Project Management Software is used by a broad range of businesses for project planning, resource allocation, and scheduling. It allows project managers as well as entire teams to control their budget, quality management, and all documentation exchanged throughout a project. This software also serves as a tool for helping collaboration among project stakeholders. Project management tools assist the software development team in streamlining the whole project development process from initiation to closure i.e., planning, executing, controlling, and completing the projects. Project managers have started using Project management tools to strengthen team collaboration and improve performance and efficiency, monitoring work from home employees
There are tons of excellent and best project management tools available in the market like Asana, Trello, Microsoft Team, Jira, Pivotal Tracker, and many more. Trending project management solutions are split up into various subcategories like task management, milestone planning, time tracking, Kanban boards, monitoring, and much more.
Here are the Best Project Management Tools and Software Suggested by Experts to use in 2020
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Asana
Over the years, I have used a plethora of tools for project management, but none of them have had the simplicity and user experience that Asana offers. It is considered as the #1 best project management tool. Asana’s linear interface is easy to use from day one and doesn’t seem a challenge to start seeing the benefits. Whether you are working on projects alone with your clients or with a team, Asana ensures everything is in one place and simple to find.
I have been able to onboard people to use Asana with a lot less resistance than in previous attempts with alternative tools like Jira and Basecamp, which are both more advanced in many ways. Still, these features are often surplus to requirement.
I use Asana to manage web development and marketing projects, so your mileage may vary depending on the kind of internal processes you want to accomplish, but I recommend most businesses give this tool a try.
You can get a lot of use out of a free Asana account if you want to give it a test drive. Most of the essential features are included; however, the full premium package is a worthwhile investment to have access to features like task dependencies, milestones, and timelines.
The following features of Asana have the most impact on my business:
– Task management
– Calendars
– Kanban Boards
– Task Dependencies
– Project timelines
– Milestones
– Project reporting
– Lots of 3rd-party integrations
Suggested by —
David Alexander
Designer, Developer & Digital Marketer at Mazepress -
Trello
Trello is one of the best project management tool that is designed mainly for those people who aren’t familiar with Gantt charts or project management vocabulary. It’s extremely visual and intuitive, making it perfect for the non-project manager. Trello feels instantly usual thanks to its card-based design.
I use Trello for work and personal project management. While there’s more robust software on the market, Trello is perfect for our needs and easy enough for everyone to use without training.
The board and card system is easy to organize and allows you to see high-level and detailed project management at a glance. Allocating tasks is as simple as dragging and dropping them, and team members can then take ownership of those tasks and file them away when they’re done, so everyone knows the status of the project.
If there’s a project brief, there’s no need to send it via email. You can attach it to the project in Trello, and team members can attach their files, as well. You can even post comments on tasks, which allows for quick conversations that don’t have to be dug out of Slack later on.
Here are some of the key features of Trello:
– Drag and drop interface
– Easy, extensive organization
– File attachment
– Archive
– Progress meter
– Alerts and notifications
– Ability to assign to individuals & groups
– Comment threads on tasks
– Mobile friendly
– Data encryption available
Suggested by —
Courtney Keene
Director of Operations at MyRoofingPal -
JIRA
Jira is a flexible and top project management software used by development teams to plan, track, and release software. It is a popular project management tool explicitly designed and used by agile teams.
We use JIRA in our organization because of its advanced project management features and capabilities. Jira is mainly designed for software development teams, and it targets software developers, project managers working on software projects. In addition to this, it offers full time tracking features, Issue tracking functionality, Custom filters with Jira Query Language, Developer tool integrations, Management report tools, Agile management, and much more that makes the team and stakeholder involvement easy and straightforward.
According to Datanyze, the top project management software market share is led by Jira at 39.35%.
Highly sophisticated software projects are best handled with Jira because of its customization features. Searching for comprehensive, fully-adjustable project management and tracking tool for mid-sized software team JIRA is the best solution.
