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I need to handle project management and I’m really overwhelmed by it, so I thought there was some software I could purchase to help me out managing and something that makes my tasks easier. Which would you recommend?

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6 Answers

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Scrum is a development framework / method, not a project management tool. It's really good by the way, but if your new to project management, then you probably want to stay out of spearheading a scrum implementation :)

Some of the good, lightweight tools that we use for project management are

For a starting project manager, the best tips I can give, are setting up scheduled talks with your teams / individuals involved in the project on your side. Do the same for talks with people on the clients side (if any). Note down everything whenever you hear about it (new task, changed task, bug issue etc), so that you'll be able to communicate these things to the appropriate party. In addition, tracking time and budget is naturally essential as well. This can be done in MS Excel, or software such as above mentioned Mite, if the projects are relatively small.

The biggest thing to remember is to communicate often, and honestly. The client needs to know any news, even if it's bad. Likewise the team(s) need to know the same. It's often not a very pleasant job, but keeping silence or delaying news, is a really bad (and surprisingly common) trait in a PM.

Note that these tools are for generally low to mid-scope projects. If you are looking at a 15.000+ hour project, then you might want to look into alternatives such as Microsoft TFS, JIRA and similar enterprise level systems. And in that case, you might also want to ask your employer for some help, as such projects are big and challenging :)

Good luck!

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Have you check scrum? It’s great for project management, you can check the features in this Microsoft learning site.

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Hi,

I´m using Ubidesk https://www.ubidesk.com/ (the free version) were I divided the company´s departments in different projects with leaders. You can add tasks and assign them to people and you also get notifications by email...

Ubidesk is great because it´s super simple to setup and use ;)

Good luck

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Jenny,

It's sounds like you need help focusing and visualizing your work, so you aren't so overwhelmed by it. A great solution for you might be Agile Zen (http://agilezen.com). It's a simple project management tool that will keep you on task without breaking the bank.

Best of Luck!

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Take a look at this list of online project management software: http://www.leverage-the-web.com/index.php/blog/63-online-project-management-software.html

Some of these are simple, some complex - you should be able to find one that fits your working style and needs.

Good luck!

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I would recommend taking a look at a web-based project management app that our web design & development shop built. It's called Intervals.

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