Agile Project Management software: purchase guide
What is an Agile Project Management Software?
Definition
An Agile Project Management Software is a management tool dedicated to planning tasks inherent to projects according to time, resource, and cost constraints. It allows organizing team work based on the preferred work methodology. Project management software comes in various forms to meet diverse needs and provide support to teams according to different project management methods.
Additionally, Agile project management software enables the automation of certain processes, such as automatically assigning tasks among participants, leading to increased productivity and smoother information transfer.
How does it works?
The Agile project management software is designed around one or more work methodologies (Agile Scrum, PMBOK, Prince 2, Critical Path, PERT, etc.). It thus offers a framework for executing and tracking the project lifecycle under good conditions. These tools aim to increase team productivity by simplifying and automating work organization.
Most modern tools are also powerful collaborative solutions that help create synergy between the project's stakeholders (project manager, engineers, client, etc.).
Who is Agile project management software for?
Agile project management tools allow you to manage deadlines and precisely track budgets. Each stakeholder has access to the information they need to successfully complete their assigned task. Detailed invoicing, accounting, stock management, and progress tracking are presented with just a few clicks. The Agile project management software is therefore suitable for all types of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs):
Companies working in project mode
Any company can work in project mode to become more agile in its organization. Agility allows all employees to take responsibility and enables the company to quickly adapt to the changes it faces. In this case, collaborative task management tools or simple planning tools are sufficient to organize team workloads.
IT service providers
Agile project management software allows IT service providers (IT consulting firms) to efficiently manage the development process while ensuring on-time delivery to clients. It enables the company to ensure high technical quality and respond quickly to any malfunctions.
Internal project management
Many companies engage in online project management by working remotely with multiple collaborators. This is what a web or SaaS project management tool offers. This strategic tool is ideal for the project manager to manage project portfolios, resources, and monitor the progress of internal projects in real-time.
What are the benefits of using Agile project management software?
The project tracking tool, combined with the Agile methodology, is a real plus for your company. Here are some advanced features and modules that will become indispensable in your daily life:
Advantages:
- Time-saving: quick access to information and documents
- Gantt chart access: a tool that facilitates project management by allowing you to visualize the project's various steps and milestones over time.
- Creation of precise reports: All collaborators have access to these reports to monitor the organization or financial data.
- Multi-device access: Whether you're at a professional meeting or on the go, you can access your Agile project management software from your computer, tablet, or even smartphone. The software updates across all devices simultaneously.
- A collaborative workspace: Easily and quickly communicate with all the stakeholders involved rather than exchanging countless emails, optimizing your productivity with online collaborative project management.
- A secure storage space: Place files in your storage space so that all project stakeholders can access them securely.
- Risk management: budget overruns or delivery delays
Disadvantages:
- Many Agile project management software tools are just task managers
- Taking a project management course (methodology) is an essential prerequisite
- Deploying a new tool can be complex
How to choose an Agile project management software?
The number of Agile project management software solutions has multiplied in recent years, making it difficult to choose among the available solutions. It has become increasingly important first to conduct a solid assessment of the company's needs, which can correspond to a requirements specification.
Defining the company's needs to choose better
It is first necessary to determine whether you want to use an on-premise solution or a fully online solution (Cloud SaaS). The on-premise model is losing popularity compared to subscription-based online software (SaaS), which allows access from anywhere with an internet connection.
Consult your teams to facilitate software adoption
Then, it is essential to determine with your teams which project methodology to adopt. Some project management software is more suited to a SCRUM method than an Agile method. Once the work methodology is selected, you can address a whole set of questions to clearly define your needs, such as:
- What mandatory features do I want access to?
- How many workstations are included in my subscription?
- Is my Agile project management software also accessible offline?
- Can I host files directly in my project management software?
- Does it allow additional functions (time tracking, online chat, backward scheduling, etc.)?
- Is the software compatible with other third-party software?
- Can I share a task with someone who doesn’t have access to the software?
- Does the software interface allow usage on mobile or tablet?
