Project management software is a crucial part of any software development process. It ensures that the company stays on schedule and meets its deadlines, and it also ensures that the team meets its goals. CTOs need to know what's going on to make decisions about a project, and that is where project management software can help. But with so many different project management tools out there, which ones do software developers rely on for the best results? We have composed this comprehensive guide to show how software developers use software to manage projects and which ones are the best in the industry based on your project and company's unique needs.
What is a Project Management Tool?
Project management is a system for planning, organizing, and managing a project. It helps a company stay on track, meet deadlines, and ensure that the team meets its goals. An important aspect of any PM tool is communicating with team members. Communication is necessary for everything from staying on task to solving complex problems. To effectively communicate with your team members, you need a platform to accommodate all of your needs. Some project management tools are much better suited for communicating with other teams or stakeholders or organizing data.
How to Choose a Project Management Software Solution
So how do you choose a project management software solution? Finding the most suitable project management tool for your needs can be daunting. There are so many different tools on the market, and it's easy to get overwhelmed by all of them. So here is the good news: we have done all the work for you! We narrowed down the list to a few of the best project management tools out there, and we'll tell you what they are, what they offer, and who they're best suited for.
1) Basecamp
Basecamp is one of the most favored project management tools on the market. CTOs and developers love Basecamp because it includes a calendar, messaging features, file storage, and more. Basecamp is great for teams that need quick updates on what's coming up next in their workflow.
2) Podio
Podio offers powerful features that allow users to create projects easily. Podio is great for teams with an organized approach to managing tasks. You can also create "task lists," which give users an overview of all their upcoming duties at once.
3) Jira
Jira offers some great reporting features that help map out your progress over time to know where you stand with your deadlines. Jira is also fantastic for IT departments or engineering teams who want to ensure their product development process goes smoothly from start to finish.
4) Trello
Trello is a super simple way to track your company's projects and see if everything's progressing on your unique timeline.
Tools for Managing a Team
The first thing to think about when narrowing down your project management tools is whether or not you need a solution for managing a team. If so, you'll want to look into solutions like Asana, Basecamp, Trello, and Microsoft Planner. These platforms are great because they help keep everyone on the same page.
You can assign tasks and delegate work to different members of your team. It makes it easy for people in other locations to collaborate on projects without being in the same room. Additionally, these programs also make it easy for CTOs to take a step back and see how their employees are working together on projects. These programs track time spent on tasks, show who's working together on each task, and what's still left to be completed. This helps managers make better decisions about where their teams need more attention or which projects need more work before getting out of hand.
Tools for Tracking Progress
Whether you're just starting on a project or you've already been working on it for a while, there's always some project management software involved. You can think of these tools like a "virtual assistant" for your company, tracking everything from progress to deadlines to changes in priorities.
One such example is Basecamp. Basecamp is a popular tool that allows you to collaborate with other team members and provides multiple ways to communicate and plan with them. You can upload files and share messages and schedules and even comment on work in progress so that collaborators know what they need to do next. It also helps you track projects once they're underway by giving you access to all pertinent information, including emails, messages, tasks, and files.
Tools for Reporting and Communication
Project management tools are categorized into two types: those for reporting and those for communication. Reporting tools help you understand the project scope and progress. They allow you to know how much work is left, what needs to be completed, and what has already been accomplished. These kinds of project management tools are designed to make reporting information from various sources possible and all located in one place. One example of a reporting tool is a Gantt chart, which can visually represent a project timeline.
Communication tools focus on the team aspect of the process. They offer real-time updates on projects that let your team know where they stand concerning the larger picture. One example is JIRA Agile, an agile story-tracking software made by Atlassian with features like customizable dashboards and comment threads for each story, so your team always knows what's going on without waiting for someone else's report.
We Can Help
It is difficult to find the right solution for your business with so many project management tools to choose from. This article has assembled a list of the top project management tools used by the best software developers today. Your program choice would be based on your project's unique needs and your team's preferred way of communicating. We hope this information has helped you while you think of the best choice for you and your team!
Bydrec is a software development company that provides expert, bilingual software engineers to clients for their software development needs. Contact us by calling (866) 219-7733 or emailing info@bydrec.com.
