If you have landed on this page, you’re probably at the very beginning of your project planning. And it is possible to feel a bit overwhelmed by the vast range of tools, techniques, and tips available. Please step back and let us take you through choosing the best project management tools in the market.
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You ask why? Let us explain briefly.
Your daily tasks may need only follow-up routines, but more complicated projects, including tasks and sub-tasks within themselves, demand careful planning, a process for delegation of duties, establishing deadlines, monitoring compliance with those deadlines, and recording time spent. The best project management tools come into play to ease many professionals’ lives, starting from SMEs to enterprise-level organizations.
When it comes to the necessity of using project management tools, they are the firepower that project managers need to assist a team or an individual in getting their job structured. Here, all elements are equally essential, whether it’s budget management, guaranteeing team members’ participation, or managing the involved resources.
Assignment of tasks to members, monitoring the progress of work allocated, keeping track of the schedule, maintaining the ease of communication, and allowing managers to ensure that assignments are done on time are all examples of how task management may be used effectively in a team.
Best Project Management Tool Out in the Market:
#1: Primavera P6 as the most technical project management tool
Oracle Primavera P6 is a project management tool, program, and portfolio management application used to plan, manage, and execute projects. It is meant to address both big and small projects across a range of sectors, including construction, manufacturing, energy, and information technology.
What makes Primavera P6 unique among project management tools?
- Timelines: On a bar graph, a conventional Gantt chart is used to schedule activities.
- Risk management: The process of identifying, tracking, and resolving hazards before they become problems is possible.
- Analyze and reallocate resources as needed: It includes a dashboard to monitor important project indicators and produce progress reports for stakeholders.
- Calendar & Activity Interfaces: The program visualizes project tasks in a calendar format.
- Contract Management: Its multiuser technology enables teams across the enterprise to work concurrently on the same project.
- It is a top-notch project management tool that has dominated the marketplace and appeals directly to professionals and enterprises.
Primavera P6 is compatible with a variety of third-party applications. Additionally, P6 may be accessed by various devices, including tablets and mobile devices, allowing for access from anywhere and at any time. P6 runs as a desktop application on Windows (or web app with the Enterprise option). The software comes with a free trial period, and prices can be viewed from the Oracle Primavera website.
If you are interested in this project management tool, take a look at our article on Primavera P6 Project, Activity, and Resource Codes.
#2: Jira
Jira Software is a task management application that enables teams to plan, monitor, release quickly, and report on new software or software upgrades and track any associated issues. Jira is compatible with a variety of agile techniques, including the Scrum tool and Kanban boards.
Additionally, users may view various reports, including sprint reports, burn-down or up charts, and velocity charts, which provide real-time insight into a team’s performance. It’s also possible to connect Jira to Looker Studio or other data visualization solutions to have all the performance and progress in live dashboards.
Furthermore, Portfolio for Jira is a portfolio management solution that agile teams may use to create project blueprints. Among its features are a real-time visual roadmap, planning methods, and the ability to forecast project start and finish dates.
What makes Jira unique among project management tools?
- Jira project management tool was created for software development teams primarily aimed at software architects, developers, and project managers who work on software projects.
- Jira’s capabilities may be significantly enhanced through the use of plugins and extensions. The system was specially designed to write custom Java modules and integrate them into the system, providing the system with extra capabilities.
- Jira’s robust reporting system enables users to produce reports on virtually any element of the process.
Consider the trial period from the Try Cloud page, and for more details, you can look at Jira plans.
#3: Trello
Trello is based on the Japanese management philosophy of “kanban,” which entails constant monitoring of all production processes. It’s an excellent tool for conventional projects and is suitable for command directives and specific assignments. The interface is divided into many boards, each representing a particular project or activity inside the organization.
Each board comprises work lists, cards with accompanying descriptions and comments, files, color-coded tags, and deadlines. Trello’s core feature is completely free and enables you to operate with practically no constraints. Trello free version can be used for small teams, and for larger units, it is possible to consider premium plans.
What makes Trello unique among project management tools?
- Trello’s Power-Ups are a standout feature. By adding new features and connectors, Power-Ups transform each board into a living hub in itself.
- Trello takes a visual approach to task and project management.
- Customizable lists enable users to monitor the most critical metrics and receive automated notifications when they change.
Nonetheless, it lacks most agile capabilities desired by traditional software development firms, such as Scrum and sprint planning, thorough project reporting, a stack of user stories, and code repositories.
#4: Asana
With Asana, your organization’s business units or distinct divisions can be divided into teams for complex projects. All projects are organized into groups, and duties are assigned to specific projects. Additionally, Asana allows you to create “Sections” that provide another layer of organizing. Because tasks are either completed or not completed, some users utilize Sections as custom statuses.
Furthermore, a smart box feature displays notifications that are solely relevant to a particular team member. Users receive basic tasks, searches, and archives in the free version, effectively creating a rudimentary to-do list for up to 15 team members.
What makes Asana unique among project management tools?
- ASANA is readily linked with third-party data sources such as Google Drive, Github, and Dropbox.
- It is a very simple-to-use application with a straightforward UI perfect for small teams working on precise tasks.
#5: Slack
Slack is a cloud-based service with desktop, iOS, and Android applications. Slack’s purpose is to enable people or groups to communicate with colleagues or customers about any project-related difficulties. This is an easy peasy program with an extremely straightforward and clear user interface.
You may establish an account, send and receive files, and write and read messages. Private groups are called “channels,” and the communications posted within a channel are accessible exclusively to the channel’s participants. And free plan can cover most of the needs of startups and SMEs.
What makes Slack unique among project management tools?
- Slack integrates with over a hundred web services, including Dropbox, Twitter, Google Docs, and even Trello. And it can incorporate any of these applications and get updates on changes and activity.
- Slack is popular because it is adaptable and simple to use. As you happily use it to conduct business tasks, your team becomes more attached to it for the purpose of daily communication.
And we now have a word for it: slacking like messaging. That is how it has seeped into our life!
Final verdict
Choosing the best free project management software requires an awareness of how each platform caters to the unique requirements of each team. While Primavera is ideal for IT experts and corporate teams working on large-scale projects, organizations using an agile methodology will find Jira tailor-made for their needs.
Slack with Trello integration may be the ideal option for growing businesses who want a bit more power from their project management system. The feature set is extensive compared to other tools, and it is well-suited for use by numerous teams. If you see yourself in this segment, you may want to look at software tools to grow your startup article.
It is reasonable to suggest that you should start determining your needs, try their trial periods with your team, and debate the benefits and drawbacks of each project management product together.
Writing, researching, and learning about project management and tech.