3 Must-Have Project Management Tools for Startups
1. Quickscrum
Quickscrum is undisputedly the most reliable as well as one of the best project management software available in the market.
QuickScrum helps to unlock the power of Agile Scrum into your projects – whether you are a seasoned Agile professional or a novice – just starting with Scrum – you can get started with Scrum implementation and get your projects going right away!
Scrum tool plays an integral part in software project design and development.
Key Features:
- Designing and predicting user stories.
- Creating and managing inventory backlogs is effortless.
- Define your sprints, and build them.
- Identify team progress and pace via burndown and velocity charts that are created dynamically.
- Visualize the entire team operates on a platform called single.
- Dispose of custom reports to get an insight into the state of your project.
QuickScrum project management software offers many benefits and is a must-have for all Scrum whiteboard users. This tool provides many features and facilities that are not included, and can not be identified when using a conventional whiteboard. It provides for the entire team with an automated Scrum implementation solution.
- Search anything at your fingertips
A trademark feature of the tool, very few other Scrum tools offer a facility where you can search for any type of project-related information without leaving your current page.
Specially designed to support the Scrum team, the search features are designed to ensure that you have quick and easy access to every part of your ongoing project knowledge. Find, search, edit, and delete anything you need-immediately! - Manage product backlogs of any size and complexity
Product backlogs form the basis of a software project focused on Scrum. The tool supports the creation, modification, and deletion of new user stories. Creating, searching, and listing user stories based on your search criteria is extremely easy.
Management of the product backlog supports drag-and-drop functionality that helps with the backlog grooming operation. Using the management features of the backlog it is simple to conduct the refinement sessions with the whole team. What is more, you can build and manage every size and complexity of the product backlogs. - Planning multiple sprints at the same time
Multiple sprints can be built and scheduled on a single tab. - Access Scrum taskboard from anywhere
The tool is very useful for the development teams that are dispersed or disjoint and provides simple, Shared access for all members of the team. Growing members can log on to the Taskboard and show instant updates. The Taskboard assists in promoting cooperation through live notifications of tasks performed by other team members.
The taskboard features can be accessed from anywhere. -
Live Burndown charts
Generate burndown charts that show the progress of the most recent team. Compare ideal team progress with your current team level, and dynamically track projects. An essential tool in keeping track of current team activity and progress for product owners and scrum masters. - Instant team activity log
Whatever activity you do – whether the tool users create a new user story, add, or update tasks – everything is logged and displayed live in the activity log section of the tool. See what other members of the team are currently up to, and do in the app. - Detailed velocity charts
The existing team speed exhibits insightful and visually pleasing velocity charts. - Resources workload and summary
The QuickScrum tool shows individual resource-related tasks and their status of tasks associated with each team member, in terms of time available. The description of the resource workload is shown, so it can be established how much additional work the programmers can take up and complete.
Price: 3$ Per User/Month
Includes a 14-day free trial.
2. Monday
A status-oriented project management tool, Monday offers updates and insights of task progress with ease. Monday is refreshingly simple and action-oriented.
Users love Monday:
Task boards customizable
A bevy of premade styles
Integration of Dropbox, Zapier, Google Drive, and related management and collaboration resources
Price: Monday.com offers a free trial. The Basic plan is priced at $25 per month billed annually.
3. nTask
NTask is a clean, transparent, and effective platform on the market that will grow with the team as the process and number of seat shifts.
Users love nTask:
To build and document work changes, Work & Project Management
Meeting Preparation for planning several sessions and follow-up acts at a time
Customizable Problem Control for seriousness, frequency, and position
Price: 5 workspaces free package and 200 MB capacity limit; $2.99 / user/mo is a pro package
5 Key Skills You Need to Be a Successful Project Manager
A successful project manager must know how to manage a project using the following key skills.
1. Communication
Effective communication is one of the most critical qualities for project managers. Usually strong communications and successful leadership go hand in hand. Project management consists of heading teams from different departments that may not be able to work together. Members may have different skills and something unique may be expected to come up to the table. A communicator who can provide their teams with clear instructions and expectations may increase productivity and efficiency at work.
The knowledge of word usage, tone, and body language is another key to communication. Project managers strive for consistency and empathy and can speak openly and concisely with all members of the team.
