Project Management Software

Learn how to write effective user stories and download a free user story template to capture goals and guide agile development. The post A Guide on Writing User Stories in Agile Projects + Free Templates appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Discover the best AI project management tools like ClickUp, Wrike, and Taskade and find out how they simplify workflows and automate task creation. The post Best AI Project Management Tools in 2026: Expert Picks appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Azure DevOps is a Microsoft platform used by software development teams to plan, build, test and deliver applications. It brings together work tracking, source control and CI/CD in one environment. This article examines the Azure DevOps Roadmap, focusing on its strengths and limitations for software development teams executing multiple projects. What Is the Azure DevOps Roadmap? The Azure DevOps Roadmap is a visual planning view that helps software development teams map epics and features over time. It shows how work is scheduled across iterations and teams, making it easier to communicate delivery plans, coordinate development efforts and provide stakeholders with a hi…

Software development lives in a digital world. Why would anyone want to use software development templates? But some software developers and their teams might not be ready to upgrade to project management software. If that’s the case, check out these free software development templates for Excel, Word and more. They’re just a sampling of all the free project management templates available to download on our site. They cover every aspect of managing a project across multiple industries. For those wanting a more efficient and effective tool than software development templates, there’s ProjectManager, award-winning project and portfolio management software with robust Gant…

Project portfolio management (PPM) is the centralized management of all projects within an organization to ensure that they align with the overall strategic goals, deliver value, and are executed efficiently. The main objective of PPM is to optimize the selection, prioritization, and execution of projects to maximize organizational benefits, minimize risk and improve resource utilization. Below are free project portfolio templates to help with PPM. ProjectManager’s award-winning project and portfolio management software is more dynamic than static project portfolio management templates. Our software has tools to plan, manage and track programs, portfolios, resources and …

Production engineering sits at the intersection of design, manufacturing and continuous improvement, shaping how products are built at scale. For manufacturers, production engineering influences efficiency, quality and cost control across operations. This guide explores how production engineering supports modern factories, connects processes with technology and helps organizations respond faster to changing demand and competitive pressure in global industrial environments worldwide. What Is Production Engineering? Production engineering is a discipline focused on designing, optimizing and managing manufacturing processes to produce goods efficiently and consistently. It …

Complex projects still demand clarity when plans leave the screen and enter meetings, reviews or job sites. A printable Gantt chart gives teams a clean, visual timeline they can share, mark up and discuss. ProjectManager delivers a professional version designed for real-world collaboration and decision-making across industries and organizational contexts. When to Use a Printable Gantt Chart Organizations rely on printable Gantt charts when stakeholders need offline visibility, approvals require hard copies, schedules must be shared in boardrooms, training sessions or client reviews and regulated environments demand documented timelines that remain accessible to reference…

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a hierarchical breakdown of the tasks required to complete a project. Learn how it can help you manage your projects. The post Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Guide: Examples, Templates & Methods appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Software work rarely falls apart because of bad ideas; it unravels when timelines slip, dependencies clash and expectations drift. That’s where delivery planning becomes critical. Instead of reacting to chaos, teams shape a clear delivery plan that aligns scope, sequencing and capacity before code hits production. What Is Delivery Planning? Delivery planning is the structured process of organizing how software work moves from approved requirements to production release. It brings together product managers, delivery managers, developers, QA engineers and sometimes DevOps to decide what will be delivered, in what order and within what time frame. The process typically sta…

Successfully managing businesses, teams and projects means meeting deadlines and staying on budget, and Excel tracker templates and spreadsheets can help you do just that. While not as dynanmic as project management software, free templates for tracking tasks, time and costs are a great way to start reporting on progress. Using Excel to Track Tasks Managers have more control over their projects and operations with Excel tracking templates. Because of their quantitative nature, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet templates are a great tool to track data-rich metrics. Whether it’s a KPI dashboard for an overview of progress or a timeline template to visually organize tasks in one …

If there’s one thing you can be certain of when managing a project, it’s change. If only you knew ahead of time what those issues would be, you could better address them. Although it’s impossible to predict the future, with these free risk management templates, you can better prepare for the unexpected and be more apt to keep your project on track. There are many project management templates that are designed to help you identify, respond to and track those risks. This helps you avoid an issue that becomes a problem that negatively impacts the project’s time, cost and scope. Download these free risk management templates and gain more control over your project. 1. Risk M…

Learn the product development process with step-by-step guidance, supporting tools, and examples designed for project managers and product teams in 2026. The post Product Development Process: A Complete Guide for 2026 appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Discover how to create a fool-proof project schedule, including the methods, software tools, and expert tips to keep your project on track. The post How to Create a Project Schedule: Techniques, Examples & Tools appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Managing invoices, tracking payments and keeping cash flow predictable all depend on having the right systems in place. Billing templates and payment templates give teams a structured way to standardize invoicing, plan payments and reduce errors, helping businesses stay organized, improve collections and maintain consistent financial control across projects. ProjectManager is an award-winning project management software equipped with advanced cost management features that allow organizations to create detailed project schedules, estimate costs, create a budget, allocate resources and monitor costs in real time as work is executed. Get started for free today. /wp-content…

