In medium-sized companies, project scopes are often rather manageable. Nevertheless, a project management tool can be useful, as its functions can decisively help a team with the planning and successful implementation of the project. In this article, we want to take a closer look at this.
What actually is a project management tool?
A project management tool (PM tool) is a software application designed to help plan, organize and execute projects. It provides features and tools to manage tasks, allocate resources, create schedules, track progress, and the ability to collaborate and share smoothly, as well as store project information centrally. They help teams and project managers to keep track of their projects, increase efficiency and achieve the project's objective more easily. There are different types of tools: web-based platforms, desktop applications or mobile apps, each bringing different features and capabilities.
To what extent can medium-sized companies in particular benefit from the introduction of a project management tool?
Efficiency increase
PM tools offer various functions to structure work processes and improve the flow of a project. They allow planning tasks, defining dependencies and priorities, and assigning responsibilities. By clearly presenting tasks and deadlines, the team can better organize its work and track the progress of projects. This leads to greater efficiency, as team members can keep track of their tasks and focus on their work.
Resource optimization
Even if the project effort is manageable, it is important to use resources such as time, budget and staff effectively. PM tools help plan and manage resources. They provide better visibility into staff availability, scheduling of work hours and assignment of tasks. Efficient resource allocation can avoid bottlenecks, reduce overloads and significantly increase team productivity.
Communication and collaboration
A PM tool creates optimal conditions for teams to collaborate better. Team members can communicate with each other within the platform, share documents, comment on tasks, and track the progress of the project, all in real time. Team members can work in parallel on different aspects of a project without conflict or loss of data. Information is synchronized and updated instantaneously, so all team members always have access to the latest data and progress. The same goes for the communication features: Real-time chat, comments, and notification features allow for quick response to requests and changes, discussion, and rapid decision-making. This promotes collaboration and enables the team to work more efficiently and in a more coordinated manner, even if team members are working in different locations or at different times.
Transparency and traceability
A PM tool acts as a central repository for all project-related information and makes it easily accessible to all team members. This creates transparency, as everyone involved can see the current status of the project. Tasks, progress, changes and decisions can be easily tracked, allowing better control over the project's progress and facilitating corrective interventions to keep the project on track.
Scalability
Although the project effort may be manageable at first, this can change in the future as the company grows or new projects are added. PM tools are usually scalable and can adapt to the changing needs of the business. They offer the ability to add more features and modules to meet increasing demands. This allows a company to use the project management tool for the long term and expand it as needed.
What you should consider when choosing a software
If you are thinking about purchasing a PM tool for your company, you should consider various aspects. First of all, it is important to know your own requirements, because only then the introduction of the tool in the company will be successful. For most small and medium-sized companies, tools that cover the basic functions are usually sufficient. These include task management, time planning, resource management, document management and communication. If the tool also offers the possibility of extensions, this is not wrong in order to be able to meet future requirements. Of course, the functions offered and the added value of the tool should always be in a healthy relationship to the price.
User-friendliness is also very important, especially for small and medium-sized companies. Employees should be able to work with the PM tool as quickly as possible without having to complete extensive training beforehand. For this reason, tools that have an intuitive and highly visualized user interface are particularly suitable. The PM tool from Trello is a good example of this. Last but not least, a PM tool should always be able to integrate with other systems already in use in the company and should adequately protect the stored data. We would be happy to advise you and help you find the project management tool that best suits your needs. Simply book a Date with one of our experts.
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