Project Management Software

Looking for free project management software? Here's our list of the top free tools to help you plan, organize, and execute projects in 2023. The post 10 Best Free Project Management Tools to Boost Team Efficiency in 2025 appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Construction delivery methods matter. They are the means by which a construction project gets from idea to completion. That’s a long and complicated journey in construction project management, which is why knowing the best construction delivery method is so important. You can’t reach the end of your project if you’re not sure of the steps to get there, and construction delivery methods outline those steps. Before we look at the various construction delivery methods, we need to first make sure we’re clear on what a construction delivery method is. We’ll then explore how to choose the right construction delivery method for your organization and project. Finally, we’ll desc…

Meeting agenda templates are valuable tools that help teams stay organized, focused and productive. We’ve collected some free management templates on our site that relate to meetings. These meeting templates provide a clear structure for planning meetings by outlining topics, time allocations, discussion leaders and desired outcomes. Use this roundup of free meeting agenda templates for Word and Excel to make it easier to plan and execute efficient meetings. They can be used repeatedly to consistently improve collaboration, accountability and overall meeting effectiveness—without the extra time spent creating documents from scratch. 1. Meeting Agenda Template Download t…

Effective program management requires structure, clarity and consistency across all phases—from planning and execution to monitoring and evaluation. Program management templates are essential tools that help teams organize complex workflows, align stakeholders and ensure projects stay on track and within scope. Whether you’re managing a single initiative or overseeing multiple interrelated projects, the right templates can streamline communication, improve efficiency and reduce the risk of errors. Download these free templates for program management and provide a practical foundation for building successful, scalable programs across industries. 1. Program Roadmap Templa…

Project templates are predesigned documents that help organize and manage a project from start to finish. They provide a standardized approach to common project tasks, helping project managers and teams stay consistent, efficient and aligned. These templates often include predefined sections, tasks, timelines and checkpoints that help guide the project through its life cycle. Download these free project templates to help with the project planning process, change management, project scheduling and more. But know that templates are only a bandaid and will prove frustrating in time. We suggest upgrading to project management software, but until one is ready, these free proj…

Managing tasks efficiently is essential to staying organized, meeting deadlines and driving project success—whether you’re working solo or as part of a team. Task management templates provide a ready-to-use structure to help plan, prioritize, assign and track tasks across any workflow or project. In this roundup, we’ll explore a variety of task management templates designed to support different needs and industries, from daily to-do lists to complex project task trackers. Each template is built to streamline productivity, ensure accountability and keep the team aligned every step of the way. 1. Project Task Tracker Excel Template Download this free project task tracker …

Effective process management is the backbone of successful project execution and operational efficiency. To streamline planning, execution and tracking, teams often rely on a suite of templates designed to simplify and standardize their workflows. Process management templates are ready-made tools that help organize tasks, monitor progress, allocate resources and maintain budgetary control. While project management software does the job better than these process management templates, we understand that not everyone is ready to upgrade. Therefore, in this roundup, we explore key types of process management templates, including flowcharts, service blueprint and RACI matrix …

There are many different types of construction. Most think of dwellings, but when driving past road crews tearing up the streets, that’s also an example of a construction project. In fact, there are many different types of construction projects. Let’s review different types of construction, defining and illustrating them so they are clear and understandable. We’ll also look at international building codes and how construction project management software helps deliver all types of construction more efficiently. 1. Residential Construction Likely the most familiar type of construction is residential. It refers to the process of building, renovating or remodeling homes and…

Knowing project management terms and concepts is a necessity for anyone in the field. Learn the top project management terminology in this easy-to-understand glossary. The post 100+ Important Project Management Terms & Concepts to Know appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

As professionals with targets, projects to manage and bills to pay, we must perform, whether it’s the beginning of the week or the exhausting end of a long, hard one. And it’s precisely when times get tough that a good motivational speech is most beneficial, inspiring us to clear any psychological and physical hurdles that are keeping us from our goals. What’s amazing about people is, that despite the external forces at play on our constitution, we can always be influenced by attitude. If your coworkers or managers can motivate you, suddenly that hidden resource is tapped, and you’re ready to get up and go again with renewed energy and focus. Leaders can motivate and in…

A proposal template is a versatile tool that streamlines the process of presenting, planning and initiating projects in any industry. Whether working in construction, IT, event planning, marketing, professional services or practically any business venture, a well-designed proposal template ensures that all critical components of a proposal are clearly outlined and professionally delivered. Why Use a Proposal Template? Across industries, a proposal template is a starting point for customizing proposals to suit specific needs. For example, in construction, the focus may be on deliverables, site plans and contractor timelines. In IT, the emphasis might be on system architec…

Creating professional reports can be time-consuming, but the right template can make the process much easier. Whether you need to present data, analyze performance or share project updates, using a well-designed template saves you time and ensures a polished look. In this roundup, we’ve gathered these free report templates that are easy to customize and perfect for any purpose. From business reports to project summaries, these templates will help you create clear, organized and visually appealing documents in no time. But templates aren’t a perfect solution. Project management software offers a more efficient reporting method for those ready to upgrade. Not ready to make…

Knowing what signs to look for to prevent failed projects is the responsibility of the project manager. Let’s take a deeper look at project failure, and identify some actionable steps you can take to avoid it. The post 12 Reasons Why Projects Fail & Solutions for Them appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Stakeholders are anyone who has a vested interest in the project. They can be internal, such as project managers, teams, owners or investors, or external, such as clients, customers or suppliers. There can be a lot of stakeholders in any project and managing them requires stakeholder management templates. ProjectManager is project management software that helps you manage projects and stakeholders. If you’re not ready for a free trial of the software, we also offer dozens of free project management templates for Excel and Word that can help with every phase of your project. Here are some free stakeholder management templates. 1. Stakeholder Analysis Template There may b…

