Hi all! I recently stepped into a new role as an IT manager, just two days in, after working in infrastructure administration. One of the initial challenges I've encountered is managing our project workflow. I've compiled a list of 38 active projects into a spreadsheet for better visibility. My team consists of just three members, which makes tackling these projects alongside our daily incidents quite a feat. My leadership team is requesting a visual representation of our project statuses to keep track at a glance. I'm exploring software options for project management. I found Clockify, but it feels quite basic for my needs, and MS Project has been suggested, although it seems quite cumbersome for entering data. I also plan to check out Jira today. Are there any other software solutions or tools you would recommend to help streamline our project management?
6 Answers
If you're open to open-source solutions, give plane.so a try. It has solid project management features and being open-source, you could run it yourself for free!
We use Salesforce for managing our projects and tracking time. I've also heard great things about Jira; many developers I've worked with swear by it. By the way, I found some blogs that cover helpful PM tips, which might be worth checking out!
Thanks for the info! Those articles sound like they'll provide some valuable insights.
I think Microsoft Planner could be a great fit for your needs. It allows for easy task management and integration with Microsoft Teams, which might help keep everyone on the same page. Also, check if your helpdesk tools offer any project management features.
You should definitely consider using Monday.com for your project management. It's user-friendly and provides a visual dashboard to track project status, which seems to be what your leadership is after.
Thanks for the suggestion! I'll definitely add Monday.com to my list.
Ultimately, the tool you choose may not matter as much as how you manage your projects. Focus on documenting your steps clearly and create an organized spreadsheet for your updates. You could structure it by project priority and completion status, making it visually manageable for your leadership. Just remember to keep it READ ONLY for them!
Great suggestions! I’ll definitely consider breaking everything down into sections as you've mentioned.
Have you looked into the One Page Project Manager by Campbell and Campbell? It's a method that uses an Excel template, which could be a simple solution you might like.
I love supporting open-source options! Thanks for the tip.