You’re managing an IT project. What software do you use to keep everything on track?

Well in my opinion we must use Scheduling tools at the least, like Microsoft Project. I’ve extensively worked with Microsoft project in managing large and complex schedules. It works well. Reporting cost and schedule variations features are good. These days many are using Smartsheet. It is like a lighter version of Microsoft project. You can adapt this tool if you don’t want to spend too much time in managing and learning the tool itself. Gives you a quick start.

If it is a project where I need to manage and do not have to have full visibility or accessibility for stakeholders or project teammates, I will use MS Project. I have also used Jira and MS Planner with great results - it all depends on what the project is and what the project teams have access to!

For me Microsoft project is more than enough to be used in Project Management. Can be use anywhere in Windows ecosystem and Easy to understand.

There are so many different IT projects with so many different stakeholders and unique circumstances and so many different software tools of varying strengths and drawbacks that I think the question about what software to use to keep everything on track is in itself not a very good question. A better discussion or question would be what factors to consider. For each PM or team, the factors that are pertinent to them will significantly streamline the options available and simplify the discussion. Some factors to consider are 1. Project size (small, medium, large)? 2. Project delivery approach (Agile vs Traditional) 3. Budget constraints 4. Need for ongoing collaboration 5. Reporting & analytics capability requirements 6. Ease of use 7. etc

For a small development projects with a small team (up to 5 people), even Trello with Kanban boards is enough. Jira is my top choice for agile development projects due to its nice features for managing tasks, user stories, and sprints. And I rely on Asana for its user-friendly interface and comprehensive task management capabilities. MS Project is another valuable tool in my pocket for managing complex projects with detailed schedules and resource management requirements. So, it's all depends on the project complexity and desired visibility. Me personally is quite flexible with lots of them :)

Code management software is important as it allows multiple developers to work on the product as they have updated versions and comments. GitHub is a widely used tool for that.

In my experience as an IT Product/Project Manager I do not accept any project, although could be considered small project or prototyping, that is not connected to a Code Management Software. My projects use different software (GitHub, GitLab or Bitbucket) depends on the features, pricing and agreements. The main reason to make Code Management Software a mandatory usage in my projects is collaborative code sharing within my company and if permitted, external open source. Furthermore, security and CICD (Continuous Integration Continuous Deployment). Shared coding allows the teams to move faster, increase security and progress/evolve collaboratively. To mention that GitHub is linked to Copilot, a new functionality launched by Microsoft.

Code management software plays a pivotal role in storing and organizing source code, the fundamental instructions for software execution. It enhances code quality and security while facilitating collaboration and integration within teams. Key features encompass version control, enabling tracking and recording of changes; branching, which creates separate copies for testing or debugging purposes; merging, facilitating the combination of multiple branches; and pull requests, which solicit review and approval before merging changes into the main codebase. Prominent examples

Some popular examples of code management software include: Git: A distributed version control system that allows developers to track changes to code over time. GitHub: A cloud-based hosting service for Git repositories. Bitbucket: Another cloud-based hosting service for Git repositories. SVN: A centralized version control system that is similar to Git.

GitHub has been most uselful one for me and the others in the team . Mostly out of habit as it was the first tool introduced to me in my learning and have been comfortable in using it since then .

Testing software is an indispensable tool for ensuring software meets user and client requirements while enhancing reliability and usability. It aids in identifying and rectifying issues before they impact end-users. Examples include Selenium, JUnit, and TestRail. Key features include: Test Cases: Scenarios defining inputs, outputs, and expected results of software functionality. Test Automation: Using scripts or tools for repetitive or complex tests without human intervention. Test Execution: Running tests and recording outcomes (pass, fail, error).

Some common types of software testing include: Unit testing: Unit testing is a type of testing that focuses on individual units of code. It is typically performed by developers as they are writing code. Integration testing: Integration testing is a type of testing that focuses on how different units of code interact with each other. It is typically performed by testers after the units of code have been integrated together. System testing: System testing is a type of testing that focuses on the entire system as a whole. Acceptance testing: Acceptance testing is a type of testing that is performed by the customer or user of the software.

We all have our own opinion of what software out there is the best, my opinion, use whatever flow best fit you and your team. Besides that, my suggestion is to take it seriously when developing the test scripts, think of and involve of all the key holder to ensure all scenarios are accounted for prior to the go and no-go decision.

This is the critical part of the software development and contains many different layers. E.g. Unit testing JUnit, functional testing robot framework, performace testing JMeter, security testing ZAP, Synopsys Seeker. Penetration testing.

Software testing is essential to any software or IT product and should not be overlooked. QA personnel used to manually test practically all features and functionalities in the past. The QA team must invest countless hours in both sanity testing the entire application and evaluating the pushed functionality once new code is pushed and deployment is completed. The QA team can build various scripts, automate test cases, and create test plans using testing software. This allows sanity testing to be performed automatically following each release. Software for testing also aids in stress and load testing, which creates a virtual load on the system to examine the stability and capacity of the product to handle abrupt spikes in traffic.

Popular Deployment Software: Ansible: An open-source automation tool that excels in configuration management, application deployment, and task automation. Docker: While primarily known for containerization, Docker also facilitates consistent and repeatable software deployments. Jenkins: Widely used in CI/CD pipelines, Jenkins automates the building, testing, and deployment of code changes. Chef: An infrastructure as code (IaC) tool, Chef automates the configuration and deployment of infrastructure. Kubernetes: Ideal for container orchestration, Kubernetes automates the deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.