Some of the core features in JIRA which make this tool exceptionally useful are:
– Project management and issues tracking functionality
– JIRA is optimized for Agile management
– JIRA offers hundreds of third-party integrations which one can use to enrich Jira’s experience
– Reports and workload management
– Highly customizable and configurable, one can add his/her workflow steps, issue views, custom fields
– Meeting Management Modules
– Task Commenting in Project Boards
– Proactive Product support
– It has both Free and paid versions
Suggested by —
Ayushi Sharma
Marketing Manager at iFour Technolab Pvt Ltd -
Monday.com
Monday.com is a project management tool that is gaining in popularity and for a good reason. It allows teams to run processes, workflows, and projects in one digital workspace flexibly and transparently.
The attractive interface allows you to choose from pre-built templates for every occasion if you need a quick starting point or to build custom workflows with automation to meet your exact needs.
One of the benefits of Monday.com is that it is flexible with regards to who can benefit from using the tool due to it being so intuitive to use. Unlike Jira, which is very heavily development based and not likely to be used by your marketing team, for example, Monday.com can be picked up by the whole company which helps with collaboration.
Throughout Monday.com it’s easier for you to organize your work by allowing you to assign individual tasks to different team members, set priorities and due dates. You can use it to manage your sprint planning, roadmaps, bugs all in one place. For more mature companies, you have the option to set up your workflow exactly how you need it.
You can utilize the automation that allows you to use an event, like changing status, to trigger an action, like sending a notification. This is very useful in removing a lot of manual work that is needed to chase or manage projects from a governance perspective.
Some of the essential features of Monday.com are:-
– Keep all conversations, files, briefs, checklists, etc. in one place
– Share with internal and external teams
– View all projects and deadlines in one place
– Handy notifications that keep you up to date on everything that is happening
– Accessible on any device
– Track progress with reports and dashboards
– Time tracking for tasks
Suggested by —
David White
Senior Project Manager at Best Response Media -
Notion
Notion is an all in one project management tool which offers a solution to everything you need. It’s like a lego set; you use blocks to build out a personalized project management tool that fits your requirements, regardless of what your project is. Plus, it’s an app so you can use it on desktop, iOS, and Android devices with all data following you wherever you need it.
We use Notion for various projects, from logging internal bug reports to taking these out with devs. It’s excellent for bringing a visual element to the recruitment stages which candidates are working through, allowing us to log everything in one place. We’ve even made a Training Handbook within it, which gives all of our team the information they need in one place.
It’s a simple interface, which allows you to focus on the content you’re adding rather than having to spend too much time on creating it. The best feature is the onboarding, there are around 100 templates to choose from to get you started, and when you first install the app you go through a product tour which shows you all the nifty features which are included such as:
– Notes
– Add lists
– Embed media
– Include pages within pages
– Change views of databases
– Generate to-do lists, contents pages
– Share files
– Use personal or collaborative workspaces
– The list goes on and on
Suggested by —
Tiffany Chesson
People and Processes Manager at YourParkingSpace -
DealRoom
DealRoom was founded by a team of former M&A professionals, uses Agile and best project management software to solve issues faced while running complex M&A transactions. It’s the first and only Agile M&A software designed to reduce work, track progress, and utilize analytics on one centralized project management platform.
M&A software tools provide clarity, accountability, communication, collaboration, and many other benefits to the deal process. Incorporate M&A, there are so many parties involved in a deal’s life cycle, and DealRoom’s tool provides them with a way to present the manner in a secure way. This reduces the use of multiple software and changing between platforms.
Features of DealRoom are as follows:
– Comment, upload, tag, assign, and more using the requested feature
– Filter Data by group, date, list, priority, status, and more
– Secure file and document sharing
– Drag and drop files upload interface
– Internal and deal management
– Workflow delegation
– Slack integration
– Version control
– Customizable statuses
– Progress management
– Diligence management
– Pipeline management
– Post-merger integration management
– Internal project management
– All-inclusive pricing billed per month annually
Suggest by —
Madeleine Martin
Public Relations Associate at DealRoom -
Unblocker
Unblocker is modern work intelligence which enables users to find action items and understand how their team works, across the entire collaboration stack (Email, Chat, Docs, Task Mgmt, etc.)
