The project management software market is highly competitive, with dozens of different providers competing for your attention. So how do you ensure you pick the right software provider for your organization? By asking the right questions, of course.
Here are our top 10 questions to ask when choosing project management software for your business.
Project management software is supposed to boost productivity, so the last thing you want is for it to take weeks for employees to learn how to use it. The best project management software is intuitive, easy to learn, and requires minimal training. If a software provider offers help with onboarding, that’s great, but if they offer a long training course, this may indicate that their software isn’t easy to use. Many project management software providers offer free trials, so we suggest using this time to familiarize yourself with the system and decide for yourself if it’s easy to use.
In the world of SaaS (software-as-a-service), there is no such thing as one-size-fits-all pricing. The price of project management software is usually determined by the number of users in your organization. It also takes into account which features you want, how much storage you need, and whether you want unlimited access to each feature or are willing to accept certain limits each month. Before comparing quotes for project management software, it’s worth taking some time to think about your organization’s needs.
From the user’s perspective, scalability refers to the ability of project management software to support your organization as you (hopefully) grow. You may have 10 or 100 or 1,000 people in your organization now, but what happens when those numbers grow 3-fold, 5-fold, or 10-fold? Good project management software grows with you and gives you the option of adding more features and capabilities along the way.
The word “configurable” often gets confused with “customizable”, but what it basically means is that the user can make changes to the system without custom coding. To give some real-life examples, configurability could mean being able to create spreadsheets from pre-made templates, create dashboards from various widgets, or set rules that trigger notifications. When you buy an “off-the-shelf” solution, you are basically stuck with what you get. When you choose configurable software, the sky's the limit.
Browsers are like sports teams, super heroes, or genres of music: we all have our preferences, and discussion can get pretty heated. When it comes to project management software, you should look for a provider that supports everyone’s individual preferences. If one person prefers Chrome, another prefers Safari and a third prefers Firefox, it doesn’t really matter – as long as they contribute to the team. Good project management software should support all browsers.
Staying on the topic of individual preferences, people like to consume their information in all sorts of different ways. Fortunately, the best project management software programs offer a range of visualization options, including Gantt charts, Kanban boards, grid view, card view, calendar view, and simple spreadsheet view.
The best project management software providers don’t just rely on their own features; they also offer integrations. When providers refer to integrations, this could mean pre-built integrations that connect seamlessly with your software (like downloading an app on your phone or computer), being able to build your own integrations using an API, or being able to use a third-party service such as Zapier to add pre-built apps. No project management software is complete without integrations.
While cloud-based software has obvious benefits, it also has risks – like having your data exposed. Before choosing project management software, take a good look at the security features. At a minimum, your provider should offer industry-standard encryption and regular (i.e., daily) backups and have servers in secure and compliant data centers. Enterprise plans often include additional layers of security, such as single sign-on (a convenient setting that allows users to sign in with their company log-in credentials).
Your software should be capable of running smoothly, but it’s still good to know you have support when you need it. When comparing providers, check if they have 24/7 support (or at least provide support in the hours you’re most likely to need it) and read customer reviews to sound out their reputation. Basic plans usually include, well, basic support, while enterprise plans often include dedicated support or the ability to skip the queue when calling the help line.
One of the best things about having all your project management tools in the one place is that it gives you a single source of truth, i.e., a single place where all your data can be found. The dashboard area of your project management software is where you can access this data. A good dashboard lets you view real-time updates, analyze historical data, and create custom reports – all with the goal of empowering you to make data-driven decisions for your business.
With so many options to choose from, it can be hard figuring out which project management software is best for you. During the shopping phase, don’t be afraid to grill providers about their features. It’s a buyer’s market, and you should only go with a provider that meets the specific needs of your organization.