Six tips to implement project management software in an organization

The introduction of a new software system contains some risks for the responsible persons. Use our tips to prevent the introduction of software coming to nothing and thus contribute to project and business success.

1. At first, make a basic decision and determine whether your organization could benefit from a project management system. Project management software can be a powerful business support in teams of at least three persons. Decide which requirements the software has to accomplish. The decisive criteria are the size and number of projects, the number of employees, the corporate structure and the features that are supposed to be included in the software. To determine which tasks should be classified as a project in your organization, separate projects from routine activities for you analysis.
2. Win over your superiors. Convince them with the fact that investing in project management software has often paid off within a short time. For example: With an InLoox PM Workgroup Server, 20 user licenses and an assumed hourly rate of $ 40 per user, each user has to save only seven minutes with InLoox PM per week to fully amortize the costs within one year.
3. All project members should be involved in decision-making at an early stage. For a transparent software selection process, an open communication with the prospective users is vital for success. Name key users for the whole company or for specific departments who can be testers, multipliers or even trainers for the new software. Project management tools with an intuitive user interface which is easy to understand are usually well accepted, because the users can experience directly how the software simplifies their everyday work. We highly recommend a testing period, preferably based on a test project. For example, you can try out InLoox PM in a full free-of-charge version for 30 days: Demo
4. Escalating demands from different departments make it sometimes hard to find a suitable standard product. Managers often face a “make or buy” decision. This raises the question whether to commission the development of a specialized in-house software or to choose a standard product. Standard software solutions are usually more cost-effective and provide reliability and future-proof technology. Ask the software manufacturer for a customer reference list and check whether the software has proven itself in various industries and companies of different sizes.
5. An important success factor for software implementation is also the smooth replacement of existing systems. Often, already existing departmental solutions lead to complications in interdisciplinary projects, because they make data exchange across departments quite difficult. The key to change is the adaptability of the new software to operational requirements. In addition to a targeted strategy for data migration from existing systems, you benefit from a diplomatic approach.
6. The product has to be practical. To ensure a smooth project planning, the software should be embedded in a familiar, often used user interface. It is useful to integrate the project management software into a groupware that offers fast and easy access, such as Microsoft Outlook.