A Project Managers New Toolbox: How Software Is Benefitting The PM Process
Gone are the days when all you had was Microsoft Office, Excel and PowerPoint to run projects. Today, a wide array of applications exist with new ones cropping up all the time. Project Managers just have to embrace the new technologies and educate themselves on which products best suit their needs for the project at hand. When used properly these new technologies can make a significant positive impact on the complex and time-consuming process of running a project in the following ways:
Enables Better Planning & Optimizes Time and Effort
By utilizing online project management software, like Zoho, Trello and Asana, everything planned by the project manager can be seen by all team members. This allows individuals to give input and guidance when necessary, and therefore allows the PM to come up with a sound plan that will make execution run smoothly and completion happen on time.
Additionally, Project Managers can easily distribute and schedule work for different team members or groups, which avoids overlapping of work, keeps employees busy at all times and allows the PM to easily monitor what each team is doing in order to optimize time and keep the project on track.
Easy Communication and Collaboration
Communication and collaboration are the backbone of project management. With mobile applications like Slack and other cloud computing products, it’s easy for teams to work together from anywhere.
They enable project members to share ideas and files, hold discussions and answer questions from wherever they are. When team members can easily get information and their queries answered from one source instead of looking for information all over the internet, productivity is heightened.
Smooth Workflow
With web-based software, teams can access, edit and update projects in one place from anywhere at any time. This makes for a seamless workflow as Project Managers don’t have to waste time running after team members for updates.
As stated previously, Project Managers can also easily distribute and schedule work making it easy for members to know what they’re supposed to do and when.
Accountability and Monitoring Is Easy
Web-based applications like SEMrush, Woorank and Ahrefs will help with SEO, allow Project Managers to see that tasks are being updated or completed, and hold teams accountable if they are not meeting deadlines or pulling their weight. If necessary, it also allows the PM to assist the team in order to stay on track.
As online software exposes the project management process to every team member, employees are inclined to be more productive and thorough. Furthermore, with this increased visibility, Project Managers can catch mistakes early and rectify them quickly.
Better Documentation
Instead of keeping project data in Excel or another local document where it is at a risk of getting deleted or lost, cloud computing is a safer more efficient way of storing data. Moreover, managers don’t have to go through the hassle of importing and exporting documents to team members from different platforms through emails or printed materials. All the information can be accessed in one place by the entire team.
Better Tracking of Expenses
As it is the responsibility of the PM to keep costs within an allocated budget in order to maximize profits from the project, online project software like QuickBooks can help achieve this. Managers can calculate how much each team needs, distribute the money and also track how each team is using the allocated funds. This allows the Project Manager to quickly check wastefulness and ensure maximum profitability.
Can’t keep track of the new tech in project management?
Have a chat with the specialists at ASB Resources. As expert Project Management solution providers we can help you choose and onboard the right technologies and team members to make your projects run smoother and complete sooner. Schedule some time with one of our Project Management experts today!
