Basic Considerations In Buying Project Management Software
The cost range of project management software is huge. From
under $50 to over $20,000. Extensive reviews have been written
about all the different software packages and it is far too
complex to summarize in a short article, but following are some
general guidelines to help you narrow down the decision making
process.
Start by determining the size of the expected project(s) and
number of projects. Quite simply, the larger number and more
complex projects will justify more complex and expensive
software.
Small Projects
Smaller, infrequent projects often can be handled with no
specialized software. Gantt charts can even be constructed with
Excel. Remember though that even if your projects are small at
this point, if there is a possibility that your business will
grow, it may make more sense to invest the time and money in a
more advanced software tool.
Suggested packages at this level include Milestones line of
packages. Prices range from around $50 up to $240. Turboproject
has versions under $50 up to $300. For somewhat more complex
packages consider Microsoft Project at $200 to $600 or Primavera
Suretrak at $400 to $600.
Medium Sized Projects
Budget becomes more of an issue as project size increases. This
requires software with greater flexibility and more complex
relationships. The other elements of resources, time, and scope
grow substantially in medium sized projects. The previously
mentioned Microsoft and Primavera packages are good choices at
this level.
Large Multiple Projects
With multiple large projects resources need to be carefully
allocated and prioritized. Several layers of management will be
involved and the entire project management process will often
need to be integrated into various departments of the
organization including payroll, human relations, accounting,
etc. In order to accomplish this, the project management
software will need a great deal of flexibility and possibly even
some customization.
Choices at this level start with the medium sized packages and
go up to the highest versions of Primavera. Often network
versions are used which enable multiple users contributing to
the projects.