Teams should be able to react better to changes in a project in order to achieve the best result for the customer with the circumstances. Various tools support you in implementing agile project management in your company as well. Read about the different agile project management methods and find out which tools come into question.
How does agile project management work?
Agile project management divides complex processes and assigns specific roles. This enables you to master tasks in smaller teams. For an agile project, the focus is also not on achieving a rigid end goal. Instead, the focus is on the benefit for the customer. This should be maximised.
The project is worked on in sprints. Plans are sometimes discarded, adapted and interim results are presented to the client.
For which projects is agile project management suitable?
Agile project management and its tools originate from software development and are also popular for product development. The methods are suitable for large, complex projects that involve several parties and are difficult to predict.
What agile project management methods are there?
In agile project management, there are essentially four project management methods: Scrum, Kanban, Design Thinking and Extreme Programming.
Scrum - the classic in agile project management
If you use Scrum, you define the roles of the project participants as well as the planned results and events. Results are developed in short sprints (in product development, for example, a new product version). These are then presented to the customer to obtain feedback.
Agile working with Kanban
You may already know the Kanban board as an important tool for agile project management. Here, tasks are recorded, managed and processed in digital cards on a board. These help to improve the current state and to move forward quickly via many, small to-dos.
Design thinking as a method in project management
In this agile project management method, new ways of thinking and thus new developments are to be promoted. The teams are therefore put together from different disciplines and are supposed to exchange ideas creatively. The goal of design thinking is to be able to keep up with digital advances as a company in today's fast-moving times.
Extreme Programming
In contrast, the Extreme Programming method works with very small teams (two to three people). It is about developing software that delivers the greatest possible benefit to the customer.
Why are the right tools so important for agile project management?
The right tool helps you take your agile project management from theory to practice. Resources are distributed, important team communication is simplified and task management is introduced.
The apps or programmes use various key performance indicators (KPIs) to show how successful the project has been so far and where it needs to be adjusted.
Criteria for selecting the appropriate tool
To find the best tool for your agile project management, you should get an overview of the software and apps available on the market. Then test two programmes and determine whether they meet your requirements.
How much benefit do you get for the price and can a similar tool from the competition do more? Can your employees handle the user interface and are they satisfied? What about the functions? An agile project management tool should in any case cover the following three areas:
- Task management - Everyone should be able to see at a glance who has to do what and by when.
- Teamwork - Task lists are worked on together. Further information about the project, such as feedback from the client, must also be centrally accessible to all.
- KPIs, metrics and reporting - Stakeholders may expect a report on progress after each sprint. An agile tool makes the task easier and also helps to continuously improve the quality of the project.
What tools are available for agile project management?
These eight tools are particularly well suited for working on agile projects.
Wrike
You can perfectly support the agile project management method Design Thinking with the tool Wrike. You have the possibility to creatively present new campaigns and ideas and have them released via the tool.
monday.com
monday.com is named the best agile planning tool. You can perfectly map the workflows of a project via Gantt charts and individual boards. The visual representation supports transparent and efficient teamwork. You will also find templates in the tool that are already geared towards agile project management and can start immediately.
Asana
Asana scores with an appealing user interface and ease of use. Different categories with colours can be assigned for notes. The data can be displayed in a Gantt chart, which is important for time management, as well as in lists or a Kanban board. Team collaboration is supported by the "Teams", "Inbox" and "Discussions" areas.
Some details that are available in other project management programmes are missing in Asana. For example, the filter functions for tasks. However, the simplified presentation allows project participants to concentrate on the essentials.
Trello
Trello is a simple alternative to the Asana tool. Here, the focus is entirely on the Kanban boards and thus on task management. If team communication via the platform is desired, you can integrate the Slack software, for example.
MasterTask
Speaking of Kanban boards, another tool based on the Kanban method is MeisterTask. A feature of this software is that a timeline and filters can be displayed above the task board. In addition, project participants have the possibility to record their working time via the tool.
awork
awork enables collaboration with external project participants, continuous analysis of projects, time tracking and other functions. The tool convinces with a visually appealing user interface, boards, lists and timelines.
Jira
The agile project management method Extreme Programming finds a suitable tool in Jira. Jira originates from software development and primarily emphasises a user experience for developers. Other methods, such as Kanban, can also be easily covered with the agile project management tool. The range of functions is large, which can lead to a high familiarisation period, but also offers many possibilities.
SeaTable
In SeaTable, project tasks can be planned and worked on using flexible display formats such as a Gantt chart, filterable lists or a Kanban board. The focus of the solution is on intelligent lists, which are not only used in agile project management, but also in other areas.
In the library you will find templates for agile project management that you can use immediately in the free version.
More tools for agile project management
Other well-known and relevant tools for agile project management are:
- basecamp
- Kintone
- zoho sprints
- nutcache
- ravetree
- easy remine
- nostromo
Better results through agile project management
With agile project management, you ensure that the customer receives the result with the greatest added value for them. It doesn't matter whether the customer is external or internal. Since agile project management is already used by many companies, you have a number of excellent tools at your disposal. Choose the one that suits you and apply it to your next project.
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