Project Management Software

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…

There’s always something to deal with when managing a project. One responsibility of the project manager is to identify what’s wrong and devise a way to resolve it. This requires getting to the cause of the problem, which is what the 5 whys technique was created to do. What are the 5 whys and how can it be used in project management as well as other disciplines? We’ll get to that and how to use it. Then we’ll provide a real-life example and even a link to a free 5 whys template to download and use. /wp-content/uploads/2025/02/5-whys-template-featured-image.jpg Get your free 5 Whys Template Use this free 5 Whys Template for Excel to manage your projects better. …

There’s never enough time when managing a project. That’s why we make schedules—to try and control time, just enough to get your deliverable by the deadline. Sometimes, however, things go awry. Changes in a project are common of course, but it’s the project manager’s responsibility to make sure that those changes don’t produce a negative impact on the project schedule. This is when the triple constraint usually comes into play; scope, time and budget. If one falls behind, the others have to make up the slack. There are many ways to adjust things on your project to make up for the time you’ve lost. That includes adding extra resources along the way, which is a method call…

Most organizations use project names as they’re a quick way to remember projects and programs. Some project managers think those names should describe a project’s purpose or its main goals, while others simply choose cool or catchy project names to lighten up the mood in the organization. While it can be challenging, creating project code names is a meaningful task that you and your team will value. Then, you’ll need project management software like ProjectManager to get the job done. ProjectManager lets you choose between a wide variety of project management tools such as Gantt charts, dashboards, timesheets, calendars, reports and much more. Get started for free today.…

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

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…

Projects reach a successful completion by planning, but a plan alone isn’t enough to deliver on time and within budget. Costs, resources and performance must be tracked to ensure the actual effort aligns with the project plan. An S-curve is one tool that can help do that. To understand why, let’s first define an S-curve graph in project management. Then we’ll explain why it’s used and how to make one. To save readers time, we’ll also link to a free downloadable S-curve template for Excel, followed by an example to show how it’s used in real-life projects. /wp-content/uploads/2025/03/S-curve-template-featured-image.jpg Get your free S Curve Template Use this free…

Resources are what you need to execute your project plan—people, equipment and materials. Managing those resources, and their constraints, is part of how you deliver a successful project. Each task in your project plan will have project resources like people, time and a budget attached. Therefore, you must know their availability to schedule them. That’s a resource constraint, and project managers must learn how to manage those constraints in order to keep the project moving forward. What Are Resource Constraints? A resource constraint is any limitation and/or risk associated with project resources. Identifying these resource management constraints is an essential resou…

Events are projects that must be planned, executed and tracked to be delivered successfully. Therefore, an event schedule is essential to ensure that all related tasks are organized and done within a predetermined timeframe. To have a successful event requires event scheduling, which means understanding the steps to creating one, what should be included and an event schedule template to lay it all out. For a more efficient and effective event, there’s also event scheduling software that we’ll get to later. What Is Event Scheduling? Event scheduling refers to the process of planning, organizing and coordinating the timing and logistics of an event. This involves determin…

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…

Projects don’t just happen. There’s a lot of work before they’re approved, and once they have been given the go-ahead, there’s even more planning and scheduling needed! How do you communicate that information with stakeholders and the team so they understand the project? You use a project brief, an important document that outlines what the project is about, to do just that. A project brief lets you convey the main goals of the project so that everyone understands what they’ll be doing. Read on to learn more about them, and how to make one for yourself. There’s even a free template and in-depth example of a project brief for a construction project to help you get started…

Monday.com is a recognized brand that has aggressively promoted its work management software to the general public. But is it project management software? One way to find out is by examining its features. For example, is there a Monday dashboard? Project dashboards are essential project management tools. They offer an overview of key performance indicators (KPIs) that help project managers and team members keep track of schedules, budgets and resources. Let’s see if there’s a Monday.com dashboard and, if there is, if it lives up to industry standards. What Is Monday.com? Monday.com is a work operating system designed to help teams plan, track and manage their work. It’s…

