Saas Project Management: Managing Project Life Cycles

Just like on-premise project management programs and systems, SaaS project management allows efficient management of projects throughout their entire life cycle. The lack of on-premise hardware and system to maintain is an added bonus, as SaaS project models reduces the pressure as well as the work that needs to be done to sustain software and infrastructure. This kind of project management model levels the playing field for small and medium sized businesses, giving them the ability to compete with the big dogs in their industry. From start to finish of projects, SaaS project management tools afford project managers and their teams the following advantages and benefits:

• SaaS models give managers and team members instant access to whatever project information they need at the moment using their web browsers.

• Operational cost for SaaS project management system is significantly low. SaaS models mostly follow pay as you go systems, thanks to generous service providers that don't force users to fork out huge license fees to use their system. SaaS providers also manage all infrastructure that are associated with the system, saving companies a great deal of money in IT costs.

• SaaS project management also allows better time management, thus making it easier to accomplish tasks and implement projects and programs more quickly.

• SaaS project management programs also allow for automatic updates, which means implementation of advancements is quicker.

• Access to information and project details is also protected by passwords and other encryption and more advanced security measures, so you can be sure that all business information is safe within the network.

PPM Software Gives You End-to-End Project and Portfolio Management Visibility

To effectively manage methods and processes within a project, managers need a centralized platform where they can collectively manage and analyze current as well as proposed projects based on their key characteristics. This is where project portfolio management programs and tools are most useful. They allow project managers to see and track existing projects as well as create a portfolio of existing and future projects and project demand prospects. Project portfolio management is a recent evolution stemming from enterprise project management, which provides a holistic view of the organization. PPM gives project managers the ability to manage existing and proposed projects depending on budget size, calendar year, the budget year, business line, and other portfolio categories for easier administration.

Portfolio project management programs allow businesses and project managers to efficiently study and analyze specific projects and decide and select which ones to keep in the roster because of their projected value, and which ones to discard because they will not yield enough profit or are simply obsolete. Effective portfolio project management platforms allow the creation of different scenarios that help project managers select the best portfolio for a certain calendar year, budget, business line, etc.

Portfolio management, however, does not stop at the selection of the best portfolio content, as individual projects need to be constantly assessed, scrutinized, and evaluated in terms of quality, schedule, and cost to see whether there is progress or regress. Generally, the main objective of portfolio project management is to determine the most optimal set of projects for the resource pool so that delivery of services and scheduled activities are properly managed—all for the fulfillment of the organization's financial and operational goals while also factoring in the constraints dictated by strategic objectives, customers/clients, and other external factors.

Quality Project Management Tool Used For Developing Software Products

When looking for a quality project management tool for software development, choose a company that is dedicated to producing progressive tools that adjust well to industry changes. Here are some of the most common processes and features that you should look for in a software development project management tool:

1. Risk Management – This is the process of assessing and measuring risks so that strategies can be formulated to manage them. Generally, these strategies aim to transfer risks to a different party, reduce the negative effect of the impending risk, avoiding the risk altogether, or accepting the consequences of the risk. Risk management often includes cost-benefit analysis and fall back options should the project fail (such as a contingency plan).

2. Requirements Management – Unlike risk management requirements management is the process of determining, eliciting, analyzing, documenting, prioritizing, and deciding upon requirements and controlling change so that they can be communicated to stakeholders. This is an important aspect of software engineering, where business analysts can identify the altered needs as well as the requirements of the clients so they can modify solutions.

3. Change Management – This involves change impact analysis and is closely related to requirements management the result of which can help software developers redesign and approve solutions.

4. Software Configuration Management – This part of software development management involves identifying and documenting the scope of the project, considering all sub products so that they can be effectively communicated to stakeholders. This may include version control, programming (naming convention, software archival agreements, and other significant processes.

Release management – The final step of the project management process is release management, which involves the identification, documentation, prioritization, and release agreement, and control of the software's release schedule.

Enterprise Project Management Helps Manage Projects In An Effective And Efficient Way

Enterprise project management runs in the principle of adaptability and balance between interdependent elements of a project. Businesses and projects have grown more and more complex, forcing project management systems to evolve to meet their changing needs. Today, project management no longer refers solely to the process of directing a team through a project's initiation all the way to completion. Because projects create impact across the whole enterprise, management requires taking into account all aspects of the business. Enterprise project management has given birth to the idea of project portfolios, where interrelated projects can be managed, whether they are currently existent or are still underway. The job of a project manager is to oversee the project so that it keeps with the schedule and the budget set. On the other hand, a project portfolio, in its entirety is overseen by an overall project portfolio manager, whose task is to evaluate each project and monitor whether or not all projects are working together to reach the business' key objective.  

Enterprise project management is concerned with multiple projects, which is why portfolio managers must consider all outside factors that might affect the entire enterprise. This is hundred-fold more complicated than typical project management tasks, which is why software tools have been developed to help managers and businesses get a hold of the situation. Enterprise project management offers a wide range of benefits for business and project managements. EPM tools and programs allow you to avoid poorly executed projects, because a great deal of planning goes into each project from the start. You avoid missed deadlines and budgetary issues as each situational risk is projected from the get go. EPM not only safeguards against risks, but also increases the team's efficiency while reducing project costs.

Cloud Based Project Management Software Are Significantly More Functional

Cloud based project management and computing has grown leaps and bounds in the past 5 years, with more and more businesses turning to web-based project and portfolio management. Here are some of the best advantages of cloud-based project management to help you decide whether to switch to an online system or stick with your on-premise program:

1. Very little maintenance – Cloud-based programs are licensed, maintained, deployed and undated in a hosting company's hardware. This means your company doesn't have to worry about software or hardware maintenance. At best, upkeep will only be minimal. Finding a cloud-based project management company that can provide you with all the tools and services that you will need for your operations will significantly reduce your IT infrastructure and manpower investment. With lower maintenance and labor costs, you can allocate resources to better use.
2. Accessible from anywhere – With traditional on-premise project management and hosting, you are limited to in-house data and document access, as opposed to having access to all your project and client data anytime and anywhere you have internet connection in cloud-based systems. This will prove convenient for out-of-office employees as well as for those who want to catch up on work while away from HQ.

Better productivity and easier implementation – Cloud-based PPM is also much easier to implement than on-premise hosting because there is little to no set-up required. Unlike on-premise programs where your in-house IT will have to manage software and hardware installations before getting any real work done, projects can start almost immediately as you sign up for cloud-based project management. The best cloud based systems can also be used for free during a trial period, and upgraded to a full version of the program should you decide to continue using the system.