At Unblocker, we’ve created software to ensure that the time between sense and response is kept in check by applying natural language processing. Across the communication and collaboration stack to surface action items that are categorized into “Blocked By Me” — things where you owe someone else a reply and “My Follow-Ups” — the questions where you’re waiting on someone to get back to you.
Being capable to sense and act across all the tools helps to assure that the limits of our brains don’t result in delays.
Some of the features of Unblocker are:
– Ensure Tasks are Not Slipping Through The Cracks
– Track Engagement, Without Being Creepy
– Using Work Interaction Graph API to build for the Tomorrow
Suggested by —
David Sneider
CEO of Unblocker -
Verto
Verto makes project management and team collaboration simple. With Verto, you can control every aspect of your project from one place. And with Verto Go being explicitly designed for mobile users, you can have all your favorite features to hand wherever you are.
From task control and team collaboration to risk control and reporting, Verto provides you all the tools and data you require to stay on top of your project. Verto project management tool provides project managers with a single cloud-based workplace, enabling you to store files, manage timelines and to-do lists, and maintain constant communication with your team and stakeholders.
At Verto, we provide cloud-based work collaboration and project management services to the public and private sectors. Our software streamlines, processes, and information flows. Verto provides a secure single platform for all project related information and increases efficiency and reduces costs.
It enables performance planning, linking project outputs to performance outcomes with project data captured and used to improve future project delivery performance. It also dramatically improves collaboration across project teams with an easy to a user interface while also giving real-time information that can be accessed by users across different departments.
This is the best project management software is a hosted SaaS solution, which we provide and maintain from a Tier 3 data center, based in the UK. Verto can also be self-hosted if required. Verto project management software can be configured to support numerous different program management approaches and methodologies across various business sectors, including consulting organizations, business process outsourcing, digital transformation specialists, higher education, emergency services, health, and local government.
Essential features of Verto are as follows:
– Live Interactive Dashboards
– Risk Management
– Secure cloud based file management
– Benefits management
– Task management & milestone Gantt charts
– Team collaboration
– Create reports easily
– Software integration
– Client engagement
– Service delivery
– Program control and governance
– Project delivery against milestones
– Costs and timesheets
– Service commissioning, delivery, and tracking
– Performance planning
– Project and program management
– Risk management
– Resource management
– Real-time management reporting
Suggested by —
Richard Godfrey
Managing Director at Syncity Ltd -
Basecamp
Basecamp is one of the top project management software that is broadly used by many project management teams. It offers numerous collaboration features, such as a designated discussion area where users can leave behind remarks.
Operating with clients is managed well, with email integration and the ability to share individual tasks and messages with people outside the company. Notifications can be customized to your necessities, including shutting them off outside office hours.
Some of the key features of Basecamp are:
– The simple view of the software
– Add team members
– Add admin for project
– Create to-do lists
– Control Project Calendar
– Track Milestones -
nTask
nTask is new in the market. Its magnificent features are what make this software intuitive, easy to adopt. This is the latest software which is incredible in design. Solopreneurs & startups will easily get attracted to this magnificent project management tool. It is based on cloud task management and assists small businesses and teams. Users enjoy task management and scheduling through this tool etc.
Tasks have been assigned, reports are generated, files can be shared, attaching options are also available and checklists can be generated. Projects can be monitored through the help of Gantt charts. This helps users to manage and plan budgets for multiple projects.
Here are some key features of nTask:
– Projects are created and managed through checklists, notifications and progress meter.
– Risk matrix to help in determining the potential and frequency of risk possibility.
– It has the capability to schedule multiple meetings with an agenda, headlines and follow-up actions.
– Resource allocation, budget per project and currency are managed through a project planner.
– Wonderfully designed timesheets linked to particular projects.
– Affordable and helps you to have a free plan for as long as you want and need it.
– It is an easy navigation tool for project management, exploring nTask is fun for its multiple amazing features, calling it a hidden gem wouldn’t be wrong. It is user-friendly and inexpensive.