Resources are limited, but your ability to manage them to fulfill the needs of your project isn’t. One of the many challenges that face project managers is how to guide their project to a successful end without enough resources. The good news: there are ways you can take the resources you have and make them work in your project. The better news: we’ll tell you how to overcome a perceived lack of resources. Project Management Challenges: Lack of Project Resources The first thing to do when you notice your resources aren’t covering what you planned for in your project is to identify the context. Resources can be anything from materials to personnel, and the situation that …

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…

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

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…

Agile is a useful project management methodology when used correctly. Unfortunately, if the whole team is not familiar with it, things can become inefficient. To avoid that, all agile team members must know what a product backlog and sprint backlog are, both of which are essential for planning and prioritizing tasks in agile project management. These concepts also apply to scrum, kanban and other similar agile frameworks. What Is a Product Backlog? The product backlog is a list that compiles all the tasks and user stories that must be done to complete the whole project. But it’s not just a simple task list. An effective product backlog breaks down each of the backlog ite…

No project is wholly successful or a failure. Some aspects go well while others don’t. To ensure that the next project has fewer faults and more benefits, there’s something in project management called lessons learned. Let’s first define what lessons learned in project management means, then explain why they should be documented and how valuable information can be collected. Then we’ll show what needs to be included in lessons learned documents and link to a lessons learned register that can be used in a post-mortem. What Are Lessons Learned in Project Management? Lessons learned in project management are the insights and key takeaways gained from a project’s successes …

Academic researchers use a research plan for their thesis, dissertation or grant-funded studies. However, businesses and corporations also use a research plan for market research and product development. Even government agencies, policymakers and nonprofits use it. But what exactly is a research plan, what goes into it and why is it so important that organizations take the time and effort to conduct one? We’ll answer these questions and outline an example to show how it works in a real-life scenario. Finally, readers can download a free research plan template to help them get started. /wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Research-plan-template-featured-image.jpg Get your fr…

Starting your projects in the right way makes it so much easier to manage your work and your team. While it’s tempting to dive straight in and get on with your tasks, it pays to take a bit of time at the beginning to plan out your work and check that you’ve got everything you need. Set your projects up for success with this easy-to-use checklist. Work through the list and make sure you can say ‘yes’ to each item: then you’ll know you can start work confidently. But first, let’s run through some basics about project kickoff. /wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Project-kickoff-template.jpg Get your free Project Kickoff Template Use this free Project Kickoff Template for …

Managing a project with copious moving parts can be challenging to say the least, but project evaluation is designed to make the process that much easier. Every project starts with careful planning—this sets the stage for the execution phase of the project while estimations, plans and schedules guide the project team as they complete tasks and deliverables. But even with the project evaluation process in place, managing a project successfully is not as simple as it sounds. Project managers need to keep track of costs, tasks and time during the entire project life cycle to make sure everything goes as planned. To do so, they utilize the project evaluation process and make…

The project manager is on the ground, running the team and keeping the daily operations of a project running smoothly. But who looks after the project manager? In project management, that position is called a project director. Project management tends to be a hierarchical methodology that has numerous tiers of command. If you’re looking for a job or need to fill an open position, you’re in luck. The below job descriptions are very precise. Let’s take a look at a project director and learn what they do. What Is a Project Director? A project director is a person responsible for leading a team of project managers, which can also include contractors, sub-contractors, softwa…

Technology projects move fast and things change on a dime. Having a clear and structured plan is essential to aligning IT initiatives with broader business goals. That’s where an IT roadmap comes in. An IT strategy roadmap is a planning tool that outlines how an organization will evolve its technology over time, covering everything from infrastructure upgrades and software development to cybersecurity improvements and cloud migration strategies. Before we get to all that, though, we’ll define what an IT roadmap is, what should be included in one and how you can create one that supports both long-term vision and short-term execution. To help you get started, we’ve also in…

Asana vs. Monday is a matchup made for project management professionals. Which one to choose? That’s why Monday vs. Asana is such an important battle. You can’t have both, so you want what’s best. We’ll help you pick between Asana vs. Monday. It’s difficult. Asana vs. Monday are both similar project management tools. They have features, such as project tracking, workflow automation and other standard project management software features. Let’s look at those features, pricing and other comparisons between Monday vs. Asana. Of course, you can have the best of both worlds, with more powerful features and at a price point that fits your budget. ProjectManager is award-winni…