How to select the best project management software

There are a variety of project management softwares in the market, but choosing the right one for you and your team is critical. Here are some questions to ask when assessing project management software options:

  1. Will my team actually use it?
  2. Can multiple departments use it?
  3. Does it support transparency and clear communication?
  4. Is it flexible?
  5. Can you generate custom reports?
  6. Does it easily (and securely) allow for external communication/users?
  7. Does it integrate with other tools we use?

One of the most important things to think about is the the long-term strategy when selecting your software. Getting your team familiar and comfortable with a project management software takes time and resources. You want to make sure you’re choosing one that can grow and adapt with your team, not limit it.

Key features when selecting a project management software

Identifying key features your team may need as they adopt project management workflows in your tool is crucial. A few things to look for:

  1. Real-time collaboration. Project management software should allow for collaboration between team members and stakeholders. People should be able to access and make changes to the system at the same time.
  2. Sharing & storing documents. Project management software should allow for the sharing and storage of documents. This provides a knowledge repository for your projects.
  3. Cost management. Tracking and reporting of costs as well as monitoring for potential overruns.
  4. Reporting. Customizable reports and dashboards that allow for real-time reporting. You should be able to filter and format based on the criteria that are important to you.
  5. Ease of use. If the system is too complex, your team will not want to use it.
  6. Template creation. It’s important to be able to create and customize templates so that you’re not building each project and activity from scratch.
  7. Warning flags. The system should be able to trigger alerts or warnings when things go off track, such as when an activity is late.
  8. Scheduling. You will want a software system that allows for the creation of a schedule baseline, and the ability to monitor your actual schedule against it.
  9. Time management - Actual time worked will need to be tracked in the system to monitor progress and manage both labor costs and resources.
  10. Resource allocation - You should be able to assign resource roles (i.e., accountant), and individual people (i.e., John Doe) to tasks in the system.
  11. Customization - Software should be flexible enough to adapt to the different projects and processes that your organization has.
  12. Controls & governance - While flexibility is important, a system also needs to have sufficient controls and restrictions in place to ensure data is secure and approvals are tracked and recorded.
  13. Integration capability - The software should be able to integrate with your other business systems such as your financial management system.
  14. Unique calendars - You will want to have calendars that can be changed to reflect your work days and hours, as well as updated to reflect any shutdown periods or vacations.