Project management software has become an indispensable tool for companies of all sizes. It helps teams collaborate, plan, track and manage tasks and projects in a more efficient way. With so many project management tools available on the market, it can often be difficult to choose a system that meets your specific needs. In this article, we outline the seven key features of project management software that you should look out for when making your choice.
1. project overview and progress
A clear and structured overview of all the company’s projects is essential to keep them on time and on budget. The software should provide status updates, progress reports and analyses in real time so that bottlenecks, risks and opportunities for improvement can be easily identified. In addition, a visual representation of project progress, for example using Gantt charts, timelines or Kanban boards, helps to bring order to any project, no matter how complex, and to break it down into clear activities. Flexible project management software also offers you the option of customizing the interface to suit your needs and creating special fields, e.g. relating to your industry: Create special fields relating to your industry independently.
2. task management
One of the most basic functions of project management software is task management. It should allow you to create tasks, assign them to team members, set deadlines and track progress. A good task management system also allows you to create subtasks, set priorities and add comments to tasks. It is also important here that the system can be adapted as much as possible to your requirements and working methods – software such as 1Tool supports this, for example, by displaying “today’s” tasks directly on the dashboard or creating individual fields and dragging and dropping them exactly where you want them on the interface.
3. cooperation
A project management tool should facilitate collaboration between team members. It should allow your employees to communicate with each other, share files and give feedback on tasks. Some systems, such as 1Tool, also offer the option of sending notes and important information as an email at the click of a mouse or collaborating on projects on the go via the mobile app and easily tracking changes. So everything happens in one place and your team is more focused than ever.
4. resource planning
Resource management is crucial to ensure that you have the right people and materials to complete your projects successfully. The software should therefore allow you to allocate resources, set budgets and track expenses. It should also provide an overview of the availability and workload of team members to avoid overworking and to better plan vacation times as well as replacements in case of illness.
5. time recording
Time tracking is necessary to know how much time is spent on each task and to ensure that all team members are billing their hours correctly. The software should allow you to track time manually or automatically, for example via Play & Stop. Smart project management systems such as 1Tool also offer the option of defining different working time models and leave entitlements per employee to ensure that working hours, overtime or absences are recorded correctly.
6. offsetting
Automatic invoicing of projects is another important function that saves you a lot of time and effort. You can create total or partial invoices for your projects at the touch of a button and always keep track of services that have already been paid for or are still outstanding. Some software, such as 1Tool, also allows you to set individual payment targets for each customer, which are automatically taken into account when generating invoices.
7. project controlling
Reporting functions are important to understand project performance and communicate progress to all stakeholders. The software should therefore provide reports that display important, project-related KPIs. This gives you full control and transparency over hours worked, contribution margins, costs, etc. You can also see at a glance which activities take up the most time and can therefore optimize your future project planning accordingly.
With the right project management software, you can increase the productivity of your team, optimize project management and achieve better results.
Would you like to test and get to know the functions of our 1Tool project management software without obligation? Then contact us now or register for the free demo version demo.1tool.com