2. Time Management
An essential characteristic of efficient project managers is the capacity to manage time and prioritize tasks. Workers can better respond to managers who can remain on track, avoid procrastination, and complete on-time work. In addition to personal time management, project managers in several key project areas need to be able to maximize productivity and minimize distractions.
For project managers, it is also necessary to avoid the temptation of handling too much. Good managers may adapt to project changes, and create trust between team members, rather than micromanage.
3. Organizational Awareness
For project management, there are many different styles of organizational structure and all influence management style. A conventional management hierarchy, in organizations with a functioning corporate framework, tasks senior executives with overall project efficiency. Project teams are granted a degree of flexibility to handle tasks as they see fit within a project-based organizational framework, effectively putting project managers in positions of overall responsibility.
For project management professionals, awareness of how an organization is structured and how project teams are formed is of great importance. Managers must have a clear understanding of the current chain of command and whether they or senior managers will bear responsibility for the outcomes.
4. Problem Solving
Project management aims to adopt a common Process for problem-solving. Although it is possible to address each of these points in more depth, effective project managers typically have at least a clear understanding of the following ordered problem-solving strategy.
Be proactive in discovering new, future issues instead of waiting to see if anything is going wrong.
Defines clearly the problem and what you are trying to solve to help provide a consistent set of goals and a roadmap to success.
Analyze the issue in depth to discover any variables that could help determine the source of the problem.
Build an understanding of all possible solutions and their respective pros and cons to this problem.
In the previous stage, choose the best solution out of each of the choices.
Track solution implementation and change to address any complications.
Stop to reflect on your effort to identify the strengths and shortcomings in solving problems.
5. Leadership
It may seem obvious but for project managers, strong leadership skills are crucial. This characteristic blends good communication skills with a relaxed disposition and an optimistic, problem-solving attitude. Leaders also need to be in a position to form and manage teams and communicate with stakeholders. Good project managers appear to be outstanding decision-makers, and they should assign tasks to the most qualified team members to handle them.
How to Manage Projects with Remote Team?
The number of businesses with a remote workforce is only growing—69 percent of companies now need remote work and 16 percent have gone. Employees tend to work remotely, as it allows them a better balance between work and life. More than 99 percent of workers plan to work at least once in their careers remotely.
Hiring remote workers allows companies the opportunity to recruit employees without any location restrictions and it also helps them to save money on the infrastructure of the company. Although it's easy to agree to adopt the remote community, it can be extremely difficult to execute it effectively within the company.
Managers need to consider how remote project management is accomplished and the challenges of managing remote project teams to lead a productive remote team, and find the right project management tools that will help them solve those challenges.
After all, the supervisors must direct and assist team members during this process while working remotely in project management.
Some of the best practices for successfully managing a remote team within a project are:
1. Trust The Members Of Your Team and Give Them Space
Because remote workers are no longer clocking in and out of the workplace, some kind of guidelines is required to outline their personal and working hours. You can't expect all of them to be available whenever you want them to be, because you have team members working in various time zones. Alternatively, determine the work schedules of everyone beforehand, and set deadlines accordingly. You must value your teammates' time just as much as you would expect them to value yours.
Managers must refrain from micromanaging remote teams inside a project. When you continue to track workers or their behavior, this can alienate or demoralize them. The truth is that most remote employees are getting more work done because they're working alone, and you're unlikely to see productivity decline. You will trust the leaders of your team to handle their time effectively. Whether they start work a little late or take regular breaks, it shouldn't be a concern as long as they can get the job done.
2. Give Specific Goals and Priorities
Effectively running a remote project team is when everyone explicitly knows the goals of the team, and what they can do to achieve those goals. Build a checklist that includes a tightly structured schedule and individual obligations. You connect with remote teams often through emails and instant messaging applications. When the directions are not correctly worded, then you can end up misleading or even insulting the members of the team.
This is why, when you connect with your team online, make sure that you are as clear as possible about the priorities, priorities, and objectives of the project. For example, instead of making a vague statement like 'I need this ASAP' say 'I need to finish this work by 3 pm PST.
