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Planview Clarizen is an award-winning enterprise work management solution for project portfolio management (PPM) and professional services delivery teams. The solution enables PMOs, EPMOs, PSOs, and ESOs to gain real-time visibil...Read more
BuildTools is a cloud-based construction project management software for custom home builders and remodelers. The solution helps users organize the chaos of building projects, providing one spot for scheduling, budgeting, purchasi...Read more
IFS Applications is an extensive software system that serves the needs of large and medium-sized manufacturers with order-driven and mixed-mode management tools and full integration capabilities....Read more
Netsuite SRP offers integrated project management, accounting, time & expense tracking, billing and CRM applications to project-based companies. ...Read more
Geared towards manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, and government entities, Genius Project delivers an advanced, integrated suite of applications with powerful features for tracking the entire lifecycle of a project....Read more
Boasting native apps for iPhone and Android, Comindware Project is a Project Management solution suitable for mid-sized and large companies. Microsoft Outlook integration and flexible deployment options simplify implementation. ...Read more
Microsoft Project is a project management software designed for enterprises of all sizes. The tool includes project scheduling features, which allow management to create a project schedule, define and assign each project task, man...Read more
PowerSteering is a scalable cloud-based project and portfolio management solution from Upland that features role-based visibility to keep teams on track to reaching goals....Read more
Zoho Projects is a cloud-based project management solution designed for small and midsize companies. It offers project scheduling and budgeting, which allows project managers to define project tasks, assign them to their teams, es...Read more
Supporting team collaboration and time tracking, AceProject is a professional tool that that combines the best of core project management features, which can be useful in a variety of industries....Read more
Smartsheet is a work execution platform and collaboration tool with a familiar spreadsheet-like interface that helps teams plan, track, and manage projects in real-time. Smartsheet features include a range of project management to...Read more
Pivotal Tracking offers a lightweight scalable cloud-based issue tracker. Pivotal Tracking's tools for collaboration allow teams in a range of industries to deliver better software....Read more
Businesses in the manufacturing industry need to have well-oiled project management processes to keep their manufacturing and supply chain operations smooth. They need to be able to manage the fast paced activities of their crew on production floors as well as track equipment and raw materials.
While enterprise resource planning (ERP) tools on the market can help manage these functions, they can also be an overkill, especially for small or midsize manufacturers, given the breadth of organizational processes they are designed to support.
Instead, manufacturers can make do with project management solutions that help them in effectively scheduling tasks and tracking employee production hours and equipment inventory.
That said, choosing the right project management solution needs businesses to put in time and effort in software research. However, not all manufacturing businesses have the time to do this.
If you're such a business, this buyers guide will help you get started on all the information you need to make the right software choice.
Here's what we'll cover:
Manufacturing project management software is a tool designed to help a manufacturing company with managing projects, resource allocation, task tracking, team collaboration, and generating business intelligence reports. The tool comes with features such as Gantt charts, Kanban boards, built-in reporting dashboards, and shared team workspaces.
A thing to note is that this software is different from a manufacturing execution system, which comes with features such as production planning, materials requirement analysis, and quality management.
Manufacturing project management software comes with features that help businesses effectively plan projects planning and track employee performance.
Project planning | Plan projects using Gantt charts to visualize task interdependencies and estimate the time and resources (people and machinery) required to complete a project. |
Resource management | Understand the availability and skill set of employees and assign tasks accordingly. |
Inventory management | Track the flow and stock of raw materials and the availability of equipment on the production floor. |
Task management | Track the status of tasks (in progress/completed) on different dashboards, such as Kanban or a digital calendar. |
Document management | Store and organize different project documents, such as product designs, client contracts, and project proposals, in a centralized online library. |
Time tracking | Track the time taken by employees to complete specific tasks to understand their performance and productivity levels. |
Collaboration | Allow different teams to view project-related information, share documents, and communicate via a built-in live chat app, shared activity dashboards, and task comments. |
Reporting and analytics | View analytics of employee performance and project ROI on built-in dashboards. |
To make the right manufacturing project management software choice you need to know which buyer category you belong to. Below are two categories that will help you in your software evaluation.
Below are some of the most notable benefits of manufacturing project management software.
When buying manufacturing project management software, you need to have the following most important considerations in mind.
Note: The application selected in this article is an example to show a feature in context and isn't intended as an endorsement or a recommendation. It has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable at the time of publication.