Finding a Project Management Tool: A Practical Guide
If you have ever worked with us here at Category One Consulting, you know we take project management very seriously! Our clients receive a full project plan inclusive of each task in the project and when each will happen. We find this ensures alignment and transparency throughout the course of the project. There is a lot that goes into project management, and many teams, as they grow, eventually turn to a tool to take their planning and processes to the next level. Project management tools can offer a wide array of features such as Kanban boards, capacity tracking, hour documentation, budgeting, and more. With over 2,000 on the market, there is no shortage of tools available for teams of all sizes, needs, and budgets. However, this can make the task of finding the right tool a bit overwhelming. Today, we wanted to share five steps for finding the best project management tool for your team.
With over 2,000 on the market, there is no shortage of tools available for teams of all sizes, needs, and budgets.
Facilitate team discussion. As a first step, we recommend facilitating a conversation with your team about your current project management approach and discussing what is working well and what needs improvement. Talk through the pros and cons of implementing a tool and work to reach consensus on whether or not looking into a tool makes sense for your team. If most agree that a tool is at least worth exploring, work to identify a small team of employees who would like to participate in the selection process. However, be sure to keep other employees up to date on progress throughout.
Determine needs and priorities. Next, we recommend identifying your team’s needs and priorities. Start by reflecting on your current project management process, documenting it, and determining if each piece is something your team wants to continue in your optimized approach. Then, add new pieces your team would like to see as part of your optimized project management process. Once you have your list of requirements, you will want to get input on which requirements are a ‘must have’, ‘nice to have’, or ‘not needed’. Setting priorities will help as you move into the research phase.
Research tools. Now that you have your prioritized list of requirements, conduct some initial research to identify a list of project management solutions that might fit the requirements. Work as a team to identify which tools warrant further investigation. When conducting research, we recommend documenting whether the tool you are researching fulfills each requirement. You should be able to gather this information from the company websites, external articles, and YouTube videos. Consider assigning a rating of the extent to which the tool meets each requirement. Discuss these results as a team to determine the top tool picks and ensure everyone has a voice in the selection.
Test and rate top picks. Once you have identified your team’s top picks, we recommend testing each by using the free trial versions of the tools. Consider setting up a test project to use that would facilitate the testing of your ‘must have’ and ‘nice to have’ requirements. This will make it easier to compare across tools in a consistent way. During testing, it helps to refer back to the requirement ratings of the tools and update as needed. Through testing you may identify, for example, that a tool doesn’t actually meet a requirement in the way you thought based on your initial research.
Demo and select final tool. Once testing is complete, we recommend asking those who conducted the testing to do a brief demo of each tool so the team can see how the tools compare. Discuss the tools as a group and work to come to a consensus on a final selection. Refer back to the tool’s ratings and consider pros and cons based on the testing and demos. It might also be helpful to schedule an official demo of the tool. If you do this, make sure to send the company representative your questions and some information on how your team would use the tool so they can tailor their presentation as much as possible. Seeing demos of the tools should help your team make a final selection.
These five steps should help you and your team streamline the process of finding a project management solution that suits your work and addresses the specific needs of your team. Remember to take the time to communicate and get feedback throughout the process to ensure buy-in from your entire team. A project management tool is just one piece of the project management equation, it will take the work of each employee to utilize the tool and take your processes to the next level. If you have any questions about how your organization can determine your project management needs and find the right solution, feel free to reach out!