Project Management Software: the Pros and Cons of Traditional Tools

Project management often feels like a plate-spinning trick – balancing multiple projects, tasks, milestones, and team members. All are simultaneously in motion, and any misstep could cause everything to come crashing down. It takes effort to balance innovation, efficiency, and execution, which is where an effective project management system can help. In fact, 77% of high-performing projects use a traditional project management software like Monday, Trello, or Basecamp.

A traditional project management software offers a comprehensive container for your methodologies and project plan and all project information. It eliminates the limitations of managing data in spreadsheets or other legacy tools. It gives you a clear view of your project from start to finish, improved risk analysis capabilities, and an increase in collaboration across your team. 

Sounds impressive, right? But before you rush into any decisions, it’s also important to be aware of the flip side of the coin. The potential drawbacks of many traditional project management software include substantial investment, added complexity, a learning curve that could feel like climbing Mount Everest, and, there are also concerns around data security and access controls to consider. Understanding your needs and options is critical, and highlighted by the fact that the majority of project managers are dissatisfied with the level of project management maturity in their organization.

Whether you’re a project manager on the lookout for a new solution, an operations leader trying to drive your team’s efficiency, or a decision-maker weighing options to improve project success rates while keeping costs in check, you need a clear understanding of project management software pros and cons – and knowledge about modern solutions that may provide the best fit for your requirements and goals. 

Key Takeaways

1. Project management software is a digital tool that enables teams to plan, execute, and monitor projects by facilitating task management, collaboration, resource allocation, and progress tracking.
2. Project management software enhances collaboration and communication among team members, improves visibility into project progress, and streamlines task management. It also helps organizations stay within budget and adapt quickly to changes or challenges during the project lifecycle.
3. Project management software is critical to businesses because it provides a structured approach to project management. This leads to improved productivity, better resource utilization, and enhanced decision-making, ultimately driving project success and overall business growth.

What is Project Management Software?

Project management software is a digital tool that assists teams in planning, organizing, and managing projects effectively. It typically has features for task assignment, scheduling, progress tracking, collaboration, and resource allocation, enabling users to streamline workflows. By centralizing project-related information, these tools facilitate communication among team members and stakeholders, ensuring everyone stays aligned with project goals and deadlines. Ultimately, project management software enhances productivity and efficiency, helping organizations deliver projects on time and within budget. 

Who Uses Project Management Software?

Project management software is widely used across various industries. Its ability to improve efficiency, enhance collaboration, and provide transparency in project tracking makes it an essential tool in virtually any industry that requires organized project management and team coordination.

Example Uses for Project Management

Below, we’ve outlined how three major industries use project management software to help you better understand whether it can benefit your team.

• Construction: In the construction industry, project management software manages schedules, budgets, and resources effectively. It allows project managers to create timelines, assign tasks to team members, and track progress in real-time. This ensures that construction projects are completed on time and within budget while maintaining communication between subcontractors, suppliers, and clients.
• Information Technology (IT): The IT sector relies heavily on project management software for software development, system implementation, and IT service management. Teams use these tools to adopt agile methodologies, enabling them to break down projects into manageable tasks, track sprint progress, and facilitate collaboration among developers, testers, and stakeholders. This enhances flexibility and responsiveness to changes in project requirements.
• Marketing: Marketing teams utilize project management software to coordinate campaigns, manage content calendars, and track performance metrics. These tools help in task assignment, deadline management, and collaboration on creative projects, ensuring that marketing initiatives run smoothly and efficiently. By centralizing resources and enabling communication, project management software empowers marketing professionals to achieve their goals and adapt strategies based on real-time data.

The Pros of Using a Traditional Project Management System

1) A Centralized Project Repository

Having a centralized project repository is like having a super-efficient personal assistant who knows everything about your projects, readily available 24/7. It is an all-encompassing platform that holds every piece of project information you need, creating a single source of truth with real-time updates and access. This is just one of the advantages of project management software.

When planning new projects, assigning tasks, or tracking progress against milestones, the project management software ensures all relevant data is at your fingertips. If you have a remote team spread across multiple locations – and maybe even time zones – working on a crucial project, instead of grappling with disconnected communication threads, documents, or spreadsheets, everyone turns to the project management system. All updates, feedback, and communication are logged and visible, keeping everyone aligned and saving you from the chaos of conflicting versions, missed emails, and error-prone Excel spreadsheets.

