Categories   >   PPM Software
Last Reviewed: November 18th, 2024

Best PPM Software Of 2024

What is PPM Software?

Project Portfolio Management (PPM) software is the conductor of an organization's initiatives. It helps prioritize, manage, and track multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring alignment with strategic goals. This centralized platform tackles the chaos of juggling projects, solving problems like resource overload, budget overruns, and misaligned priorities. Its importance lies in optimizing resource allocation, boosting efficiency, and delivering projects that truly impact the bottom line. Key functionalities include portfolio planning, resource management, collaboration tools, and real-time reporting. Emerging features like AI-powered insights and predictive analytics are further enhancing decision-making. Executives, project managers, and resource-constrained teams across industries benefit most, from construction to software development. While PPM software can be complex and require upfront investment, its ability to streamline operations and drive strategic success far outweighs the limitations. In essence, PPM software empowers organizations to achieve more with less, making it a valuable investment for any project-driven business.

What Are The Key Benefits of PPM Software?

  • Centralized Visibility
  • Improved Resource Allocation
  • Enhanced Risk Management
  • Streamlined Collaboration
  • Boosted Project Prioritization
  • Predictive Cost Control
  • Real-time Progress Tracking
  • Automated Reporting & Analytics
  • Efficient Portfolio Optimization
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SelectHub Award Winners - Array

Our Research Analysts evaluated 93 solutions and determined the following solutions are the best PPM Software overall:

Overall

  • 95 AdaptiveWork
    Best Overall, Integration and Extensibility, Platform Security
  • 92 Adobe Workfront
    Best for Platform Security
  • 92 ServiceNow SPM
    Best for Agile Portfolio Planning, Demand and Idea Management, Platform Security
  • 92 Daptiv
    Best for Agile Portfolio Planning, Platform Features, Team Collaboration
  • 90 Micro Focus
    Best for Platform Features, Team Collaboration
  • 88 Planisware
    Best for Demand and Idea Management
  • 87 Planview
  • 87 Sciforma
  • 87 Celoxis
    Best for Project Management
  • 85 OpenText PPM
    Best for Demand and Idea Management, Platform Security
AdaptiveWork Award
AdaptiveWork
AdaptiveWork
Start Price
$79
Per User, Monthly
Analyst Rating
95
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating for AdaptiveWork, is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PPM Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
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Why We Picked AdaptiveWork

Planview AdaptiveWork, a comprehensive work and resource management platform, has garnered mixed reviews from users. While many users appreciate its powerful features and flexibility, others find it complex and expensive. On the positive side, users praise Planview AdaptiveWork's real-time visibility into project progress and risks, enabling data-driven decision-making and timely risk mitigation. They also value its resource management capabilities, which help optimize resource allocation and prevent overbooking. Additionally, users appreciate its ability to integrate with other enterprise applications, streamlining workflows and providing a holistic view of business operations. However, some users find Planview AdaptiveWork's interface to be overly complex and challenging to navigate, especially for new users. They also point out limitations in its reporting capabilities, suggesting more advanced filters and data visualization options. Additionally, users express concerns about occasional bugs and glitches that can disrupt their workflow. When compared to similar products like Asana and Jira, users believe Planview AdaptiveWork stands out in its project portfolio management (PPM) capabilities. Its robust PPM features provide a comprehensive overview of projects, portfolios, and resources, enabling effective project governance and prioritization. Overall, Planview AdaptiveWork is a powerful work and resource management platform with strengths in PPM capabilities, real-time visibility, and resource management. However, its complexity and occasional glitches can be drawbacks for some users. Organizations considering Planview AdaptiveWork should carefully evaluate their needs and budget to determine if it is the right fit for their business.

Pros & Cons

  • Easy to use and intuitive interface: Users consistently praise Planview AdaptiveWork for its user-friendly interface and intuitive design, making it easy for both new and experienced users to navigate and utilize its features effectively.
  • Real-time visibility and collaboration: Planview AdaptiveWork provides real-time visibility into project progress, enabling team members to collaborate effectively and stay informed on project updates. This real-time visibility fosters a sense of transparency and accountability among team members.
  • Effective resource management: Planview AdaptiveWork's resource management capabilities allow organizations to optimize resource allocation, ensuring that the right people are working on the right projects at the right time. This efficiency helps organizations maximize productivity and minimize resource bottlenecks.
  • Flexible customization: Planview AdaptiveWork's customizable features enable organizations to tailor the platform to their specific needs and workflows. This flexibility allows organizations to adopt Planview AdaptiveWork seamlessly into their existing processes and maximize its value.
  • Strong reporting and insights: Planview AdaptiveWork provides comprehensive reporting and analytics capabilities, enabling organizations to gain valuable insights into project performance, resource utilization, and overall portfolio health. These insights inform better decision-making and improve project outcomes.
  • Steep learning curve: Some users find Planview AdaptiveWork's initial learning curve to be steep, requiring significant time and effort to fully grasp its functionalities and features. This can be a barrier for quick adoption and utilization.
  • Occasional glitches and bugs: While Planview AdaptiveWork is generally stable and reliable, users have reported occasional glitches and bugs that can disrupt their workflow and hinder productivity. These issues may require technical support to resolve.
  • Limited integration with third-party tools: Planview AdaptiveWork's integration capabilities with certain third-party tools, particularly those outside the Planview ecosystem, could be more robust and comprehensive. This can limit data sharing and interoperability with other systems used by the organization.
  • Pricing concerns: Some users have expressed concerns about Planview AdaptiveWork's pricing structure, particularly for larger organizations or those with complex project management needs. The cost-to-value ratio may not be perceived as favorable for all users.
  • Inconsistent user experience: A few users have reported inconsistencies in the user experience across different Planview AdaptiveWork modules or features. This can create confusion and hinder user adoption.

Key Features

  • Demand Management: Capture, evaluate, and prioritize project requests to ensure alignment with strategic goals.
  • Client Project Planning: Create and manage project plans tailored to specific client requirements and expectations.
  • Capacity Planning: Forecast resource needs, match resources to tasks, and prevent resource bottlenecks.
  • Resource Management: Track resource availability, skills, and workload to optimize resource utilization.
  • Gantt Charts and Visualizations: Visualize project timelines, dependencies, and resource allocation for clear insights.
  • Collaboration Tools: Facilitate teamwork and communication with real-time discussions, file sharing, and activity feeds.
  • Workflow Automation: Automate repetitive tasks, streamline processes, and improve efficiency.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Generate comprehensive reports and dashboards to gain valuable project insights.
  • Integrations: Connect AdaptiveWork with other business applications for seamless data exchange.
  • Mobile App: Access project information and manage tasks on the go using the mobile app.
  • Customizable Interface: Personalize the user interface to suit individual preferences and workflows.
  • Data Security: Protect sensitive project data with robust security measures and access controls.
Adobe Workfront Award
Adobe Workfront
Adobe Workfront
Start Price
$49
Per User, Monthly
Analyst Rating
92
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating for Adobe Workfront, is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PPM Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
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Why We Picked Adobe Workfront

User reviews paint a mixed picture of Adobe Workfront, highlighting its strengths in project visibility, collaboration, and automation, but also noting its complexity, cost, and limited customization options. One user praised its ability to "streamline communication and keep everyone on the same page," while another found it "too complex and overwhelming for smaller teams." In terms of cost, some users felt Workfront was "worth the investment" due to its "increased efficiency and ROI," while others found it "expensive compared to similar products." A recurring theme was Workfront's differentiation from competitors through its "tight integration with Adobe Creative Cloud," particularly beneficial for creative teams.

While some users found Workfront's "reporting capabilities basic" compared to competitors like Microsoft Project, others appreciated its "intuitive dashboards and real-time insights." Overall, user reviews suggest Workfront is a powerful tool for teams seeking improved project management, but its complexity and cost may deter smaller businesses or those with simpler workflows. The decision ultimately comes down to individual needs and priorities, but Workfront's strengths in collaboration, visibility, and Adobe integration are undeniable for users seeking a comprehensive solution.

