BPC, Articles and Glossary

Project Management Software

Definition: Project Management Software are software programs that help with applying knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to plan and control resources, costs and schedules to meet the requirements of the particular project and include such integrated functions as calendars, charts, tracking of people and budgets, generating of reports and scheduling.

Why project management software? 

Any project in business, from the introduction of a new brand of soap to the design of a new Airbus needs managing. All the different elements: personnel, components, paperwork have to come together at the right times to produce a smooth flow and ensure deadlines are hit and money’s not lost.

There are plenty of software tools that can help with this kind of management, from visual aids like Gantt charts and time sheet tracking, to collaborative controls, enabling whole teams to work better together. These are the key types of Project Management Software:

Gantt Chart – a type of chart which shows the relationships of the various elements in a project, over time. It can be used to monitor the progress of a project and to indicate which elements are crucial to meeting project deadlines.

PERT Chart – PERT stands for Program Evaluation and Review Technique and offers similar functions to Gantt, including easy determination of the critical path within the project.

Bug and Defect Tracking – provides assistance in tracking the handling of reported errors or faults in physical or software products.

Time Sheet Tracking – when project members are dividing their time between multiple projects, time sheet tracking is used to record time spent on each task and issue time sheets for management approval each week, month etc.

Group Management – a general term covering aspects such as a specialist e-mail message centre for those involved in a specific project or a discussion forum for project-related chat within an intranet.

More on what is project management and what is project management software.

There are project management tools designed for different complexities of project, from small, two or three-person developments to massive company-wide changes. Check the tool you’re considering is sufficient for the size of project you intend to monitor with it. PERT charts, for example, were developed by the US Navy, and they can handle hugely complex tasks.

You can buy project management software as a one-off purchase, but there are also Web-based services which offer to handle your project management requirements online, for an ongoing subscription. This approach can prove more cost-effective if you have a limited number of projects to manage.