3. Offer Prompt, Straightforward Feedback
Managers must be confident with giving remote workers both positive and negative reviews. Have your feedback as comprehensive as possible to help the workers understand your goals and make better future results. If the output of an employee is not up to the mark then give them positive feedback rather than just criticism. Let them know what they did wrong, and how they should fix it. At the same time, when an employee is doing well, make sure their contributions are remembered. You may also provide an employee incentive system where they are recognized for reaching such goals that will help inspire them.
4. Tools To Support Remote Project Teams
You will only have a remote project team that is highly successful if you have a project management program to back up. To ensure the remote team has a central place to collaborate, connect with, and access all relevant data for the mission, you need the top project management software like Quickscrum. The project management tools you've selected will support you in:
- Stocking project goals and deadlines
- Assign different administrative roles
- Rationalizing and automating business processes
- Simplifying the communication lines between the various teams and divisions
- Giving workers access to all the skills they need to carry out their daily duties
5 Best Asana Alternatives for Project Management
1. Quickscrum
Quickscrum is undisputedly the most reliable as well as one of the top project management software available in the market. Undoubtedly a great alternative to Asana.
QuickScrum helps to unlock the power of Agile Scrum into your projects – whether you are a seasoned Agile professional or a novice – just starting with Scrum – you can get started with Scrum implementation and get your projects going right away!
Scrum tool plays an integral part in software project design and development.
It can help:
Designing and predicting user stories.
Creating and managing inventory backlogs is effortless.
Define your sprints, and build them.
Identify team progress and pace via burndown and velocity charts that are created dynamically.
Visualize the entire team operates on a platform called single.
Dispose of custom reports to get an insight into the state of your project.
QuickScrum project management software offers many benefits and is a must-have for all Scrum whiteboard users. This tool provides many features and facilities that are not included, and can not be identified when using a conventional whiteboard. It provides for the entire team with an automated Scrum implementation solution.
- Search anything at your fingertips.
- Manage product backlogs of any size and complexity.
- Multiple sprints scheduled at the same time.
- Access Scrum taskboard from anywhere.
- Live Burndown charts.
- Instant team activity log.
- Detailed velocity charts.
- Resources workload and summary.
2. ProjectManager.com
ProjectManager.com is an award-winning platform for project management that helps project managers schedule, track, and report on projects by providing teams with the tools they need to collaborate and work together more productively.
ProjectManager.com is a platform for the management of projects in the cloud. That means the data is immediately replicated in the entire system when team members change their status. Project managers get the most detailed information about their projects and team members can work anywhere at any time. ProjectManager.com, like Asana, has the worklists and reporting features. While Asana has timelines for scheduling tasks, it is not possible to calculate the critical path, set baselines, or do other advanced techniques that project managers require. However, ProjectManager.com is an alternative to Asana which takes the timelines to the next stage.
The online Gantt chart feature of ProjectManager.com can plan tasks, and can also be used to track a project program or portfolio. This has all the advanced functionality from a Gantt chart you 'd expect and is user friendly. Importing a task list or using an industry-specific template will get you started easily. From there you can connect up tasks and add dependencies during execution to prevent bottlenecks. One can set milestones to breaking the project into more manageable stages. You can even assign the tasks from the Gantt chart based on availability.
When team members are appointed they will communicate with task lists or kanban boards. ProjectManager.com has infinite file storage and teams can connect as many files as they wish to tasks and projects. You may also leave notes and add other members of the group to get them into the conversation.
In terms of monitoring, project managers may track the progress of their team in real-time via the Team app, or if they want to dig deeper into the project, one-click updates of the volatility, activities, and overall well-being of the project are available. Asana has no one-click reporting, just manual reporting, which takes precious time to perform more critical tasks that a project manager might do. Getting a checklist for monitoring project costs from the project manager is the key to managing the project budget. Asana offers to track this type of budget only through integration. ProjectManager.com has a built-in feature that gives you project costs, including those spent on personnel, materials, and equipment.
There are plenty of tools available, including electronic timesheets, resource management, and real-time dashboards.
