Project Management Services: What You Should Know?

June 23, 2021

Table of Contents

More and more companies use outsourcing agencies to make sure that the work gets done well and is coordinated. Because of this, there are a lot of different project management services to meet the needs of different industries, from construction to IT. Along with basic terms, the article will go into detail about the five stages of managing a project and the best tools used to do so.

What Is Project Management?

In a few words, project management is the process of leading a group of people from different fields to do the work of a project within a certain time, budget, and scope. Large or complicated projects would need project managers and supervisors to help with the whole process of project management.

But the second one can handle all of the smaller missions on its own. So, they are in charge of launching, planning, and giving the right team members the important materials. From now on, they will take charge of the process to make sure that clients get the result that was planned.

1. Definition of PMS Contracts

Different types of contracts are often used in different industries for project management services (PMS). The agreements that are talked about in this article are for projects that involve making software. Depending on the type of project, the owner will have to sign a contract with the outsourcing agency if he or she wants to either let the agency handle all project management tasks or hire the agency as a helper.

Relationships based on contracts often depend on things like service fees, cost compensation, and time and materials. When a project has a clear scope, the owner and the outsourcing company can make fixed-price contracts that outline the work to be done and the project management services the company needs to provide at a price that has been agreed upon.

As long as the project’s scope hasn’t been set in stone, both sides can negotiate unit price contracts that pay the agency an hourly rate and spell out how long each step of the project will take.

But no one can know for sure what will happen during the project. So, it’s important to think about the costs when the company has to do things that aren’t in the contract or when it faces higher risks than expected.

So, the service provider uses their knowledge, skills, and project management tools to carry out and manage all the work that is written into agreements. In the meantime, the whole procedure will be looked at and reported to the owner every three months to make sure it works well within the constraints.

FURTHER READING:

1. 10 Project Management Skills to Succeed at Work in 2022

2. Develop a Management Product: 3 Things to Keep In Mind

3. 10 Best Practices in Software Project Management in 2022

4. 3 Types of Product Management in Terms of Client Size and Tools for Each Type

2. Definition of a Company Which Provides Project Management Services

The outsourcing company will help the client’s business increase productivity, get more leads, and cut costs by offering project management services. The company’s role in the project is then either as an agent or a representative, depending on how the PMO (Project Management Office) is set up.

Project Manager as an Agent for the Owner

If the owner doesn’t have a lot of experience planning and coordinating software development tasks, he or she is encouraged to hire someone else to do it. According to a 2019 MI-GSO | PCUBED survey, clients use project management services because they think software developers can handle peak workloads (24%), improve delivery quality (22%), and reduce management and procurement efforts (21 percent ). Instead, the organizations can keep their attention on what they do best.

Project Manager as a Consultant of the Owner

Government agencies and experienced clients often hire more than one project manager to represent them on projects of all sizes. In other words, project managers pay more attention to how the work is going, but the PMO is still in charge of executing tasks and making decisions. As consultants, they have to check if each stage matches up with metrics that have already been set and use tools for project management to make sure the work is done well.

The 5 Phases of Project Management Process

The project management process plays an integral part irrespective of whether you plan an advertisement campaign, house construction, or mobile app development.

A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK Guide) describes five separate phases in the process as follows:

1. Initiating

Effectively launching a project is one of the most important things for a business to think about, as this phase helps people form opinions about the project and figure out whether or not it will work. To do this, project managers should write a project charter that describes the project’s goal, scope, budget, timeline, possible risks, and who should be involved.

2. Planning

During this stage, project managers will make a plan that shows how to start, run, and finish the project in detail. The technical drawing will show what the project is about, how much it will cost, and when it will be done. Also, other important things to do include:

Formulating strategies to boost communication among stakeholders and keep them involved in the project all the time.
Listing necessary materials and resources to produce apps or software programs.
Planning the project’s execution.
Suggesting after-sale maintenance and improvement.

3. Executing

When it’s time for the third stage, project managers must use their knowledge and a set of soft skills to delegate and oversee the work of their team members. Managers need to make sure that everyone on the project is talking to each other well so that there aren’t any misunderstandings that can mess up the work. A well-organized manager will try to solve any problems that come up during the project management process and keep good relationships with everyone to keep everyone working toward the team’s goals and make sure the project meets its deadline and budget.

