There are many online project management solutions available to choose from by the project and program managers. These tools by and large have similar functions and features and can be utilized for project management in most cases. In the current environment where most of the project teams are geographically dispersed, the online tools provide a great advantage in collaboration.
Though it seems advantages to go in for the online project management applications, if truth be told it is not all rosy. There are some key factors which make these online tools not the top choice in some situations:
- Speed: Most often the key disadvantage that the project managers and team find in the online tools is that they are much slower than the desktop versions. But because of the developments in the computer technology very soon we might be able to use online project management tools which are in line with the desktop applications in terms of speed.
- Offline Access: These tools also have the disadvantage of not being able to run when offline. One needs to connect online to access any data or information. But with mobile browsing and other developments in connectivity even this disadvantage can soon disappear.
- Security: Though the online applications have been built using the top of line security standards, yet there is a fair chance of security leaks when accessing the project information online. This is because, in parallel to the security standards development, the hacker community too is active in breaking the security.
- User Experience: Another drawback of these applications is the poor user experience due to the performance related issues and the browser limitations.
- Inability to meet peak usage: In case the online solution provider does not have the competency to meet the peak demands in case of concurrent users this can be a major disadvantage.
Finally, the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages
The setbacks mentioned above though are currently valid, because of the developments and the progress being made in the web based applications area will soon be redundant. Even now, we can see that the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages and more over most of these factors can easily be worked around. One needs to carefully verify the features, benefits, disadvantages of the various applications available online and then make the choice.
By analyzing carefully and making the right product choice one can easily enjoy the benefits of tighter collaboration, access to real-time data, ease of monitoring and other such features that the online project management tools provide.
Featured Partners: Project Management Software
If you’re interested in learning more about top rated project management software, the editors at Project-Management.com actively recommend the following:
1 Wrike
Tackle complex projects with Wrike’s award-winning project management software. Break projects into simple steps, assign tasks to team members, and visualize progress with Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and calendars. Manage resource allocation and forecasting with software that’s easy to launch. Automation and AI features strip away time-consuming admin tasks so you can do the best work of your life. Streamline your practices, align your team, and ensure you hit deadlines and stay on budget.
2 monday.com
monday.com Work OS is the project management software that helps you and your team plan, execute, and track projects and workflows in one collaborative space. Manage everything from simple to complex projects more efficiently with the help of visual boards, 200+ ready-made templates, clever no-code automations, and easy integrations. In addition, custom dashboards simplify reporting, so you can evaluate your progress and make data-driven decisions.
3 Smartsheet
Smartsheet is an online work execution platform empowering organizations of all sizes to plan, manage, automate, and report on work. Over 80,000 brands rely on Smartsheet for project and work management.
