Project Management Software

Microsoft Project is one of the most commonly used project management software, but its popularity has decreased over the years due to its many drawbacks such as not working on Mac. Luckily there’s project management software for Mac that offers the same robust task management, resource management and time tracking features Microsoft Project does. Key Features to Look for in Project Management Software for Mac When evaluating project management software for Mac, the most important thing is to choose a solution that helps you manage as many aspects of your project as possible. In other words, you should choose the software that offers the best mix of project planning, sch…

Risk is always present in construction projects. By definition, construction risk feels unpredictable and damaging, but you can identify and manage them. You may feel you can control risk in your organization and construction management team—but what happens when you’re working with independent contractors? Suddenly, the success of the construction project rests on the shoulders of those who are less accountable to you. However, you can minimize and mitigate contractor risks through a process known as contractor risk management. Just as contract administration, contractor risk is important to understand. It requires screening and protecting yourself from issues that mig…

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…

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 …

Ask a dozen people what agile is and you’ll get a dozen different answers. But it’s best defined by scrum as a model. Scrum is a way to manage a project within an agile framework and is made up of three roles: product owner, scrum master and team—all of whom are involved in sprint planning. The product owner is focused on the business side of the project, the scrum master is the expert, who acts like a coach. The team is self-directed and works as they see fit to meet the goals of the product owner. If you’re interested in the nuts and bolts of scrum, check our our guide. For this post, we’re going to take a deep dive into one of the events in the scrum framework, the s…

Before project management software, there were manual methods and traditional tools to plan, track and manage projects. This added time and effort, which exponentially grew with the size and complexity of the project. Paper-based planning, physical communication and manual resource management feel as if from another time. That’s because it is. While technology has pros and cons, few project managers and project teams dispute the improvements that project management software provides. Let’s explore how this project management tool is used, its features and the variety of commodities available and those that rise to the top of the list of preferred products. What Is Proje…

Defining the project scope is a critical part of the project planning process. That’s because the project scope defines the boundaries of what will and won’t be part of the project work, which is essential when making the project budget and schedule. Naturally, scope management is an important area of project management and there’s a lot to learn about it. But before we jump into that, let’s start with the definition of project scope. What Is Project Scope? The project scope is the total amount of work that needs to be done to complete a project. To define it, project managers must break down the project into the tasks and deliverables that’ll be executed to meet goals …

Asana is a popular work management software that helps teams collaborate on tasks and projects. Microsoft Project is a popular project management software that has the tools that project managers need to manage teams and projects. If you’re looking at Asana vs. Microsoft Project and trying to decide which is the right tool for you, we have the stats to help you make that decision. There are problems in the battle of Microsoft Project vs. Asana. For one, MS Project is notoriously difficult to use and expensive. Then there’s Asana, which is a great work management tool that calls itself a project management software solution, but in reality doesn’t live up to delivering th…

Before defining an issue log, let’s define project issues. An issue is any roadblock or unintended impact that directly affects your project’s timeline and or performance. It’s different than a risk, which can be defined as a potential problem or future issue that might happen in your project. An issue is something that has already come up in your project, and you need to identify and track that issue immediately. What Is an Issue Log? An issue log is a simple list or spreadsheet that helps managers track the issues that arise in a project and prioritize a response to them. We have created an Excel Issue Log template you can download for free. It’s an easy way for you to…

The Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM) “traces ” the project’s deliverables by establishing a thread for each requirement—from the project’s initiation to the final implementation. The post What is a Requirements Traceability Matrix (RTM)? appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

If you don’t have the funds, you’re not going to complete the project successfully. That’s why a project budget is so important: it’s the lifeblood of the project. Follow these steps to secure the funds necessary to support the project through every phase. But first, we need to define what a project budget is. What Is a Project Budget? A project budget is the total projected costs needed to complete a project over a defined period of time. It’s used to estimate what the costs of the project will be for every phase of the project. Creating a project budget is a critical part of the project planning process. The project budget will include such things as labor costs, mate…

Construction contracts define how owners pay for work done by contractors on a construction project. One of the most popular contracts is called a fixed-price contract or lump sum contract, where a contract defines what will be done and sets a specific and final price for that work. However, this popular method doesn’t work when the construction project timeline and material requirements are unknown. That’s when a time and materials contract is used. What Is a Time and Materials Contract? A time and materials contract is a legally binding agreement that outlines how an employer will pay a contractor for the time and materials they spent on a project. A time and materials…

