If you’re a project manager, you know you have one of the most vital and difficult yet unappreciated jobs out there. Your main task is to make sure that deliverables are completed on time and under budget, but without any real authority over project team members to ensure this happens. Due to the nature of projects, sometimes, it is easier to herd cats than to keep a project team moving in the right direction.
It takes more than a cowboy to keep your project running. Image by garagejournal.com
However, most Project Mangers succeed in keeping projects moving. One key to their success is having the right tools. The basic tool set includes task management software, some kind of collaboration system, and various reporting tools. Usually these are separate standalone products each designed to do one thing and one thing only. However, with the advent of SaaS project management software, there is a new way for Project Mangers to interact and use their tools.
Below are four reasons why project managers should leave behind their standalone tools and embrace SaaS project management software:
1. Collaboration Options:
Most project managers use Microsoft Project to perform task tracking and reporting. Although it is a wonderful product, it has its limitations. For example, it is usually only available on one computer. This computer (usually the Project Manager’s) is responsible to update tasks and print reports.
SaaS project management software inverts this idea by providing everyone access to this information. Instead of one computer tracking all of the project information, the entire team can have access to update tasks states and print their own reports. The whole process is more collaborative.
2. Customizable Options
Another difficulty with the current set of project management tools is the lack of customization options. Users are expected to adopt to the software, not the other way around.
Customization is another area where SaaS project management software inverts the model. Instead of a standard reports, teams can customize reporting to fit their needs. If using a product like OpenAir, users can take this one step further by creating dashboards to track and review the latest project updates.
3. Price Sensitivity
Projects today can be so expensive in labor that people are reluctant to spend money on administrative tools to manage it. However, under the current model, teams need to purchase task management software and collaboration software separately. This can be expensive.
Alternatively, SaaS project management software offers all of these options in one solution. In addition, there are alternative pricing options like per-user pricing or bulk-user discount pricing. Since it is in the cloud, there is no need to purchase additional hardware to host the new software.
4. The Green Alternative
Most project managers probably have not given much thought to their carbon footprint. After all, it’s not like they are drilling for oil. However, it is something that they should probably consider because every little bit helps.
This is another prime area for SaaS project management software. Since it is completely accessible online, there is no need for the vendor to send actual software in a package that is just thrown out. In addition, since it is hosted in the cloud, there is no need to purchase additional hardware to support the tool. All of this reduces the project’s total carbon footprint.
SaaS project management software is designed to help Project Managers accomplish their job in a more efficient way. If you are interested in learning more, please contact us.
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