Hello healthyfarm-ga,
Your opening sentence makes clear what you?re looking for. You state:
?I am looking for a good task management software system.? Then you
describe what this system might include and indicate you need a task
management system for a group that also has elements of project
management. Your final paragraph states your problem. ?I am very
overwhelmed by them and having trouble finding just what I want.?
Your problem is not unusual. You?re overwhelmed with information and
you need to find a system for choosing the right software system to
solve your task management challenges. Your response to hummer-ga?s
list of top rated project management systems indicated skepticism
about Microsoft products but didn?t give further guidance.
It became clear in researching your question that your first challenge
is to figure out how to choose task / project management software. You
need some information to help you through the clutter and noise. After
you?ve developed a methodology for choosing you need a selection of
products to choose from.
Part of the difficulty is that task management and project management
software solutions are products/processes that are included under a
broader umbrella of collaborative software. Many of the collaborative
software products available (both web-based or stand-alone) include a
broad range of capabilities that combine project management, task
management, scheduling, workflow and other group activity monitoring.
In order to choose the best product, you have to decide which
capabilities are most important to you.
I suggest that you first review some books and articles on how to
choose project management software. I?ve found several resources that
will help you sort out your needs and define the level of
sophistication and power you need in light of the size of your staff,
your project and your budget.
After you?ve reviewed these resources on how to choose you will be
ready to proceed to defining what kinds of task and project management
software products you?re interested in. With your list of criteria of
what you?re looking for, you can take a look at the various lists of
top task and project management products and decide which ones are
worth a further look. Then you can obtain evaluation copies so you can
try them before having your group adopt them.
Healthyfarm-ga, I trust that this strategy will help you with choosing
the right product. Please don?t hesitate to ask for clarification if
you need further assistance. I want to make sure you can find the
right product for you.
Wishing you well for your project.
~ czh ~
================================================
HOW TO CHOOSE PROJECT / TASK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
================================================
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collaborative_software
Collaborative software
Collaborative management tools facilitate and manage group activities.
Examples include:
-- electronic calendars (also called time management software) ?
schedule events and automatically notify and remind group members
-- project management systems ? schedule, track, and chart the steps
in a project as it is being completed
-- workflow systems ? collaborative management of tasks and documents
within a knowledge-based business process
-- knowledge management systems ? collect, organize, manage, and
share various forms of information
-- extranet systems (sometimes also known as 'project extranets') ?
collect, organize, manage and share information associated with the
delivery of a project (eg: the construction of a building)
-- social software systems ? organize social relations of groups
Collaborative software can be either web based (such as UseModWiki or
Scoop), or desktop systems (such as CVS or RCS).
==
http://safari.oreilly.com/0028639669
BOOK: Ten Minute Guide to Project Management
Overview
Following the advice in The 10 Minute Guide to Project Management will
not only help your get your project off on the right foot, but will
also keep you and your team marching along to its successful
conclusion. You will learn how to put together the best team for the
job, how to define your goals and motivate your teammates, how to
monitor the teams progress and keep the project on track, and how to
stay within budget and time constraints. The book also explains how to
use charts and diagrams to detail and define various aspects of the
project.
http://safari.oreilly.com/0028639669?tocview=true
http://safari.oreilly.com/0028639669/ch10
Lesson 10. Choosing Project Management Software
In this lesson, you learn the kinds of software that are available,
the capabilities of software, which software functions are crucial,
and guidelines for selection.
Preview
Additional content appearing in this section has been removed. Login,
Subscribe, or Try a Free 14-Day Trial to access the entire content.
==
http://safari.oreilly.com/1592571190
BOOK: The Complete Idiot's Guide? to Project Management
http://safari.oreilly.com/1592571190/ch30
Chapter 30. Software for All Projects Great and Small
In This Chapter
-- The things software can do to help your project
-- The things software can't do
-- The types of project management software
-- How to choose the right software for your projects
==
http://www.oakinc.com/pdf/pmsoft1.pdf
Choosing the Right Project Management Software for Your Company
(This is a Microsoft Project consulting company but this 4-page
article helps you with thinking through why you need project
management software and which one you should choose.)
==
http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/software/page4392.cfm
Three Easy Ways to Manage Tough Projects
Three TechSoup project managers write about their favorite software
April 5, 2006
Project management is an art. When managed properly, a project runs
smoothly and delivers on time. Done poorly, however, it can be a
nightmare scenario of unclear deliverables and missed deadlines.
Because project-management styles are as personal as the project
manager, finding the right software can make all the difference in
helping you define a project, manage deadlines, assign and monitor
tasks, and keep track of details and deadlines.
Below, three TechSoup staffers weigh in on their favorite
project-management applications -- with three very different
responses. While one manager preferred Mindjet's MindManger Pro,
another favored Microsoft Project, and yet another liked 37signals'
Basecamp. Could one of these be a good fit for your project-management
style? Read on to learn more about how each program works.
(See also the forum discussing this article.)
==
http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/software/page2054.cfm
Choosing Project Management Software
Good software won't do the job for you, but it can help
Source: TechSoup.org
August 18, 2005
This article is drawn in part from the Techsoup Community discussion
on project management software found at the end of this article.
Choosing the right project management (PM) software is a combination
of matching needs to features, and balancing training and support
considerations, budget, and software and hardware requirements.
Determining whether or not you need a dedicated PM application largely
depends on the scope of your projects and the effectiveness of your
current management systems. If you manage large projects and are
finding it difficult to track project resources or schedules, chances
are PM software can help.
