Project Management Software - inception to Completion

Project Management Software can make the many jobs of the project manager much easier, facilitating progress from inception to completion.  Good software for project management should include most, if not all, of the following:

  • Collaborative software

  • Issue tracking system

  • Scheduling

  • Project Portfolio Management

  • Resource Management

  • Document Management

  • Cost Control

  • Budget Management

  • Resource Allocation

  • Communication

  • Quality Management

  • Documentation System

  • Administrative System


Project Management Software comprises a variety of different programs, and are available for purchase (proprietary) and for free (Open Source).  Some project management software is web-based, and others are not.

Genius Inside, established in 1997, provides collaborative project management software solutions.  Their suite includes various modules: portfolio management, resource management, Gantt chart, risk management, document management and the integration with Microsoft Project.  Organizations can better address challenges like business process improvement with the help of this software suite.  The Genius Inside project management software can be used online or in-house.

Clarizen, Inc., founded in 2005, provides on-demand, collaborative project execution software that allows businesses to manage all of their projects and resources in a single environment. This project management software facilitates collaboration and project execution.  This project management software is completely web based (SaaS) and has the ability of CAD designers attach CAD drawings to a project and to move between the project view and design view.  Other features include Project Scheduling, Collaborative Planning, Time Tracking, Task Management, Budget Tracking, and Reports & Dashboards.

A web-based project management software solution is Easy Projects .NET. With Interactive Gantt Chart functionality among its set of modules, other features include activity, request and issue tracking, portfolio management, real-time conferencing, and estimation analysis, and support for Microsoft Project file import and export.

An open-source project management software solution is eGroupWare.  Its primary functions include contact management, appointments, projects and to-do lists.  Users can access eGroupWare in many ways, such as via the web-based version, using different supported groupware clients in-house, and even by mobile phone or PDA.  It also has translations for more than 25 languages, including right-to-left language support, and a standard X-AMP System which can be used on any operating system.

It is important to find the right project management software for the team size and project result.  It may take trying different software solutions before the best for the project at hand is found.  The sorts of tools used in project management software can vary widely, depending on the industry they were developed for.  However, there are elements that are important for any project: scheduling, calculating critical path, and providing information.

Perhaps the most important element of project management software is the ability to provide information in a useful way.  Typical elements or issues include task lists for people, allocation schedules for resources, overview information on how long tasks will take to complete, early warning of any risks to the project, information on workload (for planning holidays), evidence, historical information on how projects have progressed, and in particular, how actual and planned performance are related, and optimum utilization of available resources.

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