Project Management Software?

Posted by Hugh
Jun 26, 2013 at 09:48 AM

Sorry to cop out (partially), but it depends on the nature of the project. The answers to several questions are needed to help define the requirements of your software, such as, in random order: How complex (i.e. how many tasks?) are your projects? Do you need to collaborate with other team members? Do you need to plan the work of other team members? Do you need to communicate ‘upstairs’ or with clients, with pretty diagrams and Ganntt charts? Do your projects need to be accurately costed? Does your project management software need to communicate with task management software, and/or with project management software on tablets or smartphone devices? How much can you afford to spend? How much time can you afford to devote to learning the ins and outs of particular programmes (this can be significant if you’re unfamiliar with them)? Are you on a Mac or PC? etc. etc.

When I started using project management software, something like twenty-plus years ago, there was only one programme: Microsoft Project, on Windows. It’s expensive by the standards of most software we talk about on this forum (though certainly not the most expensive project management software available, which can cost £000’s), it was, and is, based around Ganntt charts (check on Wikipedia, if you need to know what these are), it was then a pig to use, but now I expect it’s much better, and it has effectively set the standards for many others, including most for the Mac. I used it for both commercial and personal projects. I no longer use it because I’m now on a Mac, but I believe it’s still going strong.

Since MS Project launched, several trends have become evident. There have been new Windows Ganntt-based programmes introduced, some task-management programmes, such as My Life Organized, have started edging into the project management market, as have mind mappers like Mind Manager and Nova, and new desktop Mac programmes, such as Merlin, Omniplan and SG Project Pro (all of which I’ve used - for small freelance projects I prefer Omniplan), have emerged. Most strikingly, two other recent changes are evident to anyone Googling ‘project management’. First, there is a growing number of web-based project management applications, almost all designed for teams, but some of which are effectively free of charge for a one-person band. They are especially useful if you want to be able look at your plan via a browser on a tablet or smartphone. Second, there are new philosophies of project management that effectively dispense with Mr Ganntt’s invention. These include ‘agile project management’, ‘scrum’ and the kanban board (all defined on Wikipedia if you feel the need). One ‘kanban’ web app that I like is Trello, but there are many that are similar. Mac users can build a kanban board on their desktops with Curio, or, less expensively, with any sticky notes application - or what I sometimes resort to, a whiteboard and Post-Its!

Good luck!