Project Management Software

Even the most meticulously planned projects experience unforeseen changes, and when this happens, we need to quantify the effect these changes have. Luckily, there are formulas that eliminate the guesswork. One of these formulas solves for Estimate at Completion — an important metric for monitoring a project budget. Keep reading to learn why to always calculate Estimate at Completion and exactly what this formula can do. What Is Estimate at Completion (EAC)? Estimate at completion (EAC) is a part of the earned value management (EVM) system. This term refers to the practice of re-estimating the total cost of the project during the project execution phase. In other words…

Throughout the life of a project, project managers check in on progress and compare it to the project plan—comparing their predictions to reality. If they don’t do this regularly, odds are the budget will suffer and their project will fail. Luckily, these deviances from the plan, such as cost variance, don’t have to sink a project. In fact, they can strengthen it. The key is spotting them and making adjustments to stay on the right path. One of the best ways to avoid cost overrun is by calculating cost variance. /wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Cost-Benefit-Analysis-Template.png Get your free Cost Benefit Analysis Template Use this free Cost Benefit Analysis Template…

Stakeholders are the people, groups or organizations that have a key interest in the outcome of a project. They can include department heads, investors, manufacturers, board members or simply team members. They are typically involved in the approval process and can either make a project difficult or extremely easy—depending on how well they’re managed via a stakeholder management plan. In fact, certain stakeholders decide if there should be a project at all, and whether or not the project was a success. They have that much power. Given their influence, it’d be unwise to neglect your stakeholder management plan. But first, let’s review the aspects of good stakeholder mana…

The project management industry, and our concept of what a project constitutes, is always changing. Nowadays, even non-PMP-certified workers are taking on work that closely resembles traditional projects, and the desire to manage them better is growing every year. One way to keep up with the latest project management trends is to attend a project management conference. It’s a great way to further your education and learn about new project management software tools that are on the market. For that reason, we’ve gathered information about the major project management conferences that are scheduled for 2025, 2026 and 2027. PMI Global Summit /wp-content/uploads/2022/01/imag…

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…

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…

It seems that people have been spelling team with an “i” for a long time. We live in a culture that promotes the roughed individual, the self-made person, the entrepreneur and often overlooks teamwork examples. They did it all themselves, or so they say. But even the most charismatic and self-reliant people are not working in a vacuum. Team management is always instrumental in any major project. The truth is that teamwork is the shoulder on which all major successes rest. Whether that be the building of the pyramids in Egypt or the dominance of Apple in the marketplace. But don’t take our word for it. There are many teamwork examples throughout history. We cherry-picked…

All businesses want to improve, or at least they should do so constantly to be competitive. Complacency might feel good in the moment, but that moment quickly passes, especially in the business world. Don’t be left behind. The question is how can one improvethe operations of a business to make it more efficient and profitable? There are many answers, from educational and physical fitness to spirituality. But is there a unifying theory of process improvement, and if so, can it be sustained? Have you heard of the kaizen method? It’s a set of principles and techniques for continuous improvement that helps organizations across industries be more productive. But before we div…

We say it all the time — change is inevitable. This adage is as true for projects and organizations as it is for everything else. Change can feel like an inconvenience or a response to unexpected trouble. And while this does happen, a change request can also be completely natural, and even positive, in the grand scheme of things. Because, ultimately, change is evolution. So, how can changes be used to your advantage in project management? We create a system to guide these changes. This system prevents confusion and disorganization which can sink and operate, and it all begins with a change request. What Is a Change Request? Change requests act as these formal documents …

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…

All projects are embedded with the potential for problems or opportunities. This is called risk, and project management has created risk management tools to address these uncertainties. One technique is bowtie analysis. We’ll break down the bowtie model and explain when to do a bowtie risk assessment, including a bowtie diagram in an example to make the concept fully understandable. We’ll also include a free template to download so you can try it on your own. What Is a Bowtie Analysis? The bowtie method is a risk management technique used to visualize and analyze the potential risks and their controls within a system or process. It’s called “bowtie” because the resultin…

If you’re looking to start or grow a business (or just keep a business profitable), you need a business plan. But not all plans are the same. If you need to define your business and its objectives, you need to use organizational planning. That planning provides a clear path forward. When you organize the various departments of your business, everyone knows what their function is—and the tasks and processes necessary to achieve your business goals. What Is Organizational Planning? Organizational planning is how business owners organize the day-to-day operations of a business. This can range from simple things, like the companies’ reason for existence, to more complex con…