3. Workzone
Workzone is an alternative to Asana for marketing departments, ad agencies, and other companies that run several programs. For a couple of decades, the tech has been popular, which shows they've done something right. Workzone has more functionality than other entry-level software solutions for project management and is simpler to use than Asana. It involves budget control, teamwork methods, Gantt charts, portfolio management, and is well suited for conventional methodologies. It is not designed, however, to operate within an agile system, which many teams prefer. There is also no kanban method to display workflows. Tracking the workload is less than optimal, as it does not reflect accumulated hours for team members. There were also concerns about the design and requiring improvement in usability. There are no models for the project to help set up the software that requires manual setup. But if you think your niche suits the feature set, give it a shot.
4. Teamwork
Teamwork is a better approach than Asana, so it's easier to use. It is designed for teams who are more interested in a simple user interface and clean design than the nuanced features of project management. For this purpose, it relates to those operating in an agile environment. Teamwork is not a single application but a suite of multiple applications including Teamwork Assignments, Teamwork Desk (a support desk), and Teamwork Chat. This gives rise to versatility but also uncertainty.
Sometimes the program itself traverses the line from basic to generic. It's a one-size-fits-all solution that attempts to be all that lacks advanced features. Teamwork Projects will also allow assignments to be set up, tasks to be completed, start and end dates to be set and then assigned to team members. If you notice you don't need any special features, this could be your tool.
5. Todoist
One option in Asana is Todoist. It is a perfect app for tackling the to-do list, as the name suggests. Todoist focuses exclusively on task management, making it a great tool for people who want to organize tasks and excel. The addition of tasks and recurring due dates are fast. And to get a bird's eye view you can show all of your activities at once. Their favorites feature allows users to keep upfront main tasks, marks, or filters, so they don't slip through the cracks. Tasks can also be shared, making this more than just an app on the shopping list.
However, since you can only display tasks as a list, efficient project management software lacks basic features. To make the workflow easier, there is no calendar view or kanban board. Projects don't have due dates, they can just have specific assignments, and you can't call a project complete. A free version is available but it's tight. The paid version provides you with more features, making this a nice free choice, but if you're going to cough up the cash, then you'd do better elsewhere.
Does Kanban Tool Really Improve the Workflow of Agile Teams?
Kanban board is an agile tool designed to help you envision your work, restrict continuous work, and optimize flow and performance. To help your technology and service team get the right amount of work done and done, use Kanban boards with maps and columns.
Kanban boards help to make your work accessible to others so you can display it and have it all on one page. David Anderson's work, defined as "the development of an agile project management tool for the software and services sector," has helped bring Kanban into the software and services sector.
It helps to extend the use of kanbans to places you don't believe in, so you can analyze and constantly improve your processes to increase your efficiency.
Kanban is a very visual workflow management method in which tasks and objects are represented by maps or boards. Using the Kanban method and practical boards, companies can work more efficiently and enable project teams to better understand the elements required for different levels of the workflow. There are several simple and effective visual management software to increase productivity online, such as Kanban Board.
The Kanban Board is one of the most useful devices for the simple and transparent management of your projects. At each point, Kanban allows you to envision and manage tasks and workflows, signaling possible bottlenecks in your project workflow.
Reducing waste and automating processes with software functionality allows your team to focus on its activities. It collects data to improve workflow and processing performance and gives you insight into your current workflow.
The use of the agile kanban tool does improve the workflow and the use of the following 4 steps ensures that the workflow increases the efficiency of your team.
1. Make Policies Clear in the Process
Kanban methodology works only when everybody in the team knows how it works. Have them visible on the board once you define WIP limits. Ensure that all team members understand how the board pulls work and set goals to fix bottlenecks.
2. Manage The Flow
Do not only imagine the workflow — manage it. Defines essential metrics, such as how long it takes an object to pass across the stack and using those metrics to enhance the method. After seeing bottlenecks, take action in the future to stop them. Instead of passively watching it, consciously engage with the knowledge you get from the Kanban Committee.
3. Make Use of Feedback Loops
Decide to refresh the data on your Kanban board by daily intervals. Create a review at a fixed time ( e.g. every two weeks), as well as anytime issues on the board become apparent, such as bottlenecks. Regular feedback allows for quality development.
4. Improve Collaboratively
Kanban methodology relies heavily on team members investing in making it work. Work with your team in tackling problems and correcting bottlenecks. It helps you to develop procedures in ways that may not be seen by a boss alone and it keeps team members involved in making things work.