2) End-to-End Project Views

Project management software’s end-to-end project view empowers you to track project initiatives from idea to completion in one place. With this feature your task management is in one view, you can see all tasks, their assigned owners, and each role and milestone in the overall project timeline. It’s like having a map for your project journey, clearly outlining where you start, who is involved, what roles they play, and the final destination. 

This project management software feature keeps everyone informed about their roles and responsibilities and highlights dependencies, ensuring smoother transitions between each project phase. Stakeholders can easily review current status at any time, providing transparency and giving the data and analysis for proactive problem-solving.

3) Better Project Forecasting and Risk Analysis

Project management software is like having a crystal ball when it comes to forecasting and risk analysis for your projects. With all tasks, assigned roles, milestones, time tracking, deadlines and overall resource allocation in one system, most systems will allow you to set automatically triggered alerts when a deadline or budget item is at risk. 

Imagine you’re working on a large construction project with many moving parts. As the project progresses, some tasks take longer than anticipated. Instead of realizing this at the eleventh hour and risking the committed project completion schedule, the project management software automation flags this early. Now you can address the delay before it impacts the overall project, maybe by better resource management or adjusting timelines. At-a-glance dashboard insights help keep your project on track, avoiding last-minute scrambles, unwelcome surprises, and budget overruns.

4) Improved Project Collaboration and Communication

Project management systems act like virtual conference rooms, facilitating seamless collaboration and communication among teams. With integrated communication tools, discussing ideas, addressing issues, and documenting decisions become effortless. 

Consider a scenario where your team is working remotely. Instead of juggling multiple communication channels, your team can use the project management software to see all deliverables, chat, share documents, and update the project progress. It can be viewed in the format each user prefers, whether it’s Gantt charts or Kanban boards. Project management software keeps everyone on the same page with automatic notifications, maintaining a collaborative environment despite physical distances. Plus, with the ability to access the system from any device or location, updates can be made, and issues can be addressed promptly, ensuring smooth project execution.

The Cons of Project Management Systems that Come Out of the Box

1) Potentially Costly Investment

Despite the numerous advantages, traditional project management systems often come with a hefty price tag. There are the costs associated with acquiring the software, and often there are key capabilities that require the purchase of additional modules. You also have the cost of implementing the system, and the inevitable ongoing maintenance costs. These are disadvantages of project management – when the software solution doesn’t fit your business.

Suppose you run a small startup and are considering traditional project management systems. While the features may sound enticing, the costs might outweigh the benefits, especially when you factor in the expenses that come later, like maintenance and upgrades. 

An alternative could be opting for a no-code platform to build a custom project management app. This could save money, be more time-efficient and allow you to tailor the tool to your specific needs.

2) Can Add Unnecessary Project Complexity

While designed to simplify and streamline your work, some project management systems can sometimes add complexity you don’t need, particularly for smaller or simpler projects where complex gantt charts aren’t necessary. It’s like giving a state-of-the-art espresso machine to someone who only drinks instant coffee—it can be overkill. The cost of bad project management – a solution that doesn’t engage users – is high.

For instance, if you’re a small business or startup organizing a small team event, using complex project management software might turn a straightforward task into a labyrinth of unnecessary features, making you less efficient. Even projects with more moving parts can become unnecessarily complicated unless you’re using the right project management tool. 

It’s important to look at all the project management software options available to you before making a selection. No-code platforms, with templates to get you started quickly, empower you to quickly and affordably create a project management system that meets your unique needs. 

3) Can Involve a Steep Learning Curve

Every new tool added to your tech stack comes with some amount of a learning curve. Project management systems are no exception. Depending on the complexity of the system, you may need to invest time and resources in training your team to use it effectively. 

It’s like getting a new high-tech gadget. It holds a lot of promise, but is potentially time-consuming as you figure out all the functions and features. The same applies to implementing a new project management software like Microsoft Project. It can be an initial hurdle that slows down project progression and could even lower adoption rates if team members find it too complex to navigate.

Investigating simpler, no-code platforms can provide the robust project management tools you need while providing a simple, intuitive user interface that cuts the learning curve. 

4) Data security and access controls

While having all your project information and communication in one place is convenient, it can also be a double-edged sword. If the system’s security measures and user access controls aren’t robust, sensitive data could fall into the wrong hands. 

