Project Management Tools – Trends for 2018

Project Management tools for 2018:- For the last two years, the Software Advice platform has been conducting a survey of SMEs looking for an online project management tool, that is to say in SaaS mode, or “in the cloud”. We had already drafted an article to exploit the results of the study 2018 on the uses and challenges of this project management software.

Like last year, the platform highlights three aspects: the way SMEs manage their projects, the features most in demand when looking for a project management tool, the challenges that this investment meets.

Let’s look at these results and see the changes compared to last year.

The Project Management tools: not yet well Implemented in SMEs

Through this study, it is discovered that only 35% of the sample already use project management software in their company. A trend that continues since 2017 with equivalent rates. New users are therefore the most concerned and no longer satisfied with traditional methods.

In fact, 55% still manage their projects manually (papers, spreadsheets, emails), use software that is not specific to project management (office suites), or a tool developed internally. The remaining 10% have no management means, or conversely multiple.

At Planzone, and as in 2018, we found that 80% of our customers used Excel before adopting our tool, and more than 40% were Microsoft Project followers. Unlike the first, where Planzone becomes a real alternative (see our article on the 3 reasons to stop using Excel to manage its projects), it often appears as a complement for the second. Where MS Project is more responsive to the needs of experienced project managers, Planzone seems more flexible and more suited to all users of a company.

The right Software: a Mix of Standard and Advanced Features

Same management as last year, task management remains THE indispensable functionality of online project management tools for 70% of respondents. What’s more logical because it allows organizing and managing its work on a daily basis? The same is true for the time management functions required for the assignment and monitoring of the tasks to be performed.

The features related to forecasts and planning are also acclaimed for 37% with resource management (timesheets, tracking workload), or 21% with the Gantt Chart.

There is also a desire to have more advanced monitoring capabilities such as project reports (49%) and dashboards (29%).

together, the project monitoring tools (Gantt, reports, etc.) are requested by 94% of the SMEs surveyed. The reports will allow measuring the performance indicators of a project. Les Gantt offers a modeled vision and a follow-up of the evolution of the project. As for the dashboards, they illustrate the updates and real-time progress of the project.

Expected needs of a Project Management tools

The 3 main challenges facing SMEs interested in this type of software are:

• Automate processes and reduce errors (30%)
• Standardize processes and workflows (26%)
• Increase the visibility and responsibility of the team members (23%), ex aequo with the centralization of the data

Points that seem logical enough for new users, especially for those who manage their projects manually. For example, nobody organizes their emails in the same way, so we do not know how the important and urgent elements are treated in others. One can also spend hours working on a document, which is actually not the right version, or not know where our colleague is on the task that we have to deal with afterwards. Other interesting points are addressed in this study. Do not hesitate to consult the full analysis for more information.

And if your company is finally ready to implement project management software, consider testing Planzone for free! Our tool meets all the criteria asked by the respondents of this study, so there is a good chance that this is also your case.