5 Essential Digital Project Management Tools
Did you know, from a survey taken in 2020, only 35% of project managers were happy with the systems they had in place? To be more specific, they said: “somewhat or very satisfied.”
That’s not a very high bar, but it’s safe to say we can achieve far more than “somewhat satisfied.” Maybe what they’re missing is the ideal toolset of digital project management.
That being said, a quick Google will bring up dozens, if not hundreds, of different software boasting the best tools for productivity and management. So how do you choose?
We’ve done the work for you. We’re here with the top 5 tools you shouldn’t overlook. Keep reading to see what you can do to boost your own productivity.
What You Should Look For in Project Management Software
There are four key points everyone needs to consider when evaluating whether online tools for project management are worthwhile. These are:
- User interface
- Usability
- Integrations
- Value for money
The right software should obviously be clean, easy to navigate, and appealing to work with. It shouldn’t be too complicated, and the company offering the software should also offer good tutorials, tech support, and training as needed.
In terms of integration, how easy is it to plug into your existing tools like Slack, time-tracking software, or calendars? Are there any pre-built integrations and is it easy to set up?
Finally, sometimes it’s worth paying for good software, but what you’re getting out of it must be worth the cost. The software we’re going to suggest are all relatively inexpensive, but they are all worth the money. Where there is pricing, it must be clear and flexible, and appropriate for what you’re getting.
Automate Your Workflow
One of the best tools we’ve seen for automating your workflow has to be Monday.com. It’s a fantastic project management tool that forgoes many of the bells and whistles of traditional management software in favor of simple, visually appealing layouts that enhance your workflow.
Project management, resource distribution, collaboration, reporting, and time tracking are just a few of the capabilities available on Monday.com. Users can also add files to cards, comment on them, and tag teammates.
It also has a fantastic project dashboard that can gather data from several boards, allowing for more accurate tracking. Monday.com may also keep track of hours, deadlines, and bills.
Building Engaged and Productive Teams
Mesh uses a human-centered approach to leadership and development to help your company become a place where everyone thrives. Mesh helps you set transparent goals, which is ideal for team stability and happiness. It also gives the option of hosting insightful coaching conversations.
Their primary focus lies in connection and reflection, with real-time analytics at every level of the working process. They are also big on OKRs and CFRs, which are necessary for building an engaged and productive team.
Paymo for Freelancers and Design Teams
Paymo is the greatest project management platform for small and medium businesses, particularly in the digital, creative, and marketing industries. It provides freelancers and teams with all the tools they need to manage a project from start to finish.
Paymo brings all of your project management tools together in one spot, allowing you to manage projects and tasks, track time, and charge clients all from one place. With Paymo you can create task workflows and templates, assign multiple users, interact in real-time, and track progress. Timesheets are used to track time spent on tasks and projects, and they are then turned into reports and bills.
Best of all? It’s free for freelancers and teams of up to 10 people!
Get Smart With Smartsheet
If you’re used to working in Excel but want a break from complication formulas, Smartsheet is a good option. It works on all the computations for you over several sheets and makes the process as seamless as possible.
It’s customizable, so individual projects can have unique logos and color schemes and it has a few useful features that make seeing tasks in Gantt easy. Anyone involved in the project will be notified of real-time changes, and it includes the option for shared views, activity logs, detailed histories, and notifications, which keeps everyone on the same page.
RocketLane for Customer-Facing Projects
Rocketlane is a project management platform for businesses that focus on customer-facing initiatives. It blends project management, document collaboration, and communication uniquely, which helps teams meet project objectives, reduce time-to-value, and provides a 5-star client experience.
For project plans and documentation, Rocketlane provides private and shared views, as well as a customer portal for stakeholder and client views. You can also use project and document templates to define your best practices and reuse them across several projects.
Benefits of Digital Project Management
Our digital toolset may be the only thing keeping us from losing track of a project completely and having a complete meltdown. To get a project done, you need the right tools. Without the right tools, you could wind up drowning in a sea of spreadsheets and post-its.
Let’s take a quick look at some of the key benefits of using digital tools for project management:
- Better communication
- Better team collaboration
- Improved resource management
- Simpler reporting and analytics
- Centralized data
- Improved remote work
- Better budget management
- Risk mitigation
- More stable project standardization
For high-performing companies, you need high-performing solutions. Those are simple to achieve with the right software and tools. Remember, it’s also less about using one tool and trying to make it work. Explore, branch out, and see how some of these tools could work together.
Productivity and Efficiency for All
Finding the right balance between efficiency and quality work can be challenging, but it doesn’t have to be. We live in an age where technology can become the springboard we use to launch ourselves to great new heights.
It would be a shame to miss out on that. Find the digital project management software that’s right for you.
If you enjoyed this article, be sure to check out some of our other exciting tech posts.
