Choosing the right project management tool for your small business can be a daunting endeavor, especially if it’s your first time venturing into project management territory. Which features are must-haves for small business teams? What exactly should you be looking for in a PM tool?
Take a page out of someone else's book. Software Advice asked hundreds of small business owners which features they found most important in a project management tool. Check out what they had to say so you can decide what matters for your team:
Top 9 PM Tool Features
1. Time-tracking (66%): See exactly where your time goes, determine where you can trim wasted hours, and accurately predict how long a new project will take (and how that affects profitability.)
2. Task management (52%): Organize your daily work and track every detail and to-do to make sure you stay on schedule and nothing gets forgotten.
3. Resource management (41%): Keep an eye on all your resources to know which are available and ensure they're being used efficiently.
4. Reporting (36%): Easily generate accurate reports and evaluate the success of your current strategy.
5. Document management (19%): Store and manage all your documents online. You'll save time looking for relevant files, since everything’s in one spot and easily accessible.
6. Collaboration tools (12%): Get your team working together to accomplish goals faster, generate new ideas, and coordinate efforts.
7. Budgeting (11%): See where every precious penny is being spent, prevent overspending, and track profits.
8. PPM (6%): Prioritize all your projects based on business goals by weighing cost and time against potential benefits.
9. Issue management (6%): Make sure any issues affecting your project, such as technical glitches or low supplies, are quickly recognized, addressed, and resolved.
All of these individual features help small business owners in unique ways: from maximizing their time and resources to stretching every dollar to focusing their team's effort on profits.
If you're a small business owner, we'd love to hear from you! Which project management features do you find most helpful in running your business? Help your fellow SMBs by sharing your experience in the comments.