Pros & Cons

  • Improved Project Visibility: Gain real-time insights into project progress, resource allocation, and potential roadblocks with clear and intuitive dashboards.
  • Enhanced Team Collaboration: Facilitate seamless communication and coordination between team members, regardless of location, through shared calendars, task lists, and file storage.
  • Reduced Administrative Overhead: Automate routine tasks such as email notifications, approvals, and status updates, freeing up time for more strategic work.
  • Improved Project Outcomes: Deliver projects on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards, with improved visibility and communication.
  • Increased Agility and Responsiveness: Adapt quickly to changing priorities and market demands with flexible and customizable workflows.
  • Expensive: The annual subscription fee can be costly for small businesses or individual users.
  • Complex Interface: The interface can be overwhelming for new users and require significant training.
  • Limited Customization: While customizable, Workfront might not be able to accommodate highly complex or unique workflows without considerable configuration and development effort.
  • Basic Reporting: While offering reports and insights, Workfront's reporting capabilities might not provide the level of detail and granularity needed for all users and specific needs.
  • Occasional Bugs: Users have reported occasional bugs and glitches that can disrupt workflow.

Key Features

  • Project Management: Create and manage projects with ease, using Gantt charts, task dependencies, and real-time reporting.
  • Resource Management: Visualize resource availability, track time spent on tasks, and optimize workforce allocation.
  • Collaboration Tools: Facilitate seamless communication and collaboration between team members through discussions, comments, and file sharing.
  • Proofing & Approvals: Streamline the review and approval process with online proofing tools and version control.
  • Workflow Automation: Automate routine tasks such as email notifications, approvals, and status updates.
  • Reporting & Analytics: Gain valuable insights into project performance with comprehensive reports and dashboards.
  • Integrations: Integrate with a variety of other Adobe and third-party applications to streamline your workflow.
  • Mobile Apps: Access Workfront on the go with native mobile apps for iOS and Android.
  • Enterprise-Grade Security: Securely store sensitive data and control user access with robust security features.
  • Scalability: Workfront scales to meet the needs of businesses of all sizes, from small teams to large enterprises.
  • Customizable Interface: Tailor Workfront to your specific needs with a customizable interface and workflows.
  • AI-Powered Insights: Leverage AI-powered insights to predict potential risks, optimize resource allocation, and improve decision-making.
ServiceNow SPM Award
ServiceNow SPM
ServiceNow SPM
Start Price
$50
Per User, Monthly
Analyst Rating
92
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating for ServiceNow SPM, is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PPM Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
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Why We Picked ServiceNow SPM

ServiceNow SPM is a cloud-based strategic portfolio management (SPM) solution that helps organizations align their investments with business goals. Users praise its ease of implementation, user-friendly interface, and strong capabilities for project and portfolio management.

One user noted that ServiceNow SPM "is really easy to implement and get adopted in the organization." Another user commented that the "interface is welcoming and user friendly." In terms of functionality, users appreciate ServiceNow SPM's ability to "house and process a lot of data." Additionally, users find the resource management capabilities to be particularly useful, especially for managing hourly resources.

However, some users have also identified areas for improvement. For instance, one user mentioned that ServiceNow SPM "can be hard to manage SOW based contracts." Others have expressed concerns about the overall function of the system, stating that it "left more to be desired." Compared to similar products, users believe that ServiceNow SPM stands out for its ease of use and strong data management capabilities.

Overall, ServiceNow SPM is a well-regarded SPM solution that offers a number of benefits for organizations seeking to improve their portfolio management processes. While there are some areas for improvement, users generally find the system to be easy to use and effective.

Pros & Cons

  • Improved decision-making: Users appreciate ServiceNow SPM's ability to provide a centralized platform for managing and analyzing portfolio data, enabling organizations to make informed decisions about resource allocation, project prioritization, and risk mitigation.
  • Increased agility: Users find that ServiceNow SPM's streamlined portfolio management processes and automation of tasks help organizations respond quickly to changing market conditions and seize new opportunities.
  • Reduced risk: Users value ServiceNow SPM's risk management capabilities that help organizations identify and assess potential risks early on, allowing them to take proactive measures to mitigate those risks.
  • Enhanced alignment with strategic objectives: Users appreciate that ServiceNow SPM ensures IT investments are aligned with the organization's overall strategic goals, maximizing the return on investment (ROI) of IT initiatives.
  • Improved collaboration and communication: Users find that ServiceNow SPM's provision of a single source of truth for portfolio data fosters collaboration and communication among stakeholders across the organization.
  • Complexity: Users find ServiceNow SPM to be a complex enterprise solution, requiring a significant level of training and expertise to implement and use effectively.
  • Cost: Users find ServiceNow SPM to be a relatively expensive solution, with pricing based on the number of users and portfolios. This can make it prohibitive for smaller organizations or organizations with limited budgets.
  • Steep learning curve: Users find that ServiceNow SPM has a steep learning curve, which can make it difficult for new users to get up to speed quickly.
  • Limited reporting: Some users find that ServiceNow SPM's reporting capabilities are limited and could be more comprehensive.
  • Not ideal for small teams: Users believe that ServiceNow SPM is designed for large organizations with complex portfolios. It may not be the best fit for smaller teams or organizations with simpler portfolio management needs.

Key Features

  • Portfolio Prioritization: ServiceNow SPM provides a centralized platform for prioritizing projects and initiatives based on their alignment with strategic objectives, resource availability, and risk assessment.
  • Resource Management: ServiceNow SPM enables organizations to effectively manage their resources across the portfolio, ensuring that the right people and skills are assigned to the right projects.
  • Risk Management: ServiceNow SPM helps organizations identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks associated with their projects and initiatives.
  • Performance Tracking: ServiceNow SPM provides real-time insights into portfolio performance, enabling organizations to track progress, identify issues, and make informed decisions.
  • Reporting and Analytics: ServiceNow SPM offers comprehensive reporting and analytics capabilities, enabling organizations to gain insights into portfolio trends, identify areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.
  • Collaboration and Communication Tools: ServiceNow SPM facilitates collaboration and communication among stakeholders across the organization, ensuring that everyone is aligned on portfolio goals and progress.
  • Integrations with Other ServiceNow Products: ServiceNow SPM integrates seamlessly with other ServiceNow products, such as IT Service Management (ITSM) and Project Management (PM), providing a holistic view of the organization's projects and initiatives.
  • Mobile App: ServiceNow SPM offers a mobile app, enabling users to access and manage portfolio information on the go.
  • Customizable Dashboards: ServiceNow SPM allows users to create customized dashboards to track the metrics that are most important to them.
Daptiv Award
Daptiv
Daptiv
Start Price
$29
Monthly
Analyst Rating
92
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating for Daptiv, is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PPM Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
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Why We Picked Daptiv

Daptiv, a project portfolio management (PPM) solution, has received positive feedback for its ability to enhance project management processes. Users appreciate its comprehensive features, including project portfolio management, resource management, project planning, collaboration tools, and reporting capabilities. The software's ease of use and configurability have been highlighted as key strengths, allowing businesses to tailor it to their specific needs and workflows. Daptiv's visual tools, such as Kanban boards and dashboards, provide real-time insights into project status, resource allocation, and overall portfolio performance, enabling informed decision-making.

However, some users have noted that Daptiv's user interface may not be as intuitive as some competing PPM solutions, and its reporting functions may require additional training to fully utilize. Additionally, the software's cost may be a consideration for smaller businesses or those with limited budgets. Despite these drawbacks, Daptiv's strengths in configurability, comprehensive features, and real-time insights make it a valuable tool for project management offices (PMOs), project teams, and business leaders seeking to improve project outcomes and align strategy with execution. Daptiv is particularly well-suited for organizations with complex project portfolios or those requiring a high degree of customization and flexibility in their PPM solution.

Pros & Cons

  • Adaptable: Daptiv PPM is highly configurable, allowing users to tailor the platform to their specific needs and workflows. It accommodates various project management methodologies, including Agile, Waterfall, and hybrid approaches.
  • Resource Management: Daptiv PPM excels in resource management, providing tools to allocate resources effectively, track utilization, and forecast future resource needs. This helps prevent overallocation and ensures projects are adequately staffed.
  • Portfolio Management: The platform offers robust portfolio management capabilities, enabling organizations to prioritize projects, track their performance, and make data-driven decisions about resource allocation and project selection.
  • Reporting and Analytics: Daptiv PPM provides comprehensive reporting and analytics tools, allowing users to gain insights into project performance, resource utilization, and portfolio health. This data can be used to identify areas for improvement and make informed decisions.
  • Usability Challenges: Daptiv's interface can be cumbersome and overwhelming for new users due to its complexity and lack of intuitive design. Navigating through the various features and functionalities may require extensive training and familiarization, leading to a steep learning curve.
  • Customization Limitations: Daptiv's customization options may not be as flexible as some users require, particularly for organizations with unique or complex project management processes. Adapting the platform to specific workflows or industry-specific needs could be challenging, potentially hindering efficiency and user adoption.
  • Reporting Constraints: Generating comprehensive and insightful reports in Daptiv can be a complex task, often requiring advanced technical skills or reliance on IT support. The reporting capabilities may not provide the level of detail or customization that some users expect, limiting their ability to effectively analyze project data and make informed decisions.

