There is no question that efficient project planning is one of the guiding principles of running a business. Whether you are working with a small startup or managing a well-established firm, it has become critical to have a dedicated tool in place for planning your projects. The advantages of having a powerful online project planning tool in place are enormous. For instance, it allows you to map out the entire life of a project in minutes, which in turn helps to minimize risks and maintain better project schedules.
If you're investing in a new tool – you need not only to learn how to use it but also which features to use. So, let's look at the top 4 features you need in your online project planning tool and how you can use them to plan projects like a pro. Built-in communication A project planning tool must be collaborative. It should offer built-in communication features like discussions and chats so that project managers can keep everyone in the loop when new projects are added. This feature is important because the more information you provide to your team, the better they'll perform. Clear communication empowers them with the ability to see what they need to do, how do they do it and what timeframe they have to get everything done, thereby keeping them on schedule. Gantt charts If you're a project manager then you would probably know what Gantt chart is and how it helps in planning projects. These charts provide a timeline view of all the upcoming tasks in a project along with their deadlines and dependencies. When a project manager can see the complete course of a project and all the tasks involved, they can plan and schedule things more efficiently. And that's why it’s important that you choose a project planning software with Gantt chart tool. Reports To successfully plan a project, you need to be aware of its shortcoming and potential issues. Using a project planning software with reporting tool provides a thorough overview and great insights into project budget, expenses, completed tasks and team members’ performance. This enables you to get a quick overview of how your project is progressing and how you can improve. File management The larger the project, the more files and documents you need to manage. For efficient project planning and management, you’re going to need a software that allows you to organize all files and documents in one place. Having all your data stored to a comprehensive tool means that you can share files and collaborate with your teams without any trouble. This not only helps to save time but also ensures that everyone gets quick access to the information they need and get their work done more efficiently. Since there are a vast number of choices available in the market today, it’s quite interesting to see which online project planning tool out there would satisfy the above criteria. And once you've got the right tool injected into your system, you're on your way to planning projects easily, no matter how complex they are. So, what are you still waiting for? Find the ideal project planning tool for your business and don't forget to share your experience in the comments below.
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AuthorSharon Thomson is a project management expert and writer. Through the years she has written about a myriad of project management topics and has successfully managed countless projects on her own. A big believer in ‘work smarter, not harder’ philosophy; Sharon keeps including her own personal lessons in her writing from time to time. |