Traditional Project Management Software methods are aging
In the traditional project management world, a project manager was only responsible for scheduling.
The software had limited functionality for Gantt charts and resource management. In today’s world, a project manager is no less than the CEO and should have the responsibility to manage all the aspects of the project from scheduling, resources, documents, and financials, to customer satisfaction.
The project manager should be given the necessary tools to make it happen and that’s the new world.
Project management software products are getting the same importance as ERP and are becoming a custodian of all the project data, making them a mission-critical product and a “must have” from “nice to have”, especially for project-based organizations.
Cloud Project Management Software is actually easy to invest in
Nearly all major PM software providers now deliver their solutions on the cloud using a SAAS model, allowing corporate project managers to avoid getting irritated over never-ending system upgrades.
The organization no longer needs to maintain expensive IT infrastructure in-house and it is easier and less time-consuming for a company to adapt to any software.
This has reduced the cost of buying a new software product or switching from an old one.
New User Interface is one of the important parameters
One of the important parameters for users to select specific project management software over others is usability.
Usability refers to user interface and user experience, both. In old days, PM software vendors are graduating with a UI that is rich in experience, easy to navigate, and attractive.
This is an added incentive for organizations trying to purchase new project management software or replace an existing one.
Organizations include too many systems and are ready to get rid of
A new analysis demonstrates solely 13% of companies employ single integrated PM software.
Usually, most companies implement/use different tools to manage different aspects of the project (one pertaining to scheduling, a different one pertaining to resource management, etc.) or they may have project management functionalities taken care of by simple non-collaborative excel sheets.
The end result: there is no single window visibility into all the aspects of projects resulting in a lack of the right information available at the right time.
Organizations can greatly improve their effectiveness if they deploy single integrated project management software.
Project Management Analytics
Especially for the top management or PMO, it is essential that the PM software gives insights into the various projects running in different units and also an ability to drill down to the specific projects and then to their sub-areas.
If individual project managers have to make informed decisions during the course of project execution, it is essential that they will have the data/information available to them at their fingertips.
With useful analytics and configurable reporting capabilities, the relevant stakeholders are able to make a decision of going for a separate project management system since they see the value added by deploying such a product.
Extended and integrated project management
And finally, as the global economy recovers more and more companies realize that managing clients and employees is their biggest challenge.
PM software is no longer purchased to improve just the efficiency of projects.
Today companies buy these systems to help transform their strategies into actions, improve collaboration across different project teams, improve customer satisfaction; manage innovation (especially for NPD projects), and empower employees by giving them the right tools to execute their tasks and feel proud about adding value!
