Project Management is the process of utilizing all the available tools and leveraging specific skills, knowledge, and experience to achieve a specified objective. Generally, Project Management has final deliverables that must meet deadlines and adhere to an allocated budget.
A significant factor that sets Project Management apart from other departments is that it has a crucial role in developing products that a brand will sell, which is an ongoing process. So, Project Management Software is often used by professionals who specialize in this field, due to all the variables that a project may involve.
Project Managers need a wide range of skills, often, technical skills, and, of course, People Management skills and good business awareness. Here are details about the attributes of Project Management and tools used in the trade.
Contents
Who is a Project Manager?
The Project Manager (PM) role involves wearing many hats and has a job description longer than what this post explains. No matter where Project Managers work – construction, consulting agencies, marketing teams, manufacturing, HR teams, software development, or event planning – or the types of projects they manage, PMs are on the front lines of all projects.
PMs are the first point of defense of their teams, clients, and projects. They set the pace and guide the project toward completion while guarding against miscommunication, missed deadlines, scope creep, and any other possible setback. Project Managers take charge of motivating their teams, facilitating strategies, and making critical decisions that will ultimately reach brand goals.
Overall, the role of a Project Manager requires a delicate balance of managing the administrative details of a project and its people. This role often involves using complex Business Management software, reaching out to form partnerships with other companies, and keeping employee engagement at an optimal performance level.
While the positions of PMs are often “behind the curtain,” PMs are always an integral part of the more prominent and strategic element of both long and short-term projects.
Software for Project Management
While there exists a plethora of software on the market today, software that is specific to Project Management typically contains the following attributes and capabilities:
- KPI dashboard
- Embedded formulas for P&L calculation and analysis
- Listing logistical data in a user-friendly capacity
- Keeping organized tables for planning purposes
- Auto-functioning feature for email responses
- Document sharing and storage
- Maintaining lists of all business metrics with access encryption
- Including data on financial statements and business expenses
- Keeping track of all employee tasks, including those pending and completed
With all the duties to execute and so much data to continuously assimilate, it becomes difficult for a Project Manager to stay organized. Business software not only aids in the organizational process but also frees up the PM’s time, so that he or she can concentrate on the project itself.
The More You Know
Being in Project Management takes more than just the desire to lead; it takes a specific skill set that many prospective PMs may find daunting. The ability to multitask is one such vital component of being a successful Project Manager, and so is knowing which tools to use and how to use them. These tools include both software and physical resources.
The more you understand the nature of the role, the easier it will be to allocate resources to equip the team better to meet project goals. And this is critical to delivering products or services which meet brand expectations.