Project management tools have been a major asset to companies even before the pandemic made it’s use a necessity. Due to the sudden shift to remote work, a lot of small businesses too have started investing in these tools realizing what a boon they are.
Project management is a complex process that includes planning forthcoming tasks, allocating resources to accomplish those tasks, and constantly monitoring work progress. Apart from these basics, project management tools let you do a lot more based on the project requirements.
For startups and small businesses, there are many open source project management software available that allow you to manage projects easily without spending a fortune. Regardless of the size of your business and the tools you opt for, it is important to know how to reap its benefits.
Here are a few ways to get the most out of your project management tools.
1. Understand your needs
Firstly, you should invest in a tool that aligns with your goals. Start with a clear and detailed assessment of what you need. There is a plethora of project management softwares but not all of them will make sense for your organization. Make a list of all the features that are necessary and outline your budget to make the process easy.
If you have chosen a tool without evaluating your business needs, it may not turn out to be entirely useful. You may end up discovering that it is complicated and has a lot of unnecessary features. It may get difficult to get the most out of such a tool as you need to navigate through a lot of extra features while using the software.
2. Opt for a cloud-based tool
Until the pandemic started, a lot of companies were comfortable with on-site project management software. But remote work demands a software solution that can be accessed from anywhere, anytime. Cloud-based project management tools are easy to use and require no training to understand how to navigate it.
Even from a budget standpoint, a cloud project management tool is a better option as it doesn’t require any hardware so there is less maintenance. It can greatly increase productivity by providing a centralized location for storing data. It also facilitates communication, collaboration and document sharing.
3. Choose a scalable tool
As your business evolves, so will its needs. It is important to make use of a scalable project management tool that will grow and accommodate any upcoming changes. Scalability features may not be beneficial in the beginning, but will be important when your team grows. This allows you to make the most of the tools even in the future.
A scalable cloud-based project management tool will be capable of handling bigger projects with time. This is particularly important for growing businesses intending to expand work in the near future.
4. Makes sure it is easy to use
A project management tool should have an intuitive user-interface and must be easy to use. Since project managers have to juggle multiple teams and projects at the same time, this becomes a high-priority requirement. It is also essential that the project management software be easily accessible from multiple devices, especially smartphones.
Opting for a software that is difficult to navigate, it will end up draining valuable resources. Take suggestions from your team when choosing the software so they too are aware of its capabilities and can learn to use it quickly.
Conclusion
With project managers relying heavily on a project management tool to manage work every day, it makes sense that the tool should be user-friendly, scalable and customized to your unique business needs. This will help you get the most out of it and ensure your team members are properly using it.
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