You don’t know what your missing if you haven’t yet adopted mobile project management applications. It’s not too late.
In the 1980s, project managers could use their buzzing, whirling desktop computers to check the status of a project or the construction budget for a new aerobics center.
It’s a wonderful time to be alive.
Now is a better time to live. If you are still using desktop project management software, you are missing out and living in retrospect. You are also part of a growing minority.
Capterra surveyed 400 project management professionals in the United States and found that 60% of them use cloud-based PM software. These solutions are usually deployed via web browsers and mobile apps, while 40% use on-premise/desktop solutions.
What are you missing out if you’re among the 40% who still use a desktop tool for project management?
Three advantages of mobile project management applications
The mobile project management apps are a competitive advantage for teams that use them. They allow users to stay in the loop about project updates, communicate with one another wherever they may be, and receive the latest features faster and more easily.
Let’s take a closer view.
1. Mobile project management apps make it easier to keep track of your projects
THE SCENARIO – Your supervisor at the site of a $2 million office building goes to the location to check on her crew and receive a status report. She discovers that a critical shipment of building materials was partially damaged by heavy rains during transport, and that several welders are suffering from the flu.
Desktop project management software: Your supervisor takes photos of the damage and authorizes the hiring of two temporary workers to replace the sick welders. Then, he drives back to the office to update the information in the project management program. Unfortunately, the updates have already been entered into the system. This means that you will not be able to update the budget authorization for the temporary workers until tomorrow. This will delay construction and cost you a day of labor.
The mobile project management app benefit: Your site supervisor can instantly update that information in your resource management tool on her tablet. These changes are immediately reflected on your dashboard, so you can instantly check in with stakeholders.
2. Apps for managing projects mobile enhance team communication
THE SCENARIO: Your job is to manage an eCommerce website that sells organic knitting accessories and supplies. You attempt to show the site to your friend on Saturday at 10 p.m., but it is down for two hours. This has cost you hundreds of dollars in sales.
Your desktop project management program is useless when your computer is at work. You call your manager and they don’t answer the phone. You are determined to find a solution and you text your friend from the tech team. They eventually get back to you and tell you that they will email the rest of their team in the morning. After thousands of lost sales, someone finally gets the site up and running late Sunday night.
Mobile project management app advantages: Once you notice that the site has gone down, you can pull up your mobile app’s collaboration tool to notify all employees. Within an hour, a remote member from the tech team had fixed the problem and brought the site back online. This earned you praise and recognition from the CEO.
3. Mobile project management apps can be updated easily
THE SCENARIO: Project management software reveals a n