Suggested by —
Tim Uittenbroek
Founder of Blinklist -
Freedcamp
Freedcamp is the cloud-based project management tool with effective collaboration where teams and individuals can work side by side. The tool has many features like task planning, team communication, time tracking and much more.
Key features of Freedcamp:
– Creation of tasks and its management
– Task assignment and status update option
– Different project templates
– Boards with easy visual access
Suggested by —
Bradley Stevens
Founder of LLC Formations -
GuideCX
GuideCX, formerly known as Beynd, is the project management tool that I most look forward to integrating in my day to day tasks this year.
One of my more tedious job functions is to follow up with my clients on the tasks and information requests that I assign and review with them each week.GuideCX is a project management tool that can automate this workload and remind my customers about the tasks they are responsible for. The most intriguing feature is the reminder emails. When a client receives a task reminder, they have the ability to respond with one click and mark the task as in progress, complete, or stuck. If the client runs into a roadblock, I am notified and can then reach out to help them work through the issue. This is especially important when implementing software and encouraging client adoption.
See Also: 9 Top CX Softwares to Improve your Customer Experience
Having this type of reminder process in place allows me to focus on managing the other aspects of the project and my team. I also appreciate that a third-party system is sending these reminder emails so it doesn’t feel like I am badgering the clients. On the other side, GuideCX will track their responses and provide insight into how long the task took to be completed. It will also report on what steps were taken and ultimately provide the task accountability that can sometimes get lost in the shuffle.
The other problem that this tool manages is the effect that change requests can have on the project or milestone end dates. When clients request a change, I can offload part of the formal change request process to the tool and provide the client with a quick update on how the request will impact important project dates. The impact is especially important when specific tasks or changes are dependent on receiving key information.
I’ve only begun to scratch the surface of what this tool has to offer and how I plan to integrate this into my daily routine, but I do look forward to exploring the following:
– Project Templates, useful for client implementation projects
– API Integrations, for us to send status updates from our ticketing system
– Time Tracking, proving the client with some insight into the complexity of certain tasks
– Gantt Chart, to replace MS Project for smaller implementation projects
Suggested by —
Chris Morse
Project Manager at BCA Technologies -
ProjectManager.com
ProjectManager.com is the best project management tools for teams of all kinds to manage their workflow, save time and cut down on the costs of their projects. IT departments, marketing agencies, software teams, freelancers, and construction companies use ProjectManager.com because it provides all of the tools they need to get organized and do amazing things.
Some of the important features of this project management tool are:
Kanban Boards
The Kanban board view is simple and intuitive, allowing you to utilize a drag and drop interface using traditional columns and cards. Move tasks down the line in your project for easy visualization of your project. The Kanban view is linked to the dashboard and time tracking features.
Gantt Charts
A staple of ProjectManager.com, this feature allows teams to add new tasks and due dates in an easy-to-use, automatically populating Gantt chart. Teams can easily link tasks and create dependencies within a single project, or across multiple. Gantt charts can also be color-coded and additional custom columns can be created as needed.
Dashboards
The hub of information across all your different views, the project dashboard automatically updates when the team completes tasks and fills in timesheets, so it’s easy for managers to stay on track. In the dashboard’s workload widget, you can view each team member’s progress and easily monitor how much work they’ve done, according to the team’s schedule. Green, yellow, and red color coding gives a quick, at-a-glance view at progress.
Scheduling
ProjectManager.com makes it easy to create project schedules using the above features, but there are additional scheduling features as well. There’s also a section of the software that is dedicated to team management where you can set up groups to organize users by department/team. This allows you to quickly share projects to a specific team, the entire company, or keep a project private for yourself.
Timesheets
As your team moves through their task lists, you can track their progress along the way. All their hours logged are tracked through the software, from task lists to the Gantt chart and the real-time dashboard. Plus, there’s easy one-click reporting to help you monitor progress on time, workload, availability, task performance and more.
Suggest by —
Marshall Simmons
Content Marketing Specialist at ProjectManager.com
Final Thoughts
Understanding the significance of project management is a critical way to ensure project success. Selecting the perfect and best project management tools surely depends on the project at hand.
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