The different project management software packages and their functionalities
The best project management software comes in a variety of forms to suit the diverse needs of businesses. Whether it's by business or by functionality, it's important to choose the right software for your project. Once you've defined the contextual framework and your company's goal, you'll have a clearer picture of the functionalities you expect from project management software. Take the time to consult the different offers so that you don't commit to software that is far removed from your real expectations.
The different types of software
Management software meets different requirements and comes in a variety of designs and functions.
- Planning tools: these allow you to monitor the progress of a project. They provide a detailed timetable of the various tasks that make up the project, with links between the different activities and monitoring of deliverables.
- Contract management software : to carry out your project, you may need to call on external contractors or bring in new staff. This contract management software provides templates that can be updated to reflect the new contractor's data.
- Equipment purchasing and stock management software: in order to keep a precise overview of your equipment stocks and to place orders for missing products, this software establishes a regular inventory.
- Resource and skills management software: a project also involves resources, both material and human. You can use this type of software to find out who is available, what skills you have or what equipment you have. It will also correlate a team member's needs with the equipment available.
- Document management software (EDM): Knowing where a document is located and how to access it quickly is essential to the successful completion of your project. This software will save you a considerable amount of time, especially if your document search can be done using key words.
- Billing and payment management : If you involve a large team of collaborators or work with many suppliers, you can rely on this software to facilitate the formatting of your invoicing and payment documents.
- Inventory and accounting software: This shows you exactly where your budget stands, what you've bought and how much you need to budget. Budget management is an essential part of a successful project. Without a well thought-out budget, you won't be able to achieve your goals.
Functionality
With a wide range of functions to suit every need, management software is a real ally if you know how to manage its potential.
Task management
Manage your tasks in just a few clicks. Once your project has been divided into sections, the tasks are highlighted. All you have to do is enter the data into your software and apply a completion time. You then have the choice of creating your own schedule of tasks to be carried out, or leaving it to the software, which will automatically link the tasks together. The calendar will then be created directly, giving you a start and end date for each task and for the entire project.
Schedule
Managing the schedule can be a good way to lose patience. That's why software packages offer a detailed schedule that takes into account delivery times, the people involved and the availability of the materials or machines needed to complete the job.
Site management
At a glance, you can get a precise overview of the premises or worksites available to carry out the job. Who occupies the office or room where the activities will take place? What time can you be on site? No need to spend long minutes calculating. Everything is available to you in the project management software.
Equipment management
It's vital to know whether the equipment you have available for your project is available on the day you want to use it. There's no point in sending for a worker or an employee if they don't have the right equipment.
Gantt chart
This is an essential tool for successfully completing a project! It is used by most of today's software. It consists of horizontal bars displayed on a time axis and representing all the priority data. The software uses the WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) hierarchy to divide your project into sub-sets according to deliverables. This makes each section easier to understand for the entire team of partners working on the project. The Gantt chart shows the tasks to be carried out according to the dates defined, their critical or non-critical status, the dependencies between the different tasks and the resources allocated. It can also show the days not worked, which will be taken into account when calculating the delivery dates for completed tasks.
Budget management
It's impossible to embark on a project without keeping a constant eye on the budget. You'll find features that allow you to keep your budget up to date, as well as allocating funds according to the tasks and resources required.
Accessibility and online communication
The software offers easy access at any time and from any place. This means that your various collaborators have access to all the information relating to the project whenever they need it. You can communicate quickly and directly using an instant messaging application. A notification is sent to each member when a modification is made or an urgent item needs to be taken into account.
So as not to duplicate support, project management software concentrates on the essential functions to help entrepreneurs become more efficient, quickly grasp the information relating to their project and communicate rapidly to avoid wasting time.
Article translated from French