How to choose the best project management software

1. Get your goals straight

Ask yourself: what is it that your team really wants in a project management tool? Start assessing.

• What is it that the software will manage? Workflows? Day-to-day tasks? Vertical-specific technical projects?
• Who will be using the system? Do you need to set up a meeting to discuss the details with your team?
• What challenges are keeping you from delivering your best work? Do these problems arise due to messy schedules, unrealistic deadlines, or siloed teams?

Take the time out of your schedule to make a list of everything you need to consider when you onboard a new project management software. Remember to think about questions you'll want to ask prospective vendors.

2. Talk to colleagues and gather feedback

Your friends or colleagues in the same industry may already have tackled these challenges, so it could be a good idea to consult with them for some more insights.

• What worked for them, and what did not? Dig deeper to identify any potentially costly mistakes.

3. Analyze competitors and industry trends

Look for options, vet them, and shortlist the ones that seem like the best fit. Go through review sites, weigh pros and cons, and arrive at an educated decision.

• Take notes, go back to these articles if needed, and come back with valuable insights.
• Join online forums or educator groups to see what’s being discussed. Take part in online discussions and analyze which project management software is best for your business needs.

4. Consider ease of use and user experience

Get yourself project management software that includes:

• A user interface that makes it easy to find your way through the product.
• A fast training period that gets your system working correctly.
• Mobile apps for both Android and Apple devices so you can manage your projects even when you're away from your desk.

Software like Zoho Projects comes ready with prebuilt project templates to get your projects rolling. All you have to do is select a preferred template, and watch pre-populated data unfold to align with your industry standards.

5. Collaboration features

Every contributor's work must be accounted for. Project management tools (like Zoho Projects) need to include collaborative features that help every member connect.

• Every message, every conversation, and every thread holds information that should be easy to access and add to at any point of the project. This helps keep every team member on the same page.
• All of your documents need a home. Minimize lost folders and bolster efficiency by keeping every important document in a single secure repository.
• Your software should let you add comments and attachments to introduce context to discussions and record an audit trail. Zoho Projects' collaboration module gives clarity to ideas and lets you build on them until you can take them out of the team chat and execute them to perfection.
• Configure permissions. Your project can have a range of contributing stakeholders, but not everybody would require exclusive access to make project-level changes.

6. Task and deadline management

One of the key functions of project management software is to ensure that all your teams stay organized, workflows progress seamlessly, and tasks meet deadlines like clockwork. Here are a few examples:

• Monitor project progress without nagging team members over email. Improve visibility to observe the bigger picture while keeping up with day-to-day developments.
• Set task reminders to get notified of upcoming deadlines so you never miss urgent work items.
• Use visual tools like the Gantt chart or kanban board to outline your project and keep track of task statuses.
• The automation feature in a project management tool frees up time spent on repetitive tasks for more value-adding work.

7. Integration capabilities

Your new project management software's capabilities are rendered useless if they do not integrate effectively with other applications that your team relies on.

• Cloud storage: If you already use commonly used cloud storage applications like Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive to store important documents, ensure they integrate with your project management software so you minimize the risk of context switching and losing vital information.
• Communication tools: Don't leave conversations hanging by a thread. The software should sync with Zoom, Slack, and Microsoft Teams so you can start afresh or pick up right where you left off.
• Calendar & productivity apps: Minimize effort and maximize efficiency by syncing tasks with your Calendar apps like Google Calendar, Outlook, and Evernote, and never miss another pre-scheduled meeting.

8. Customization & scalability

Choose software that is flexible to adapt to unique business requirements. Here are a few things to consider:

• Customizable workflows to match your project needs
• Features that will help your project management software scale over the long run
• Different views to help break your project down into simpler steps, timelines, and easy drag-and-drop kanban boards
• Project grouping and task categorization tools simplify the process and organize all your work items in buckets

9. Affordability & licensing

What is the budget that you have in mind? Choose a tool that offers the best value for the money you're spending.

Compare some free versions that are available on the internet. Are you happy with the rudimentary features, or do you need to pay for a more advanced version to meet your needs? You'll also want to consider different kinds of pricing models to see what works best for your budget.