The Importance of Project Management Software
A company cannot be organized well if there is no discrete timeline on projects that will be done within specific spans of time. A project management software enables the company to assign tasks, monitor updates and ensure that projects are done before their due dates.
At Project Assistant we previously used Basecamp as our project management software but have now migrated to JIRA, which comes from the Japanese word gojira (godzilla). JIRA provides bug tracking, issue tracking and project management functions. The important aspects of project management software are divided into the following categories: project collaboration, task delegation, scheduling and project tracking, project documentation and it also acts as a communication platform between developers and clients.
Project Collaboration
For larger projects, developers and clients usually have tasks assigned to them individually. In this case, project management software serves as an important medium for the developers and clients to collaborate on tasks and enables them to view timelines, share documents and exchange ideas through comments and status updates.
Task Delegation
Task delegation is a crucial part of project management. You have to make sure you delegate tasks to the right person as the company hires employees based on their experience, knowledge and skills. Tasks should be appropriate to their abilities and tasks assigned to them should be based on their roles on the project.
When assigning tasks through project management software, you can easily create departments for the different roles of your employees. Assigning them then becomes easier. Project management software also allows each member of staff to post queries about specific information they need and can forward task or ask help from someone on the team who has a vast knowledge on the matter. Project management software keeps delegation recorded and transparent.
Scheduling and Project Tracking
Proper scheduling and tracking of projects is key for project success. Scheduling can be as simple as allocating an estimated amount of time for a task to creating a detailed timeline for the entire project. The project start date and end date are the most basic information required for scheduling in order for developers and clients to know how to manage their time accordingly and finish tasks on time.
Project management software also keeps track and records which tasks the developers have completed, what are they working on and what tasks they need to finish to meet the deadline. These updates are provided by the developer for the client to see to deliver a clear view of the ongoing project. The need for meetings, updates and sharing of ideas in person are decreased or replaced by the project management software.
Developers to Client Vice Versa Communication
Project management software acts as medium or gateway for clients and the developers to interact or communicate with each other. The access may be limited to client view only and clients can interact, give suggestions or feedback on the ongoing project. They can see the status of the project, ask questions, comment and send the required files since the information from the client is essential for the project to be done successfully to fit the needs of the clients.
Do you really need Project Management Software?
Project management software is essential in a company since it serves as the medium or action plan for a specific project strategy. It allows us to apply techniques for the successful completion of a project. It covers various methods, process and strategies that help us minimize or avoid errors and find solutions for roadblocks in the project.
Project management software will also aid in effective communication. It gives real-time reports of the project status for the developers to be informed about where to stop and continue at a given time frame. The client will also have a better understanding of the project progress and can continue to collaborate on ideas and suggest fixes or additional information in the project. A company can never be complete without the aid of project management software.
