Software that helps managers schedule charts

To find which one is the best solution for you look deeply on your business needs, goals and size of projects. Some PM tools are simple project scheduling apps that fits small business with main features such as task scheduler, resource pool, and some graphs and dependencies. Others all-in-one programs with bar charts, milestones, network-based schedules ex. CPM , Gantt chart style timelines can cover the needs of a large enterprise with high-level project portfolio management.

Here you will see some of the best PM software solutions with advanced and very powerful scheduling features. In the field of project management, Wrike is one of the best solutions. And it is also one of the easiest and efficient online project scheduling software. Their visual dynamic timeline gives you a real-time, birds-eye view of the project.

The core points and capabilities functionalities of scheduling are:. LP works with a world-class scheduling methodology. When it comes to project management scheduling software, no doubt that LiquidPlanner is one of the best. At the core of LiquidPlanner is a unique scheduling engine capable of predicting when an entire portfolio of projects will be completed based on a few key inputs.

Main scheduling features and functions:. This project management software allows you to spend less time mentally managing the process. ProWorkflow makes it a breeze to schedule and reschedule projects, assign staff, track time. It is a simple, easy online task management tool with great scheduling capabilities and features for your team:.

Easy Projects allows project managers to plan every aspect of their projects with ease, using a clearly defined timeline and simplifying scheduling their job. Also, its powerful dashboard and project costing feature offer data analysis on a granular level. Cons: Teams that have used LiquidPlanner often say it is expensive compared to other options and has a steep learning curve. Smartsheet is a popular project management app with its key features being an innovative dashboard and work automation.

Plus, you can create customized forms and design pre-configured automated systems for their specific needs. Pros: The simple and dynamic user interface makes it easy to navigate between various features.

You need to contact Smartsheet for enterprise pricing. Scoro is another tool on this list with a comprehensive set of offerings. When it comes to features, users can set up a project schedule and visualize progress via Gantt charts. In addition, users can ensure that the project stays on track budget-wise and forecast future expenditures based on past data.

Pros: Similar to Zoho, Scoro is effective for organizations looking for a more comprehensive solution. Cons: Scoro can get expensive, even for a basic set of features. Teamwork Projects covers all essential features required in a project planning app. In features, it includes time tracking software, a task manager, milestones, Gantt charts, and workload management.

Pros: The file manager has permission-based access, which optimizes file management. Cons: The free plan is very limited. Pricing: Free for up to 5 users. Basecamp is an unconventional project scheduling tool from the user interface perspective.

However, you can create task lists and set a deadline for each task. On the other hand, Basecamp has discussion boards and chat tools. That way, everyone in the team can collaborate on tasks better. Pros: Although unconventional, the user interface of Basecamp is simple to navigate. Cons: The lack of tags or labels makes it difficult to find specific messages or conversations.

And at the same time, easy to use. But the right tool can go a long way in helping you plan project timelines better. The best way is to shortlist a couple of tools from the list above. After which you can evaluate the tools. And finally, select one that best fulfills all your requirements. It comes with all the features you need to plan, track, and manage a project.

As a project manager, you want your team not to mention your project! A business or company can be difficult to manage. Especially when it comes to managing employees, organizing budgets, running meetings, etc.

When it comes to managing a business or a team, having strategies in place and being able to effectively communicate is just as important as having a plan to grow the business. Having a. Products News. Sign Up. Filter By: Featured. Download The App. Written by Indrajeet Deshpande. What is project scheduling? A project schedule helps managers: Understand what tasks need to be prioritized. Assign them to the right team members. And keep the project from going over-budget. Why use a project scheduling software?

Track project progress Managers need to keep the team on track to achieve milestones and deliver projects on time. A schedule helps everyone know where things stand And if things can be done on time.

Prioritize tasks A project schedule defines task dependencies, resource availability, and important deliveries. Adjust project schedule and resource availability Most project scheduler software offers intuitive tools that enable users to tweak the project plan or schedule easily. What are some common features in project scheduling tools? Task Management Task management involves creating tasks and tracking their progress through the entire workflow. Budget Planning A project budget can be as simple as the estimated effort.

Resource Management Resource management helps managers ensure that the team is not spread too thin. Frequently asked questions about project scheduling You now know what project scheduling is. What is the difference between project planning and scheduling? A project plan defines the goals, objectives, scope, deadlines, and resources for a project. What are the various project scheduling techniques? But instead of estimating effort, it considers the optimistic, pessimistic, and most-likely time required to complete a project Gantt Charts: Simply put, Gantt charts help visualize tasks, milestones, and the deadlines by which to complete them.

