What Exactly Do Project Management Tools Do?

Choosing the right project management tool from the sea of options can be challenging. Instead of picking one in frustration or due to time constraints, consider exploring the top ten project management tools. Your ideal choice depends on your organization’s specific needs and resources.

This article will dive into how these tools operate, highlight their pros and cons, and provide insights into their costs. Notably, each software mentioned in this overview offers a free version, allowing you to test it before committing.

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What are project management tools?

Project management tools are crafted to aid project managers in measuring outcomes and ensuring the alignment of project goals with set timelines. They empower teams to collaborate seamlessly, diligently track issues, assess potential risks, and stay informed about significant updates.

Whether building a sandcastle, revamping a website, or constructing a skyscraper, nearly everything we undertake involves a project with specific goals. For simple projects, an essential to-do list suffices for scheduling. However, leveraging project planning tools becomes essential for intricate projects to break down complexities into manageable tasks.

The Best Project Management Tools for Project Teams

1. Trello

Trello stands out as a top choice in project management. It’s not just visually appealing; it’s known for its enjoyable use of cards, lists, and boards. Trello provides an easy, free, flexible, and visual approach to project management and is trusted by millions worldwide.

Here’s how it works:

• Create a project board, name it, and invite collaborators.
• Form lists to outline steps in your custom workflow.
• Set up cards to organize information or create tasks.
• Click or tap on cards to add details like attachments, comments, checklists, and due dates. You can also assign members to tasks.
• Track your progress by moving task cards across lists.

Trello’s simplicity and visual nature make project management both efficient and enjoyable.

2. Asana

Looking to organize your team effectively? Asana is one of the go-to project management tools for that. It’s a leading platform designed to help teams efficiently manage all their work, from small projects to strategic initiatives, with over 60,000 paying organizations across 195 countries.

Here’s how it works:

• Asana organizes project information through your workspace sidebar, portfolios (group projects), teams, projects, and tasks.
• Projects can be displayed as boards, calendars, lists, or timelines.
• Create a project from a template or start from scratch.
• Asana allows task organization with columns or sections.
• The tool offers a sorting and filtering system based on custom fields.
• Collaborate seamlessly by adding followers and mentioning team members.
• Creating a task is simple – give it a name. However, you can add details like assignees, instructions, comments, dates, and attached files.

Asana’s user-friendly features make it a powerful tool for effective team organization and project management.

3. Basecamp

Considered a veteran in project management software, Basecamp is a reliable choice for substantial projects. If you value tried-and-true software, Basecamp provides an elevated way to work, transforming teams into more productive and organized entities.

Here’s how it works:

• Create to-do lists, assign tasks, and set due dates.
• Message boards streamline conversations, reducing the need for extensive email sorting.
• Projects feature schedules visible to all collaborators.
• Centralize files and documents in one accessible location.
• Enjoy real-time group chat for efficient project management.
• Use the Check-in feature for automated status updates.
• Collaborate with clients if you choose to involve them.
• Hill Charts track progress, while Reports offer real-time insights.

Basecamp’s straightforward features make it an excellent choice for teams aiming for enhanced productivity and streamlined project management.

4. Wrike

Wrike, a cloud-based collaboration and project management tool, stands out as a robust solution designed to enhance collaboration and communication across teams in any business. Developed by Wrike, Inc., a California-based project management service provider, Wrike offers versatility in managing projects efficiently.

Here’s how it works:

• Wrike boasts features in two main categories: project management and team collaboration.
• Project management features allow teams to track project dates and dependencies, manage assignments and resources, and monitor time. This includes the workload view, Gantt chart, and customizable sortable views for data storage.
• Collaboration features facilitate asset creation, team conversations, and decision-making. You can edit and track changes seamlessly.
• Wrike enables quick navigation and communication.
• Monitor projects, deadlines, and schedules effortlessly.
• Prioritize tasks and collaborate effectively with multifunctional teams.

Wrike’s user-friendly design and comprehensive features make it a go-to tool for teams aiming to improve collaboration and streamline project management.

5. Gantt Chart

Gantt Project, an open-source software, empowers users to pinpoint workflow bottlenecks, enabling companies to set and achieve goals. This versatile tool isn’t just for project timelines; it’s also handy for tracking shifts, tasks, vacations, and other out-of-office activities.

Often compared to Microsoft Project, Gantt Project is a bar chart illustrating project schedules, showcasing start and finish dates for terminal and summary elements. This management platform simplifies schedule creation, offering task management and milestone implementation.

Here’s how it works:

• Structured with a horizontal and vertical axis.
• The horizontal axis depicts the project’s timing and sequence.
• The vertical axis represents the tasks constituting the project.

Gantt Project provides a visual and practical approach to project management, making it a valuable scheduling and task management tool.

6. AceProject

AceProject is one of the high-level web-based project management tools that comprehensively manages tasks, timesheets, documents, and expenses. Developed by the Canadian company Web Systems in 2001, it started as a free task manager and is now available as SaaS and on-premises software. Beyond project management, AceProject supports portfolio management, expense management, document management, and HR management, which are currently offered in English and French.

It is a complete project management solution suitable for individuals, teams, and businesses. The project dashboard provides instant information through color-coded graphs and details, ensuring users stay on top of all their projects. Sharing documents and files among team members is secure, and AceProject is compatible with various mobile applications. Significant companies like AT&T, Goodyear, Panasonic, IBM, and Toyota already leverage this application.

How it operates:

• The project dashboard offers instant information through color-coded graphs.
• An intuitive interface simplifies task creation, assignment, organization, and management with fewer clicks.
• Users can create new projects from templates and generate custom reports.
• The platform allows storage and secure sharing of documents and files among all team members.

AceProject’s user-friendly features and robust capabilities make it a valuable project management tool for individuals, teams, and enterprises.

7. ProofHub

Bell, Accord, and Fractal Fox offer a swift interface for efficient team collaboration. It provides a valuable platform where roles can be assigned to employees, granting specific access to the tool.

Here’s how it works:

1. The dashboard allows easy organization of teams and project assignments.
2. Setting status alerts is a simple button-click away, aiding project management.
3. Managers and decision-makers can collaborate by creating notes to-do lists and discussing plans.
4. Progress tracking is enabled at every level of work.

ProofHub’s user-friendly design and robust features make it a valuable asset for organizations looking to streamline project management and enhance team collaboration.

Conclusion

A project manager needs the right tools for the job. They don’t have to be fancy software; simple and proven techniques also work. A solid set of paid and free project management tools makes the job enjoyable and productive for project managers.

Please share your favorite project management tool with us in the comments section.

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