The game has changed with Project Management software. Tools like Favro offer excellent software for project collaboration and hybrid project management. So, how can you use it effectively?
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Project Management Software Requirements
Take a look at standard Project Management methodologies and approaches. Like those of PMI, APM, or PRINCE2. You’ll find a lot of disciplines that we need, to implement project management.
PMI calls them Knowledge Areas. PRINCE2 calls them Themes. These are things like:
- Risk Management
- Stakeholder engagement
- Quality
- Cost Management
- Resource Management
- Procurement
- Scheduling
Traditional Project management Software
Most ‘traditional’ Project Management software deals with very little of this. Where it does, it’s mainly scheduling and resource management.
PMIS: Project Management Information Systems
There are also fully-formed PMIS software tools – Project Management Information Systems. And many of them are excellent. But being able to use them properly is a skillset in itself. These are big, complex tools and only suitable for the project teams.
Changes in Project Management
Two big changes have together transformed the Project Management world.
- The rise of Agile and Adaptable approaches to Project Management
- The scale of interdepartmental – and often inter-organizational – working on business projects.
Businesspeople and organizational managers have always had to lead, manage, and take part in projects. But the scale has continued to grow. Now almost everyone in every department might find themselves involved in multiple projects.
New Requirements for Project management Software
Organizations need software that does not require its users to understand Project Management. Yet it must allow them to manage tasks, time, and resources effectively. So, the software tools we need must be able to do five things:
- Allow massive, distributed, interdisciplinary collaboration across an enterprise. And even beyond it.
- Let each team – each person even – use the tools and display the information that they need. To help them do their job effectively.
- Support adaptive and predictive approaches – and anything in between.
- Allow people to use and adapt the tool with little or no training.
- Yet still let experienced Project Managers manage in their way too.
We now have a new generation of Project Management software tools that can do just that. They may not be as well-suited to complex traditional projects as the Primavera or MS Project. Especially if you need detailed scheduling and budgeting.
But, they place their premium on collaboration, usability, and flexibility. And they are truly intuitive to use.
A Good Example is Favro
I’m not here to sell you Favro. Instead, I want to show you some of the ways you can use it. And also demonstrate a range of Project Management tools that I like to use, and how Favro allows me to use them.
My Approach
I’m not a software reviewer. So, please don’t expect a comprehensive overview of Favro’s capabilities.
And my experience is not in Agile PM. This means that, although Favro’s roots are in Software Development (the gaming industry in particular), I shan’t focus on that.
Using Favro to Collaborate
I show you how different teams can all use Favro in different ways. Yet they can still collaborate on multiple projects. And, how a traditional Project Manager like me can see my favorite tools sit alongside:
- Kanban Boards and Burndown charts for the development teams and
- List-based tools for commercial and marketing teams
A New Solution
If you have seen the limitations of traditional ‘Gantt Chart PM software’,
…but are not happy with simplistic list-based tools
…or the limitations of some of the excellent Kanban tools
Do take a look at Favro.
The things Favro can do simply blow me away.
It is particularly good for:
- Cross-team collaboration – with its built-in chat functionality
- Sharing information from one team to another
- Remote working
- Automation of routine tasks
What Kit does a Project Manager Need?
I asked Project Managers in a couple of forums what material things you need to have, to do your job as a Project Manager. They responded magnificently. I compiled their answers into a Kit list. I added my own.
Check out the Kit a Project Manager needs
Note that the links are affiliated.
Learn Still More
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For more of our videos in themed collections, join our Free Academy of Project Management.
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