We all know that selecting the right project management software is not an easy task. There are loads of products available currently for small to medium size businesses. A good project management tool makes planning, monitoring and executing project progress
If you are a project manager then, you might be finding a tool that has the feature that you want and also something that your whole team can also use. Too often project managers buy a tool just one team member will be using it in a few months later. With loads of tools on the market, it can be really hard to find the best one for your team. So this article will give you easy ways to select a project management software that guarantees your entire team to find the best one for their needs.
Let’s get organized!
Find Out Your Needs For The PM Tool
The first step to search for an excellent project management tool is finding out the current issues in the way your team executes. It’s essential to write down the important points that you can easily use it later. The problems might include.
• Poor communication between the PMs and the team
• Missed deadlines and disorganized projects
• Uneven workload between the staffs
• Flooding emails
• Frequent unnecessary meetings
When you want the best project management tool that has all features for a small to medium-sized business like Quickscrum, you need to ask whether these can solve the issues.
If the answer is no, uncheck the tool to save you from getting distracted by powerful features, attractive user interface and flashy demos that you will never use.
Research
After jotting down the needs, it’s now time to check the options available. Always remember to ask your peers what they liked using in the past and talk to your tea. Check for a recommendation, read out reviews and blogs handled by project managers. Begin by prioritizing feedbacks from your team – find out what they like, this will make organization adoption earlier.
Also, do a deep feature comparison of the pricing for every option against your list of “wanted”. We recommend you to spend some extra time to look at a perfect Project Management Software that suits you and your team. Check out whether your team wants Gantt charts or Kanban boards.
Once you have evaluated the options, now filter down the options to five finalists.
Ask For A Test Drive
Let’s kick the tires. Almost all PM tools come with a free trial. You can also mail them or ask them through their customer support if they don’t and they will love to help you out. Now it’s time to collect a small group to experiment with the tool. Pick people who have different working style and functions. If possible, ask the experiment team to work on a real project with the tool. It’s quite swifter to use the features for just five minutes, but you will have to check how it works when you use it for a really long time to get something done. Or else, you might never understand its drawbacks and advantages.
Also, remember to test their customer support. Using a new tool, even if it suits you and your team, takes work. The provider you choose must offer you support that can make all the differences.
Ask your team to question the support team if there is anything and check how long they take to revert you. Don’t forget to check their help center and resources to find out whether there are assets that can guide you get started.
Ask Feedback
After completing the trail, it’s not time to collect the feedback by reaching out to your team members on the experiment of the PM tool.
Things to ask are;
• Will the tool make the workflow efficient?
• The time spent to update the tool
• What they love and hate about the tool?
• How long it took for them to get started?
• How likely they would suggest the tool?
Consider The Cost And Implementation
Consider the price per user and the time it consumed to implement the tool. Think about the opportunities lost, time wasted and issues caused by the current workflow. How can this tool change that?
If the tool shows you long – term savings, then it’s the perfect one. You must also consider what payment method suits best. Do they offer monthly or annual payment? Or they accept three-month commitment and then reevaluate? Consider this as an investment. Found out what is best for your organization’s resources.
After evaluating consider to implement it. Most teams refuse to accept the change, so it’s better to plan accordingly, to make things smooth. Consider the timeline, training, champions, and integrations.
Once you are on board, it is important that you set a perfect example. Ensure to use the tool regularly.
