How to Decide on the Best Project Management Software

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As a business owner or manager, you want to ensure project operations run as smoothly as possible to meet deadlines. However, you would have to be a master of multitasking and time management if you want to accomplish this manually. Project management software solves this problem by streamlining your team’s workflow without all the hassle. The only issue left is choosing which one.

Before deciding what project management software works best for you and your business, here are some things to consider.

Figure out Where You Struggle

Finding the best solution starts with identifying your current and potential business problems. This is because project management tools differ in what kind of problems they solve.

Therefore, it is essential to find out what areas you and your team struggle in first. So create a checklist for what features you need for your team to succeed.

The most typical problems are task delegation, document organization, team communication, and integrations with other apps. Shortcut, for example, provides solutions for all these through its own software and seamless integrations with other apps.

It ultimately depends on what your team needs to maximize their time and efforts during day-to-day operations. Ideally, you will want flexible program management software so your team can adapt to new challenges.

Weigh Your Options to Decide on the Best Project Management Software

Once you know what you need, you should research the pros and cons of all your options. That makes it easier to decide what stays on your options list and what goes. This part usually takes the longest because of the research and comparisons to whittle down those options.

To get you started right, here are the most critical factors you need to consider:

Budget
Security needs
Team size and how the tool will scale
Integration options
Document storage capacity
Permissions and approval capabilities
Guest access requirements

Test Each Software Option

Making the right decision when choosing project management software without a trial run is impossible. Luckily, most project management software provides free trials to test their user interface. This lets you test out key features and essential functions you might need, like app integrations and report insights.

Free trials have minimal functions, however, and there will be cases where a feature you need is not there. In cases like that, you will need to contact the developers and ask for special access. Most companies will not refuse the request, especially for a potential client.

Here are some of the crucial aspects you need to test out before having your team conduct a trial run:

Dashboard interface
Notifications
Search bar
Task creation system
Integrations interface
Scheduling functions
Accounting tools
Customization options
Bug reporting system

After you have a good feel for the software, you need to conduct a trial run for your team. After all, you are investing in software your team will use daily. It also gives you a better idea of how it will work for actual day-to-day business operations with your team.

Evaluate with Your Team

Another vital aspect is your team’s feedback on initial tests for the software. Understanding how specific project management software works for your team is essential in choosing the best one for your company.

Insisting on the software your team struggles with will only waste time, effort, and money that could have gone to better software. Not to mention instead of solving your managing problem, you might make it worse and waste company resources.

With that in mind, you must gather their honest opinions before deciding. Here are some of the best ways to collect their feedback:

Live walkthroughs with your team for immediate feedback
Individual interviews about their views of the software
Team meetings to discuss the pros and cons of each software
Sending out survey forms requiring detailed thoughts in writing

Whichever method you wish to use is really up to you. But it is essential to ask your team members which features they liked and did not like. Your team’s overall confidence in the software will often determine if they will embrace the new system or not.

It may sound like a random thing but think about it. But if your team does not like the software, how can you expect them to excel at using it for daily tasks? Like it or not, that plays a huge factor in whether or not the new software will succeed.

Follow This Guide and Choose the Best Project Management Software

Investing in project management software is not cheap, but it will be worth it if you choose the right one. Once you find one you and your team feel is right, go for it. You can even purchase a short-term contract to continue testing if it is a good fit for you. Remember to follow this guide, and you are sure to make the right choice.

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