Are you looking to start a career as a project manager? There are some essential things you need to know about a project manager, such as their software. In this article will highlight some of the 5 top project management software for project managers.
Having this software in mind, you can begin to check them out and get skilled in using them before applying for a project management role.
However, before we go further into the software, let’s look at who is a project manager?
Who is a project manager?
A project manager leads a team on a particular task from the start to the end of the project.
However, it is by no means vital to the tech space but in the development of projects and services.
When developing products or services, it is great to have someone who oversees the process.
And that is where a project manager comes in.
A project manager is a person who plays the lead role in the planning, managing, monitoring and execution of a project.
The project manager, most of the time, serves these roles in a company.
But if a company decides to be more specific in dealing with their products, they will hire a product manager.
Although, a project manager and product manager aren’t the same.
But they can easily transition into the other as they share similar experiences and skills.
Also, Project managers are instrumental in many career choices.
Some of which includes software developer, consultant, computer engineer, information technologist and many more.
And so this makes many opportunities for a project manager to soar in any industry, including tech.
The responsibility of the project manager spans five significant stages.
Five stages of project management
And they include defining, planning, executing, performing or controlling and closing the project.
Defining/ Initiation stage: it has to do with developing a project charter, project initiation and identifying stakeholders.
Planing: The stage is where you develop a plan for the project; scopes and define a work breakdown structure; plan and manage time, cost, quality, human resources, stakeholders, risk and many others.
Executing: It has to do with managing and directing all the work for a project, performing quality control and others.
Monitor and control: This looks at how monitoring and controlling the project work, the scope of the project, project costs, means of delivery, and others.
Closing: the stage involves closing every phase of a project and the project procurement.
Non-tech skills of a project manager
A project manager doesn’t only need to be skilled technically but also in non-technical areas.
And we will be considering some of them as we progress.
However, the overall skill of a project manager is a person knowledgeable about both technical and non-technical skills and tools.
The role needs a person with good leadership skills.
It needs a person who can manage conflict, change management, team building, motivate the team, and be very strategic in business development.
Among other non-tech skills, the person should be skilled in problem-solving, adaptability, motivating and empowering the team.
Combining these non-technical skills with the technical skills or software would give you an edge in the product manager demand.
Now that you know some non-technical skills, let’s show you some technical tools you can upskill yourself with.
What are project management tools, and what are they used for?
Project management tools are essentials needed to aid the workings of a product manager.
A project manager needs to be able to delegate tasks appropriately and proportionally.
Also, to oversee the general workings towards achieving a set goal for a project.
And this is where the tools come to play handy.
The tools help make the whole process easier and are beneficial to the outcome of your project.
Some of which includes
ProofHub
The software is project planning software.
It is software that helps you plan, stay organised, and keep organised the team’s progress.
A person skilled at using proof hub can use centralised tools like workflows, Gantt charts, etc.
Also, collaboration is made accessible on the platform with the software tool.
So the person can collaborate with their project team and maybe external factors like clients.
And a team can be empowered as they move from one level of the project to another.
It is straightforward to access.
However, it comes with few integrations that limits task management.
ProofHub doesn’t have a limitation to the number of users that uses it.
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Kissflow Project
The project management tool is a free one, and it is compelling.
If you are looking to start as a project manager, it is one to go for.
It is very functional and ideal for project management.
Many organisations use it because it comes with all the necessary feature integrations required for managing a project.
Even with all the fantastic features, it is easy to use, making it a more excellent choice for organisations.
Kissflow is an excellent organisation tool.
You can know who is working on a project and who is meant to deliver.
It features a personalised board, custom forms and others that helps a person in managing a project.
If you are considering getting the software, it has three plan tiers.
The starter plan costs $7 for a user per month and allows you to manage three projects.
Then the Pro plan costs $12 for a user per month and allows you to manage five projects, while the enterprise plan involves negotiable pricing.
Kanban tool
The tool allows for a seamless workflow, providing the necessary features you need to move your project forward.
It provides features like reporting, sharing documents, time tracking, notifications and many others.
If you are looking to create an agile development for a project, it is one that project managers consider.
Also, project managers can collaborate and lead the team efficiently.
If you want to access the software, it comes as a free plan for two users and can undergo two project boards.
Then Kanja has a paid plan that allows users to pay $5 monthly and supports unlimited boards.
Then it has a $9 plan per month with advanced features like tracking, reporting, process automation and others.
Wrike project management
Cloud-based platforms are getting popular, and software like this is very good for project managers.
Wrike is a cloud-based software that helps project managers to plan a project effectively.
Project managers can track their team’s progress, set and monitor deadlines, prioritise tasks, and build a collaborative work environment.
Also, it offers advanced features like Gantt Charts, a real-time newsfeed, task management and others.
However, the downside to the software is that it has a sheer number of features.
And this can be very overwhelming.
But starting as a project manager offers all you need to get your role at the highest demand level.
Different teams within an organisation can collaborate on the software because of the variety it offers.
Using the software is a free version that allows up to five users.
And there is a paid version that cost $9.80 monthly per user.
Also, a business plan cost $24.80 monthly per user.
Trello
The project management software platform comes with an in-built collaboration tool.
It helps project managers to work effectively with their teams.
The team members can share cards to create tasks, comments, share files, lists, and others.
It is suitable for those starting as project managers because it is straightforward.
However, it doesn’t have some functionality like time tracking.
It means you might not be able to manage the number of time you spend on a project.
Also, it lacks reporting functionality.
It also comes with a paid plan that offers premium features and a free plan that can be accessible to anybody for some time.
Certifications
To start as a project manager, you can get some certification to make you rank as a top-rated talent.
Some of which includes Project Management Institute (PMI), Project Management Professional (PMP), the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) and others.
Implication for you
If you read till this point, you probably know 5 top project management software for project managers.
And if you are starting, using these platforms would help you boost your chances of getting employed as a project manager.
You should share with us in the comment section if this article were helpful to you.
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