This archive report was first published on 22 August 2019.
The Early Days of Project Management ¶
The concept of project management dates back to the mid-20th century, with the formation of the first corporations and the strengthening of technological potential during the Cold War era. The Polaris rocket system project, launched in 1957, is a notable example of early project management, where the PERT method was used to manage complex tasks.
Developed by the US Navy's Main Armaments Department, the PERT method allowed for the creation of a special work scheduling method based on the optimal logical scheme of the process. This enabled the management of the program to know exactly what should be done at each moment of time and who exactly should do it, as well as the likelihood of timely completion of individual operations.
From Military to Industrial Use ¶
Industrial corporations began using the PERT method almost simultaneously with the military to develop new types of products and modernize production. This brought a significant gain in time, which was freed from the use of exact mathematical methods in the management of complex sets of works.
However, in the 1960-80 period, only large players in the market could afford such luxury, as processing a large amount of digital data was performed on expensive computers.
The Advent of Modern Software ¶
In the 1980s, a new generation of computers and information technologies provided advanced features to use project management methods and tools more simply and efficiently. Planning, scheduling, monitoring, and analyzing time, cost, resources became available not only to large but also small and medium firms.
By the 1990s, there was a reduction in the price and availability of computers targeted at a wide range of consumers, making it possible to design and plan almost anything at home.
Today's Project Management Landscape ¶
Today, effective project management is impossible without the use of modern software. Project sizes grow, the frequency of their implementation increases, the amount of information increases, and the number of employees of one company around the world working on the same task.
Choosing the Right Software ¶
With a vast array of project management software available, choosing the right one can be a daunting task. It's essential to have a clear understanding of the goals you want to achieve with the tool and your budget.
Depending on the size of the budget, software can be divided into groups – paid, free, and paid with a free version. It also depends on the software and how much and where your employees are, as well as the amount of control you need in work.
Popular Project Management Software ¶
Some popular project management software includes Trello, Basecamp, Asana, Wrike, Genius Inside, Doist, Microsoft, Zoho, Clickup, and monday.com. Each of these software options has its unique features and benefits, making it essential to research and compare them before making a decision.
