Project Management Software

What Is a Business Case? A business case is a project management document that explains how the benefits of a project outweigh its costs and why it should be executed. Business cases are prepared during the project initiation phase and their purpose is to include all the project’s objectives, costs and benefits to convince stakeholders of its value. A business case is an important project document to prove to your client, customer or stakeholder that the project proposal you’re pitching is a sound investment. Below, we illustrate the steps to writing one that will sway them. The need for a business case is that it collects the financial appraisal, proposal, strategy and…

Getting from one’s current state to the desired future requires understanding what needs to be done to get there. That is the basis of a problem statement, which is used in everything from project management to research projects. What is a problem statement and when should it be used? We’ll answer those questions and add what must be included. To help illustrate that, we’ll offer problem statement examples and even a problem statement template that you can for yourself. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Problem-statement-template-featured-image.jpg Get your free Problem Statement Template Use this free Problem Statement Template for Word to manage your projects bette…

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 …

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…

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…

Project management is the planning & organizing of resources to achieve a specific goal. Learn about types and examples to get started. The post What is Project Management? Definition, Types & Examples appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Is Notion the right tool for those looking for a project management dashboard? A Notion dashboard would be ideal for monitoring project progress. It’s an essential tool for task management, whether using a business dashboard or personal dashboard. There’s no argument about dashboards. They are an important part of any collaborative work environment. But is there a Notion dashboard? Let’s find out, and if there is one, let’s see what it can and can’t do. Only then will readers be able to make an informed decision on the time-tracking tool that’s right for them. What Is Notion? Notion is an all-in-one workspace designed for organizing and managing various types of informa…

Project management planning is made up of many parts. There’s the schedule, the stakeholder matrix, the managing of resources. Speaking of the latter, there’s the matter of how you’re going to procure resources that require vendors of goods and services. That’s procurement management. The procurement plan is part of the overall project management plan. Over the life cycle of a project there are likely to be many points where it will intersect with vendors. This process needs to be managed. To manage these relationships and keep the flow of those goods and services moving without interruption requires a procurement management plan. If it seems like we’re going too fast, …

When working in an agile or scrum environment, teams plan their work by creating a product backlog, a document that lists all the activities and deliverables that must be done to complete a project. Then, once a product backlog has been created, teams execute work in sprints, a short period of time from one to four weeks. Because of their short length, agile teams need to constantly prioritize the tasks defined in the product backlog through a process known as backlog refinement, or backlog grooming. What Is Backlog Refinement? Backlog refinement is the process of identifying and prioritizing the most critical product backlog items for an upcoming sprint, which is done …

Big things coming from small beginnings might sound like a cliche, but it’s rooted in truth. Project managers understand that before embarking on large endeavors, it’s best to test the waters. The phrase for that in project management is a pilot project. What is a pilot project? We’ll get to that and the industries that use a pilot plan before initiating big, expensive and complex projects. We’ll then explain how to execute a pilot project plan, what should be included, the benefits of doing so and much more. What Is a Pilot Project? A pilot project is a small-scale, preliminary study or test run of a new concept, process, product or service before full-scale implementa…

Do cross-functional teams lead to greater project success? It depends on who you ask. Some people believe cross-functional teams can be very productive, given they have clear governance, accountability, specific goals, suitable project management tools, as well as the organization to invest in and prioritize their success. Usually, cross-functional teams are created to spark innovation, break bureaucratic boundaries and reduce production cycle times by granting a more collaborative environment. Others argue that cross-functional teams just aren’t worth it. According to a study cited in the Harvard Business Review, 75% of cross-functional teams are dysfunctional. The stu…

As building codes evolve to respond to conservation, a new way to build has gained popularity. Sustainable construction is a new paradigm changing an industry that has been around since antiquity. Construction project management is responding to climate change and the need for renewable energy and natural resources. Understanding this trend toward environmental benefits requires understanding what sustainable construction is, what are sustainable construction materials and how this impacts the construction process and construction projects. We explain the push for green building and the need to be cost-effective below. What Is Sustainable Construction? Sustainable const…

