PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS Project management software has the capacity to help plan, organize, and manage resource

pools and develop resource estimates. Depending on the sophistication of the software, it can manage estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget

management, resource

allocation, collaboration

software, communication, decision-making,

quality management and documentation or administration systems. Today, numerous PC-based project management software packages exist, and they are finding their way into almost every type of business. In the early days, however, project management software ran on big mainframe computers and was used only in the large projects. These early systems were limited in their capabilities and, by today's standards, were hard to use.

WHY USE PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE?

Some companies estimate an increase in production by as much as 30 percent after implementing a project management system. This means you could potentially accept 30 percent more projects and pull in more revenue using the same resources you have now. If your collection of spreadsheets and limited collaboration tools are becoming burdensome and inefficient, it is time to consider an online project management solution. Most top project management software works alongside your current business solutions, including Outlook, SAP, ERM, CRM, accounting software and Salesforce, either via direct integrations or advanced programming interfaces (APIs). The best online project management services can help PMOs manage multiple projects, from the initial project request to the final invoicing. Nowadays, most of these services also provide mobile tools and modern social networking tools for time entry, expense tracking, status updates and secure team collaboration. The most capable solutions also provide free client interfaces so that your customers can submit requests and view projects' statuses. Global and remote teams can take advantage of alwaysavailable web access, and companies that need to control their own security can install the solution onpremise. Endless, customizable reporting options can help you easily prepare communications for your executives and clients.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT: WHAT TO LOOK FOR When reviewing these products, we considered their basic project management tools as well as their resource management and collaboration tools. This year, we stepped it up a notch and also evaluated the companies in general, because adding a project management solution is often a long-term partnership and it is important that the company has a proven track record of supporting its product and its customers. We asked each company what new features they have added over the past year and what new features are in development. We also considered their relevance, based on the answers to the following questions: Have they created a useful product that caters to market and customer demand? Are they evolving with emergent technologies? Will they answer your phone when you really need them? Will they fly in to train your team in person? The best companies value customer retainment and strive to provide exceptional service. Below are the criteria that we used to evaluate online project management services: THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH A traditional phased approach identifies a sequence of steps to be completed. In the "traditional approach", five developmental components of a project can be distinguished (four stages plus control):

Typical development phases of an engineering project 1. initiation 2. planning and design 3. execution and construction

4. monitoring and controlling systems 5. completion Not all projects will have every stage, as projects can be terminated before they reach completion. Some projects do not follow a structured planning and/or monitoring process. And some projects will go through steps 2, 3 and 4 multiple times. Many industries use variations of these project stages. For example, when working on a brick-and-mortar design and construction, projects will typically progress through stages like pre-planning, conceptual design, schematic design, design development, construction drawings (or contract documents), and construction administration. In software development, this approach is often known as the waterfall model, i.e., one series of tasks after another in linear sequence. In software development many organizations have adapted the Rational Unified Process (RUP) to fit this methodology, although RUP does not require or explicitly recommend this practice. Waterfall development works well for small, well defined projects, but often fails in larger projects of undefined and ambiguous nature. The Cone of Uncertainty explains some of this as the planning made on the initial phase of the project suffers from a high degree of uncertainty. This becomes especially true as software development is often the realization of a new or novel product. In projects where requirements have not been finalized and can change, requirements management is used to develop an accurate and complete definition of the behavior of software that can serve as the basis for software development. While the terms may differ from industry to industry, the actual stages typically follow common steps to problem solving"defining the problem, weighing options, choosing a path, implementation and evaluation." PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS Top online management solutions support traditional project-management ideologies and incorporate emergent technologies. For example, they should be able to easily handle traditional methodologies such as Waterfall, Agile, PRINCE2 and Chain methods and have the ability to create proprietary processes. We also evaluated whether the project management tools can handle all basic functions such as request management, budgeting, issues, risk assessment and

task management. The best products also provide extensive reporting options and easy ways to share those reports with stakeholders and other interested groups. RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

We evaluated the tools available for project managers to manage and allocate resources, including team members, external resources, generic resources, documents and physical assets. In addition, this category includes the tools for tracking expenses and timesheets. We also looked for advanced search tools for filtering resources so that project managers can find resources that are not only available, but are also at the experience level and price that fits projects' requirements. COLLABORATION

Although this comparison focuses on project manager tools, we briefly looked at how team members can interact and what tools there are for clients to monitor projects. Collaboration tools include features such as discussions or streams, social networking type tools, file sharing and announcements. We also looked to see if the services offer free tools for non-paid users, such as report viewing and read-only accounts. EASE OF USE

High adoption rates are directly related to ease of use. If the software is difficult to use, it may not be used, which will directly affect your company's return on investment (ROI). Also, inscrutable project management software may not be used to its fullest capacity. We looked for convenience features such as project templates, customization options, import tools, automated functions and more to determine how easy and convenient each project manager is to use. The service should also provide ample training through webinars, documentation, videos and even one-on-one training to help your team learn how to use the service quickly.

INTEGRATION & PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

Implementing a project management solution is not a casual, one-time purchase; it is a partnership. It is imperative to find a company that will provide the services you require, such as custom integrations, on-site training and direct support options. The best services create customized implementation plans, provide one-on-one management training and connect you with a dedicated account manager (for large contracts). Support should be provided throughout the life of your contract, and the support teams should be dedicated and motivated to help you resolve all issues to your satisfaction. SUMMARY: Clarizen online project management solution is simple to use, easy to integrate and experiences a high adoption rate among mangers and team members. It is equipped to provide accurate, insightful project transparency for project managers and stakeholders via customizable reports. It is ideal for dispersed teams with a variety of account requirements that range from free email-only accounts to time and expense accounts and full enterprise editions.

SUMMARY ON SEMINAR TOPIC: PROJECT MANAGEMENT TOOLS

Submitted by RAJA.R