We see you’re among the ones who keep up with changing technological trends. You purchased project management software when the concept was still new. You’ve already reaped huge benefits from using project management tools for your business.
You feel things are looking pretty much steady and comfortable at the workplace. Are you sure? What if your confidence is misplaced? What if you’re losing on productivity and profits?
Growing businesses have to be particularly conscious of their evolving needs. If your project management tool is outdated, you may be losing out on quite a lot.
Let’s not put you through much worry! We’ll quickly tell you about 11 signs which make it evident that you need a new project management tool.
- Losing Track Of Tasks
Do you find yourself consistently harried by pending tasks? Is it difficult to manage all the client interactions? And what about tracking the team’s progress?
If you answered a YES to any of these questions, you would realize that your project management tool is lacking somewhere. Without timely and relevant notifications and a reliable platform to manage work, you must be under a lot of stress. It is time you choose a new project management tool for your business.
- Accountability Issues
Teamwork entails mutual accountability and shared responsibilities. All team members need to be accountable for team commitments and goals. In an ideal situation, all team members work efficiently and targets are achieved. But when assignments often lag and deliverables are compromised, it is time to ponder.
Your project management tool should give you enough insights, and allow you to define members’ roles clearly. If that’s not the case, you are seriously jeopardizing your team’s efficiency.
- Missing Deadlines
Has your team been missing deadlines repeatedly? This is a clear indication of poor project management.
A poor project management tool is most likely the culprit. The problem could lie in the lack of clear tasks and roles. Or it could be poor planning and scheduling. In either case, implementing the appropriate project management tool can help you become more efficient.
- Customer Dissatisfaction
You are probably doing your best to keep the team on track with the deliverables – organizing several meetings and consistently taking follow-ups. You may even be actively seeking client feedback. But still, the client may seem far from pleased.
A good project management tool helps you never lose sight of the client’s requirements and expectations. With effective communication and sharing tools, there’s never a gap between what the client asks and what the team delivers.
- Using Spreadsheets
In your entrepreneurial journey, you must have heavily relied on spreadsheets. No doubt, spreadsheets have some convenient project management tools for beginners. But spreadsheets have several limitations.
There are higher chances of committing errors on the spreadsheet. Spreadsheets won’t notify you with alerts. You can’t view spreadsheets on a mobile device comfortably. There are many other areas where spreadsheets fall short of the advanced features that project management tools can offer. If you’re still stuck with spreadsheets, it is time for an upgrade.
- Several Communication Tools
A project management tool serves the important purpose of integrating all communication channels into a single platform. If your project management tool doesn’t provide a centralized communication platform, you must be using the traditional means of communication.
You’re probably still struggling to capture project discussions through phone calls, emails and Whatsapp chats. With your conversations spread across so many platforms, it is easy to lose track of important messages. It is about time you switched to a project management tool that allows all messages and discussions to be carried out from the same platform.
- No Troubleshooting
You might be one of the IT companies which rely on project management tools developed in-house, which are still in the nascent stages. You may get stuck with features of the project management tool frequently. This is especially true if project management software is not your core business.
Another case where users can’t find troubleshooting problems is when they’re using software from a company that’s no longer in business.
Getting stuck when handling urgent projects is not pleasant. But it’s even worse when you can’t find support for your problems. It is better that you purchase new software that promises immediate troubleshooting.
- Using Too Many Tools
Is your computer desktop loaded with too many tools? Do you find yourself toggling between several windows just to get a single assignment finished? You are probably using separate tools for meetings, time-tracking, scheduling, file-sharing, etc.
You need to get rid of your current software that doesn’t give you all the features you require. Look for a new project management tool that has crucial features in-built, so you don’t have to worry about installing and updating multiple tools.
- Training New Employees Is Difficult
Do you dread taking a new employee on board simply because you’ll have to get him trained for using the project management software? That’s a rather sorry state of affairs.
Project management software technology has come a long way already. The latest project management tools are very easy to use. Users can get accustomed to the software working in less than a day. It hardly makes sense for you to be still using some complex project management tool you installed years ago.
- Unnecessary Notifications
In today’s fast-paced work environment, notifications are a necessary evil. You would prefer to be alerted regarding important updates. But what about a pop-up every other minute?
Unnecessary pop-ups are pesky things. When your project management tool keeps sending notifications for every activity, you can easily get distracted. Unfortunately, some project management tools lack the feature to select alerts that you want to be notified about and those you want disabled. If you’re using such a project management tool, you have a good reason to find a new one.
- Industry Trends
You need to be competitively placed in the industry not only in the core business but also with supporting technology. You can’t lose your time handling routine management issues which can be quickly handled through workflow automation. When your competitors are eyeing automation and acquiring new technologies, you ought to keep pace.
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