Key Features

  • Portfolio Management: Gain visibility and handle projects across methodologies while aligning them to business strategies. View data, mitigate risks, enhance velocity and boost capacity. Users can evolve, tweak and adapt their portfolios with robust capabilities. 
  • Powerful Analytics: Gain in-depth insights through analytics and executive dashboards to maintain the pace of strategic initiatives. Understand crucial business operations to enhance profitability and efficiency. Leverage AI to get real-time dashboards while uncovering new trends and opportunities. 
  • Resource Management: Match projects with the right employees to drive efficient project delivery. Get increased visibility into all workstreams for competitive advantage. Select projects based on resource readiness without having to go through detailed project timelines. 
  • Initiative Alignment: Users can design programs and projects to drive their businesses forward. Align project initiatives and goals with business strategy. Prioritize new projects according to strategic goals with intuitive drag-and-drop functionality. 
  • Outcome Management: Manage outcomes by delivering projects on time and within budget allocations. Get thorough insights into project status, resource utilization and potential hurdles to meet desired results. 
  • Financial Management: Leverage integrated financial management abilities for projects to gain a well rounded operational visibility. Streamline invoicing and financial reporting to ensure the production and utilization of reliable and consistent data. Control finances throughout the customer lifecycle and boost financial performance to drive profitability. 
Micro Focus Award
Micro Focus
Micro Focus
Start Price
$100
Per User, Monthly
Analyst Rating
90
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating for Micro Focus, is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PPM Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
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Why We Picked Micro Focus

Micro Focus's Project Portfolio Management (PPM) solution has attracted considerable attention for its comprehensive features and user-friendly interface. The software's ability to manage resources effectively, track project progress, and provide valuable insights into portfolio performance has resonated with users. The platform's scalability ensures that it can adapt to the evolving needs of businesses, regardless of their size or complexity.

Reviewers have highlighted Micro Focus PPM's strengths in resource management, noting its ability to optimize resource allocation, track utilization, and manage skills and competencies effectively. The software's graphical workflow engine has also been praised for its ability to automate processes and improve efficiency. Users appreciate the "what-if" scenario planning capabilities, which allow them to assess the impact of potential changes on project timelines and resource availability. While Micro Focus PPM offers a robust set of features, some users have mentioned that the initial learning curve can be steep due to the software's extensive functionality.

Micro Focus PPM distinguishes itself from competitors through its advanced portfolio management module, which provides a comprehensive view of all projects, financials, resources, and progress. The software's ability to manage programs and provide a top-down perspective on project portfolios is a significant advantage for organizations with complex project landscapes. Micro Focus PPM is particularly well-suited for large enterprises and organizations with a high volume of projects due to its scalability and comprehensive feature set. Its ability to handle complex resource management requirements and provide insights into portfolio performance makes it an ideal choice for businesses seeking to optimize their project delivery and achieve strategic alignment.

Pros & Cons

  • Scalability and Flexibility: Micro Focus PPM is suitable for organizations of all sizes, accommodating growth and evolving project needs. Its modular design allows for customization to align with specific workflows and methodologies.
  • Comprehensive Functionality: The platform offers a wide range of features, including project planning, resource management, financial tracking, risk assessment, and reporting. This comprehensiveness eliminates the need for multiple disparate tools, streamlining project management processes.
  • Improved Visibility and Control: Micro Focus PPM provides real-time insights into project performance, resource utilization, and financial health. Dashboards and reports offer clear visibility, enabling proactive decision-making and better control over project outcomes.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: The platform facilitates communication and collaboration among project stakeholders. Centralized data and document repositories, along with collaboration tools, ensure everyone is aligned and working towards common goals.
  • Integration Capabilities: Micro Focus PPM integrates with other enterprise systems, such as ERP, CRM, and HR, enabling seamless data flow and eliminating data silos. This integration enhances efficiency and provides a holistic view of project portfolios.
  • Usability Challenges: Users frequently report that the interface is clunky and unintuitive, making it difficult to navigate and perform basic tasks efficiently. The learning curve can be steep, especially for new users unfamiliar with the platform's complexities.
  • Performance Issues: Slow loading times and occasional system crashes can disrupt workflows and hinder productivity. Some users have expressed frustration with the software's performance, particularly when handling large projects or complex data sets.
  • Customization Limitations: While Micro Focus offers some customization options, users may find them to be restrictive for tailoring the platform to their specific needs and preferences. The lack of flexibility can be a drawback for organizations with unique workflows or industry-specific requirements.
  • Cost Considerations: Micro Focus can be expensive, especially for smaller organizations or teams with limited budgets. The licensing structure and additional modules can contribute to the overall cost, making it a significant investment for businesses.

Key Features

  • Strategic Portfolio Management: Measure deliverables against investments by taking advantage of smart KPIs and what-if-scenarios. Identify initiatives that offer high monetary value. Executives and stakeholders can engage continuously to accomplish unified portfolio optimization at a central location. Streamline application use as per business requirements using Application Portfolio Management.  
  • Project Resource Scheduling: Get a clear impression of a team’s and individual employees’ work progress. Manage team’s time utilization and make intelligent scheduling decisions by viewing staff availability on a single page. Manage resources assigned to each project. Edit and schedule assignments using drag-and-drop function. Maximize utilization by delegating more work to under-worked employees. Configure everyday availability, billable cost rate and skills for each staff member. Add public holidays and leaves for accurate forecasting.  
  • Agile Enterprise: Track utilization, team cost and allocation. Access centralized information for business operations. Identify issues quickly and adapt to unforeseen circumstances to achieve business goals. 
  • Accelerate Project Delivery: Manage requests, projects and programs proactively. Recognize resource spills and risks for quicker project turnaround. Set up workflows, plan and track projects and get approvals. Gain real-time insights into project status, and track compliance. Monitor work requests from a central location with a standard assignment and intake process. 
  • Scale on Demand: Integrate process control with simple collaboration to scale easily across the organization, and even in remorse teams. Implement organizational processes that reflect organizational professionalism. Divide work into portfolios, projects and programs across business divisions and teams. Update stakeholders via role-based PPM dashboard. Automate financial governance and IT tools to mitigate risks. 
  • Resource Optimization: Optimize resource time and cost with better scheduling decisions. Track team performance, cost and utilization. Gather supply forecast and resource demand costs. Define and monitor business value and achieve financial transparency throughout the IT investment cycle. Curtail expenditures with resource forecasting alongwith benefit analysis. 
Planisware Award
Planisware
Planisware
Start Price
$45
Monthly
Analyst Rating
88
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating for Planisware, is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PPM Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
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Why We Picked Planisware

Planisware, a prominent PPM solution, has attracted attention for its comprehensive features and robust capabilities. Users frequently highlight its ability to meticulously track projects, resources, and budgets, providing a holistic view of project portfolios. The software's reporting functionality is also highly regarded, enabling organizations to generate insightful reports that facilitate data-driven decision-making. Furthermore, Planisware's integration capabilities with other systems streamline workflows and enhance efficiency.

However, some users note that Planisware's extensive features can lead to a steep learning curve, making it less intuitive for new users. Additionally, the software's cost may be a consideration for organizations with budget constraints. Despite these drawbacks, Planisware is often compared favorably to competitors like Microsoft Project and Primavera P6. Its ability to handle complex projects and large portfolios sets it apart, making it a preferred choice for enterprises with demanding PPM requirements. The software's scalability and customization options further contribute to its appeal among large organizations.

In conclusion, Planisware is best suited for organizations seeking a comprehensive PPM solution to manage complex projects, optimize resource allocation, and gain valuable insights through advanced reporting. Its ability to integrate with existing systems and adapt to evolving business needs makes it a valuable asset for enterprises striving for project management excellence. While its complexity and cost may require careful consideration, the benefits it offers in terms of control, visibility, and efficiency make it a compelling choice for organizations with demanding PPM requirements.

