Do you have all your current projects firmly under control - or are you still juggling? With limited resources, it's easy to work up a sweat! Keeping an overview is easier with multi-project management software. We'll show you what you should look out for when choosing!
How can software support multi-project management?
Multi-project management (MPM) software helps you and your team to successfully master the specific challenges of parallel projects. In multi-project management, it is the central platform for comprehensive planning:
In concrete terms, multi-project management software can support you in this way:
- Project status: The progress of the individual projects is always visible.
- Capacity planning: As a project manager, you always know which employees have which tasks. This means you also know whether and what free personnel capacities are available.
- Communication: MPM software ensures transparent and clear coordination processes between the various teams and projects. Misunderstandings are prevented.
- Recognising dependencies: Any conflicts of interest between the various projects are also identified at an early stage.
- Set priorities: You can organise tasks more easily according to urgency.
- Task coordination: The capacities of the team members can be better coordinated. Cross-team collaboration is also easier.
What functions does multi-project management software need?
Not every project management tool is suitable for multi-project management. To be able to control and monitor several projects at the same time, multi-project management software needs these functions, among others:
Timeline
MPM software not only has a task tool (e.g. with a Kanban board). A timeline also displays all tasks in their chronological order and with their interdependencies. Tasks can also be prioritised in a Gantt chart.
Project portfolio
A project portfolio shows all projects in your organisation at a glance - with the current status, the respective project progress, milestones and any time overlaps.
Detailed reporting
Customised reports allow you to provide all important information on individual projects at any time.
Communication function
With an integrated communication function, you can make communication within a team and between the various teams in multi-project management simple, transparent and comprehensible. Ideally, a high-quality MPM platform offers various channels such as chats, video conferences or comments.
Data management
If multi-project management software is to be THE central location for collaboration, it must also be possible to store all important documents and files in it. All important key data on the individual projects or the overall objective can also be stored in the file management system.
Which multi-project management software is available? 5 popular solutions compared!
With our multi-project management software comparison, you can easily get an overview of the different products. What functions do they offer?
Stackfield
As an all-in-one collaboration tool, Stackfield offers you all common functions such as communication, project, task and document management on one platform - without integrations. Individual projects are mapped separately in so-called rooms. There are also special project rooms with project visualisation and a detailed view.
As MPM software, Stackfield is particularly recommended with its project portfolios and a schedule as a Gantt chart. With its range of functions and intuitive user interface, Stackfield is suitable for complex multi-project management.
Asana
Asana includes a wide range of functions relating to task and document management as well as a team calendar. Projects are organised in workspaces on this web-based platform. However, it is difficult to recognise dependencies between the individual projects with their key figures and any bottlenecks. Many functions can also only be used via integrations.
MS Project
The Microsoft solution is suitable for managing and controlling projects regardless of their size and complexity. Multi-project management is also possible - but requires sufficient experience. One advantage of MS Project is the easy traceability of the project status. The application is less recommended for beginners in multi-project management due to its comparatively complex application.
Trello
Trello scores highly in terms of user-friendliness. Tasks are visualised very clearly on the platform with different views. Project progress can be clearly displayed on a timeline. However, there is no project portfolio function and the available functions are therefore not sufficient for complex projects or multi-project management.
Monday.com
Monday.com has all the usual functions such as task management and document management. The tool is also intuitive to use and suitable for all project types and teams of any size. In project portfolio management, you can keep track of all projects and display them as Gantt charts for visualisation. However, important communication channels such as private messages or group chats are missing.
What else should I look out for when choosing?
When choosing multi-project management software, the range of functions should not be the only decisive factor. Security and data protection are just as important. The minimum requirement for a tool is the legally required GDPR compliance.
It is also advisable to pay attention to where the provider is based. The US Cloud Act should be viewed critically in this context. The Act allows US authorities to compel companies based in the USA and their subsidiaries to hand over data, regardless of whether the data is stored in the USA or in Europe, for example. Companies such as Asana, Microsoft, Atlassian (which includes Trello) and Monday.com are subject to the Cloud Act and are therefore obliged to provide information to the authorities. Stackfield, on the other hand, as a provider based in Germany, is only subject to German or EU law and fulfils the highest security requirements, including the GDPR and ISO certifications 27001, 27017 and 27018..
Conclusion: Multi-project management with the right software is essential!
In multi-project management, the balancing act between simple task management and the best possible overview of all projects can be quite a challenge. With the right multi-project management software, you and your team can stay relaxed at all times. As a secure all-in-one tool, Stackfield offers you a central place to work, exchange information and plan and manage projects. Finally, no more hectic countermeasures in the event of unexpected changes. Instead: A crystal-clear overview for resource-conscious project management.
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