In today’s complex, technologically advanced business environment, managers have it more challenging than ever. Fortunately, they are not without help. Over the last few years, more and more technology has appeared on the market to make project managers’ jobs easier. We have divided these tools into 5 groups based on the areas in which they help project managers:
1. Collaboration
Collaboration tools and project-based chat platforms are prominent in newer types of project management technology. Innovations in this area are becoming more common, partly due to telecommuters. According to Forbes magazine, one in five Americans works from home. This growing trend means more and more teleworkers will be in companies, and they will need to be informed of changes in real time. Chat software is perfect for this purpose. Think of them as Messenger, but for companies,
2.
Cloud-based sharing and management is becoming increasingly popular, offering many new ways to increase productivity. In addition, the manager can see at any moment how the project is progressing, who is doing what, and whether deadlines are being met; in other words, everything related to the project. This gives employees a greater sense of responsibility, as they know their work is being followed up. Research has shown that cloud-based project management technology increases productivity and employee focus. The more closely the process can be monitored, the faster obstacles and problems can be identified.
3. Information-gathering tools
The bigger the project, the more information circulates within the team. After a while, it’s easy to lose track if all essential documents and data are sent via email. It’s straightforward to make mistakes that can have disastrous consequences. It may sound like an exaggeration, but it is true – just think, if you leave a zero at the end of a sum, everything is turned upside down because the budget will not match. Today, we can buy a range of software to store information centrally. Everyone working on the project has access to this repository, and there is no need to manually enter and update data, as the software will do it for you automatically. This ensures that no human error is introduced into the calculations and that the most up-to-date data is always available.
4. Scheduling software
Most teams are no longer confined to an office, a building, or even a country. Team members can be anywhere in the world, in any time zone, so scheduling is more important than ever in project management. With the growth of a decentralized workforce, all team members must be well-informed about meetings, calls, and deadlines to ensure the project’s success.
5. Automated workflow
Creating your workflow is a complex and pitfall-filled task, so every project manager will benefit from software that automates it. Employees spend a large part of their working time doing administrative tasks when they could spend their time on more important things. Automated workflow means that the software takes care of the administrative tasks, leaving employees more time for the project. With these software solutions, choosing a flexible solution that can adapt to changes easily and quickly is critical.