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

Managing construction operations across projects, teams and finances quickly becomes complex without the right systems in place. Construction ERP software brings structure to that complexity by centralizing data, processes and controls. For growing contractors and developers, choosing the right platform can improve visibility, reduce risk and support smarter decisions as operations scale. What Is Construction ERP Software? At its core, construction enterprise resource planning software, most commonly referred to as construction ERP software, is an integrated system that combines financial management, project controls, procurement, resource planning and reporting into a s…

Securing funds to build from the ground up requires planning beyond traditional lending, and that is where construction financing becomes essential. Whether you’re developing a home or a commercial property, understanding how a construction loan works helps you anticipate cash needs, lender expectations and approval hurdles. With the right preparation, borrowers can reduce risk, speed approvals and move confidently from initial concept through completion before engaging contractors, finalizing designs or requesting funds from lenders early in the process. What Is Construction Financing? Construction financing refers to short-term funding used to cover the costs of buildi…

Project leadership is in flux and a good manager knows never to become complacent. Jennifer Bridges, PMP, shows you how your role is evolving. Here’s a shot of the whiteboard for your reference! In Review: 7 Ways Project Manager Roles Are Changing As Jennifer said, project manager roles are changing. The days of technical, scope, scheduling, budgeting, assigning resources and delivering deliverables on time have evolved to include soft skills such as conflict resolution, leadership, and even trends towards more business management skills such as business modeling and strategic analysis. These new skills are reflected in the new Project Management Institute (PMI) guide…

Construction disputes are an unfortunate but common reality in the construction industry, especially on complex projects with multiple stakeholders, tight timelines and significant financial risk. From payment issues and scope changes to design errors and contract interpretation, disagreements can arise at almost any stage of the construction process. Knowing how to handle construction disputes early and effectively can help protect working relationships, control costs and keep projects moving toward completion instead of litigation. What Is a Construction Dispute? A construction dispute is a disagreement between one or more parties involved in a construction project reg…

Learn the top eight causes of project failure and discover techniques to prevent delays, scope issues, and wasted resources. The post Top 8 Causes of Project Failure & What You Can Do About Them appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

A well-organized construction site logistics plan keeps materials, equipment and people moving efficiently across the jobsite. From delivery schedules to storage locations and traffic flow, a clear construction logistics plan helps reduce delays, improve safety and control costs. In this guide, we’ll break down what is a construction site logistics plan, why it matters and how a strong site logistics plan construction teams can rely on supports smoother project execution. What Is a Construction Site Logistics Plan? A construction site logistics plan outlines how people, materials, equipment and vehicles move through a jobsite. It defines site access, storage locations, t…

Construction teams rely on clear updates to keep projects moving forward. A solid construction progress report helps track work completed, flag issues early and align teams and stakeholders. With effective construction progress reporting, you gain visibility into schedules, costs and performance so everyone knows where the project stands and what comes next. Let’s explore this topic so you and your team can generate more effective reports. What Is a Construction Progress Report? A construction progress report is a structured update that tracks how a construction project is performing against its plan. It documents completed work, current activities, upcoming tasks and an…

Strong leadership, clear vision and pride in craftsmanship drive successful construction projects. These construction quotes highlight timeless lessons from architects, engineers and leaders whose words still resonate on today’s job sites. 1. “You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it requires people to make the dream a reality.” — Walt Disney This quote reminds construction teams that even the most visionary designs rely on collaboration, skilled labor and shared commitment. Turning plans into reality demands communication, coordination and craftsmanship from everyone involved on the jobsite. 2. “The mother art is architectur…

Construction project management certifications help professionals strengthen leadership skills, advance career goals and apply industry best practices across complex builds. While construction document management remains critical to project success, earning the right certification also builds planning, cost estimating and management expertise. This guide highlights the 27 best construction project management certifications worldwide for 2026. What Is a Construction Project Management Certification? A construction project management certification validates the skills and knowledge needed to plan, manage and deliver construction projects successfully. Earning a constructio…

Construction document management is critical to keeping complex building projects organized, compliant and on schedule. With multiple stakeholders, evolving plans and strict regulatory requirements, construction teams need a reliable way to store, track and share documents in real time. Effective construction document control ensures that the right stakeholders are working from the latest versions, reducing errors, delays and costly rework while improving collaboration across the project lifecycle. What Is Construction Document Management? Construction document management is the process of organizing, storing and controlling all digital and physical construction document…

Unexpected delays can disrupt output, drain resources and complicate decision-making, which is why teams rely on a downtime report to bring clarity to operational slowdowns. This guide walks you through how the document works, how to create one effectively and what details matter most. You’ll also find an example and a free template to streamline your tracking process. /wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Downtime-report-template-image.png Get your free Downtime Report Template Use this free Downtime Report Template for Excel to manage your projects better. Download Excel File What Is a Downtime Report? A downtime report is a structured record that captures when o…

