#projectmanagementfreesoftware

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Project Management – Introduction

Project management software focuses on the process of taking care of a project from beginning to the end. A project usually has a beginning and a deadline which have specific goals and are time-bound. The process involves planning, executing, controlling, coordinating and completing the project in the given time frame. There are many constraints to the project and the challenge is to achieve all the objectives using the resources, without wastage, in the given time, which can be achieved using a project management software.

One of the important factors to consider in a project is the budget. Managers allocate the budgets at the beginning of the project. This is done keeping the scale and costs of the project in mind. Tracking of expenditures ensures the project remains within the budget.

Another important factor of the project is the resources. The optimum use of resources is necessary so as to make efficient use of the budget. Also, the use of resources needs to be efficient so as to reduce wastage of resources which in turn reduces the wastage of the budget.

The most important aspect of a project is time. Time lost in the project is money lost in the project. Maintaining proper timing of every part of the project ensures that the project completes on time. At the same time, the budget and resources need to be kept in check so as to maintain all aspects of the project. This in turn ensures that the project completes on time with the optimum use of resources and within the allocated budget.

The success of a project management directly relates to the objectives that one needs to complete:

Within the time period

Within the budget and

With optimum use of resources.

There are many methods that you can adopt for effective project management. However, two of the most important techniques are PERT and CPM which stands for Project Evaluation and Review Technique, and, Critical Path Method.

PERT deals with the tasks individually and not the start and stop time of the project. It assumes uncertainties in individual tasks but without knowing the duration of each activity. The main objective is to find the minimum time that one needs to complete the project. This method is crucial when time is the major factor, not the cost.

CPM or the critical path method is essential to determine the longest time it would take to complete the project. For this we need to know the time it takes to complete each activity. There are dependencies between activities. Each activity precedes or succeeds another activity. These inter-dependencies are important to construct the paths. Each path adds up to a time. The path that requires highest time is the critical path.

There are various steps involved in many

free project management software

, which are: –Initiate

The project initiation takes place while keeping in mind, the goals, the time as well as the necessary budget.

Plan

The plan is like the blueprint of the project according to which the project flows. This is an important part of project management as it gives a direction for the team to accomplish goals.

Execute

The execution of the project involves acquiring raw materials, manpower, money and other resources to begin the project.

Monitor

Monitoring the project is necessary in order to know the status of the project and to know any missing deadlines and to see if the costs you incur are within the budget.

Close

Once the required objectives are met the project is said to be completed and it is closed.

The main objective of the best project management software is to complete the project. However, it also focuses on achieving goals within a time period and the above steps can enable you to do so.

There are many types of online project management software that have been incorporated within different industries. For example, the IT industry has developed an IT project management software. This is mainly used for technical assets and also to maintain the various cycles that the software development takes. The construction industry uses its own method of project management that would require to estimate the following.

time

cost

budget

To conclude, project management software free has found its use in different industries in their own specific ways that fit their needs that allow the management to properly the various projects that they are undertaking.

Further Reading..

6 Best Project Management Software Techniques | OfficeTimer

Top 5 Best Timesheet Software Reviewed | OfficeTimer

Why Efficient Office Management required?

A Project Tracking Software will help you Finish your Project in Time.

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Project Life Cycle | Project Management Software

Project management software ensures that you successfully complete your project after accomplishing its pre-set goals. Therefore, as a project lead, it is important to acknowledge the fact that every project comes with a set of 6 distinct phases. They are as follows:

Initiation stage

Planning stage

Implementation stage

Closing stage

Adaptation stage

Monitoring stage

Project Management Software – Project Life Cycle | OfficeTimer

Each of these stages plays a vital role in ensuring the success of the following stage.Initiation Phase:

As the name suggests, this stage is when the idea or the conceptualization for the project is seeded and funded to begin. This phase lays special emphasis on fixating the objectives and goals that are meant to be achieved through the functioning of the project or towards the completion of the project. It is also important for the risks, scope, budget, issues, timescale and approach to be clearly defined.

It includes broad step-wise activities such as conceptualization of project; project approval; project proposal; approval of the proposal; negotiating the project and project contract.

