Project Management Software Tools

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that a project management software package is designed to assist in managing a project, but that project is controlled by the project manager, not a software package because there are both benefits and inherent limitations to using project management software, which the project manager must understand. The author stresses that the manager must first establish the basic blueprint of the project before beginning a project in a software package and must always remember projects have a way of becoming living entities with their own unique obstacles, requiring more than making sure everything goes according to the printed software plan, or the project is doomed to failure. The paper creates a hypothetical project to demonstrate the strategic points of this software.

Table of Contents
Introduction
Software Limitations
Software Advantages
Scope Management
Time Management and Gantt
Cost Management
Quality Management
Human Resources Management
Project Roles and Responsibilities
Communication Management
Conclusion
Appendix: Work Breakdown Structure

From the Paper:

"In other words, a project manager has to maintain the political and social aspects of the project and software has its limitations in these respects. Having the ability to effectively communicate with all relevant parties is a key to managing a successful project. Software can not make a project manager speak and listen effectively or to receive verbal confirmation that all is well or in need of change. It is necessary to regularly communicate verbally with individual members, stakeholders and peers in order to evaluate the project from different perspectives. Software and written reports may in many situations be a waste of a team's time when a brief conversation will suffice. Software also cannot replace a face-to-face meeting, telephone call or voice mail in most situations."

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