3 Ways a Project Portfolio Management Software Increases Productivity

As humans, we have cracks in our workflow. Sometimes, those cracks are less of a nuisance and more like big, bottomless crevasses that swallow up time and tasks. This is no fault of our own, though; we’re people, not machines, and we may not always have the skills or ability to perfectly map out the most optimal way to get things done. The growing need for “productivity software,” or some sort of digital tool that helps people work more efficiently and successfully, is understandable. However, you may be overlooking a solution that addresses productivity issues and general project management all in one: project portfolio management (PPM) software.

3 Ways PPM Software Boosts Productivity

Simply put, PPM software bridges those human gaps that slow us down by doing things we can’t do that well on our own. Here are a few examples of ways that PPM software functions as a “productivity software,” empowering workers to achieve their goals faster and with fewer errors.

1. Accurate Time Tracking & Planning

Many studies have shown that our brains often fail us in recounting what we did at the day’s end. Indeed, our memories are unreliable, and we can forget some details of our activities. That’s okay. But it means using methods like Excel to monitor daily activities often causes inaccurate data that’s useless beyond billing clients.

Capturing time and cost across projects is often one of the biggest management challenges teams face. Thankfully, PPM software like Sciforma uses sophisticated timesheets, resulting in real-time data analysis.

By capturing exactly where and what time was spent on activities, we can see exactly what is most profitable and what needs improvement. With better data collection, the project management process becomes fluid, with accurate figures that empower you to make decisions in the moment, not in the weeks to come.

2. Task Automation Saves Time & Energy

When participating in major projects, sticky notes and to-do lists don’t cut it. At least not when you’re managing a team. Keeping everyone up-to-date can be a cumbersome process involving long, tedious meetings—which can often be inefficient.

Cloud-based project management software leverages the always-on world of the internet to empower your team. Everything happens in real time. This means no one is left waiting for the next meeting to receive a status update, the latest documents or news, or even to gain access to everyone’s schedule.

Processes like these can frequently take days, if not weeks, when managed independently. Thankfully, project portfolio management software gives us the luxury of handling the details automatically. As a result, everyone is freed up to get on to more valuable work.

3. Clear, Easy Communication

With globalization – and a shrinking world – teams are becoming more disparate and distributed. Working in an asynchronous or global team requires more activity than the basic Skype call can offer. PPM software like Sciforma puts everyone in the same virtual location where they can collaborate and communicate effectively.

Centralizing projects makes them accessible at any time to any person on the team. One person’s evening is another’s morning, yet this way, both are able to get the information they need when they need it. This allows them to move the project along in real time while almost eliminating the risk of data errors and duplicate entries.

With software like ours, team members are also not working on multiples of the same documents. Cloud technology enables team members to see the changes others have made, answer questions, and amend or approve updates as they occur, thereby streamlining the process.