of the
information security arrangements required which should be an integral part of
the Project management software.

24. 22. THE IMPACT OF PROJECT
MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
The fact that technology aided project management is a must for successful
completion of projects is globally accepted.
According to studies conducted, the project management software has been able
to improve the team communication by 52%, the product quality by 44% and
customer satisfaction by 38%.
44% of the projects also confirmed that products did not deviate from the budget
and were able to get completed on time.

25. Source:
http://paretocrm.com/blog/choosing-project-management-software/

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