If the project is not funded and initiated well, it is bound to have a high probability of failure. With a well-planned initiation of a project, it tempts to begin the work at the soonest. However, poor project initiation kills the vibe along the journey which directly leads to failure.

Planning Phase:

Let’s face it, the key to the successful completion of any activity, irrespective of the scale and its intensity, is in the effective planning. Planning is often confused with the initiation phase. To gain clarity on the difference, in the initiation stage, the project needs to be built to the extent that planning its activities is possible. It is only the initial stages which involve approvals and permission sanctioning. However, in the planning phase, the project has been permitted and supported through a sanctioned budget. Planning phase needs to focus on how to let the project rock ‘n roll.

Some of the key planning stages include:

Project charter

Organize a suitable team for the project

Kick-off the project

Management plans and control measures

Plan approval is crucial

Communicate the plan to the entire team

Implementation Phase:

After successful planning, approval of the plans and communication to the teams, it is time to finally execute and implement the project in order to achieve the desired end result. It is very important to remember that every project comes with a time constraint and achievement of the goals within the prescribed allotted time frame is what makes a project successful. Moreover, this stage requires project realization along with continuous attention of the project manager.

In other words, this phase includes taking all the suitable and necessary actions in order to complete the project and deliver the results. The steps in the implementation phase are as follows:

Develop a team for the project

Assign tasks and work breakups with daily schedules

Contract management

Procurement processes

Assurance of quality

Effective and timely 2-way communication

Monitoring Phase:

Monitoring the project status of completion and activity update is crucial in order to avoid deviation. This phase primarily focuses on the usage of some of the best project management software in order to execute effective monitoring. With the help of project management, you can remind your team about the objectives and the path to be taken in order to get there. Therefore, monitoring the progress of the project is one of the most important stages of the project life cycle.

Unlike the product life cycle where there are 4 stages: the introductory, the growth, the maturity and the decline, the project life cycle is rather specific. It also lays special and specific emphasis on the importance of controlling the parameters and monitoring deviations. Making use of a few online project management software  is crucial in order to achieve a high success rate. The steps involved in the monitoring phase are as follows:

Evaluation of project reports and documentation

Control the activity quality

Monitoring the risks and issue control

Team evaluation

Analysis of variance and deviations

Determine the need and extent for changes

Adaptation Phase:

Make sure to scrutinize, implement control measures and monitoring techniques with the help of easily available project management software free versions. With this, every project manager will be able to come up with a set of deviations or variances. These deviations do not have to be extreme and on a high level but they usually do exist. Upon determining the extent of variation in the project, the entire team adapts to the changes that need to be brought upon the functioning in order to reduce the distance between

The expected direction and extent.

The current direction and extent.

In other words, the process of adapting to the methods, processes and actions is the primary focus of the adaptation stage. These actions so taken should facilitate successful project completion. This phase, basically, bridges the gap that exists between ‘what is’ and ‘what should be’. Effective adaptation can be done by:

Reviewing performance reports.

Reviewing change requests.

Update the project plans.

Capture, retain and communicate the lessons learned.

Closing Phase:

Now, you’re done! This phase includes that stage when the project team and the manager know that the project is complete. The objectives are accomplished, the goals are achieved, the team has learned and the project is ready to go out there and solve a problem.

The closing phase has a set of steps that further complete it and bring value out of the project. They are as follows:

Evaluation of the project

Also, evaluation of the final project reports

Further closing the contracts.

Administer the closing process.

Moreover, reassign the teams the other projects and do not leave them abandoned and jobless.

Finally, distribute the lessons learned and have a brief/detailed discussion about the do’s and don’ts.

Project management software plays a very crucial role in helping Project Managers accomplish their goals. Moreover, these software ensure that the project is on the right track, minimize deviations and encourage better performance.

Further Reading

4 Things You Need To Look For in Project Management Software

Top 10 Project Management Software for Catapulting Productivity

Tips to Select the Best Project Management Software For Business

Project Tracking Software will Eliminate Redundancy at Work