When your team works on software development projects or similar types of client work, at some point, you’re faced with a choice: Which project management methodology will we use?
If you’ve decided to go with agile methods, it’s best to stay organized and establish full project visibility from the beginning.
Luckily, that’s easier than ever. Because agile project management has become widespread, there are now plenty of tools that can help perfect your team’s processes.
The Argument for Agile Methodologies
You might be familiar with the two most popular project management methodologies: agile and waterfall. While some types of projects are better suited for one or the other, there is evidence that agile methods are more effective, on average.
Studies have shown that the agile approach to project management results in a 64% success rate, whereas the waterfall method is successful just 49% of the time.
That’s partly because it facilitates continuous iteration and quick, incremental progress through project goals. Breaking projects into smaller builds that can be developed and tested concurrently by self-organizing and self-managing teams can reduce bottlenecks and help your business achieve more than it would with a linear approach.
Another benefit of agile project management is that you can test and deliver a product sooner, which is helpful for achieving business goals and demonstrating progress to stakeholders and clients.
Staying on top of agile workflows means handling a lot at once, so you’re likely to need a centralized source of truth to make them work. The right software platform can allow team members to collaborate, focus on bite-sized problems that can be solved quickly and track upcoming tasks and work in progress without holding up the entire project.
1. ActiveCollab: Best for Tracking Tasks and Billable Hours
ActiveCollab is meant to be a workspace hub for your entire organization. It combines a variety of tools ranging from task management to time tracking and invoicing, with simple ways for teams to collaborate in each area of the platform.
Tasks can be assigned and tracked at all points in the workflow, and the entire team can view everyone’s roles on a system-wide calendar, so everyone can see their position in a project’s progress. ActiveCollab checks real-time task progress against the accuracy of time estimates as well.
A built-in writing tool allows collaborative work on written documents. ActiveCollab also integrates with your email tools.
Features:
Task management: All task updates and progress are at your fingertips on the convenient dashboardSearch and filtering of tasks help you find what you needIntegration with email toolsHolistic calendar viewCollaborative writing toolBuilt-in timer for tracking billable hoursTime tracking reports and invoicingPros:
Intuitive drag-and-drop interfaceSolid, reliable performanceReasonable priceTime-tracking and invoicing features2. Jira Agile: Best for Software Developers and Sprints
Jira is used primarily by software developers and is best suited to that project model. Although it's been developed over time for a wider range of applications, the software was originally built as a bug-tracking tool. The software supports a variety of agile methods, including Scrum and Kanban.
Users create roadmaps for projects — helpful visuals for tracking. You can manage each project with a drag-and-drop interface that lets you plan sprints and assign tasks to team members.
Software development teams give Jira excellent reviews for its flexibility and range of features, which are closely tailored to their needs and support continuous improvement.
Features:
Scrum boardsKanban boardsTasks and subtasksDependency managementCustom workflowsRoadmaps for long-term planningDetailed reportsGantt chartsCollaboration toolsMilestone tracking3. Pivotal Tracker: Best for Workflows and Transparency
Pivotal Tracker is a story-based project-tracking tool that helps you manage tasks from inception to completion. Each task is conceptualized as a story and can be ranked according to its complexity. This feature makes it easy to monitor workflows and communicate with clients.
A clear view of team priorities and individual objectives helps everyone manage their roles in the project. Pivotal Tracker offers a project monitor for viewing the status of the build, a whiteboard for discussions and daily tracking of completed tasks.
At a glance, everyone can see a real-time view of shared work, team status, responsibilities and next steps.
Features:
Story-based task management Tasks can be assigned points based on complexityDrag-and-drop interfaceReal-time collaborationAllows for multiple teamsRich integrationsMulti-project workspacesFile sharingDozens of integrations4. Trello: Best Free Collaboration Solution
Trello is one of the most well-known and widely used project management tools on the market. That means many people are somewhat familiar with its interface, and Trello integrations are built into many of the tools you may already use. For instance, there are Chrome plug-ins to connect Trello with everything from Pomodoro time management tools to Gmail.
Trello’s structure is based on the Kanban framework of agile project management. However, it's easy to use Trello with the Scrum framework as well.
Trello represents each project visually with a board made of drag-and-drop cards organized into lists. Trello cards allow you to write comments, attach documents or notes, apply due dates, create checklists and integrate with other apps. The software is managed by Atlassian, making it a sister program to Jira.
Features:
Simple drag-and-drop interfaceOrganize with labeling, tags and commentsUpload from Dropbox, Google Drive and local devicesDeadline notificationsAutomated email notificationsInformation encryption, backup and retrievalMobile-friendlyTask assignments for groups or individualsVoting and discussion options5. Axosoft: Best for Direct Customer Interaction
Axosoft is an agile project management solution that uses the Scrum framework. The interface allows teams to create plans, plot process steps and collaborate effectively to tag and solve issues as they arise.
Axosoft brings together all the details and information into each product’s backlog and gives an overview of which team member is handling each task and how they are progressing. The Release Planner lets users drag and drop tasks, bugs and user stories to assign them or mark them finished. Burndown charts show you how quickly the team is approaching the project's goals. A Kanban-style card view is also available.
A Help Desk feature turns emails into support tickets. Customers have their own portal, which lets them communicate their requests and feedback directly with the team. This direct communication can save team members a lot of time while helping customers feel involved in the process.
Axosoft also features a team wiki, which provides a lot of space to share detailed information and specifics related to a project.
Features:
Client portal supports customer collaborationTracks cost-to-completion, time, expenses and milestonesInternal collaboration toolsGantt charts to track progressIntuitive board interfaceBudget, portfolio and resource management featuresFlexible support for agile or traditional methodologiesTeam wiki for sharing informationHelp desk/incident trackingChoosing a Platform for Agile Project Management
Ready to seek the right solution for your business’s agile project management needs?
Each of the tools we reviewed above has a unique set of features and benefits that could be a good fit, but we know there’s more to running a service business than project management. In your software evaluation period, why not try out a platform that’s built to unite your project management stage with everything that happens before and after in the client journey?
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