How to Choose the Right Project Management Software for Your Business
As a business owner or project manager, the use of project management software to effectively manage projects is probably no news to you. NetSuite, for instance, offers 360-degree streamlining of all project management processes, from expense management to time tracking, billing and collaborations.
Hence, for a lot of people, the concern is no longer about the availability of project management tools, but more about choosing the right one. With many options available, it is easy to get overwhelmed by choices, afterall, tools can make or mar your team’s effectiveness and productivity. This decision becomes more critical as you grow to handle more complex and/or multiple external or internal projects.
How do you then decide which software suits your business best? This article breaks down what to look for when choosing the right project management tool for your business.
Critical Features To Look Out For
Ease of Use
It doesn’t matter whether or not a software has the most robust and fancy features if it is not easy to use. Since the goal is to improve your team’s effectiveness and efficiency, whatever software you choose must be user friendly, intuitive and easy to navigate with minimal help. You don’t want to waste precious time learning to use a frustrating software when you could be making progress with the project itself, do you?
Integration
It is commonplace for many businesses to use multiple software in their day-to-day operations such as HR, accounting and CRM software. Your project management software of choice should therefore be able to integrate seamlessly with existing systems, in order to prevent data silos and effectively streamline all aspects. Better still, you can choose a software like Netsuite, which integrates all of these functions in one platform, thus eliminating the need for multiple software.
Customization and Scalability
Businesses are not a monolith, each has its unique processes. The right project management should make it possible for you to tailor workflows to your unique needs. As you expand, it should also be flexible enough to accommodate your new needs.
Report Generation and Analytics
It is often said that what is not measured cannot be improved, and this holds true when managing projects. A good project management software must be able to generate detailed reports on project progress, budget, assigned tasks, resource allocation, etc. This goes beyond staring at fancy charts and dashboards, but gathering valuable insights to help in making informed decisions to help the business and its projects stay on track.
Time and Expense Tracking
For businesses that bill per hour or offer project-management-as-a-service, tracking time and expenses is very important. This also applies for internal business projects, as being on track with the project timeline is essential, especially when this can be linked to corresponding bills and invoices for efficient resource allocation.
Collaboration and Communication
Effective project management relies on effective collaboration and communication among the relevant stakeholders. Therefore, your best bet is choosing a software that includes collaboration features like file sharing, assignment of tasks, messaging and sharing real-time progress updates. This ensures that everyone is carried along and on the same page
Conclusion
At the end of the day, choosing the right project management software depends on what your business needs, how much you can afford to shell out for a software and your goals for the business. Asides the features that might meet your needs now, you must also ensure that you choose a software that can grow with your business and/or projects.
Deciding on which to choose can take time, but it is worth it to ensure that you are investing in the right project management software for the seamless flow and success of your projects. You can also check out this guide on strategic decision-making as a business.