Which is the most basic scheduling method? What is the Level 1 or Master Schedule of a project? What are the different levels of project scheduling? What are the best project scheduling software? Integrated suite applications combine several functions like task management, Gantt charting, and time tracking.

Businesses prefer integrated tools for a unified solution that provides visibility, improves collaboration, and supports accountability. Startups and small businesses need a simple project management solution with fewer features that cover basic functionality.

Task management, team collaboration, document management, and email integrations are the common features in simple project management software. A comprehensive project management software has more features that cover core project management functions such as scheduling, resource management, and financial management on top of more advanced project management features. A PM suite will have a higher cost but also deliver accurate estimates, dependencies control, unlimited projects within a single instance, real-time progress tracking, and comprehensive reports that justifies the price of the solution.

These tools also require more oversight and time to be more effective in managing projects. Larger organizations and teams prefer integrated project management software, especially for more complex projects. Free project management software is available for home use, for very small teams of people, and as a fully-featured free and open source system. Many of these tools are offered as a free tier by project management vendors that also provide various levels of paid service.

Free tiers may have more limited features, may be restricted to a few users, or may come with limited personalized support. However, many small teams and those just testing out a new tool may find these options useful to help in their decision-making process. Open source is a valuable option for large teams looking for a free project management software. These tools provide all of the same features you may find in a subscription or on-premise tool and many of these tools are highly customizable for different project types.

However, access to support, implementation help, and custom changes will need to be managed by an in-house or third party development team. Not every industry is best-served with a standard project management system, and so industry-specific project management tools were developed to reduce the amount of customization a company will need upon implementation. Construction, software development, financial services, healthcare, and law all have features and customizations that make them better suited to industry work.

In industry-specific tools, you can expect to find collaboration tools, expense tracking, portfolio management, contractor management, resource management, and more. These tools may also help you manage a creative team, a remote team, or a specialized project within your larger portfolio.

The right features for your team will depend on the size of your team, the complexity of the projects you run, and the use case you will use the software in. This feature allows team members to:. Task management is essential in a project management software. The best project management tools offer visual task management in Kanban boards, Gantt charts, waterfall dependencies, and burndown charts.

These tools give a visual representation of project progress that is often easier to understand than a set of lists or items in a spreadsheet.

Collaboration tools help solve complex projects. These features ensure that everyone who can see a task or portion of the project can comment, add assets to, and notate changes in the same interface where all of the project information is stored. Visual task representations, messaging, task descriptions, notation features, asset upload capabilities, tags, email integrations, calendar tools, and more are considered collaboration features. Creative teams may run several smaller projects concurrently, and can make use of Gantt charts and cross-team approvals to keep work flowing to reach deadlines.

Large teams should use collaboration tools to keep the project up to date, alert team members to major and minor changes, and centralize assets.

Software support documentation helps new and existing team members troubleshoot issues within the software and learn to use the tools quickly. Documentation and support tools that shorten the learning curve include:. Some tools offer email and phone support only to paying subscribers, while others offer only online documentation or customer forums for any plan. If you think your team will need personalized support, look for tools with good support ratings.

This feature significantly increases productivity as the user can manage tasks and updates from their inbox without logging in to the tool. Individual members should also be able to set limits on the frequency and types of email notifications they receive. A good project management app provides a space for teams to store and manage files directly in the tool or by using an integrated third-party solution.

Document management features that are indispensable in a PM software are:. An online PM app also provides cloud storage space or integrates with a third-party service that provides it. Basecamp is a project management tool that is built around a centralized project document and also provides some asset upload capabilities. Also read: Basecamp vs. Microsoft Comparison. Large teams that manage many concurrent, complex projects may need to track each of those projects separately while also retaining the ability to report on and analyze their progression.

Project portfolio management software gives companies an interface to run several projects within one or more portfolios. The project managers and stakeholders can then take a high level view of project progress, quickly identify bottlenecks, and drill down into problem areas with each project. These tools are also instrumental in team resource allocation and expense tracking across a number of project timelines, as they can show where slack can be taken up by other individuals.

A key feature of project portfolio management software is its ability to scale. These tools can manage unlimited projects with their own separate settings and workflows, but have reporting tools that are powerful enough to give a top-level view. Microsoft Project, Jira, and Wrike all provide project portfolio management features. Also read: Microsoft Project Software Review.

Mobile access via native project management apps helps all types of teams, and are especially useful for distributed or remote teams. It provides a familiar interface and functionality so users can catch up on work, track progress, and message their teammates easily while on the go.