The recent working patterns have seen a rise in remote jobs. Many software and IT companies are choosing to work from home for its various benefits. These recent changes to the way companies work have made project management tools highly relevant.
Project management software makes working remotely or otherwise quite easy and speeds up the process. However, choosing the wrong tool can be just as harmful as choosing the right one can be beneficial.
It’s all about asking the right questions. Here are some of the questions you need to ask before choosing a project management tool for your team.
Does it scale with you?
Software scaling is not necessary only for when your team increases in number. A scalable platform is also useful within the team as well. For IT firms, it becomes quite easy for product managers to manage all the ongoing projects. Managers can easily track the progress if all the teams for various projects can use the same tool.
Now, this was within the company; what about when you need to onboard new people? You need to check whether your management tool can easily scale with you and still be affordable.
Does collaboration become easier?
Now many companies looking for project management software are working from home. So, it becomes crucial to find a tool that makes teamwork easier. Your new project management software has to make it easier for employees to work on the same project.
A management tool needs to provide better visibility of what everyone on the team is doing. Moreover, it can become a place to store documents for a specific project so that everyone can access them. The right tool will also make it easier for members to communicate with each other.
Is the software compatible with the project methodology?
Different projects require a different methodology. A project management tool that can provide you the flexibility between Agile, Waterfall, and Hybrid. Now your project teams have the freedom of choosing the methodology best suited to their requirements.
So, when choosing a project management tool, it is quite crucial to see whether it is compatible with your methodology and project requirements.
Does it have reporting features?
A project management software can have swanky add-ons and templates. However, all of that may amount to nothing if there is no reporting feature. Reporting is especially crucial for IT firms that helps in efficiently avoiding hurdles along the way. A reporting feature allows detailed and timely reports that smoothen the entire process.
What is the main problem you want to solve with the tool?
Whenever you are trying to find a project management tool, you need to analyze which are the major concerns you are trying to address with it. It’s not necessary that what tool works for you should work for someone else and vice versa.
Now your major concern can be anything. It could be that finding information is becoming difficult, which is making the work tedious. Or you may find it difficult to track the projects or stay on top of your schedule. Any and all of these concerns can seriously hamper productivity.
Therefore, while choosing a project management software, ensure that you are choosing one where your primary concerns are addressed. Once you have looked after the main problem, you can look at other factors.
So, these were some of the questions we think are relevant while choosing a project management tool. What has been your experience while selecting one for your team?