Project Management Software

A gemba walk is a key practice for leaders and managers who want to see processes firsthand and engage with teams on the shop floor. It emphasizes observing operations directly rather than relying solely on reports or data. By being present where work happens, managers can identify inefficiencies, uncover opportunities for improvement and build stronger communication with employees. The gemba walk also fosters a culture of continuous improvement and accountability. Teams feel heard when leaders take the time to observe, ask questions and offer guidance. Regular walks create actionable insights and help align operations with strategic goals, ensuring processes run smoothl…

Process costing is a key accounting method used in manufacturing to determine the total cost of producing large quantities of similar items. By accumulating and averaging production costs over time, businesses gain accurate insights into their cost per unit. This method is essential for industries that rely on continuous production such as chemicals, textiles, or food manufacturing. Process costing helps ensure financial transparency, supports pricing decisions and improves overall cost control across departments and production cycles. What Is Process Costing? Process costing is a cost accounting technique used when identical or similar products are produced in a continu…

Creating a project plan is one of the most important responsibilities of a project manager. This document should include everything the team needs to execute a project, such as its budget, schedule, scope, resource requirements, roles & responsibilities, among other things. However, creating project plans can be challenging for both beginner and experienced project managers alike. That’s why we’ve created this sample project plan to help project managers include what matters most. Once you’re ready, you can try ProjectManager. We’re online project management software with tools such as Gantt charts to filter for the critical path and baselines so you can track your p…

Decision-making tools and decision-making techniques are essential for managers, team leaders and project managers who need to make informed choices quickly and effectively. These methods help organize information, evaluate alternatives and predict outcomes. From simple pros and cons lists to complex decision matrices, using decision-making tools ensures clarity and consistency, while decision-making techniques provide structured approaches for analyzing problems, reducing bias and prioritizing options. Free templates make it easier to implement these strategies immediately, saving time and improving overall decision quality across teams and organizations. What Are Deci…

Stakeholder reporting is a crucial process that keeps everyone informed about project performance, progress and potential risks. A stakeholder report gives stakeholders transparency into goals, metrics and milestones, helping build trust and align expectations. When done effectively, stakeholder reporting supports decision-making, encourages accountability and ensures that all involved parties remain engaged throughout the project lifecycle. It also demonstrates a team’s commitment to open communication and continuous improvement across departments and project stages. What Is Stakeholder Reporting? Stakeholder reporting is the process of collecting, analyzing and sharin…

Learning how to make a project schedule in Excel helps project managers plan tasks, set deadlines and track progress with accessible tools they already use. A project schedule in Excel organizes activities in a timeline format, showing task durations, dependencies and milestones. While limited for large projects, creating an Excel project schedule or downloading a project schedule for Excel is a quick way to get started managing smaller projects efficiently without investing in complex software. /wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Project-Schedule-Template-for-Excel.png Get your free Project Schedule Template Use this free Project Schedule Template for Excel to manage y…

A project plan template for Google Sheets makes it easier to organize, schedule and manage tasks in one place. By using this customizable spreadsheet, teams can track progress, assign responsibilities and ensure projects stay on time and within budget. It’s an accessible option for businesses that want a simple, cloud-based tool for managing projects without complex software. This project plan template for Google Sheets helps standardize project planning, allowing users to visualize milestones, dependencies and deliverables. With shared access and real-time updates, teams can collaborate effectively and make informed decisions throughout the project lifecycle. Why Use a…

If you’re researching which project management software to use, you’ve probably already compared Asana vs. ClickUp. They are two of the most popular apps on the market, but that doesn’t mean they’re the best. Certainly, Asana is simple to use and pleasing to the eyes, while ClickUp is similar to Asana, but with software development tools. However, as project management tools, they both fall short. Asana’s timeline is no substitute for a Gantt chart and ClickUp is more focused on productivity than project management. If you’re looking for project management software, then you’ll want a robust Gantt chart among other project views to give you the flexibility to manage any …

Project budget tracking is an essential process for ensuring projects stay on target financially and resources are allocated efficiently. By monitoring costs, expenses and budget deviations, teams can prevent overruns and make informed decisions throughout a project’s lifecycle. Effective project budget tracking helps managers forecast costs, optimize spending and maintain profitability while keeping stakeholders informed of financial performance and any necessary adjustments to project scope or resources. Using project budget tracking software simplifies this process by consolidating financial data, tracking expenses in real time and providing automated alerts when cost…

Trello vs. Asana is a likely matchup for anyone looking for the right project management software. They’re both well-known and popular project management tools. Trello is often thought of as the go-to for kanban boards, which visualize workflow. Asana, on the other hand, is a simple-to-use work management tool. The trouble is most people want more than kanban boards, which is Trello’s bread and butter, and they want Gantt charts, which Asana doesn’t have. Yes, Trello has project management features and Asana has a timeline and other tools to help manage tasks and teams. But why use one or even both of these project management tools when there’s one that beats them both a…

ClickUp and Monday are two of the more visible project management software products on the market. But is that because they’re good at marketing or a good project management tool? We set ClickUp vs. Monday in a battle royale and may the best app win. Looking at the match of Monday vs. ClickUp, both contenders come out of their corners strong. ClickUp is a feature-rich, highly collaborative work management tool and Monday is a customizable work management tool designed to help teams work more efficiently by tracking projects and workflows. But are either of these true project management tools? ClickUp vs. Monday both have weaknesses. ClickUp might have many features, but…