Pros & Cons

  • Customizable Dashboards: Planisware allows users to create dashboards specific to their role and needs, providing quick access to relevant information without having to navigate through multiple menus.
  • Resource Management: The software offers robust resource management features, enabling users to effectively allocate resources to projects and track their utilization, preventing overallocation and ensuring project deadlines are met.
  • Scenario Planning: Planisware facilitates scenario planning by allowing users to model different project scenarios and assess their impact on resources, budgets, and timelines, aiding in informed decision-making.
  • Integration Capabilities: Planisware integrates with various other business systems, such as ERP and CRM, providing a centralized platform for project and portfolio management.
  • Steep Learning Curve: Planisware's extensive features and functionalities contribute to a steep learning curve, potentially overwhelming new users. Mastering the platform's intricacies often necessitates comprehensive training and dedicated time investment.
  • Customization Challenges: Tailoring Planisware to specific organizational workflows and preferences can be intricate, demanding technical expertise and potentially involving professional services engagements for optimal configuration.
  • Resource Management Complexities: Effectively managing resources within Planisware can pose challenges, particularly in scenarios involving intricate resource allocation, skill matching, and capacity planning requirements.
  • Reporting Limitations: While Planisware offers reporting capabilities, generating highly customized or ad-hoc reports may necessitate additional tools or technical knowledge, potentially hindering data analysis and visualization efforts.

Key Features

  • Shapes Strategy: Organizations can shape their strategy and assess results accordingly using different buckets such as roadmaps, budgets and investments. 
  • Manages Project Portfolios: Predicts investment scenarios through simulations, allowing companies to prioritize and define their project portfolios. 
  • Integrated Solution: Its cohesive user interface provides organizations with an end-to-end integrated solution. 
  • Enhances Visibility: Gain visibility and manage resources through numerous tools, including capacity planning, resource scheduling and time tracking. 
  • Improves Team Collaboration: Facilitates sustained engagement within the staff and improvises team collaboration through social networking and knowledge management. 
Planview
Planview
Start Price
$19
Per User, Monthly
Analyst Rating
87
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating for Planview, is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PPM Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
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Why We Picked Planview

Stepping into the bustling marketplace of project portfolio management (PPM) software, Planview stands out as a seasoned player with a loyal following. User reviews from the past year paint a vivid picture of its strengths and weaknesses, offering valuable insights for those navigating the PPM landscape.

Planview consistently receives praise for its robust functionality and comprehensive feature set. Users appreciate its ability to handle complex project portfolios, resource management, and financial planning. The software's flexibility allows for customization to fit specific organizational needs, making it a versatile tool for diverse teams. However, some users find the interface to be overwhelming and the learning curve steep, particularly for those new to PPM software.

Compared to competitors like Microsoft Project and Smartsheet, Planview distinguishes itself with its enterprise-grade capabilities and focus on strategic portfolio management. While Microsoft Project excels in task-level management and Smartsheet offers a user-friendly interface, Planview provides a holistic view of the portfolio, enabling organizations to align projects with strategic objectives and optimize resource allocation. This strategic focus makes Planview ideal for large enterprises with complex project portfolios and a need for robust reporting and analytics.

Pros & Cons

  • Centralized Platform: Planview PPM Pro consolidates project, resource, and portfolio management into one platform, eliminating the need for multiple tools and spreadsheets.
  • Improved Visibility: The platform provides real-time insights into project health, resource utilization, and portfolio performance, enabling data-driven decision-making.
  • Enhanced Collaboration: Planview PPM Pro facilitates communication and collaboration among team members, stakeholders, and executives, fostering a more cohesive and efficient working environment.
  • Streamlined Processes: The platform automates routine tasks and workflows, freeing up time for project managers and team members to focus on more strategic initiatives.
  • Scalability and Flexibility: Planview PPM Pro can be customized to meet the specific needs of organizations of all sizes and industries, making it a versatile solution for growing businesses.
  • Usability Challenges: Users frequently report that Planview is not intuitive or user-friendly, leading to a steep learning curve and ongoing challenges with navigation and performing basic tasks.
  • Performance Issues: Slow loading times and system lags are commonly cited concerns, particularly for organizations with large datasets or complex workflows, hindering productivity and user satisfaction.
  • Customization Limitations: While Planview offers some customization options, users often find them to be insufficient for meeting their specific needs, leading to workarounds and compromises in their PPM processes.
  • Reporting Challenges: Generating reports and extracting meaningful insights from data can be cumbersome, requiring significant manual effort or custom development, limiting the value of Planview's reporting capabilities.
  • Integration Complexities: Integrating Planview with other essential business systems can be complex and time-consuming, requiring specialized expertise and potentially incurring additional costs.

Key Features

  • Project Portfolio Management: Integrates planning and execution to optimize project portfolios, link plans and resources to project execution and balance capacity against demand. Enhances visibility and decision making by managing KPIs and metrics, measuring performance and spotting issues. 
  • Agile Program Management: Businesses can effectively envision, plan and deliver the most prominent initiatives through its agile program management solution. It helps manage workflows, time releases and business decisions, sequence features and stories with connected board views, map dependencies and remove roadblocks between teams. 
  • Lean Portfolio Management: Enhance business outcomes, deliver products faster and support corporate strategic objectives by connecting strategic portfolio management with agile delivery through lean portfolio management. It enables value stream planning and alignment, agile team costing and capitalization, agile program management and lean budgeting, funding and governance. 
  • Enterprise Kanban: Increase the agile delivery team’s productivity, minimize waste and strengthen agility throughout the organization by visualizing and connecting work with market-leading Kanban software. Visualize workflows, bottlenecks and dependencies between teams by leveraging configurable Kanban boards. 
  • Planview PPM Pro: It assembles, prioritizes and executes projects, helping PMOs focus resources on the most valuable work. Propel PMO to the next level using various features like portfolio, intake, resource and budget management, project prioritization alignment, time tracking, team collaboration, Gantt charts and more. 
  • Planview Enterprise One: Enables mature PMOs and EPMOs to accelerate strategic executions. Achieve maximum business performance by optimizing resources, combining business and technology planning and delivering breakthrough services, products and customer experience. Provides numerous features for effective strategy, demand, planning, outcomes, analytics and reporting, collaboration and security. 
Sciforma
Sciforma
Start Price
$20
Per User, Monthly
Analyst Rating
87
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating for Sciforma, is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PPM Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
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Why We Picked Sciforma

Want to know if Sciforma is the "right forma" for your business? Users praise Sciforma's flexibility, noting it can be customized to fit a variety of project types and organizational structures, unlike more rigid competitors like Microsoft Project. This is critical for businesses with unique workflows or complex projects that demand a tailored approach. However, some users find Sciforma's interface less intuitive than competitors like Asana, particularly when navigating its more advanced features. This learning curve can be a hurdle for smaller teams or those new to project management software.

A key differentiator is Sciforma's robust reporting and analytics, allowing for granular insights into project performance, resource allocation, and budget tracking. This depth of analysis is invaluable for data-driven decision-making, a feature often lacking in simpler tools. Sciforma is best suited for medium to large organizations with complex project portfolios and a need for in-depth reporting. Its customization options and scalability make it a good fit for businesses with evolving needs, but its complexity may overwhelm smaller teams or those seeking a more streamlined user experience.

Pros & Cons

  • Intuitive Interface: Users praise Sciforma's interface for being easy to navigate and understand, even for those new to project portfolio management (PPM) software. This allows teams to quickly adapt and start managing projects efficiently.
  • Robust Reporting Features: Sciforma offers powerful reporting tools that provide insights into project performance, resource allocation, and overall portfolio health. Users appreciate the ability to generate custom reports and dashboards to meet their specific needs.
  • Flexible and Customizable: Sciforma can be tailored to fit the unique requirements of different organizations and industries. Users can configure workflows, fields, and views to align with their specific PPM methodologies and processes.
  • Complex User Interface: Users have reported that Sciforma's interface can be difficult to navigate and understand, especially for new users. This complexity can lead to a steep learning curve and decreased productivity.
  • Limited Reporting Capabilities: Some users have expressed frustration with the limitations of Sciforma's reporting features. They find it challenging to create custom reports or extract specific data points for analysis.
  • Performance Issues: Occasional slowness and performance issues have been reported, particularly when dealing with large projects or complex data sets. This can impact user experience and productivity.

