Action Steps for Select Project Management Software
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Share information with other business project management software users

Blogs are increasingly becoming the media of choice for many small business owners looking for quick and efficient means to communicate with other like-minded professionals. Find an Internet blog or website that provides trust-worthy information on project administration software and attracts reliable posting participants.

I recommend: Look for news about project management software at Manufacturing Talk. Keep up with the news and get involved in blogs at PM Forum.

Read up on changes in business project management software

Project management software news and trends continues to dominates many of the business IT publications available online and in print. It's a good idea to stay on top of the industry as whole so that you can know about changes that may be ahead of your current provider's abilities.

I recommend: PM Toolbox is a good source of information and news that could help you stay on top of the industry. Check out the extensive list of news releases affecting the industry at allPM.

Receive timeline manager software alerts

While most business owners are trying to clear out their in-boxes to save time, you should allow at least one information provider to get into your email with alerts about changes and upgrades that others in the industry are employing.

I recommend: Developer.com can be used to keep up with news, find vendors and learn about the current trends. FM Link can help facilities managers keep up with the project management software that is available to make your jobs go smoother and increase productivity.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Develop a culture of sharing pm software information at your business. Ask each of your employees to regularly read at least one task management software newsletter or magazine and share the news and trends they've uncovered at staff meetings.

Guide to Project Management Software

Programs can help your team stay on their timeline

By Chris Maxcer, Freelance Writer

1. Does it have a demo or free trial I can take advantage of?
2. Does the price meet my budget?
3. What are the PC requirements?
4. Is it secure?
5. Do I want a desktop-based solution or a hosted online service?
6. Is it easy to learn?
7. Does the vendor provide online, phone, and e-mail support?

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Choose your project management software application

There are dozens of viable project management and timeline software solutions that can handle simple-to-very complex tasks. Match the complexity of your projects with the cost and features of your solution. Some enterprise-class solutions, for example, can come with a steep learning curve and include features most small businesses will never use.

I recommend: Check out TheSoftwareNetwork.com's Project Management Software List, Infogoal.com's Project Management Software Directory, Project Management Software Review's Top Ten PM Software Reviews, ProjectReference's Software Project Management Resources, Project Magazine's Project Management Software List, Web-based-software.com's Project Management Software List, and FindApp.com's Project Management Software List, which is particularly handy because it notes reviews, user ratings, and price.

Consider Web-based PM software solutions

Just as open-source has brought an increasing number of consumer software programs, there are also business options available. Most come with the standard features, including project reporting, timeline software and the ability to manage an entire project from conception to completion.

I recommend: Check out Project.net, which has PM software options available for a variety of operating system platforms, including Linux.

Get your people trained on project management software

There's plenty of project-management training available but the gold standard is certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI).

I recommend: Apply for PMI certification. Find more training in project management and project management software, PM consultants and educational organizations at Business.com.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Most PM software or timeline software helps you define specific objectives that you can assemble into a completed project.
• •  PM software can help you allocate people, time, and resources to get those specific goals accomplished. PM software, particularly when multiple employees can share access to it, can help keep your project team on the same page and help you track expenses, deadlines, and milestones.
• •  You can customize most PM software to meet your specific needs so that you can use the same software to complete a construction project that you might also use to open a new retail store.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Integrate task management software into your systems

The user-friendly options available in project management software make using the tool easy and accessible for any business now. Small, medium and large companies can eliminate the long meetings with HR departments and managers in favor of desktop software that can operate your entire workflow processes.

I recommend: Consider the independent reviews from Project Management Software Review before purchasing your programs. Get information on the best programs on the market from the members of the Software & Information Industry Association.

Go online for Web-based task management software

For many of the newer online programs you don't even have to download any special software to your systems if you choose to engage a Web-based project and invoice tracking tool. These operations typically allow you a trial period, which you should take advantage of as well.

I recommend: Project Management Software looks at the variety of Web-based programs available and gives you updates and reviews about the various products. Try the online free demos of various project management solutions from Project Manager.

Get your team using business project management software

Once you've opened up the possibilities of running your business with the assistance of project administration software, you need to get your team onboard with the programs. Instead of calling on consultants to handle projects, your managers should be able to use their own desktops to display reports and manage projects.

I recommend: Read up on the various uses of project management software programs and how they can be useful to your company at 4PM. VIP offers a number of different project manager software platforms.

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Before choosing business project management software, let your key employees try the free demos to see if they agree on the choice of programs. It will be easier to get buy-in from your staff if everyone participates in the final decision.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Dashboard

Dashboards in project management software, just like in a car, let a user quickly get a sense of what is happening with a project as it progresses. The dashboard summarizes information from reports and helps determine the risks for the project.

I recommend: The Dashboard Spy website has some good examples of dashboards for project management.

Work breakdown structure

The work breakdown structure (WBS) is said to 'decompose' a project by breaking it down into components into increasingly detailed tasks. It usually appears as a tree diagram or as a list. Project management software has a WBS component built in so that users can complete this process quickly and efficiently.

I recommend: NetMBA.com describes the WBS process in more detail and includes diagrams.

Gantt charts

A Gantt chart is the most common chart type in project management software. It illustrates the start to finish dates for a project in a bar chart.

I recommend: The Gantt Project offers a definition and free project-management chart software to download from its website.

Incremental delivery

Incremental delivery refers to the process of dividing projects into manageable phases or steps so that team members can evaluate the overall success or failure of each step. Project management software usually has incremental delivery built in.

I recommend: The Tyner Blain website has a good article about the benefits of incremental delivery.

Subject matter expert (SME)

A subject matter expert (SME) is someone who has expertise in a specific area. SMEs are usually part of the project design, particularly if the project is highly technical. SMEs are included in the design of project management software so that an end user can use the software more readily.

I recommend: The iSixSigma online dictionary has a good explanation of why SMEs are important in project management.

Top-down estimating

Top-down estimating is the process of estimating the duration and cost as well as risk involved in a project, beginning with the top decision makers or users. Project management software often builds in steps for completing top-down estimating.

I recommend: HRA Consulting's free IT Project Management Course text has a helpful chapter about the process of estimating.