If you are thinking of investing in a project management software for your organization, you should consider couple of things before making your final decision. Two major things to consider is the size of the projects your company will have in the future and the number of people that will be assigned to those projects. Also, you should understand the culture and mobility of your organization and see if there is a need for a software that is accessible via mobile. Lastly, you should determine the budget for such an investment and match your needs with the amount of money you want to spend on a project management software.
Types and costs of project management software
Two most popular types are web-based and on-site software solutions. Web-based software is known as the Software as a Service (SaaS) which means that a server provider hosts the service and makes it available via Internet. Approximate costs for a web-based solution can vary from as low as $15 up to $100 per month or per user, including IT support and regular software updates. The payments are in a form of a monthly or annual fee. The clients for a web-based software are usually small businesses because of the low cost and efficient task management easily accessible using mobile devices.
On-site software solutions include a variety of components, including hardware and necessary IT maintenance and software upgrades. With all of the fees added, including the IT support, licensing and physical serves, the cost could be as high as $9,000. It is important to note that in a long-term, web-based software is actually more expensive because of its subscription aspect.
Why choose a web-based solution?
Mobile access is a major benefit of a web-based solution. Stakeholders, managers, team members, and everyone involved in an organization can easily access the data, get informed about the project status and efficiently communicate with each other.
Why choose an on-site solution?
On-site solution offers two important advantages compared to a web-based solution. The higher initial costs are worth the security and ability to customize as needed.
Web-based solutions have a higher security risk because of a third-party server provider who manages your data. With an on-site solution, you have your own servers. Only a certain amount of people can access your servers and the data control is within your organization.
Customization is a great advantage to having an on-site solution. Web-based solutions usually offer customization within determined limits. Customizing takes longer time to design, but it will be worth implementing it, especially if you configure it to include better workflow, data organization, or new shareable screens.
Beneficial features of a project management software
A good project management software should have the ability to track the time of the task completion. This gives an idea to the project managers and stakeholders about overall work productivity and accomplishments. Also, it offers easier and more organized budget tracking with highly accurate data by having a central point of sharing files and updates. A good project management software should have a notification system for new or modified file updates.
Communication is an important aspect, as well. A software solution should be able to integrate emails into the system, with an option to send out automatic reminders for projects and due dates. Good communication leads to better risk analysis and tracking issues as they happen throughout the project.
As you move through the stages of a task completion, any version of a project management system could easily benefit your company if you choose the right fit, price, and features that will benefit your company’s goals in a long-term.
Anita Hardwick is a tech blogger currently focusing on Business Process Management topics with JobTraQ.
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