Key Features

  • Extensions: Offers numerous extensions for users to extend their data models without any configuration. It lets businesses define their data views and various data processes. 
  • Plans and Tracks Projects: Helps business managers draw the structure of various projects and track their status. Its Project Scheduler with Gantt views helps create a project structure, review resource assignments, identify job classifications and more. It helps assess project status in terms of cost, scope and trends. 
  • Team Management: Offers tools to track team members, deadlines and assignments. The team portal that allows staff to view upcoming assignments, calendar requests and other assigned tasks. Time tracking features offer reports of pertinent data through planned assignments for better planning and execution. 
  • Scalable: Helps organizations scale without limits. It can be customized to the current requirements of the businesses and evolves with growing needs.  
  • Easy-to-Use Platform: Offers a fluid platform for managers who are averse to change by being highly accessible. Simplified interface for new users to understand and not get lost.  
  • Minimizes Risks: Automates various enterprise management processes, thereby saving time and leading to enhanced productivity. Helps companies reduce project failure rates, cost overruns and time spent on manual calculations. 
Celoxis Award
Celoxis
Celoxis
Start Price
$25
Annual, Monthly
Analyst Rating
87
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating for Celoxis, is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PPM Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
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Why We Picked Celoxis

Celoxis provides a robust suite of project management tools that most of its users find intuitive and accessible. It’s features support all critical project management tasks that help users organize and streamline their processes. However, advanced features make the application slow. Users also don’t have control over the views they create. Collaborative features and integrations help boost teamwork and streamline task assignments. However, its user interface could be improved to boost accessibility.

Pros & Cons

  • User Friendly: The system is easy to use and intuitive, as noted by approximately 86% of users who mention the system’s usability.
  • Functionality: Celoxis offers a robust suite of successful tools, as reported by 90% of the users who mention the product’s functionality.
  • Collaborative: About 88% of users noted that this system helps bridge the gaps between remote teams and quickly coordinate users.
  • Integrations: Available integrations help add value to the base product, as reported by 58% of reviewers who mention integrations.
  • Support: Support for the system can be slow, with some users noting that their support queues have existed for a year or more, as reported by nearly 100% of users who mention support.
  • Advanced Features: About 44% of users who mentioned advanced features noted that the software was overloaded with buggy features that slowed them down.
  • Learning Curve: The learning curve for the product is steep and can be difficult to learn and use efficiently, according to 90% of reviewers who mention it.
  • Reporting: Nearly 70% of the users who mentioned the reporting feature find it lacking.
  • User Interface: Approximately 77% of the users who mentioned the user interface think that it is not responsive.

Key Features

  • All-in-One Solution: Offers an all-in-one-platform to manage resources, projects, risks, tasks, timesheets, collaboration and profits. Convenient, increases end-user adoption and has robust built-in integrations.  
  • Reporting and Dashboards: Provides real-time insights into the company’s progress with its reporting and dashboard tools.  
  • Time and Expense Calculator: Provides integrated expense modules and timesheets to track time, various costs and bills. Offers features like multi-level approval workflows, task timers and automatic reminder emails. 
  • Streamlines Workflow With Apps: Offers applications to track risks, bugs approvals and change requests. Create apps from scratch and eliminate the use of cumbersome spreadsheets.  
  • Mobile Interface: Offers an optimized mobile interface for Android, iOS, Windows and more to manage projects on-the-go.
OpenText PPM Award
OpenText PPM
OpenText PPM
Start Price
$99
Per User, Monthly
Analyst Rating
85
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating for OpenText PPM, is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PPM Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
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Why We Picked OpenText PPM

OpenText PPM is a robust project portfolio management (PPM) solution that offers a comprehensive suite of features for managing projects from initiation to completion. Users appreciate its centralized approach, real-time visibility, collaboration tools, and risk management capabilities. However, some users find its initial setup to be complex and its customization options to be limited. One user commented that OpenText PPM "provides a single source of truth for all project data, which has significantly improved our project visibility and control." Another user stated that "OpenText PPM's collaboration features have streamlined our workflows and kept everyone on the same page throughout the project lifecycle." OpenText PPM compares favorably to similar products such as Oracle Primavera P6 and Microsoft Project. It offers a more user-friendly interface and a wider range of features than Microsoft Project, while it is more scalable and customizable than Oracle Primavera P6. Overall, OpenText PPM is a powerful PPM solution that can help organizations of all sizes improve their project management practices. However, it is important to carefully consider its complexity and customization limitations before making a purchase decision.

Pros & Cons

  • Centralized project management: Users appreciate OpenText PPM's ability to centralize all project data and activities, providing a single source of truth for project information and enabling seamless collaboration across teams.

  • Enhanced project visibility and control: Users find OpenText PPM's real-time dashboards and reporting tools invaluable for gaining insights into project progress, resource utilization, and potential risks, enabling them to proactively manage and control their projects.

  • Improved project collaboration: Users value OpenText PPM's collaboration features, such as shared workspaces, task management, and communication tools, which streamline collaboration and keep everyone on the same page throughout the project lifecycle.

  • Reduced project risks: Users appreciate OpenText PPM's risk management capabilities, which enable them to identify, assess, and mitigate potential risks early on, reducing the likelihood of project failures and ensuring project success.

  • Data-driven decision making: Users find OpenText PPM's reporting and analytics tools essential for making informed decisions about project investments, resource allocation, and risk management.
  • Complexity and learning curve: Some users find OpenText PPM's initial setup and configuration to be complex and time-consuming, requiring significant training and support to fully utilize its features.

  • Limited customization options: Some users feel that OpenText PPM's customization options are somewhat limited, restricting their ability to tailor the solution to their specific needs and workflows.

  • Integration challenges: Some users have encountered challenges integrating OpenText PPM with their existing enterprise applications, requiring additional effort and resources to achieve seamless data exchange.

  • High upfront costs: Some users find the initial licensing and implementation costs for OpenText PPM to be high, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses.

  • Ongoing maintenance costs: Some users find the ongoing maintenance costs for OpenText PPM to be significant, requiring dedicated IT resources to manage updates, security patches, and user support.

Key Features

  • Project demand management: Capture and prioritize project ideas, evaluate feasibility, and align projects with strategic goals.
  • Project and portfolio management: Create, plan, execute, and monitor projects, track progress against defined goals, and manage project portfolios effectively.
  • Resource management: Assign resources to projects, optimize resource utilization, and track resource availability.
  • Time tracking and reporting: Capture time spent on tasks, generate project reports, and gain insights into project performance.
  • Risk management: Identify, assess, and mitigate project risks to minimize delays and cost overruns.
  • Change management: Manage project changes effectively, control the change process, and ensure timely implementation.
  • Collaboration and communication tools: Facilitate real-time collaboration among project stakeholders, share project information, and streamline communication.
  • Data-driven insights and dashboards: Gain real-time visibility into project performance, identify trends, and make informed decisions based on data.
  • Scalability and customization: Adapt OpenText PPM to your organization's needs, scale to accommodate growth, and customize workflows.
  • Integration with other enterprise systems: Integrate OpenText PPM with your existing ERP, CRM, and other business systems for seamless data exchange.