Projects are made up of tasks. Each of those tasks needs to be completed to meet certain quality standards. However, they also have to be done safely and, often, under specific conditions or regulatory requirements. A method statement is a document that ensures tasks check these boxes. We’ll explain what a method statement is, when it should be used and what should be included to help with writing one. To ensure that nothing is left out of this process, readers can also download a free method statement template to help them get started. What Is a Method Statement? A method statement is a document that outlines the step-by-step process for completing a specific task or a…

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…

Just because a project is pitched doesn’t mean it’s the right project. Organizations have to explore the proposal and determine if it’s a good fit for them in terms of risk, reward, resources and so on. That’s why there’s a feasibility report. What is a feasibility report? We’ll answer that, show what should be included and even add a feasibility report example to show what it would look like in a real-world scenario. Then, we’ll add links to some related free templates to help with the feasibility study report. What Is a Feasibility Report? A feasibility report in project management is a detailed analysis that evaluates the practicality, risks and potential success of …

Different methodologies like PRINCE2 work for different projects, industries, tools and teams. These project management methodologies can be approached rigidly, or can be mixed, where a hybrid project management methodology of two or more are used to respond to the unique aspects of a project environment. Project managers who aren’t based in the United Kingdom might not be intimate with the PRINCE2 methodology of managing a project, which is the UK government standard. Although foreign to some outside of the United Kingdom, there’s still much to be gained from the PRINCE2 project management method, even if it isn’t adopted in its entirety. We’ll go over the main compone…

Key takeaways Embarking on the journey of enhancing your website’s visibility can be daunting, especially if you’re new to the realm of SEO. A fundamental step in this process is conducting effective keyword research, which serves as the cornerstone of organic growth by driving traffic to your site. To streamline this task, various free templates… The post Top Keyword Planning Project Management Template appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

A stakeholder is any individual, group or organization directly or indirectly affected by a project. That means they are interested in its success and can influence its outcome. This can include the project manager, project team, customers, suppliers, executives, regulatory bodies and sometimes the community impacted by the project. Stakeholder engagement helps manage these various influencers. To understand how to manage stakeholders, we’ll begin by defining stakeholder engagement and a stakeholder engagement plan. Then we’ll outline what should be included in the stakeholder engagement plan and how the process is played out in project management. Then download a few fr…

Project management is a complex discipline requiring structured methodologies to ensure success. The Project Management Institute (PMI) has developed the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) as a global standard, providing a comprehensive framework for managing projects effectively. The PMBOK outlines essential concepts, best practices and industry standards that help project managers streamline their processes. Additionally, it serves as the foundation for PMI certifications, ensuring professionals acquire the skills needed to navigate diverse project challenges. What Is the PMBOK? The PMBOK is a globally recognized standard that provides best practices and guid…

Just as one wouldn’t drive a car without a dashboard as it provides valuable information on the vehicle’s speed, gas level and so on, no construction project manager should try to deliver construction projects without a construction project dashboard. A construction dashboard is one of the pillars of construction project management. Project management and program management both recommend using a construction project management dashboard and we’ll explain why. In the following blog, we break down what construction project managers should include in their construction management dashboard and even offer a free downloadable construction dashboard template to help get start…

Asana is popular project management software, but does it have all the features project managers and their teams need? Let’s narrow the focus and spotlight one feature, the Asana dashboard. Does the tool have this feature and, if it does, how robust is it? A dashboard is essential for monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), such as time tracking, work management and more. Is an Asana dashboard up to the task? Let’s find out! We’ll review Asana, see if it has a dashboard and explore alternatives that might better serve project teams. What Is Asana? Asana is project management software designed to help teams and individuals organize work, collaborate and stay on top…

When a project or product manager is in the planning stage, they’re scheduling tasks to meet a schedule and not exceed the budget. But if the customer needs aren’t met with the deliverables being created, the project is a failure. Equally or more important than meeting deadlines and avoiding cost overruns is acceptance criteria. Why are acceptance criteria important? We’ll explain by defining the term and detailing what should be included to help the development team produce successful deliverables. Then we’ll explain when this process occurs, who defines it and more. What Are Acceptance Criteria? Acceptance criteria in project management are the specific conditions, re…

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…

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…

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…