If we consider the entire introduction of a business, then we can compare this process with raising a child. If the effort is wise, you can create a quality product. But here it is important to note that you cannot predict everything, sometimes the process can get out of control. This does not mean that you are a bad educator, it just means that you need more skills, experience, and reasonable management tools. The same processes occur during the software development stage when projects begin to live their own lives. There may even not be enough money and time for the final work. And in this case, we can remember project management, which is a combination of knowledge, skills, experience, methods, technologies, and tools. All this can satisfy the requirements to some extent.
Today, a large number of project management tools are known. But what tools to choose for effective project management. You can consider the options available.
Main camp
One of the most popular apps is base camp. The software solution is great for helping to manage projects and has many fans around the world. Basecamp has a simple interface and simple controls. It is a great tool for collaboration between partners and clients. With this software you can:
● Create a to-do list.
● Generate performance papers.
● Manage data, share it with clients.
● Setting up files.
● Schedule of affairs.
● Analysis of the project implementation.
It should be noted that the solution is adaptive, it is possible to use all the functions from any mobile device. The main advantages include a good interface, many tools, and the presence of additional services.
As for the pitfalls: integration of additional services is required to use Google Drive or Dropbox.
The cost of the product does not exceed $ 100 per month with an unlimited number of users. There are subscriptions for teachers and students. There are even discounts for all non-profit companies.
Trello
If you’re looking for a visual effects app, Trello is the place to be. This software solution has everything for working with the daily tasks of the project, the data is shown on dashboards. Everything is available and useful. In this way, the ideas of the concepts and the product itself can be traced.
What Trello allows:
● Design personalized whiteboards without any hassle.
● Manage tasks.
● Share ideas with other partners.
● Share files and pictures.
● Develop task lists.
● Organize lists and divide them by date and priority.
It is a visual collaboration tool for large companies. The tool is simple and lightweight.
The disadvantages include:
- Gantt charts are excluded.
- Limited calendar integration.
- This application is free. But there are also paid subscriptions, with a choice of $ 9.99 and $ 20.83 per year.
Jira
To systematically track problems, it is tedious to turn to a product called Jira for help. The solution will be a great option for Agile and Scrum projects.
What a cross-platform solution allows:
● Developing stories (custom).
● Organization of problems.
● Distribution of tasks.
● Planning.
● Using Scrum and Kanban.
● Analysis of project readiness.
It is also worth highlighting a large set of functions and integration with the API.
The disadvantages include:
The user interface is not exactly user-friendly.
This is a paid app, $ 10 per month – up to 10 people. Also available for 15 users – $ 75, for 50 users – $ 300 per month.
Asana
Asana is considered to be one of the most productive and powerful projects management tools. But Asana will be relevant for small teams. In this regard, each user always knows what he is doing.
What is possible with Asana:
● Develop and track tasks, projects, and sections.
● Assigning tasks to specific specialists.
● Timing and description of problems.
● Instructions and comments.
● Reminders, special dates.
● Communication with partners, likes, voting.
● Development of templates.
● Technical support.
● Flexible and responsive application.
● Integration with Google Drive, Chrome, DropBox, GitHub.
The disadvantages include:
Some functions are missing: task duration, task dependency.
If there are less than 15 users, then the application is free. But there is a Premium subscription – $ 9.99 per month for each user. An Enterprise subscription is also available as a special offer.
Redmine
This application is considered open source project management software. This custom app is made by volunteer developers. This allowed the introduction of many plugins to fine-tune a specific project. What features does Redmine have:
● Accounting slave. time.
● Communication, forums, wiki portals.
● There are Gantt charts.
● Boards (Kanban).
● Integration with various control systems.
● Scheduling tasks.
● Notifications.
It is a highly customizable application with a flexible project management system. There are several languages.
Minuses:
- Reporting options and slips are not well configured.
- Free software.
Zoho Projects
To manage the team, you can use Zoho Projects – this is the project coordinator. This solution covers all aspects of the creation workflow while keeping everything organized. What is included in the features of this tool:
● It is possible to develop different lists of tasks, subtasks, and stages.
● Gantt charts are available.
● Analysis of errors.
● Accounting for working hours.
● Documents and files – management.
● Communication in social networks.
● For better coordination, project channels have been created.
● Link with Google Apps.
It is possible to integrate with Zoho CRM, managing all aspects of a particular project.
Disadvantages:
Tracking errors comes at an additional cost.
Some pages and chats are not included in standard plans.
The free version has only 10 MB of storage. If you need more, you will have to pay between $ 25 and $ 80 per month, it all depends on the specific needs of the team.
Wrike
Some professionals use Wrike to manage projects with high-quality and effective features. The application has a large number of functions and does not take much time to install. What
Wrike allows you to do:
- Manage projects in email See table, where all the information about the projects is located.
- Plan projects.
- There are information panels.
- Formation of documentation and reporting, tracking efficiency.
- There are statuses of tasks, reminders.
- Gantt charts are available.
- Prompt installation.
- There is no limit on the number of projects.
- Integration with API.
- All team members can be on one page. Suitable for large projects.
As for the cons:
● An expensive app.
● There is no intuitive interface.
● The program is free for 5 users. Depending on the functions, the price of the application also changes – $ 9.80 / $ 24.80 / $ 34.60 per user.
If you competently approach the analysis of existing applications, then you can easily find the most effective solution for managing specific projects and teams. Before you sign up for a paid subscription, you can try the product in a trial version, it’s free. That is, the opportunity to test the performance of the application for free before purchasing a subscription.
Write in the comments about your personal experience.