COMPARE THE BEST PPM Software

Select up to 5 Products from the list below to compare

 
Product
Score
i
SelectHub’s Analyst Rating is based on data from our 400+ point analysis of PPM Software, user reviews, and our own crowd-sourced data from our free software selection platform. Scores are periodically updated via ongoing selection projects and user activity within our platform.
Start Price
Free Trial
Company Size
Deployment
Platform
Logo
AdaptiveWork
95
$79
Per User, Monthly
No
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Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
AdaptiveWork
Adobe Workfront
92
$49
Per User, Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Adobe Workfront
ServiceNow SPM
92
$50
Per User, Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
ServiceNow SPM
Daptiv
92
$29
Monthly
Yes
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Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Daptiv
Micro Focus
90
$100
Per User, Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Micro Focus
Planisware
88
$45
Monthly
Yes
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Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Planisware
Planview
87
$19
Per User, Monthly
Yes
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Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Planview
Sciforma
87
$20
Per User, Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Sciforma
Celoxis
87
$25
Annual, Monthly
Yes
Small Medium Large
Cloud On-Premise
Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
Celoxis
OpenText PPM
85
$99
Per User, Monthly
Yes
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Cloud On-Premise
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OpenText PPM

All PPM Software (93 found)

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Microsoft Project

by Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Project
Microsoft Project is a robust project management software designed to assist professionals in planning, managing, and tracking projects effectively. It is particularly suitable for organizations that require detailed project planning, resource allocation, and progress monitoring. The software offers comprehensive features such as Gantt charts, task dependencies, resource leveling, and budget management. Key benefits include improved project visibility, enhanced collaboration, streamlined task management, and efficient resource allocation. Its user-friendly interface and customizable templates make it accessible to users of all skill levels. Compared to similar products, Microsoft Project stands out with its advanced features, integration with other Microsoft applications, and extensive support resources. Pricing varies depending on the specific version and licensing options. Microsoft Project offers flexible pricing plans, including subscription-based models and perpetual licenses, to cater to different business needs.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
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Clarizen

by Clarizen
Clarizen
Clarizen (now known as Planview AdaptiveWork) is a project management and professional services software that manages projects and simple updates with up-to-the-minute status using smartphones anytime, anywhere. It automatically shares project-related information with key stakeholders and updates any changes made across teams. It includes proprietary analytics and management tools for live insights about departments, projects and businesses. It manages individual and team projects with collaborative tools for project managers, and coaching for groups.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
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Mavenlink

by Mavenlink
Mavenlink
Mavenlink merged with Kimble PSA in 2021 to become the Kantata Professional Services Cloud. For more information, visit our Kantata review.It enables services businesses to manage and execute projects at each stage of the lifecycle. By uniting project and resource management, team collaboration, accounting, and business intelligence, it enables organizations to streamline planning and delivery. Includes the option to purchase expert services that cater to companies in the professional services space. When choosing the primary package, businesses work with a team comprised of a manager, a business consultant, a BI consultant, a technical consultant and a training expert.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
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OpenAir

by NetSuite, Inc.
OpenAir
OpenAir by NetSuite, Inc. is a comprehensive software solution designed to streamline project management tasks. It is particularly well-suited for businesses looking for an all-in-one platform to manage projects, resources, and expenses efficiently. One of the key benefits of OpenAir is its ability to enhance project delivery through improved planning and resource allocation, making it a valuable tool for organizations aiming to optimize their project management processes. The software boasts popular features such as time tracking, expense management, and invoicing, which collectively contribute to its robust project management capabilities. When compared to similar products, users often highlight OpenAir's seamless integration with other business systems and its scalability as significant advantages. Pricing considerations for OpenAir typically involve a subscription model, where costs are based on the number of users and the specific features required, allowing for flexibility to suit various business sizes and needs.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: good
Cost Breakdown
$100 - $500
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Jira Portfolio

by Atlassian
Jira Portfolio
Portfolio for Jira is an agile road mapping software that is deployable on the cloud. It is offered as a part of Jira’s Premium software, and lets users create strategic roadmaps, use saved views and filters to view real-time data and keep track of progress. It helps predict delivery timelines, plan manually and auto-schedule issues. It manages blockers and bottlenecks by managing dependencies across projects and teams. It integrates with Jira seamlessly and provides visibility across multiple teams. Its reports feature provides users with a graphical view of all the aspects of the plan.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
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Daptiv

by Compuware
Daptiv
Daptiv, developed by Compuware, is a sophisticated software solution designed for project portfolio management (PPM), catering primarily to businesses seeking to streamline project oversight and resource allocation. It stands out for its adaptability to various industries, making it an ideal choice for organizations of all sizes looking to enhance their project management capabilities. Among its key benefits are improved project visibility, enhanced collaboration among team members, and more efficient utilization of resources. Daptiv's popular features include dynamic scheduling, time and budget tracking, and real-time analytics, which collectively contribute to a more informed decision-making process. When compared to similar products, users often highlight Daptiv's user-friendly interface and comprehensive feature set as significant advantages. Pricing considerations for Daptiv typically involve a subscription model, where costs are determined based on the number of users and the specific features required, allowing for scalability and flexibility to match the organization's needs.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
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Scoro

by Scoro Software
Scoro
Scoro is a cloud-based system for small to mid-sized businesses that is available as a mobile app. It manages projects, clients, invoices and tracks business results. It has budgeting and forecasting capabilities. Its security is handled on many levels and allows different user groups to access rights. It improves speed and delivery It is customizable and can integrate with other applications. It integrates with modules like Toggl, Slack, Asana, Jira, QuickBooks Online, Xero Accounting, Microsoft Dynamics Salesforce, WooCommerce and more. It also integrates with file management modules like Dropbox, FTP and Google Docs, support modules like Zendesk and Freshdesk and payment gateways like Stripe and PayPal. Users can also create their own integrations and submit them to the marketplace.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
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Deployment
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Platform
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Jira

by Atlassian
Jira
Jira is an all-in-one solution suite that helps organizations manage projects with agile methodologies, customization and collaboration. It helps teams track, plan and release projects and supports Kanban, Scrum or hybrid workflows. Managers can plan and prioritize their team’s assignments in a fully-visible environment that tracks performance as progress is made.It’s supported by over 3,000 modules that can be customized to enhance user experience. It’s accessible via internet-connected mobile devices and helps manage projects on-the-go. It integrates with tools like Azure, GitHub and Bamboo while remaining scalable for operations of any size.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
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Asana

by Asana
Asana
Asana is a cloud-based project management platform designed to help teams of all sizes manage and organize projects with customization, automation, AI and collaboration. Users can build custom workflows, templates and tasks, and visualize projects in multiple ways, including list, timeline, calendar, Kanban and Gantt views.You can also build and trigger automation rules when tasks are moved or status or priority is changed. Stay aligned with goals, locate risks and hit project deadlines with reports and collaboration tools. Connect with other solutions using its open API and native integration with dozens of apps.Our Research Process for AsanaTaking software at face value for a product page review is so passe. Luckily, with a little help from my company’s email address, I got a free trial of Asana’s Advanced plan for 30 days.I set up a dummy project for content creation, complete with the stages and automations we currently use, so I’d have a more apples-to-apples comparison of a real-world project.Additionally, I tested some “standout” features our researchers suggested and investigated the pros and cons users mentioned on review sites.To learn the ropes, I visited the help center, watched demo videos and scoured Reddit for shortcuts. This webpage is the result of a week of dedicating all my working hours to living and breathing Asana.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
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Clarity PPM

by Broadcom
Clarity PPM
Clarity PPM, developed by Broadcom, is a comprehensive software solution designed for project portfolio management (PPM). It is particularly well-suited for large enterprises and organizations that require robust tools to manage complex projects, resources, and investments. One of the key benefits of Clarity PPM is its ability to provide users with clear visibility into project performance, resource allocation, and financials, enabling more informed decision-making. Among its popular features are project management, time tracking, resource planning, and portfolio analysis, which collectively help streamline operations and improve efficiency. When compared to similar products in the market, users often highlight Clarity PPM's scalability and the depth of its features as significant advantages. However, it's worth noting that the software comes with a price tag that reflects its enterprise-level capabilities, with costs typically based on the number of users and the extent of functionality required. Payment terms are usually structured on a subscription basis, offering flexibility to organizations according to their needs.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: good
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
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Basecamp

by Basecamp
Basecamp
Basecamp is a cloud-based solution for team collaboration and management. It allows users to create to-dos, assign them to one or more people, add shared and searchable file attachments and more. It makes it easier to stay organized when there are multiple concurrent projects, each with its own team and needs. Streamline project communication by keeping specific teams together, with all project-related files in one location. It gives each project its own separate space, avoiding clutter and other confusion between projects.It is suitable for all sizes of teams like SMBs to groups in large companies. Subscriptions are scalable, with levels for different storage amounts and number of users. It also offers a free tier and application for iPad/iPhone and Android.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
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Planview

by PLANVIEW
Planview
Planview is a cloud-based work and resource management software application that helps companies transform their processes from strategy to delivery. It lets enterprises accelerate on-strategy delivery, adapt to changing work environments, create an innovation culture, realize agile at scale and make the product shift. It delivers a comprehensive set of modules that include innovation, portfolios and lean management, strategic and financial planning, lean and agile delivery and enterprise architecture. It is designed for addressing the requirements of mid-market to global enterprises.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: good
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
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Smartsheet

