Surely at least until a few years ago, when there was talk of companies committed to support and project management tools that operate mainly in the field of services, it was enough to have Microsoft Project. Back then it was already enough to produce a simple GANTT chart to keep track of the various activities.
Easy to use
Today, the needs are have changed and evolved. So it is critical to have operational platforms that are able to meet the most diverse and extensive needs. Below are some of the things to consider when choosing a project management tool.
First, it is essential to provide tools that through a few clicks you are able to respond to operations. Platforms that are simple to use entice users to use project management (PM) tools to cooperate with each other.
Having all concerned interacting with the platform gives your enterprise you all the information that will be vital in improving your business (data, timesheet, communications, etc).
Availability and accessibility
We know how fundamental it is to allow users to retrieve or insert information anytime, from any device, from any location (and this even more so for businesses operating in the services sector).
A modern PM platform must ensure all these features, providing possibly a Cloud system and where they can operate securely whether it is in their PCs (with normal browsers) or through the smartphone with a specific app .
Integrated functional coverage
It is important to have an IT solution platform that gathers all your business information and not only those related to managing projects. This is a key issue that can save time and money. Aside from covering activity planning, the personalized management of shifts and individual calendars and scheduling of activities are the basis of any project management management platform.
Therefore to have and integrated workflow with standard processes and functions such as CRM, activity cycles, purchasing cycles, inventory and accounting, allows organizations to manage from a single point and in a holistic manner, all business functions. With this users will only need to have access to one and only one management platform for all their activities.
Integrated with classic work tools
Carrying out activities on projects, collaborating with colleagues and communicating with customers means sending emails and sharing documents. All this should take place directly from the operating platform, thus allowing to recover all exchanges of communication that occurred and hooking them accordingly to the activities, projects and, more generally, to all entities and/or managed transactions on the system.
Effective control centers
Taking a bit of a spot a few years ago, we could say that "power is nothing without control." So it is clear that a PM platform should make tools available to enable various users and their profiles to be able to have the information to understand the course of its activities, or those of the projects they are involved.
I'm talking of predefined dashboards at the enterprise level, but which can also be customized by individual users that highlight relevant performance indicators on projects, percentage of resource allocation and progress on individual activities, among others. Knowing the important data and allowing them to monitor through dashboards allow them to intervene to improve the quality of services provided or to be disbursed, and improve the relationship towards not only its customers, but often helping their employees work better.
The list of the above points that does not of course claim to be exhaustive. This lists only the main features or characteristics that a good project management system should have. Because of the important nature and scope of the topics above, as well as its effects on project management success, it is definitely worth exploring further.
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