Why You Should Scrum Using Project Management Tool?
Scrum is a lightweight process that can manage and control software and product development. It follows iterative and incremental practices and promotes continuous integration, continuous delivery, and continuous improvement of product quality. The criteria for a good Scrum web tool are clear enough, it's the one that matches the project requirements exactly, allows you to accomplish sprint goals efficiently and doesn't cut your budget.
The Scrum web tool plays an indispensable part in planning and developing your software projects.
It can help you:
- Create and estimate user stories.
- Effortlessly create and maintain product backlogs.
- Define and design your sprints.
- Identify team progress and velocity through dynamically generated burndown and velocity charts.
- Visualize the entire team activity on a "single" platform.
- Avail customized reports to get an insight into your project's status.
1. Helps Save Time and Money
Helps to save time and money By Scrum you can do wonders with a conventional approach and a responsible team. Making it a vital tool to save time and money is the ability to perform activities in a structured way and have the planning required to accomplish such. Regular meetings of 15 minutes ensure that the process is at the appropriate level, as set out at the start of the project.
2. Encourages Teamwork
This approach, with the efficient division and assignment of responsibilities and tasks, allows us to work effectively on a project.
A tool that helps and promotes the project, the Scrum Master complements the "Product Owner" and the "team." The ability to appreciate work progress provides a guarantee that the process will be clear and developed.
3. It Fits in With the Business
The Scrum technique also offers the possibility to adapt to the companies which use it. In this way, not only the idea of an organized production of tasks is conceived, but also a plan that goes hand in hand with the company in charge of the project and its characteristics.
4. Simple to Use
With a strategy like Scrum, the coordination of all the parties involved in a project is accomplished. At all levels, Scrum 's engagement and management are quick and easy to handle. This has a job record performed in the same way and is tracked to do it efficiently.
Additional Benefits:
- Functional testing is regular in the process.
- Strong Consumer Cooperation.
- Team motivation and team responsibility.
5 Pro Hacks to Use Scrum Boards
A Scrum Board is a web tool that lets teams imagine things on the Sprint Backlog. The board can take many physical and virtual forms, but it plays the same role, no matter what it looks like. The board is team controlled and shows all the things needed to complete the new Sprint.
1. Keep Effective Scrum Ceremonies
No wonder that's right here. Clear communication is the starting point for virtually every productive company. The main contact channel at scrum is the daily scrum. That is, a meeting where the answer to these three questions is yesterday: What have we done? What is it that we want to do today? Is there something that holds us back? Ceremonies at the Scrum are short and focused. They will have a consistent reach and strict deadlines to ensure the scrum board represents progress.
2. Create Detailed Assignments
Assignments are small jobs that usually require only one team member to complete. Completing the job usually takes a day or less. The job is to break down the user stories and clearly describe it. The team will speak with the owner of the product about the mission and its conditions, so they know the planned performance. This process is usually done during the sprint planning meeting. You want to give the team ample details to complete the task and execute the part of the user story, without having them stuck in unnecessary processes. That means having identified "ready" and "done"
3. Assign Appropriate Resources
This is where the master of scrum demonstrates its significance. They are the facilitator of all scrum stuff, being in-frame experts. They help the team manage their flow of communication and execution, but they also prepare the tools, whether people or logistics. If the scrum master properly allocates these resources the sprint will proceed more efficiently and effectively.
4. Keep it All Clear
The scrum board is a resource that also aims to give clarity to the process. The board provides access to everyone who works on what, if any bottlenecks occur, how long a team member works on it if some aspect of the workflow delays the process etc. This involves the primary stakeholders, who have a stakeholder interest in project development. Be sure to include anything on the board that is important to the sprint so it can be a single, reliable source of information.
5. Limit Items in Each Column
That said, you don't want to overload tasks on the board. It undermines the goal to keep the team focused on what they are willing to work on. A good criterion is to add only where the capability to complete exists to the column. On the other side, you want to ensure the team has something to concentrate on. The trick is to strike a balance between famine and festivity. You don't have a good workflow if you experience bottlenecks, so you may want to pause the job until it's cleared up.