Deployment software, also known as deployment automation tools or release management tools, streamline the process of deploying software applications and updates to various environments, such as development, testing, staging, and production. These tools automate the deployment process, reducing manual effort, minimizing errors, and accelerating the release cycle. Here are some commonly used deployment software options like Jenkins, GitLab CI/CD, CircleCI, Travis CI, GitHub Actions, AWS codedeploy, Ansible, Docker. By leveraging deployment software tools IT teams can automate and streamline the process of deploying software applications, reducing deployment times, minimizing errors, and improving overall release management efficiency.

Deployment software is crafted to assist in the delivery and dissemination of software to end-users or clients. It offers functionalities such as configuration management, which governs and regulates software environment settings and parameters; continuous integration, which conducts code building and testing upon each modification; continuous delivery, enabling automated or minimally human-involved software releases to staging or production environments; and continuous monitoring, tracking and evaluating software performance and behavior in real-world scenarios. By utilizing deployment software, organizations can streamline and automate software distribution processes while optimizing performance and effectively troubleshooting any issues.

The software deployment lifecycle, from planning to monitoring, is made efficient with CI/CD, ensuring error-free updates and maintained quality Key tools include: Ansible: Manages configurations, automates deployments Jenkins: Boosts code quality with continuous integration/delivery AWS CodeDeploy: Enables scalable deployments to AWS Docker: Containerizes applications GitLab CI/CD: Integrates code changes for delivery Chef: Provides consistent environments through code Puppet: Ensures infrastructure reliability CircleCI: Accelerates development via CI/CD Travis CI: Automates tests and deployment 10 Kubernetes: Orchestrates containerized app deployment Utilizing these, performance is maximized, enhancing user satisfaction

Ansible est un outil d'automatisation open source qui permet de déployer des programmes de manière simple et efficace. Il permet d'automatiser l'ensemble du processus de déploiement, de la configuration des serveurs à l'installation des logiciels et à la configuration des applications. Nous testons actuellement son utilisation et les résultats sont prometteurs ! Il nécessite cependant un temps non négligeable pour son paramétrage.

Document Sharing and Co-authoring: These tools provide centralized platforms for sharing, editing, and collaborating on documents in real time. Task and Project Management: Many collaboration tools incorporate task and project management features, allowing teams to organize work, set deadlines, and track progress. Virtual Workspaces: Collaboration software often offers virtual workspaces where team members can collaborate on projects, share updates, and access relevant resources. Security and Access Control: Robust security features are essential for collaboration software to protect sensitive information.

Collaborative software’s are considered to be most powerful also helpful among the team members to achieve the task. For example slack is the one of the simplest collaborative software, which can be used as inclusive and action based by which every participant can update its status or can reassign or re scheduling the total or a part of it. The most advantage is communication of tasks among the team is being addressed in its desired clarity and authority.

Some amazing tools for collaboration : - Confluence -Sharepoint -Jira Majority of times combination of tools are more value addition -ADO -Mural(design thinking/brainstorming)

Microsoft Teams should be mentioned as example next to Zoom and Google Drive, as many corporates chose it for their employees, matching the other microsoft software they are using (compatibility is key, as mentioned). Therefore it is also of growing importance for agencies, freelancers working for corporates as the need to integrate to provide the best value for their customers to be successful.

É importante informar ao time qual ferramenta é esperada para diferentes interações síncronas e assíncronas com relação a colaboração. Tornar isso claro facilitará para que as atividades e a colaboração ocorram com maior eficiência. Se deve considerar o aspecto de segurança e propriedade sobre as informações compartilhadas nos softwares de colaboração para não expor indevidamente a empresa/projeto. Existem outras ferramentas e alternativas, as listadas no artigo nesse sentido (Rocket.Chat é um bom exemplo - focada na questão de segurança enquanto cobre as diferentes questões de colaboração).

Effective communication is key to project success. In a recent project, miscommunication led to significant roadblocks. By scheduling cross-functional meetings and fostering open dialogue, we resolved misunderstandings, realigned priorities, and improved outcomes. This highlights the importance of proactive communication in project management.

Pensar nos softwares a serem utilizados é importante, mas antes disso garanta que tem bases sólidas sobre os conceitos de projetos e frameworks que esteja usando. Conceitos vem antes da ferramenta. Não subestime a importância de bons materiais de treinamento e tenha um mix de recursos internos e externos para apoiar nessa questão.

Any tool you use is just that, a tool. Without the proper agreement among teammates, management, etc. on the processes - you can use the "best" tools recommended, but they aren't being used properly. Better to use Notion to manage everything, but have a motivated team that actually keeps track of things, than to use MS Project, Jira, and a myriad of source code, deploy tools and have people who aren't sure they are accountable for the quality of the product, or don't stick to processes that make their work transparent and adaptive.

No matter what software you are using, the project team needs to know the dependencies between workstreams. Software is a tool that can illustrate those dependencies and enable conversations about mitigation strategies when a milestone is missed. Projects are defined by their scope, schedule, and budget. The selected tool should help track all of those things.

There should be a single source of truth for any given thing and anyone looking should see the same truth. In that sense, never send things like word documents, etc - use collaborative, cloud based solutions for everything.