Must-have tools for project management

Task management is a process requiring the use of must-have tools facilitating work at all stages: for the employees responsible for their parts of the project as well as the project manager who, in addition to his or her part, supervises the project as a whole. Besides fluent communication, supported by such elements as an objective division of responsibilities, it is important to choose tools that will enable to prioritize work, make the management of resources, including employees, time, and budget, more efficient. The right choice of tools is motivating employees therefore they must be comprehensible for everybody. Simple in use, regardless of the level of advancement of a team member, and allowing for remote operation, first and foremost, Poorly selected tools result in disorganization and delay project completion.

Must-have tools and functions for employees

All teams should have easy access to the tool. The key feature here is the ease of operation. Regardless of their age, all employees should find it easy to use the given tool. Tools must be selected in a manner ensuring that no team member slows others down in their work. The primary element in this regard should be a legible task list. Preferably, it should be well-visible right after starting the program, regardless of whether it is launched from a computer, smartphone, or another device. A legible task list is a tool that allows any employee to figure out in a couple of seconds what tasks they have, what their deadlines are for them, and how to prioritize work. A perfect solution for this purpose is task lists in the Kanban card system. Invented a long time ago by the hard-working Japanese nation, Kanban cards help to quickly determine the status of projects and deal with those consisting of multiple tasks.

A legible dashboard where you can immediately find the assigned task is a feature facilitating work. Getting quickly to the task improves communication in the group, and as known very well-communication provides the basis for teamwork.

The Project Manager's tasks

The project manager, as the team leader, coordinates work on the entire project. The most important thing here is soft skills, which should be supported with proper tools. The essence of the project manager's tasks management is adequate planning of work involving human resources (assigning duties to proper employees), budget, and time control. The tool used by the PM should have all the above functions. Sometimes, in addition to the PM's team, running a project requires participation from the customer. A tool that allows the customer to participate in the entire project or a portion of it will ensure quick communication and clarification of potential issues or misunderstandings.

How to deal with a "bottleneck"

When running a project, sometimes everything goes wrong. We encountered unexpected problems at the absolute worst time, delaying the project and forcing several deadline changes. Choosing the right tools minimizes the effects of the bottleneck. The proper tool should allow smooth correction of any errors. The most frequent issue is hindered communication among the team members. Therefore, the tool needs to be equipped with a messenger (preferably in-built and integrated with tasks and projects), allowing for quick information exchange. There are situations when we are not certain how much time our employees spend performing their tasks. Time monitoring might come to the rescue in this regard, as it is conducive to employees' self-discipline and project control. Everybody knows that time is money. Project management tools should feature financial control, allowing the PM to establish the budget and create periodical reports for the customer and the PM.

What tool will be best for the employees, project managers, and administrators all at the same time? It is not easy to answer this question. Everybody works differently and has different priorities. It is best to choose a tool that offers multiple valuable functions at once. The must-have tools will provide all the data available in one place, which will surely facilitate work and communication in the team, and the result will be easier to accomplish.