Project Management

What is project management?

Project management is the organization and planning of the work needed to achieve a project's goals. It covers the tasks, people, time, and resources involved in taking a project from an idea to a finished result.

Project management can include:

• Proposing the project and getting approval.
• Planning the work before implementation begins.
• Assembling the team and deciding who is responsible for what.
• Prioritizing and assigning tasks.
• Managing the timeline, budget, and other resources.
• Tracking progress and dealing with changes along the way.
• Documenting decisions, requirements, and outcomes.

Project planning

Some projects need formal approval before work can begin. A project proposal makes the case for the initiative by explaining what it aims to achieve, why it is worth doing, and what it will require.

Once the project is approved, planning turns that idea into a workable course of action. A project plan gives the team a shared reference for the goals, tasks, responsibilities, deadlines, dependencies, and other decisions that need to stay visible as the work moves forward.

Project documentation

Project documentation keeps the information people rely on throughout a project in a form they can return to later. It can clarify goals and requirements, record decisions, support planning, and give stakeholders a way to follow progress without relying on memory or old conversations.

The documents themselves vary from project to project. A team may need a project plan, business case, requirements, meeting notes, status reports, or other records created as the work moves forward.

Project management software

Project management tools give teams a shared place to plan work and follow its progress. Depending on the tool, that can include task lists, boards, timelines, documentation, discussions, reports, and other ways of keeping a project organized.

The best fit depends on the kind of work you manage, the way your team works, and how much structure you want the software to provide.

Best project and task management tools

Start with the broader guides if you are comparing project management platforms without a specific category in mind.

Software by team and use case

Different kinds of project work put different demands on the software. These guides focus on tools for more specialized workflows.

Agile project management tools & Kanban boards

Agile tools support shorter planning cycles and changing priorities, while Kanban tools make work visible as it moves through a process.

Alternatives to popular project management tools

If you already know what is not working in your current platform, an alternatives guide can narrow the search quickly.

Project management tool comparisons

Once the shortlist is down to two or three tools, side-by-side comparisons are usually more useful than another broad roundup.

Trello comparisons

Trello is a common reference point for teams that prefer simple visual boards. These comparisons show how other tools differ.

Asana comparisons

Asana combines task tracking with broader project planning. These comparisons show how it stacks up against other popular platforms.

Jira comparisons

Jira is built around issue tracking and software workflows, so its trade-offs differ from general-purpose project tools.

Other tool comparisons

These comparisons cover other common matchups among project management platforms.