subject: Guide to the Best Project Management Software [print this page] Guide to the Best Project Management Software
If you taking project management courses, your next task may be to find the best project management software out there. Project management involves planning projects and tracking their progress. That needs to be essential in any software you use as a project manager. Some packages are simple while others offer a high level of sophistication. Some people feel that Gantt charting and Pert Networks are essential for a good piece of software. Some packages offer those options as well as many others. It is important to find a package that meets your needs without making things too complicated.
During many project management courses, instructors introduce students to the leading software package, Microsoft Project. If you are dealing with projects of considerable size and complexity, this is likely the package of choice. It provides full capabilities for tracking tasks in a project. You can track how much each person's time costs for each hour that person spends on the project. The package provides both the Gantt charting and the Pert networks that some find essential for project management. There are tons of reports and other options available. Experts consider it the essential tool for professional project managers.
However, the sheer number of features offered by Project makes it a problem for simple projects. It is like using a bulldozer to dig a hole for your spring flowers. It is overkill. For people that do not do project management full time, learning Project can be a real pain. Even with project management courses, they find it too cumbersome for their small simple projects. There are other options available in project management software. Let us look at a few options available to those that do not want to tackle the complexities of Project.
Many people find tracking a project with a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel works very well. It does not have Gantt or Pert options, but for simple projects, it is a good option. For those that want portability, you can use packages such as Project@Hand or Pocket Plan. The packages work on mobile devices and provide on the go project management. These are a few of the alternative options available. You can ask your instructors about other packages while taking project management courses. They often have multiple packages that they use for projects of different complexity and size. They can also give you tips on how to use the software appropriately for these different projects.
