Top project management tools for product managers
Gone are the days of scattered papers and lost memos, nowadays we have tools for effectively managing large projects that transform clutter into clarity. Like painters on a canvas, these project management tools present tasks in vibrant hues, empowering product managers to visualise the entire landscape with clarity.
Clearly, product management is a challenging role, it involves a wide array of tasks, such as engaging with customers, conducting surveys, analysing data, managing communications, and more. Employing appropriate tools can significantly enhance performance and enable the creation of superior products.
These project management tools simplify planning, task assignment, and tracking, saving time and effort for product managers and their teams. With these tools, PMs can see the big picture and make informed decisions to keep the project on track.
Now here are some top tools, that you can use in your day-to-day work:
| Sr. No | Tool Name | Features | Pricing | Yearly Revenue | Funding Raised | Launch Date |
| 1 | Jira | Issues Tracking, Roadmaps, Backlog management, Automation, integrations | The free version is available to up to 10 users, the premium can go up to $15.25 per user per month | $2.2B (Parent company: Atlassian) | Link | $210 M | Link (Public listed company) | 2002 |
| 2 | Trello | Project timelines, Drag & Drop interface, boards creation with task management | Comes with a free version, with a premium version starting at $10 per user per month | $19.5M | Link | $210 M | Link (Public listed company) | 2011 |
| 3 | Notion | Note-taking, real-time collaboration, documentation | Forever free for personal use, and can go up to $8 per user per month. | $ 302M | Link | $343.2 M | Link | 2018 |
| 4 | Asana | Task management, project planning, customizable workflows, different project views | Starting price is free with the basic features & premium $10.99 per user per month | $ 334M | Link | $ 453.2M | Link (Public listed company) | 2012 |
| 5 | Airtable | Customizable database, collaboration, form integration, automation. | Free for starters and can go up to $20 per month per user as a part of the pro plan | $ 221.6M | Link | $ 1.4B | Link | 2012 |
- Jira
Developed by Atlassian, its parent company, which also houses various other project management software, it enjoys widespread popularity among PMs for fine-tuning sprints and defining tasks/user stories within Jira. For newcomers, grasping the tool might require some initial effort, as its user experience may not be the most intuitive, but it remains one of the most favoured choices for bug tracking and task management. What sets it apart is its exceptional scalability and seamless integration, allowing users to tailor the platform to suit teams of all sizes.
- Trello
Known for its user-friendly kanban-style interface, this tool excels in visually organising tasks and projects on digital boards. Within these boards, you can easily incorporate the necessary elements essential for project completion. As a collaborative tool, you can invite team members, enabling everyone to have a comprehensive view of each individual’s tasks and progress at a glance. It also offers a wealth of templates from its community section, providing users with a diverse array of options to choose from, which can be further customised to suit specific needs.
- Notion
This versatile tool serves as an all-in-one collaborative workspace and note-taking platform, empowering individuals and teams to organise, share, and efficiently manage project information in a manner that suits their unique needs. On an individual level, it can be best used for daily documentation processes, thanks to its intuitive interface and swift performance. Its thriving community has expanded significantly, with users even monetizing specific Notion templates in the market. Functioning as a centralised hub, it facilitates seamless information organisation and sharing within organisations, enhancing overall productivity and collaboration.
- Asana
Although it might seem like another task management tool, Asana stands out due to its diverse range of project views. With options like Kanban-style cards, calendar views, and workload overviews, you can easily tailor your workspace to suit your team’s requirements. Moreover, Asana offers seamless integration with various third-party services like Slack and more, enhancing its capabilities and making it a powerful choice for task organisation and collaboration.
- Airtable
With its user-friendly interface, this tool presents an enhanced version of a Microsoft Excel sheet, simplifying the creation, sorting, and updating of tables, fields, and views. Collaborating on projects becomes effortless as team members can easily access and work on shared data. The software offers multiple sorting and presentation options, making it a valuable asset for tracking information across numerous dashboards. It’s widely used across different industries and departments for various purposes, including project management, content planning, customer relationship management (CRM), and more.
The Bottomline
These are the leading project management tools that you may find beneficial to fulfil all your responsibilities as a PM. While this list is not mandatory, having these tools at your disposal can be advantageous. However, it’s essential to note that the necessity of these tools can fluctuate depending on the team’s structure and specific project requirements. Furthermore, excelling in a particular project might require you to utilise a combination of the above tools. For instance, you could use ‘Notion’ for comprehensive documentation, ‘Jira’ for creating tasks and tracking bugs, and ‘Airtable’ for efficient data analysis and management. By leveraging the strengths of each tool, you can optimise your project workflow and achieve greater success.
An essential point to emphasise is that building the right processes holds greater significance than simply selecting the right tool. Tools may vary in popularity over time, making them secondary to the overall success of a project. The effectiveness of a particular tool depends on how a company utilises it, and even with the best tool in place, challenges can arise if the underlying processes are not well-aligned. Hence, it is crucial to bring all stakeholders on the same page and establish a solid process first, ensuring that everyone is working cohesively toward project success.