There are many project management software products on the market and it can be difficult to decide which is the best choice. Two of the more popular solutions are Trello and Jira. Both are project management software tools with similar features. The best way to determine which is a good fit for an organization is to pit the two against one another, which is what we’ll do. Trello vs. Jira, may the best software win. Both software products are designed for agile project management, though not exclusively. Still, they have features that agile teams use, whether for large or small projects. They also share features that foster collaboration allowing teams to access the soft…

A SIPOC diagram is a simple yet effective way to visualize how processes function within an organization. It helps teams understand the flow of work from start to finish, ensuring all steps are clearly outlined. This type of tool is often used to improve efficiency, support quality management and align teams around a shared understanding of business processes. Many organizations use a SIPOC diagram at the start of a project to define the scope of a process, establish accountability and identify potential areas for improvement. It offers a high-level perspective that helps teams quickly recognize where inputs come from, how processes transform them and who receives the fi…

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 …

Any construction project, no matter the size or scope, requires a wide range of documents. These documents must be thorough and clear, and using construction Excel templates guarantees each document includes all the information it needs. The following are our top 25 Microsoft Excel construction templates for better construction project management. Use them as needed, and combine them for a cohesive set of documents that owners and team members will appreciate. 1. Construction Management Plan Template Managing a construction project requires a detailed roadmap that connects design intent with coordinated execution in the field. A construction management plan defines how …

Manufacturing requires a lot of attention to detail and coordinating various moving parts to deliver the final product. To accomplish those goals and meet a tight deadline and an even tighter budget, you need these 23 free manufacturing Excel templates. ProjectManager has dozens of free templates to download. We curated our template page to select 23 of the essential manufacturing templates for Excel that all manufacturers can benefit from. It doesn’t hurt that they’re free, either. 1. Production Schedule Template A production schedule is how you ensure that you get your product into the hands of your customers on time. But a schedule is similar to keeping a lot of ball…

Learn how to break down the project management process into five phases: Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring & Control, and Closure. The post 5 Phases of Project Life Cycle and Why They Matter in 2025 appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Learn how Rfp rfi and rfq streamline procurement, improve vendor selection, and help teams make informed purchasing decisions. The post RFI, RFP or RFQ: What’s the Difference and When to Use Each? appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Find the best project management tool for your small team with this comprehensive guide covering the best software for different needs and budgets. The post 6 Best Project Management Software for Small Teams to Cut Workload appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Teams that manage machinery or tools often struggle to keep track of what’s been serviced, what needs attention and which assets are falling behind on routine care. An equipment maintenance log brings clarity to that chaos by giving everyone a single place to reference past work and upcoming needs. It becomes a practical companion for anyone responsible for keeping equipment in steady rotation. /wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Equipment-Maintenance-Log-Template.png Get your free Equipment Maintenance Log Template Use this free Equipment Maintenance Log Template for Word to manage your projects better. Download Word File What Is an Equipment Maintenance Log? An…

Projects gain momentum when people move in the same direction, which is why effective stakeholder collaboration and strong stakeholder communication play such a defining role in overall success. Teams often juggle shifting priorities, tight deadlines and diverse expectations, making coordinated participation essential from the start. When every contributor understands how decisions are made and how information circulates, engagement increases and risks shrink. This alignment gives the project a stable foundation and helps managers guide the work with clarity. What Is Stakeholder Collaboration? Stakeholder collaboration is a coordinated process in which project stakeholde…

Looking for a simple way to organize your tasks, track progress, and stay on top of deadlines? An action plan template for Google Sheets can help. With this easy-to-use, customizable template, you can break down projects into clear steps, assign responsibilities and monitor progress in real time. Whether you’re managing a team project or planning personal goals, this template keeps everything in one place, saving time and keeping your workflow on track. An action plan template for Google Sheets helps bring structure to ideas by placing tasks, deadlines and responsibilities in a clear sequence. Its online format keeps information accessible, allowing contributors to stay …

Choosing the right project management platform can make or break your team’s productivity. When comparing Microsoft Planner vs. Asana, both tools help manage projects, assign tasks and support collaboration across teams. However, they differ in features, integrations and overall flexibility. This comparison explores which platform suits your workflow best and how you can get more value by connecting either tool with a more powerful system like ProjectManager. While both Microsoft Planner and Asana provide reliable task management, they fall short when it comes to advanced project planning and resource control. ProjectManager offers dynamic project views like Gantt charts…

A construction cost estimate is a project budget, determined by several factors. Accurate, precise estimates need clear takeoffs, risk mitigation, and more. The post Cost Estimation in Construction Projects: How to Get it Right appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Project milestone examples are essential markers that help teams track progress and ensure projects stay on schedule. Milestones signal the completion of critical phases, key deliverables or important approvals, giving stakeholders a clear view of a project’s progress. Across industries from construction to software development, project milestone examples provide structure and accountability, helping managers plan, allocate resources and communicate effectively with their teams and clients. Understanding project milestone examples allows organizations to identify high-impact points in a project timeline, set realistic goals and manage risks more efficiently. By using mil…