by Smartsheet
Smartsheet
Smartsheet is an enterprise-level SaaS management application that helps teams streamline processes through collaboration, project planning and task management. Users can set up tasks using a grid view, similar to a spreadsheet with automations, formulas, comments and mentions. It provides templates for projects and automations that can be modified and saved as a template to save time. Project views include a Kanban board, Gantt chart, timeline, calendar view, card view and a custom dashboard.Its file and sheet sharing capabilities, comment feature and conversations remove team and data silos and give stakeholders insight into project details. A user-friendly interface helps managers and team members boost adoption rates, maintain consistency and increase efficiency.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 or less
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Celoxis

by Celoxis Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Celoxis
Celoxis is an online solution that manages diverse and complex project portfolios. It helps users manage resources, budgeting, revenue forecasts, time-tracking, expense management, team collaboration and reporting. It can be implemented on-premise or as a cloud-based service. It is customizable and integrates seamlessly with third-party modules like Excel and Outlook. It is also bundled with a notification center that helps users view all notifications in one location.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
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Platform
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Sciforma

by Sciforma Corporation
Sciforma
Sciforma Vantage is a project portfolio management software designed to aid PMOs with strategy, reporting and executive tasks. Critical PPM capabilities include portfolio and program management, work and collaboration management, idea and demand management, time tracking, and resource management. It also offers a suite of reporting tools for managers and executives.Additionally, Vantage is robust and scalable, helping businesses minimize risks and maximize benefits. It offers a flexible interface and users can tailor the platform to diverse needs.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
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Primavera P6

by Oracle America
Primavera P6
Oracle Primavera P6 is a project management software application that facilitates the planning, management, and control of projects across various industries. It caters to organizations that handle intricate projects involving multiple stakeholders and dependencies, particularly in construction, engineering, and oil and gas sectors. Primavera P6 offers a suite of functionalities spanning project scheduling, resource management, risk management, and cost management. By leveraging these features, organizations can reap significant benefits such as enhanced project visibility and control, reduced project costs and risks, and improved project efficiency and productivity. The software's notable features include Gantt charts and dashboards for comprehensive project visualization, resource leveling and allocation for optimizing resource utilization, risk assessment and mitigation strategies for proactive risk management, and cost tracking and forecasting for informed financial decision-making. While Primavera P6 proves to be a powerful tool for project performance enhancement, it is a complex application that demands specialized training and expertise for effective utilization. Additionally, the software's pricing varies based on the organization's size and project complexity, often involving a significant investment. Pros Powerful project management capabilities Scalable to handle large and complex projects Wide range of features for planning, scheduling, and tracking projects Integrates with other Oracle products, such as Primavera P6 EPPM and Oracle Primavera Unifier User-friendly interface that is easy to learn and use Cons Expensive Steep learning curve Can be slow and cumbersome to use Not as user-friendly as some other project management software Limited reporting capabilities
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$1,000 or more
Company Size
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Planisware

by Planisware
Planisware
Planisware is a management-focused system that offers various features, including cost scheduling, risk management, collaboration and more. Its machine learning capabilities enable faster and more accurate project movement. Customers can increase end-to-end visibility and improve decision making using analytics and reports. It can manage resources, portfolio prioritization and cost control from one integrated location. It is suitable for businesses of all sizes.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: great
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
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InPhase

by INPHASE LIMITED
InPhase
InPhase is an end-to-end scalable platform that enables organizations to make the most out of business data, improve decision-making and troubleshoot issues. It generates and delivers easy-to-interpret data insights to relevant stakeholders faster through dashboards and automated routing. Organizations can avert crises, anticipate outcomes and prevent wasted efforts using robust KPI monitoring and predictive analytics. Easy to customize, use and scale, it offers optional ready-to-use packages to facilitate various business processes. It also provides data consistency, mobility, communication and team planning modules to enable remote collaboration across devices. The vendor provides onboarding in days and offers extensibility through development to tech-savvy users.
User Sentiment User satisfaction level icon: excellent
Cost Breakdown
$10 - $100
Company Size
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Project Insight

by Project Insight
Project Insight
Project Insight is an enterprise web-based solution that serves as a centralized hub to delegate tasks, monitor productivity and collaborate at every stage of the project cycle. Users can formalize the process for internal project requests or submit project proposals to clients with customized forms.It emphasizes project prioritization, collaboration, resource allocation and management, reporting and scheduling to help managers with better decision making. It serves project-based industries like market research, networking hardware company, healthcare organization, heavy industry and more. It also provides a free edition with modules that can be added at an extra cost.
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Confluence

by Atlassian
Confluence
Confluence is a shared workspace that helps businesses prepare, organize, collaborate and review project documents. Organizations can access information, resources and collaborate on marketing campaigns and product launches through its open modules. It can be deployed on-premise and hosted on the cloud. It offers a centralized repository to access content according to project requirements. Employees can publish and access company data in a central location. Administrators can restrict access to confidential information and allow collaboration within closed groups. It lets employees prepare research reports, meeting notes and product requirements and managers edit and share feedback in documents. Businesses can delegate tasks to every employee and monitor changes.
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Mac Windows Linux Chromebook Android
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Pricing & Cost Guide

See the Price/User for the top PPM software… plus the most important considerations and questions to ask when shopping.

Buyer's Guide

The Best PPM Software is All About Orchestrating a Portfolio of Projects

By Pragya Singh, Technical Writer and Market Analyst at SelectHub

Project Portfolio Management Software BG Intro Header

Project portfolio management (PPM) software equips organizations with tools to manage multiple concurrently running initiatives across portfolios. It provides visibility and oversight to oversee current resources and projects while managing future needs and expectations. 

Companies can better allocate resources to existing and future projects using these systems by increasing project awareness and visibility. This guide will provide you with an overview of PPM systems, followed by their distinctive benefits and features.

Executive Summary

  • Project and portfolio management software offers a high-level view while aligning resources, budgets and project priorities to drive strategic outcomes.
  • Typical benefits of portfolio project management software include resource optimization, reduction of project delays and failures, cost savings and enhanced performance of individual projects.
  • Implementation goals vary but often include aligning the portfolio with business objectives and maximizing the portfolio’s value.
  • These tools offer core functionalities, including financial management, analytics and reporting, project management, resource management, work management and risk management.
  • The most effective way to conduct a project portfolio management software comparison is to build a checklist of key requirements.
  • Asking questions internally will provide insight into the type of solution your company needs, while entering a demo prepared with the right questions helps you properly analyze PPM companies.
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What is Project Portfolio Management Software?

Project portfolio management software manages resource allocation and budgeting while conducting risk analyses for project portfolios of different sizes. It streamlines project planning, execution and delivery across portfolios by automating data collection and analysis while applying conclusions to expedite project planning, implementation and delivery.

These solutions accumulate performance data over a period to help decision-makers assess risks vs. returns for various endeavors. As a result, leaders can make more informed decisions about which projects to prioritize and sponsor.

The Project Management Institute defines portfolio management as a method to bridge gaps between strategy and implementation. Portfolio management is essential to understand which projects will benefit an organization the most and prioritize them accordingly. It helps enterprises with multiple internal projects to perform suitable projects at the right time.

Since PPM technology is much more advanced than the traditional project management software, you would want to implement it when your processes have matured and your company is tackling multiple projects simultaneously. You need a significant amount of time and resources to manage these solutions effectively.

Project and portfolio management software, in brief, allows project managers and executives in large, project-driven businesses to manage investments across a portfolio of assets.

The global PPM market continues to undergo continuous expansion in response to the needs of organizations that need to manage their many ongoing projects with consideration for cost, time and constraint-based requirements.

As such, PPM software is a valuable business investment. The global PPM market size will grow from $4.7 billion this year to $6.5 billion in 2027 at a CAGR of 6.7%. This guide will cover essential points to consider before and during your selection process.

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Deployment Methods

You can deploy PPM software in one of the three ways: on-premise, cloud or hybrid cloud, depending upon your business requirements.

Cloud-Based

Cloud-based deployment allows you to access your preferred solution using any device with a robust internet connection. You can delegate tasks, track progress, review KPIs and more at any time and from any location.

On-Premise

This strategy installs the software directly on your company’s computers and servers. You can use this method to manage project portfolios, access data and optimize resources from a single worksite.

