“Google must have its project management apps and tools.” That’s a common assumption. However, Google doesn’t have its own native software or app designed for project management.
Thankfully, Google offers excellent apps that are useful for project collaboration and organization. These can be useful for work scheduling, project task management, collaboration, communication, and integration with other business software. They include Google Sheets, Google Workspace, Google Drive, Google Hangouts, and Google Calendar.
Google Sheets would be the best alternative in this regard because it can create project plans as well as Gantt chart timelines. With Google Sheets, you can track multiple projects, manage deadlines, monitor the status of projects, and assign different tasks.
Despite being one of the best Google apps for project management, it is still very limited when it comes to handling detailed projects. Plus, it is basically a spreadsheet application.
For the beginner, it may come in handy. Over time, the shortcomings start to get very obvious.
If you need to handle complex projects, you may need to seek alternatives Google apps. Not to worry, though, there are several great choices.
What to Look for in a Project Management Tool
Great project management tools should be able to perform the following functions:
- Project Planning
- Document Management
- Team Collaboration & Communication
- Productivity Tracking
- Reporting & Progress Tracking
The tool should be able to harmonize any kind of team: remote, multidisciplinary, or large. It should enable you to keep track of your projects and provide a clear overview.
A good project management tool should be able to manage your documents and control access to information. Also, it should allow you to communicate effectively and offer enhanced team collaboration.
Here are some tools that are great for the job.
Asana
Asana is a work management tool that manages tasks in a team. In more specific terms, Asana helps to keep track of progress on a project and highlights people, dates, and all the necessary information required to make the project progress seamlessly, from start to finish.
Asana is a favorite for those who love productivity. That’s because it is an excellent collaborative tool for aiding teamwork and tracking tasks and workflows.
It is not a full-fledged project management platform because it doesn’t have budgeting or resource tracking. However, Asana manages tasks effectively, is flexible, and has templates that help guide beginners and those who want to remain on track.
With Asana, it is very easy to detect potential conflicts that may affect the successful completion of any project and rectify it before it becomes problematic.
Trello
One of the most intuitive Kanban Board apps that lets you fully customize the boards you create is Trello.
Kanban Board is a smart method for organizing, tracking, and managing work that helps to coordinate and track projects. It is also a great system for limiting how much work any one person can do at a time while allowing everyone to see the level of the work that the team needs to do.
Trello is capable of managing work and workflows within a team, and it can incorporate outside partners as well. The tool is incredibly easy to use, although it may not be able to manage resources across many projects simultaneously.
Although Trello is not the number one project management app out there, it cannot manage large and complex projects. But for simpler projects, which form the bulk of projects for many people, Trello is an ideal choice.
Toggl Plan
Toggl Plan is a simple project planning tool with more resources than a Google spreadsheet and is easier to use than a Gantt chart.
The program lets you know who is directly responsible for each task, what every member is specifically up to, and when members are free to take up more tasks.
Formerly known as Teamweek, Toggl Plan is schedule-making software and an online project planner to help when managing projects. It includes a team view that allows you to see recurring tasks, their duration, and persons directly responsible for different tasks, all of the work breakdown structure in a colorful project timeline.
The project timeline, team, and board view provides different perspectives on the progress of your project. It also has built-in collaborations that allow teams to post comments and share their project plan.
Using the CSV format, Toggl Plan allows for integration with time-tracking software.
It also has a visual planner that lets you know at a glance which member of the team is available to take on more work and who is unavailable due to workload.
With Toggl Plan, you have access to unlimited boards.
Hubstaff
While Google Sheets doesn’t offer an automatic tracking tool, you can use Hubstaff as an alternative to tracking time during project management.
Hubstaff automatically generates screenshots and timesheets that can be used to track projects easily. The tool also provides team activity so that you can know how productive team members are or which team members are available for new tasks.
Filestage
Filestage is an application that makes the organization of project content easy. It is applicable for project team leaders who wish to create levels of control for better coordination.
With Filestage, internal and external members of the team can access information and comment on the process. That way, they can easily contribute to the success of the project. To coordinate the communication, the team leader can create access levels for members.
Filestage allows team members to see the comments of the major stakeholders who can review a project from time to time. It also facilitates customized workflows.
Clarizen
Clarizen provides the opportunity to collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders. When a project requires consistent input from a lot of professionals, Clarizen manages the process in a seamless and automated way.
The tool not only manages the project from one view, but it also has lots of features that allow all members to interact on an interface.
Conclusion
Some of these tools can be used alongside Google applications while others are Google project management tool alternatives. Whichever your choice is, your project can only be the better for it.
