You would like to improve collaboration and productivity within your company, and to do so, you have decided to opt for a project management software such as Wimi. This is an excellent idea because this type of tool offers many advantages to teams. For example, it allows you to coordinate the implementation of a project, to distribute tasks and monitor their progress, and to facilitate communication and exchanges between team members, especially if they work remotely.
However, there are many project management solutions on the market today, and it can be difficult to find the one that best suits your organisation. Here are some tips to help you make your choice.
Reminder: what is a project management tool?
Managing a project from A to Z can be a real challenge for the project manager and his team. To ensure the success of the project, it is essential to use the right tools to plan the project, monitor the budget and deadlines, but also to facilitate collaboration and communication within the team.
Project management software is, as its name suggests, software that helps you to manage projects of all types and sizes efficiently. To do this, it has multiple functionalities essential to project management, such as
- a task and resource manager
- shared calendars
- a Gantt chart;
- a document sharing area;
- a notification and alert system
- a reporting tool;
- communication tools.
In short, a project management solution is an all-in-one tool that simplifies project management and makes you more efficient on a daily basis.
6 tips for choosing the right project management tool
Follow these tips to find the right project management software for your organisation.
Define your needs
To begin with, it is important to identify your needs, including listing the issues you face, such as lack of visibility or repetitive errors. Then determine the functionalities you need to be efficient in managing your projects. For example, a task manager to know who is doing what and to follow the progress of each task; a document sharing space to centralise your files and find them more easily; or communication tools such as instant messaging or a video conferencing system to facilitate exchanges and collaboration.
Think about mobility
Since the pandemic, working patterns have changed and teams no longer work in the same way. Within the same team, some employees may come to the office every day, while others may telework several days a week/month, others may travel regularly and a fourth category of employees may work remotely on a permanent basis.
Hence the need for a mobile solution, i.e. a tool that your employees can use anywhere, at any time, regardless of where they are. This means that your project management software must have a mobile application and that your employees can use it from any device (smartphone, tablet or computer), even offline, if necessary.
Do not neglect security
Data leaks, intrusion, password theft, etc., your project management tool must be secure in order to protect your data, whether it is financial and strategic company data or the personal data of your employees and customers. This should apply to all your digital tools.
To do this, opt for a sovereign tool, i.e. a French or European one, which guarantees that your data is hosted in France or in Europe to avoid it being subject to the Cloud Act.
Also check that the software offers privacy and security measures such as end-to-end encryption and multi-factor authentication, as is the case with Wimi Armoured.
Finally, you should be able to easily manage access rights to determine who can access which document(s) and whether the person can only view the file read-only, edit it and/or share it.
Ask employees for their opinion
Your employees will be the main users of the project management software. It is therefore logical that they should have a say in the choice of tool. To gather the needs and requirements of your employees, you can set up a survey. Ask them how they see the ideal software, what features are essential, etc.
In addition, your employees will appreciate being involved in the choice of a new tool. This will make it easier for them to accept the new tool, even if there will always be people who are reluctant to change. It is up to you to reassure and convince them, particularly by implementing a change management system.
Compare prices
The choice of a project management tool also depends heavily on your budget. First of all, you should know that you can choose to pay a monthly or annual fee (the latter being more advantageous).
Secondly, you should make sure that maintenance, updates, help, support and other resources are included in the price, to avoid unpleasant surprises, especially if you have a problem or need technical assistance.
Finally, ask around because some software publishers offer reduced rates for certain types of organisations such as associations, NGOs or public bodies.
Don’t hesitate to test
Once you have shortlisted two or three project management software packages that you like, do not hesitate to test them before making your decision. Almost all software publishers offer between two weeks and one month of free testing. This is the ideal opportunity to discover the tool, to see if your employees find it easy to use, if it has all the functions you need and if it meets your expectations perfectly.
Whatever you choose, opt for a simple and intuitive solution that will require little or no training. The aim is for your employees to be immediately operational and to want to use this new tool on a daily basis.
