Project Management Software to keep schedule and costs on track

Written by :Sandeep Gohad, Founder – Kalpak Solutions

Consider executing simplest of tasks we use project management without even realizing we are. Activities like planning, executing, monitoring and closing all are the essential parts of project management. Project management provides a systematic way to accomplish goals.

In this article, I will talk about the advantages of having project management software and it's process flow.

Project management software can manage the activities like planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, communication, decision-making and documentation.

Please check the above process flow diagram, I have considered 3 entities – Customer, Project Manager and Employees. Every entity's role is defined and will access the project management software for various inputs and outputs.

Process flow

Customer will explain the scope to project manager/concerned person.
Project manager will add new/existing customer details in Project management software.
Project manager will create the project, will attach project scope documents.
Depending on project type, the tasks will be created or will be taken from master data (if it's a reparative kind of project)
Project will be divided into several tasks.
Several tasks will be divided into several sub-tasks.
Project manager will be able to assign tasks and or sub-tasks to employees from employee master data in project management software.
Project manager will be able to enter task/sub-task completion date.
Employee will login with his/her credentials into project management software.
Project management software will maintain the status of every individual sub-task like pending, completed, rejected with remark.
Employee will change the status of sub-task after completing it, default status will be pending.
Project manager will get automatic email/sms notification after completion of a particular sub-task, he will review it and change the status to approved/rejected with remarks.
Set of sub-tasks will complete a task and similarly set of tasks will complete a project.
Project management software will send email/sms notification to client after completion of project.
User name and password will be given to client to access the project management software, he will go through the project and will approve/reject it with remarks.
Project manager can schedule project stage wise billing in project management software, after completion certain tasks an automatic invoice will get generated and will be sent to client by email.

Advantages

Universal Access. You and your team can manage tasks from any internet enabled computer.
Centralized Project Management. Handle all aspects of managing multiple projects from a central online location.
Integrated Collaboration Tools. Unlike other tools, you get a whole lot of integrated tools like document collaboration, workspaces, calendars, and email to synergize with project management.
Create Tasks. Automate the project management process by creating unlimited projects, tasks and subtasks with name, description, status, dates etc.
Manage Responsibilities & Permissions. Assigning responsibilities to employees for projects, tasks or subtasks with completion date. Easily manage viewing and modification for projects, tasks and subtasks for each teammate.
Task Dependencies. Create elaborate precedence relationships between tasks in a project to reflect sophisticated real life projects.
To Do Lists. 'To do' lists allow every team member to manage themselves with an easy view of which task has been assigned to him, they have completed or yet 'to do'. Various Project status can be maintained like – info awaited, in progress, pending/hold, completed.
Automatic Notifications. Automatically notify all involved parties of important events - a deadline is met, a task finished or a task assigned to somebody by email and sms.

I would like to mention that such kind of project management system is most suitable for organizations who deliver the services through the medium of documents, designs, diagrams etc. Documents/drawings/images/design can be stored in project management software with Upload/download facility.

Designing firms, law firms, accounting and taxation firms, structural designing firms who deliver cad drawings can make use of project management software to store/backup complete work done by them.

Features like tracking progress of each and every sub-task, due date reminders and notifications by email/sms, report generation, automatic invoice generation are few of the most useful features.

Kalpak Solutions has designed and developed a customized project management software suitable for accounting firms and structural designing firms.

Please go through the features of project management software developed by Kalpak Solutions.