Learn how Agile software development works, explore Scrum and Kanban frameworks, and understand key roles, lifecycle stages, and tools for modern teams. The post Agile Software Development Explained: Process, Frameworks, & Tools appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Compare coordinator vs manager on duties, authority, pay, tools, and career path—plus when to hire each and how to move from coordinator to PM. The post Project Coordinator vs Manager: Roles, Pay & Path Differences appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

IT projects are unique. IT teams plan hardware and software installations, upgrades and rollouts, and the tools they use are specific to working with infrastructure, information systems and computers. These IT project management templates are essential to get those jobs done properly. ProjectManager has dozens of free project management templates for Excel and Word that IT managers need when working on web development, software development, mobile app development, network configuration and so much more. Try these 21 free IT project management templates today. 1. IT Project Plan Template IT project managers are responsible for many different types of projects, from devel…

Managing money effectively rarely happens by accident. As costs rise and financial goals multiply, having a clear budget plan becomes essential for staying in control. Rather than reacting to expenses month by month, budget planning helps individuals make intentional decisions, prioritize spending and align daily choices with long-term financial stability and personal peace of mind in modern everyday life. What Is Budget Planning? Budget planning refers to the structured approach used to evaluate income, anticipate expenses and decide how money will be allocated over time. It involves setting financial goals, analyzing spending patterns and establishing guidelines that i…

Project plans rarely hold true once the execution phase starts. Requirements evolve, stakeholders change their minds, risks turn into issues and teams learn as they go. That’s where iterative project management earns its place. Instead of betting everything on a single pass, it encourages progress, feedback and adjustment of dynamic, evolving plans. Understanding how it works helps you build resilient projects. However, before defining what iterative project management is, one must first define two closely related ideas: iteration and iterative process. They’re often used interchangeably in conversation, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing and clarifying that dist…

All projects use reporting to monitor progress and performance, but in construction, reporting is especially important. Construction reports are more varied and chart everything from project status to incidents and compliance. First, let’s define what construction reporting is and then explain why construction reports are so important. After that, we’ll list and detail several different types of construction reports to give you a full picture. What Is Construction Reporting? Construction reporting is the creation of informational documents on everything from project events to stages and processes for monitoring and controlling the project, but also to present to stakeho…

You identify them, record them, monitor them and plan for them: risks are an inherent part of every project. Some project risks are bound to become problem areas—like executing a project over the holidays and having to plan the project timeline around them. But there are many risks within any given project that, without risk assessment and risk mitigation strategies, can come as unwelcome surprises to you and your project management team. That’s where a risk management plan comes in—to help mitigate risks before they become problems. But first, what is project risk management? What Is a Risk Management Plan? A risk management plan defines how the project’s risk manageme…

Software teams often stretch their tools beyond their original purpose, especially when delivery pressure meets organizational complexity. This article explores Azure DevOps for project management, examining where it fits, where it struggles and why teams debate using it beyond workflows. What Is Azure DevOps? Azure DevOps is a Microsoft platform that provides a set of services for software development teams to plan work, manage source code, automate build and release pipelines and collaborate throughout the application lifecycle. It brings together tools for version control, continuous integration, testing, deployment and work item tracking within a single cloud-based e…

From early planning decisions to day-to-day site coordination, construction sequencing plays a central role in how work unfolds on a jobsite. A well-thought-out construction sequence plan helps teams visualize the order of activities, anticipate constraints and reduce disruptions before they turn into costly delays. What Is a Construction Sequence? A construction sequence is the planned order in which construction activities are carried out on a project. It shows how tasks are logically arranged based on dependencies, physical constraints and technical requirements to ensure work progresses efficiently and safely. What Is Construction Sequencing? Unlike a static task li…

Before a project can be priced, scheduled or even approved, someone must translate drawings into measurable reality. That moment is the construction takeoff, where plans stop being abstract and start driving decisions about cost, scope and risk across the entire job from bidding through execution and final closeout phases nationwide. What Is a Construction Takeoff? A construction takeoff is the systematic process of reviewing project drawings and specifications to identify, measure and quantify all work required to build a project. It converts visual information into numeric quantities for materials, labor and equipment. These quantities become the foundation for estima…

Construction schedules can look perfect on paper and still fall apart the moment crews hit the field. Workface planning helps close that gap by making sure the next chunk of work is truly ready before anyone shows up to the construction site. If you’re tired of construction delays and having to deal with construction scheduling issues, keep reading. What Is Workface Planning In Construction? Workface planning is a construction planning method that breaks the project scope into small, executable work packages and ensures each package is thoroughly planned and ready to be executed before crews start. It coordinates labor, materials, tools, drawings, permits, access and saf…