Lazy coworkers — there’s at least one in every office. They’re the ones who come in late, take a long lunch and leave early. They always have an excuse to explain their behavior and can even be apologetic. But what good is saying sorry if the actions remain the same? These actions can be annoying, but if the lazy coworker doesn’t impact your work, then simply avoid them. Don’t hold onto resentments. On the other hand, if their laziness starts to affect your work life, then you need to address it. But first, do a little soul-searching. Are you just being judgmental? Does the lazy coworker trigger you? Before you start tattling and spreading toxic emotions, try speaking t…

If you’re looking for ways to increase productivity in your project (and who isn’t?), then you’ll need to know how to effectively measure your progress. Tracking these key performance indicators (KPI) will help keep the team productive and the project on track. Having your eye on KPI metrics is one of the best ways to track the progress of your team. But first, let’s define some key terms and then get to the essential KPI metrics for teams. /wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Light-mode-portfolio-dashboard-CTA.pngTrack KPIs in real time with dashboards. Learn more What Is a KPI? KPI is an acronym that stands for key performance indicator. It is a measurement that demonstrates h…

Whether you’re managing a project in construction or manufacturing, keeping costs down is paramount. The lower your costs, the higher your profits. It’s as simple as that. This is why cost control techniques are so important in project management and business administration. To understand cost control methods, let’s first define what cost control is and then we’ll explore the steps you can take to implement cost control. There are also a number of cost control techniques that can help, which we’ll also outline. Learn how strategic cost management techniques can help you better manage construction or manufacturing projects. What Is Cost Control? Cost control is a practic…

Planning a project only gets you so far. You also have to monitor your progress and performance to track if you’re on schedule and within budget. Then there are your stakeholders whose expectations must be managed. That’s where Excel report templates come in. Project reports are tools that project managers use to extract valuable project data. Excel report templates are a great tool to determine how you’re doing and keep your stakeholders updated. Using Excel Report Templates for Project Management The great thing about Excel report templates is that they’re free to download. Below are 10 essential Excel report templates that you can use now to get valuable data on your…

Is leadership something you’re born with or can it be taught? It’s an interesting question, but one that you shouldn’t spend too much time stressing over. Even if you are full of charisma and people naturally line up to follow you anywhere, you could always hone your leadership skills with leadership training. Or, if you’re like the rest of us, who aren’t natural-born leaders, but find themselves in a position of leadership, you’ll want to study the techniques that rally teams to success. Leadership isn’t rocket science, but like rocket science, it can be taught. There’s a wealth of leadership courses available, online and in the real world. Some are free and others are…

Project management charts greatly help project managers plan, schedule and track progress on projects of all sizes. There are many types of project management charts and there’s one for each stage of the project life cycle such as project initiation or project closing charts, for example. There are also planning charts, diagrams and matrices for each of the key 10 project management areas such as cost, schedule, resource or stakeholder management. Luckily for project managers, there are many alternatives when it comes to choosing a project management chart to facilitate project planning efforts. In fact, using those charts is often a need for project managers. You’ll ne…

Construction projects are unique. They tend to be long, complex and involve many different subcontractors who all work together. This has led to construction techniques and construction methods specific to the industry. Let’s explore what constitutes the modern method of construction by defining the best innovative construction techniques. We’ll also compare these modern construction methods to traditional construction methods and show how templates and construction project management software help implement them. What Types of Construction Methods Are There? Construction methods and construction techniques refer to the various processes, materials and strategies used t…

There are many ways to manage a project. While project management software is the gold standard, there are many free project management templates for Google that you can download to plan, manage and track your projects. Get these free project management templates for Google and take control of your project to deliver it successfully. Best Project Management Templates for Google Sheets There are many project management templates for Google online. They cover all phases of the project through its life cycle. It can be a bit intimidating to search such a large database to find the free project management templates for Google that are right for you. It’s easy to start using…

Before you can manage a project, you need the right project tools to collect the necessary data to formulate a strategy—and project management Excel templates are a great place to begin. Employees and team members are often familiar with Microsoft Excel, since there are 1.1 to 1.5 billion Excel users worldwide, so it can be a comfortable starting software for project management. Whether you need to plan a project, track progress, run a status report or balance a budget, you’ll find a project management template for Excel in this list that suits your needs. Using Excel for Project Management Microsoft Excel does a lot of things well: mathematics, analysis and organizatio…

A project management dashboard is one of the essential tools for delivering projects as planned. That’s because a project dashboard is a visual representation of key performance indicators (KPIs) that provide a high-level overview of key project metrics. For those not ready to upgrade to project management software, there’s an alternative: Excel dashboard templates. Dashboard templates are designed to track a variety of different metrics that provide vital data for project managers and their teams. We have free dashboard templates that will help track budget, workload, progress and more. Monitoring this allows project managers to determine if the project is on schedule a…

Leadership might be hard to define, but it’s easy to recognize. That doesn’t mean leaders are passive, resting on inherent abilities. True, some are born leaders and others learn how to become effective leaders. Both take work, and leadership assessment tools can help you on your journey. Leaders know that to lead they must keep up their leadership skills. But leadership isn’t only about inspiring others, it’s about knowing oneself. There are personality types, and there are leadership skills: it’s not one size fits all. As with anything, complacency is poison. Fuel for leadership is constant curiosity and regular assessment. As to the latter, there are many ways for a …