Before listing down the Software Project Management (SPM) tools, let me give a brief introduction of the three jargons used in the software development paradigm.
- Project
- Project Management (PM)
- Software Project Management (SPM)
What is a Project?
A project is any task that has a definite Starting and End Point. Therefore, a project has a finite timeline, and depending on the complexity and nature of the project, it can involve a single person or a team of hundred, there is no limit.
Projects are of various types, and their objectives vary with each variation. As this blog is about SPM tools, let’s quickly learn what Project Management or PM is.
What is Project Management?
It’s a process that starts with the planning of working on a project and ends with the deployment and execution of that particular project. Since the term project is pretty general, it may include projects from any area of profession. Architecture, Biology, Construction, Demography, Software, name any discipline of study, and you will find the term project in that area of education.
Project Management refers to achieving the project objectives within the given constraints. The constraints may include resources (time, budget, employees, machinery, etc.), methodology, and customer satisfaction. Although the list of project constraints is long, these three have the most impact on any project.
Project management is a necessity even today because, without a sound project manager, no project can achieve all the primary objectives mentioned by the stakeholder. You can learn more about software and other tech-related reviews at Alex J. Walker.
Being a tech-savvy guy, I’ve experienced numerous scenarios in which the team behind a project had unmatchable software-related skills, but due to poor project management, the whole project failed. That’s why a technologically sound project manager must lead a project to complete all the required objectives.
What is Software Project Management?
The managing of a software project is known as Software Project Management. Quite though the term is whole a subject in itself, one must understand that behind every software project, there is a project manager who is responsible for the 5 phases of project management:
- Initiation
- Planning
- Execution
- Maintenance
- Closing
Within these 5 phases, the Planning phase is the most important one.
As Benjamin Franklin said,
“Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail.”
No matter what type of project is there to work on, the planning must be efficient and well-organized so that if any failure happens to occur, you smartly execute the contingency plan.
Top SPM Tools of 2021
I hope you grasped enough knowledge regarding the SPM. Now let’s move to the SPM tools that make project management easy and swift for you in the software industry of today.
1.
JIRA (by Atlassian) – 4.2/5 by TechnologyAdvice
JIRA is a famous project management tool that provides bug tracking and agile software project development as its primary features.
2.
Asana – 4.21/5 by TechnologyAdvice
A simple tool to manage a project with a bulk of useful features like collaboration, scheduling, progress records, and sleek communication.
3.
Workzone – 4.5/5 by TechnologyAdvice
Workzone is more efficient than beginner-level project management tools, but it doesn’t win the battle when it comes to highly complex projects.
4.
Microsoft Project – 4.2/5 by TechnologyAdvice
MS Project is more user-friendly and provides easy usability for people who are less exposed to technology and project management.
Final Words
As project management is necessary, the software project management tools provide excellent planning, development, and execution of software projects. I shared only the 4 top-level SPM tools that are acing the software industry today, but the list is not limited to these. Make sure to look for the price structure of SPM tools because any investment in the software industry must not go in vain.