There’s always plenty of project management paperwork to create, get approved, file and archive. All project documents are important, but the statement of work (SOW) is easily one of the most important because it’s made at the outset of a project and outlines everything that needs to go into your project. Using effective project planning tools and a thorough and well-written statement of work (SOW) will set you up to successfully lead a project over the finish line on schedule and within budget. What Is a Statement of Work (SOW)? The statement of work (SOW) is a legally binding document that captures and defines all the work management aspects of your project. You’ll no…

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…

What Is a Scope of Work? A scope of work in project management is a formal document that defines the specific tasks, deliverables, timelines and responsibilities required to complete a project. It establishes clear boundaries by outlining what is included and excluded, setting expectations for performance standards, acceptance criteria and work requirements. The scope of work supports project planning, scheduling, budgeting and monitoring and reduces ambiguity between stakeholders and provides a contractual reference for managing changes, tracking progress and preventing scope creep throughout execution. /wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Scope-of-work-template.jpg Get yo…

Failure is an unavoidable part of any project process: it’s the degree of failure that makes the difference. If a task fails, there are ways to reallocate resources and get back on track. But a systemic collapse will derail the whole project. Why Is It Important to Analyze Failed Projects? What good can come from failure? A lot, actually. Sometimes a project reaches too far beyond its means and fails, which is unfortunate but can also serve as a teaching moment. If project managers don’t learn from their mistakes, then they’re not growing professionally and will revisit the same problem in future projects, programs or portfolios. Project managers and organizations can l…

Daily affirmations have long been used to boost self-esteem. They compel people to start their days on the right foot. But while letting a smile be your umbrella might fortify your positive attitude, it’s not going to inspire your business ventures. Everyone must work, but for many of us, that job isn’t just a paycheck; it’s an opportunity to express ourselves and make something better. Entrepreneurs and go-getters often feel as if they carry the weight of an entire organization on their backs, and therefore could always use a little extra motivation. To all the entrepreneurs and go-getters out there, these 60 inspiring business quotes are for you. Now, get out there an…

What Is a Project Proposal? A project proposal is a formal project management document used to present a proposed initiative in a clear, structured way before work begins. It defines what the project is, what it aims to achieve and the high-level requirements needed to move forward. Rather than detailing execution, a project proposal establishes a shared planning framework that allows organizations and external stakeholders to review, discuss and refine an idea early. Because proposals are written for sponsors, clients or decision-makers, they must be tailored to their priorities and concerns. Understanding the audience is critical to presenting information at the right …

Making an action plan is essential for turning goals into results. Whether you’re launching a new initiative or improving existing processes, you need well-structured documents that outline tasks, deadlines and accountability. Using action plan templates ensures every step is clearly defined and supported with the information required to execute successfully. Below are our top free action plan templates for Excel and Word. Use them individually or combine them to build a complete execution toolkit your team can follow with confidence and clarity. 1. Action Plan Template for Excel When a project moves from ideas into execution, an action plan becomes the roadmap that gui…

Any successful business requires thoughtful planning and well-structured documentation to stay focused and achieve growth. With the right business planning templates, organizations can capture goals, strategies and financial plans clearly, ensuring every stakeholder has consistent, accurate information to guide decision-making. Below, you’ll find our top 12 business planning templates for Microsoft Excel and Word. These resources help streamline strategic planning, improve analysis and support better communication across teams. Use them individually or as a complete toolkit to build a comprehensive business plan that investors, leaders and employees can trust. 1. Busine…

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 …

Businesses need all the help they can get. These 38 free Word and Excel templates for business help with everything from cost-benefit analysis to timesheets. Business templates are a great way to work consistently and not have to reinvent the wheel each time you need to do repetitive tasks. ProjectManager is more than great project management software, it’s a depository of dozens of free Word and Excel templates for business that you can download right now. 1. Excel Timeline Template for Business Planning This Excel timeline template is a versatile Excel template for business that can be used to visualize all the projects your business will execute in the future, identi…

Contractors bid for jobs. They have to outline what they’ll do, how long it’ll take and at what cost. Those estimates must be accurate or it can lead to a failed project or cut into the contractor’s profit margin. Using bid proposal templates is one way to ensure the bids are thorough and complete, covering all bases. ProjectManager has over 100 free project management templates for Excel and Word that can be downloaded now. There are over a dozen templates that can help during the construction bidding process. They are listed and linked below to help land work that serves the contractor and their client. However, templates are static documents. Project management softw…

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…

Planning an event can range from a meeting at work to a convention and everything in between. It’s another project where you have to manage time, cost and scope (and don’t forget quality) to deliver on a deadline. Using planning templates can help you stay organized and keep to your budget and they allow you to schedule and create the kind of event that serves its purpose, whether that’s networking at a trade show or launching a team-building workshop. ProjectManager is award-winning software that can help you plan, manage and track your events. We’re also the online hub for everything project management-related. You can read weekly blogs, guides and download free event …