4. Monitoring and control

Measuring and reviewing the work is an important part of project management services. It helps make sure that everything is on the right track. Project managers will make written and spoken reports every three months, as well as collect data and do quantitative analyses, to see how well different parts of the project are being done.

5. Closing

Once the final deliverables are accepted by all stakeholders and meet quality standards, all contracts with other outside parties will end, and payments will be made according to these agreements. The final report will be sent out, and all the other papers will be kept in an archive for future use. It’s time for project managers to make plans for maintenance, updates, and troubleshooting all at the same time.

FURTHER READING:

1. 6 Agile Project Management Tools That You Should Know

2. Agile vs Kanban vs Waterfall: Definition, Purpose, Disadvantages, and Perform

The 5 Best Project Management Tools

Throughout the article, project management tools are talked about as important tools that help managers on a technical level and boost the productivity of the project. Which is best for project management services depends greatly on how big the project is, how much money it has, and other important factors.

1. RedBooth

Users like RedBooth because it has kanban boards or to-do lists that help you organize your tasks and talk to other members more easily. Other great things about it are:

Pass on responsibilities across team members with tag options, due dates, status, and priority.
Facilitate the project timeline view with intuitive Gantt charts.
Produce in-depth productivity reports.
Share and conduct important conference video calls powered by Zoom with HD quality.
Grant iOS and Android versions.

RedBooth’s pricing packages include Pro, Business, and Enterprise, starting from $9 per user a month.

2. Jira

Jira has advanced features that allow software development teams to change the way they work. It can help with the following goals:

Assign tasks to the software members.
Prioritize, discuss and track the team’s work.
Keep team members well-informed about changes and new information.
Use visual, real-time data to enhance team performance.
Draw detailed road maps to ladder project management to a higher level.

The basic features of the software are free for up to 10 users per month. The standard version costs $7 per user per month, while the premium version costs $14 per user per month. You could also think about other upgraded versions if your business grows to a national or global level.

Recommended reading: What is The Quality Assurance Process?

3. Ravetree

Already incorporated with Agile tools, Ravetree is a decent option for software development teams and other sectors such as engineering or nonprofits. The robust system empowers agile companies to:

Arrange sub-tasks of the project constructively.
Stage-manage digital assets.
Track time and expense through reports to support the decision-making process.
Distribute resources based on team members’ capacity.
Organize all invoices and payments in one place.
Enhance team collaboration.
Allow clients to scrutinize the project progress through portals.

There are three pricing packages with at least $29 per month.

4. Scoro

Scoro’s solution will meet your needs if you want a comprehensive program that handles all project management practices. The software comes with basic and more complex functions:

Organize and delegate tasks to team members within deadlines;
Handle contacts among team members and stakeholders;
Prepare bills with available templates;
Make reports on budget and work progress;
Give quotes for each part of the project
Better team cooperation with scheduled meetings.

You’ll save a lot of time and effort by using these features to handle work from a wide range of software solutions. Instead, all of the data is brought together and shown in one place. The solution costs at least $26 a month per user, depending on which extras you want to add to the software.

5. ActiveCollab

activecollab project management services

ActiveCollab is a great tool for managing projects, keeping track of time, and sending out invoices. Its layouts are easy to understand. Like other PM solutions, the platform offers basic and advanced tools for managing the project and the team, such as:

Follow multiple tasks simultaneously;
Share custom calendars among team members and clients;
Identify each user’s role and distributed tasks;
Receive notifications via emails;
Track time and measure work progress;
Invoice the project and facilitate different payment methods.

ActiveCollab is free for personal or small-scale projects with up to 3 members. If your project gets bigger, you can change your package to Plus or Pro.

Conclusion of Project Management Services

Project management services are becoming more and more popular all over the world because of changes in technology and the digitalization of business. Before you jump into this world and get your PMP certification, here are some important things to remember:

Project management occurs from initiating the project, planning, and undertaking sub-work through its completion.
Project managers aren’t always accountable for carrying out full services because clients have different requirements for assorted projects. So, it’s paramount for the former to abide by pre-identified criteria in contracts.
The PM procedure includes five process groups: launch, plan, execution, control, and closing.
You shouldn’t neglect the significance of project management tools that facilitate and speed up the work.
Most PM solutions now are versatile with diverse pricing plans and eye-catching interfaces. Some common characteristics include custom calendars, Gantt charts, reports, and many more.