In a world where products are designed to simplify our lives, you know there are plenty of tools to help streamline project management. But the same innovative technology that gives us an advantage also makes it hard to know which tools are the best and which are obsolete or not worth the money.
The answer is likely what you expected — it depends on your business’s goals. However, many project management tools today have multiple features that allow you to accomplish your main objectives while also minimizing the need for other software programs.
Here, we’ve compiled a list of the best project tools for you and your tea, broken down by the most impressive features. They’re all worthy of a preview, and you might fall in love with at least one when you see how easy they are to use!
1. Quote to Cash: Accelo
Looking for a better way to optimize your invoicing, get paid for what you’re actually doing, and handle outstanding bills? Accelo covers all that and more in its Quote-to-Cash system, specifically designed to help professional services firms quote, land, and close their clients.
This strategy, also called Q2C or QTC, transforms your sales pipeline into an efficient, productive road to satisfied clients and a profitable business. Using tools that configure your products, generate quotes, handle the billing, monitor and address order fulfillment, and collect and post payments, the Q2C addresses each piece of the quote to close lifecycle. And Accelo’s system does it all with minimal effort from your team.
Other impressive features include contract management, real-time communication, dashboard overviews at a glance, and thorough, customized reporting that gives you insights into metrics you can actually use. Improve client interactions and reduce misunderstandings and errors with Accelo’s project management software.
2. Free Tools: ClickUp
While it doesn’t offer all the customized features and advantages a paid program might provide, ClickUp works well for startups and early-stage entrepreneurs on a budget.
Create your documents, share a dashboard, connect workflows, and manage project tasks in one centralized hub. The platform’s strengths include multiple viewpoints for monitoring cross-functional projects and automated task generation. Prioritize the week’s work, see the team’s progress at a glance, and watch for potential obstacles to the deliverable deadline.
ClickUp’s free version handles much of what a business needs to get started. As you scale, you’ll want to invest in the paid platform to get access to features like basic time tracking, Gantt charts, and other essentials.
3. Automation: Teamwork
Do repetitive, mundane tasks plague your team’s productivity? Can you imagine the success you could have if you could automate half your workload? If that sounds familiar, Teamwork is your answer.
Teamwork’s goal is to improve customization of business workflows and improve access to client permissions. This target is met through optimized project management features such as time tracking, automated task generation, and invoicing.
The platform’s free and low-cost plans include customization and automation for limited users. However, most of the vital features for a service business are only available with the more expensive paid plans.
4. Scrum Teams: Jira
Developed by Atlassian with a focus on Agile teams, this work management solution, Jira is a great tool for Scrum teams looking to track down issues and bugs. Add customization to adjust for various team sizes, and assign individual permissions to each person as needed. The effective use of Jira templates can help streamline common processes like bug reporting, task creation, or service requests, improving consistency and efficiency.
Jira’s Scrum boards make it easy to run Agile sprints and find bugs. The increased security is essential for many professional service firms who need the extra focus on safety. However, your team needs to know what they’re doing to run the platform, as it isn’t intuitive or user-friendly, and support is limited.
Before you invest in Jira, review the four options, as each one is designed for different purposes. Jira Software is best for handling world-class software, Jira Service Management is ideal for customer care, Jira Work Management is the project management platform, and Jira Align includes everything an enterprise needs to connect its distant and distinct teams.
5. Creative Teams: Notion
Does creativity run the show in your business? Photographers, artists, and other creatives can benefit from using Notion, a platform designed with the unique needs of the imagination in mind.
Notion’s project management app works best for small teams or solopreneurs looking for basic communication and storage features. The platform includes creative tools to build guides, websites, wikis, and more. Take notes, customize your documents, and store everything in a central hub with Notion’s free and paid plans.
This software isn’t designed for those needing advanced project management, juggling multiple tasks, or high-level security. But for beginner creatives or solopreneurs on a budget, Notion is an ideal place to start.
Conclusion
Finding the perfect project management software can be a daunting task, but the key is to narrow your options down by your most important goal. From financing to customization, the right platform awaits!