For example, imagine you’re working on an education-related project with student information included. Without granular role-based user access, someone without the proper authorization could potentially view sensitive data. So, when choosing a system, make sure it offers the ability to set permissions based on user roles. This protects your data and also streamlines workflows because team members don’t get overloaded with irrelevant information. They can focus on their specific tasks and updates.

Helpful Project Management Features to Look For

Project management software is only as powerful as its features. Let’s explore some of the key features to look for when evaluating your options.

Project Templates

Project templates are pre-designed structures and workflows tailored to various project types. They allow teams to save time and maintain consistency across projects. With templates, users can quickly set up tasks, assign responsibilities, and establish deadlines, ensuring that all necessary elements are included and reducing the risk of overlooking critical steps. This feature enhances efficiency and helps teams stay organized, making project management smoother and more effective.

Gantt Charts and Kanban Boards

Gantt charts and Kanban boards offer visual timelines and workflows to help teams manage tasks and prioritize work effectively. Gantt charts allow project managers to track progress, manage deadlines, and identify potential bottlenecks. Kanban boards provide a clear overview of what needs to be done, what is in progress, and what has been completed. Together, these essential tools enable better planning and resource allocation, ensure projects stay on schedule, enhance collaboration, and promote transparency. 

Automation Capabilities

Automation capabilities significantly enhance efficiency and productivity by automating repetitive tasks such as task assignments, notifications, and status updates. It reduces the risk of human error, ensures consistency in workflows, and accelerates project timelines. Overall, automation features streamline processes, allowing project managers to manage resources more effectively and keep projects on track with minimal manual intervention.

Resource Management

Resource management features enable optimal allocation and utilization of team members, equipment, and materials. They help project managers track resource availability, assign tasks based on capacity and skills, and prevent overallocation or underutilization. By providing visibility into resource usage and future availability, resource management features aid in planning and decision-making, leading to better project outcomes and improved team performance.

Collaboration Tools

Collaboration tools, such as shared workspaces, real-time messaging, file sharing, and collaborative document editing, facilitate seamless communication and teamwork among project members regardless of location. These tools ensure that everyone is on the same page, reducing misunderstandings and enhancing productivity. Effective collaboration tools support smoother workflows, quicker problem resolution, and more innovative solutions, driving overall project success.

Real-Time Metrics

Real-time metrics provide up-to-the-minute insights into project performance and progress. They offer immediate visibility into key performance indicators (KPIs), such as task completion rates, budget utilization, and team productivity. This real-time data allows project managers to make informed decisions quickly, identify potential issues before they escalate, and adjust plans as needed to keep the project on track. Ultimately, real-time metrics features enhance accountability, improve resource management, and ensure that projects are delivered on time and within scope.

Integrations

Integrations allow data to flow seamlessly between applications such as CRM, communication platforms, accounting software, and more, reducing the need for manual data entry and minimizing errors. By integrating with the tools your team already relies on, project management software can enhance workflow efficiency, improve data accuracy, and provide a more cohesive and streamlined user experience. Effective integrations support better collaboration, ensure all team members can access up-to-date information, and help optimize project performance.

The Better Alternative to a Traditional Project Management Tool: Build Your Own with No-Code

No-code refers to a development approach that allows individuals without programming knowledge or coding skills to create applications and software solutions. Businesses should create their own project management software with no-code instead of buying a traditional tool because it offers customization, cost-effectiveness, agility, rapid deployment, scalability, integration capabilities, and ownership/control. This allows organizations to tailor the app to their needs, reduce costs, adapt quickly, deploy rapidly, scale easily, integrate with other tools, and maintain control over their technology.

Read “Should you Build or Buy your Software?” >>

Although building your own Project Management tool with no-code seems like a daunting task, no-code allows builders to create apps in just a few minutes rather than a few months. Knack also offers scaleable, usage-based pricing so you can show return-on-investment quickly.

Read “Step-by-Step Guide: How to Build Project Management Software for Streamlined Success” >>

Charting the Right Course in Project Management

Project management is complex, filled with many tasks, multiple teams, and pressing deadlines. A thorough analysis of your team and business requirements will help you choose the best project management system for your needs. With the right system in place, you’ll be well on your way toward efficient and successful project implementation.

Start building for free with Knack’s Project Management Template App >>