By Kritika Pandey

In the recent times, project management software has seen a rapid growth in popularity. Successful completion of any project requires a lot of team effort and accomplishment of numerous tasks on the go. In addition to this, it requires monitoring the responsibilities given to various resources and tackling any problems that arise. Most projects have a variety of aspects that require continuous attention for better workflow. Even if a single aspect is overlooked, it can cause a complete pause in the workflow and can even go to the extent of cancellation of the project, as too many resources and time are being involved for the same task.

To ensure a hassle-free project management, software can completely take over and manage the whole project. Project management software enables a single interface solution to monitor all aspects of a project. It helps the whole team stay connected, irrespective of which part of the project they are working on. It is highly essential to choose the right software according to your needs in order to monitor the successful management of the entire project.

31% of the sampled businesses are still carrying out the project management administration manually on a day-to-day basis, though 37% say they want a more robust system, 18% want a single dedicated system and 16% want to streamline and automate different processes – Source – Forecast

Here are points to consider before choosing the best project management system:

Value for money

First and foremost, do some market research on the availability of different project management software that meets your requirements. Cost has to be given priority while choosing the right project management software, compared to all the features that are being offered by different software. Choose the software that provides the best value for your money, keeping in mind the budget you have available.

Software support security and data backup

The internet brings along many unwanted surprises with its bucket full of benefits. Make sure the software provides the best-in-class security to tackle any threats that occur. The project, irrespective of its size or type, comprises of highly sensitive data that others can take advantage of. Therefore, the software should act as an impenetrable vault to protect such data. The encryption used in the software should be well tested and assured of any risk in prior.

Cloud-based software

Cloud-based technology eliminates mobility issues in the software. It provides easy access from anywhere across the globe with the help of the internet. The convenience extends to keeping the whole team connected and updated irrespective of their task and their location. Everyone in the team should make sure they accomplish their task and be aware of their role in the project as and when required. A great example of this can be seen with Kanban software solutions, which is one of the most popular lean management software options available. The kanban boards can be accessed anywhere and changes are updated in real time, making it an ideal option for anyone managing remote teams.

Ease of communication across multiple platforms

The project management software you choose should provide you with various levels of chat rooms to connect with the whole team or an individual as and when required. The software should have backup facilities to ensure that the chats are being saved for future purposes. A project with good workflow requires the whole team to be in the loop with the conversations happening. Many features like voice calling, video calling, file sharing and notification system should be present to ensure that nothing is left unattended to ease down the entire process of communication.

Interactive user interface

It may take some time to understand the working of the software initially, but after a demo and few hands-on training sessions provided by the company, you can master the whole workability with the software. The user interface is one such element that has the ability to complicate even the easiest of things. Therefore, the project management software you choose should have a well-developed user interface that is not just easy to use but also helps interaction with the user easily, most important of all, staying bug-free. The user interface should be clean and specific in handling the tasks and should display important aspects of data efficiently using proper space on display using the most simplified graphics. The pick and drop option and changes on a click are the latest trends to look for.

Optimum features

The project management software you choose should include a right number of features, neither too many nor too few. Too many features would confuse the user, and fewer features will make it hard for the user to work on the software efficiently. There should be a package to choose features or an option of choosing active features amongst the many available. This customization would make it highly convenient for the users to make the most out of the software and thus deliver to its utmost efficiency. More of this is discussed in the next point.

Highly customizable

The software needed for project management should be easily customizable as per the requirements of the project and its individual users. As the tasks vary from project to project, one should be able to customize the tasks, functionality and the interface, etc. to match the project requirements. Customization not only helps in making the software interactive, but it saves a lot of time and resource for the user, by having the right settings available instantly to use.

Data Integration on other applications

The software should be able to collaborate with other applications to provide a hassle-free experience. There are many such frequently used applications that are essential for daily tasks and having connectivity via the project management software helps solve a critical issue. Easily accessing Google drive, email accounts and other such application via a single interface will make all project-based tasks simpler.

One must consider all the aspects discussed above while choosing the best project management tools so it turns out to be the best for the organization. May it be cost, features, ease of usability and customization, connectivity or anything related to the project management software, it is better to do some market research before purchasing one. Choose the project management software that not only has all the features that suit your requirements, but also the one that will not let you burn a hole in your pocket.

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Kritika Pandey is a digital marketer at SoftwareSuggest, which researches and analyzes software to educate, advice, and connect buyers and sellers of business technology. Email: Kritika@softwaresuggest.com. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kritika-pandey-677676124/