The following list summarizes features available in Microsoft Project
(heavily discounted for qualified nonprofits through TechSoup Stock )
and is comparable to the features offered by most leading PM programs.
Other PM products worthy of consideration include Primavera Suretrack
(arguably the market leader for corporate and large-scale project
management) and Dot Project, an Open Source PM system available for
Linux and Windows.
TechSoup community members also recommend:
· PHProjekt
· phpCollab
· Open Workbench
· lucidus
==
http://www.4pm.com/articles/selpmsw.html
Selecting Project Management Software
Summary: We should match the project software and how we use it to the
scale of the projects we manage. Most project software can be used at
several levels of sophistication.
Project management software comes in many different levels of
sophistication with prices ranging from $50 to $20,000 or more.
Software itself does not make project managers more effective; it just
makes them more efficient. PM software does not teach you how to
define scope, communicate to the project sponsor or make clear
assignments to your team members. It just let's you accomplish these
and many other PM tasks more efficiently. So, before we look at the
different kinds of PM software let's talk about the kinds of projects
you manage and the levels of PM skills. This will enable you to pick
a PM software tool appropriate for you and the organizational setting
in which you operate. Decide which of the following three categories
of project manager fits you best.
-- Managing Smaller Projects
-- Managing Larger Cross-functional Projects for Executives or Clients
-- Managing in a Multi-project Environment
=====================================================
PROJECT / TASK MANAGEMENT REVIEWS AND BUYERS? GUIDES
=====================================================
http://infogoal.com/pmc/pmcswr.htm
Project Management Software Directory
This directory of Project Management Software will assist you in
finding the project management solution that is right for your
situation. The directory includes: project management software, bug
and defect tracking, project accounting, project estimating, project
portfolio management, project scheduling, requirements management, and
resource planning and scheduling software.
Top 50 Project Management Software Packages
The following list of project management software packages was
selected based on a combination of ranking votes and frequency of
visits.
==
http://www.infogoal.com/category.php?n=117&page=1&sort=&direction=
Project Scheduling
Links in This Category: 58
==
http://www.mindmedia.com/links/organization_and_time_managment_software.html
Mind Media Guide to Organization and Time Management: Software
==
http://www.bluechillies.com/list.html?k=task+management+software
Task Management Software
==
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=181502663
Review: Project Management Software
A close look at four project management applications reveals they
offer an abundance of features and capabilities.
Mar 13, 2006 12:00 AM
There's a quiet revolution going on in project management software.
The monolithic, one-size-fits-all package is out; focused, agile apps
for clearly defined audiences are in. Its role as a planning tool to
manage projects makes it a harbinger of what's to come: The demand for
ubiquitous service delivery requires information to become
increasingly encapsulated and portable. Project management software is
delivering on that promise now.
We set out to review project management software and decided to do a
roundup-style review. We asked nine vendors that are driving the
project management revolution to send software to our Rincon, Ga.,
partner lab. AEC Software's FastTrack, Arena Solutions, AtTask, and
Primavera Systems agreed, while Genius Inside, IBM (Lotus Notes and
Rational Project Management), Intellisys, and Microsoft didn't respond
to our invitation. Genesys Conferencing's offering of online meeting
software, while interesting, wasn't appropriate for this review.
Pricing for project management technology varies considerably and
depends on the problem you're trying to solve. Conventional wisdom is
that it can't get any better than free. However, it's been our
experience that very few things in life are truly free. Typically,
open source software costs time as your IT staff learns and implements
the technology with little or no vendor support, because vendor
support definitely is not free.
==
http://project-management-software-review.toptenreviews.com/
2006 Project Management Review
What to Look for in Project Management Software
You need project management software that adequately covers your
projects? needs, including collaboration features and easy-to-use and
print reports. With software of this complexity, clear documentation
is also necessary. Below are the criteria that TopTenREVIEWS used to
evaluate project management software:
Feature Set ? Project management software contain a lot of standard
bells and whistles, including task and resource management tools and
the ability to match resources to specific tasks and projects.
Ease of Use ? Project management software features and instructions
should be easy to find and simple enough for anyone to use, especially
given the general complexity of the software.
Ease of Installation ? The software should be easy to install and use,
whether site-based or web-based.
Help/Support ? Project management software should offer a
comprehensive user guide and help system. The manufacturer should
offer a customer service email address or telephone number so you can
get answers directly from their technical support team.
Project Management ? The processes, practices and specific activities
needed to perform continuous and consistent evaluation,
prioritization, budgeting and selection of investments. This provides
the greatest value and contribution to the strategic interest of the
organization.
Resource Management ? A project management program should manage and
control the limited resources needed to run a project, such as people,
money, time and equipment.
Collaboration ? The way that information and issues can be
communicated?including email, conference calls, meetings, intranets,
web-based locations and so on?should be simple and intuitive.
==
http://project-management.webbuyersguide.com/
Project Management Buying Guide:
Product and Software Reviews, White Papers, News and Buying Advice
============================
PROJECT MANAGEMENT RESOURCES
============================
http://www.pmi.org/info/default.asp
Project Management Institute, Inc.
==
http://www.projectmanagement.com/
What is projectmanagement.com?
projectmanagement.com is a site offering project managers access to a
broad variety of resources to help them do their jobs more
effectively. Part of the gantthead network of project management
resources,projectmanagement.com is a joint venture between
gantthead.com (the premier community for IT project managers, boasting
a membership of more than 100,000) and Technology Associates
International?, the premier PM consulting firm that specializes in
delivering Microsoft Project solutions, consultancy and training to a
worldwide client base.
===============
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