Most have heard of the phrase “historic data” when planning a project. It’s a way to look back at similar projects for clues as to the needs of the current one. For those who prefer a more erudite term, there’s analogous estimating. What is analogous estimating in project management? We’ll define that term, how and when it should be used and the various types that can be employed when forecasting projects. What Is Analogous Estimating? Analogous estimating is a project management technique used to estimate the cost, duration or resources required for a project or task by comparing it to similar, previously completed projects. It’s a form of top-down estimation that reli…

Scheduling is all about getting things done on time and within budget. It’s one of the most important aspects of planning for a project. The most popular tool to schedule projects is the Gantt chart, which lets you create a visual timeline for your project. Finding the critical path on a Gantt chart helps you achieve your project goals faster and more efficiently. But before we learn how to identify the critical path in a Gantt chart, let’s start by defining what’s critical path in project management. What Is the Critical Path? The concept of critical path comes from the critical path method, a project planning and scheduling technique that uses a network diagram to rep…

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…

In the fast-paced world of business operations, staying organized and efficient is key, and that’s where service templates come into play. These ready-to-use documents help streamline communication, standardize processes and ensure consistency across activities, from procurement and project management to customer service and internal workflows. Whether you’re managing inventory, requesting quotes or scheduling maintenance, having a clear and structured template can save time, reduce errors and improve accountability. Anyone who is a small business owner, department manager or part of a larger corporate team will find these service templates helpful Free Service Template…

The best project management software for 2025 with our expert comparison of top tools. Explore features, pricing, and the best picks for your team! The post 10 Best Project Management Software For 2025 By Experts appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

The best project management software for 2025 with our expert comparison of top tools. Explore features, pricing, and the best picks for your team! The post 10 Best Project Management Software For 2025 By Experts appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

A clear project scope is essential for delivering work on time, on budget and to stakeholder expectations. Scope templates help define what a project or program will and won’t include, ensuring everyone is aligned from the outset. By standardizing how scope is documented, these templates and documents reduce ambiguity, prevent scope creep and provide a reference point throughout the project lifecycle. In this roundup, we’ve gathered a range of scope templates designed to support various project and program needs. Whether you’re managing a small initiative or a complex multi-project program, these free templates, documents and Excel spreadsheets will help you outline deli…

One way to understand project management is by illustrating the process using project plan examples. This starts by defining what a project plan is, but then we’ll get into how it works in a real-life scenario. We’ll first define a project plan and outline what goes into creating a project plan document. Then we’ll show how it works by illustrating several project plan examples. What Is a Project Plan? A project plan is a foundational document that outlines the goals, scope, timeline, resources and key deliverables. It serves as a roadmap to guide teams through execution and ensures everyone is aligned on the objectives and how they’ll be achieved. The plan typically in…

Big construction projects are a coordinated effort between many different professionals. Suppliers and contractors have to be solicited, bids submitted and partnerships created. This essential process starts with a tender document. To understand procurement, one must first understand what a tender document is, who uses it and what should be included to ensure that everything goes smoothly. To put that in context, we’ll also show how it’s done in a real-life scenario. /wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tender-document-template-featured-image.jpg Get your free Tender Document Example Use this free Tender Document Example for Word to manage your projects better. Downloa…

Outlining the details and defining factors is crucial at the start of any project. Explore how project scope management affects project success. The post What is Project Scope? | Best Project Scope Management appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Stakeholders are individuals or groups that have an interest in the project. Learn about the different key stakeholders and their roles. The post Understanding Different Types of Stakeholders and Their Roles appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

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…

Managing tasks efficiently is essential to staying organized, meeting deadlines and driving project success—whether you’re working solo or as part of a team. Task management templates provide a ready-to-use structure to help plan, prioritize, assign and track tasks across any workflow or project. In this roundup, we’ll explore a variety of task management templates designed to support different needs and industries, from daily to-do lists to complex project task trackers. Each template is built to streamline productivity, ensure accountability and keep the team aligned every step of the way. 1. Project Task Tracker Excel Template Download this free project task tracker …