Projectsl businesses and even life itself are defined by a series of decisions. Each decision should, ideally, be the result of thorough research, counseling from the team and historic data. Managers use a decision log to keep stakeholders updated on who authorized a decision and how it came about. A decision log is a critical communication tool that all project managers, business managers, team leaders and decision-makers of any kind need to understand. You can use project management software, templates or simply a notepad to track decisions. But before we get into how to make one, let’s better understand the definition of a decision log. What Is a Decision Log? A deci…

Creating a project baseline is critical in effective project management, as it sets the original plan against which progress and performance are measured. It includes key components like scope, schedule and cost, forming a fixed reference point that guides decision-making throughout the project lifecycle. We’ll begin by defining a baseline in project management, its components and how to create one. This is important, as establishing a baseline helps teams stay aligned, manage expectations and quickly identify when things are veering off track, making it an essential tool for maintaining control and ensuring successful delivery. What Is a Project Baseline? A project bas…

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…

Projects that employ contractors or work with suppliers and service providers need to manage their procurement process. This is usually started by an invitation to tender that the organization initiating the project will send out. Why do they send an invitation to tender, what is it and who uses it? We will answer those questions below. We’ll also outline what goes into a thorough invitation to tender and then illustrate the process with an example to make it clear. What Is an Invitation to Tender? Let’s start with a definition. An invitation to tender is a formal document issued by a company or organization to invite suppliers, contractors or service providers to submi…

If you’re looking to manage a project and facilitate better collaboration with your teams, chances are you’ve heard of and are thinking of trying Microsoft Project and Microsoft Planner. To help with that decision, we’ve set up a comparison with Microsoft Project vs. Microsoft Planner. May the best app win. The stats when comparing Microsoft Project vs. Microsoft Planner tell us that the former is a robust project management tool and the latter is more of a stripped-down version. MS Project integrates with MS products such as Office and has financial management tools and Gantt charts. However, it doesn’t have a mobile app and is expensive and complicated to use. Microso…

A Microsoft Project plan file, or an MPP file, is a file format that’s exclusive to Microsoft Project. This means users need to purchase Microsoft Project to open them. Otherwise, using and more importantly, sharing MS Project files, will cause problems. However, you can avoid those hurdles if you have a Microsoft Project viewer to view and edit MPP files. What Is a Microsoft Project Viewer? A Microsoft Project viewer, also known as an MS Project viewer or MPP viewer, is software that allows you to open MPP files without having to purchase a Microsoft Project license. MPP viewers were created as a workaround for users who need to open MPP files but don’t have Microsoft P…

Businesses go through a lot. Managers must always be aware of the internal and external factors that can impact their business growth such as economic fluctuations, new competitors, new market trends and more. One of the most common threats to any company is called business disruption. Business disruption happens whenever a radical change occurs and affects how companies compete in a given industry. An example of business disruption could be the development of a new technology that renders the current methods useless. In this case, what can business managers do? Execute a business impact analysis (BIA). Business impact analysis is an important tool to help plan for the …

Keeping your employees engaged and on task is, well, no easy task. They say one bad apple can spoil the whole bunch—and it’s true. A bad hire can cost your business valuable workplace productivity, not to mention nearly 20 percent of their salary on average. And those are just a couple of reasons why workforce management is so important. Whether you’re in IT, construction or retail, mastering the basics of workforce management can benefit you immensely. What Is a Workforce, Exactly? A workforce is the total number of people employed or available for work within a specific context, such as a company, organization, industry or geographic region. Think of it as the human c…

See if RACI Matrix in Agile is useful or not to clarify roles, improve collaboration, and streamline decision-making for better project success. The post Raci Matrix in Agile Project Management appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

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

Successful projects aren’t had by holding one’s nose and jumping in. There must be preparation. In project management, once a project has been approved, it starts with a project outline. While a project outline might seem obvious, it’s worth spending a little time defining what the phase means. Once that’s clear, we’ll show when a project outline is made, what should be included and provide an example to show how it works in a real-life scenario. What Is a Project Outline? A project outline is a high-level overview that summarizes the key components of a project. It typically includes the project’s objectives, scope, timeline, key milestones, deliverables, stakeholders …

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…

When managing projects, users have many options. Microsoft Lists and Microsoft Planner are two of the most popular project management apps. But are they the one-stop solution project managers and their teams need to plan, manage and track work? There’s only one way to find out. We compared Microsoft Lists vs. Planner. Let’s see how they stack up. We’ll put Microsoft Lists vs. Planner through a series of tests. First, let’s define each to understand what they are and how they’re used, including key features. Then we’ll explore Microsoft vs. Planner in terms of the pros and cons of each and where one excels over the other. When comparing Microsoft project planning tools, …