Hybrid Cloud

A hybrid cloud strategy allows you to use public and private clouds to allocate and supervise information. You can access and examine information from any device at any place using the public cloud. Similar to on-premise, a private cloud helps you store sensitive data and control who has access to it.

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Primary Benefits

Benefits of Project Portfolio Management Software

Managing multiple projects simultaneously is a business necessity for many organizations. PPM applications simplify the complexities of managing multiple initiatives and projects at the same time, which are often competing for the same resources.

Implementing a PPM strategy helps improve operations while keeping your portfolio organized through a single system of record that reduces conflicts and fosters collaboration. Here are some of the core benefits of PPM software.

Automate Planning

Over the years, enterprises have learned that most of the time they spend planning goes to waste. The situation, however, doesn’t always have to be the case. PPM software has advanced to provide reliable forecasts about project completion, taking into account constraints such as cost, scope and time.

Modern systems automate project planning and scheduling while laying a solid foundation for projects through critical deliverables, milestones and roles before implementation. These applications track project progress against your baseline while keeping plans up-to-date.

PPM technology also helps reduce planning overheads by eliminating guesswork from estimations while allocating the best resources available.

Enhance Project Ownership while Minimizing Risks

PPM solutions help you adopt a more balanced approach while prioritizing, choosing and maintaining project investments as a portfolio rather than individual initiatives. When comparing projects as a portfolio, you can make changes at the macro-level rather than the individual level for higher impact.

Businesses constantly look for ways to maximize project investment returns while reducing risks. You might find a high-risk project that has the possibility of high returns unappealing, but when you combine it with other low-risk projects that are essential for you to stay competitive in the market, you can take it up.

When you treat projects as corporate portfolio investments, business approvals and standards apply to the entire portfolio rather than individual initiatives.

Improve Team Communication

Implementing a PPM strategy will improve your team communication by breaking down silos between sub-portfolios and individual projects. It enhances employee task delegation by assigning work as part of a larger project that your team attempts to complete.

Team members attain cohesion by collaborating closely on assignments, schedules, dependencies, pending work and more. In-built Kanban boards and sprints ensure that teams understand priorities. Management can align with teams while eliminating rework and focusing on rapid service delivery.

The software creates channels for internal and external communication while promoting transparency and accountability. Your clients can track project progress, review edits and provide feedback while viewing the information relevant to them.

Optimize Resource Allocation

Although resource allocation is a tricky game, technological assistance makes it easier. With the help of software, you know where to channel your resources.

Successful resource management promotes high work standards by not overloading teams. Such tools are quick to identify bottlenecks and determine when to add extra people to the team.

Additional Benefits

  • Manage the entire project portfolio, making risk assessments and resource trade-offs quickly.
  • Stay compliant with industry standards and requirements for reporting.
  • Streamline invoicing across an entire project, ensuring all project components are tracked financially in real time.
  • Gain greater insights into the financial implications of project management decisions.
  • Achieve tighter coordination across each phase of each project execution’s workflow.
  • Standardize project attributes and activity with work breakdown structures (WBS) to increase the speed and efficiency of managing projects.
  • Allow the PMO to budget their time as efficiently as possible, only handling exceptions.
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Implementation Goals

While implementing a PPM solution, you should carefully consider how it will affect your organization. Every business is different, but the goals listed below provide an overview of common reasons to implement PPM Software.

Goal 1

Align Projects and Business Objectives

Any project you take up should have a purpose that aligns with your goals. It’s a waste of time, money and effort to start projects only to discover later that they don’t help you achieve your goals.

According to the PMO Outlook report, a staggering 75% of projects don't align with organizational business strategies.

PPM software handles the intake of new ideas using scoring models to determine if projects add to the company’s goals. It also includes timelines and roadmaps for defining scope and deadlines.

Goal 2

Achieve the Most Effective Balance

You need to balance the project mix your company undertakes to maximize success. An organization’s execution capabilities can suffer if it has ten projects competing for the same resources.

The best project portfolio management software takes resource and financial constraints into account while choosing projects. The strategy helps businesses keep a well-balanced portfolio of short, medium, and long-term projects logically.

Goal 3

Maximize Value Across Portfolios

Much like CRM, which uses tools for identifying the most valuable leads to pursue, PPM applications have features that do the same for a company’s portfolio.

Scoring tools and predictive analytics allow decision-makers to determine value based on different scenario models and associated risks. These analytics help organizations prioritize the projects that will bring the highest ROI.

Goal 4

Provide a Comprehensive, Holistic View of the Portfolio

Inability to accurately track resources, budgets and risks can jeopardize operations while impacting the entire portfolio adversely. Disparate, non-integrated solutions for planning, executing, and closing projects lead to delays and cost overruns.

PPM software resolves these issues by breaking down silos and centralizing all critical information into a single record system.

The new structure gives team managers and the PMO system end-to-end visibility.

It also facilitates the delivery of essential reports to stakeholders to analyze the portfolio’s performance.

Goal 5

Portfolio Orchestration

An integrated solution equips you to see your projects in multiple views from a standard system for successful portfolio orchestration. Centralized data ensures accuracy and offers greater visibility into all your initiatives.

Dashboards display pertinent information for you to understand project pieces correctly. Such functionality allows a 360-degree view of the same performance measures across all active initiatives. Access to consolidated financial, accounting and project data synchronizes your management speed and accuracy.
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Key Features & Functionality

If you have read till now, it is apparent that you want to bring systemic changes to your organization. Most solutions offer a similar set of core features and functionalities. While you evaluate products, look for the following capabilities to ensure that your business gets the portfolio support it needs.

Portfolio Management

Effective PPM applications aid in portfolio selection with a balanced mix of projects and prioritization. They have in-built tools to rank portfolios that evaluate selected ideas, plans and ongoing projects while determining your company’s capacity to launch new initiatives.

Many solutions include roadmap dependencies to outline the completion order, identifying and mitigating bottlenecks. They also come with health indicators, which provide real-time status data across budgets, schedules and project scopes.

A related feature is the project hierarchy. It enables team members to view progress and status at different levels within an organization so stakeholders can view high-level summaries or drill into details.
Financial Management

For PMO teams and project managers, it is crucial to get visibility into project-specific expenses. Monitoring direct and indirect costs becomes important as projects often shift direction due to changing customer requirements.

The latest costing data, financial ratios and key performance indicators (KPIs) form the framework that project managers, PMO teams and senior management depend on to make decisions.

The best solutions provide real-time integration with accounting and finance systems while scaling quickly to support new complex projects without losing any time. These applications also provide cost and financial projections quickly at the project, program or portfolio level. And they can provide alerts when critical items in the accounting and financial statements change over time.
Reporting and Analytics

Data reporting and analytics form fundamental capabilities of PPM suites. These tools help project managers save considerable time spent on reporting, analytics and preparing presentations by analyzing company data and comparing it to the previous reports.

An efficient solution should support planning tools capable of producing the critical path and Gantt and PERT charts. Dashboards are another essential feature to consider. They centralize necessary information so managers, executives and other stakeholders can quickly gain a 360-degree view of various KPIs.

PPM software often also includes tools for earned value management (EVM). EVM is an invaluable technique for managing and measuring performance and progress. It also provides daily forecasts of each project’s timelines, contribution to the critical path and milestones attained.
Project Management

Project portfolio management software supports foundational management capabilities like performance analysis, time and expense tracking, data integration, and resource and cost optimization.

Their primary capabilities include managing tasks at the resource level, project planning and management methodologies, and advanced scheduling.

PPM suites used in manufacturing support finite scheduling, which considers production and resource constraints to be optimized to attain production goals.
Resource Management

Companies usually struggle to balance tightly constrained resources for large-scale projects while completing tasks and critical paths. You should look for solutions that support a broad base of resource optimization beyond resource loading materials.

Resource management extends beyond managing inventory to focus on raw materials, production machinery and assets, each team member’s level of training, and the optimal mix of all constraints. This functionality tackles complex projects that often occur in tandem.
Risk Management

Every project faces the risk of missing deadlines and execution issues. Other significant risks include cost overruns due to improper planning, penalties for non-compliance and scope creep from losing sight of the customer’s preferences, goals and needs.

PPM software can show risk-based scores of each project, providing early warning of a specific critical path task that can’t adhere to a schedule. Ideally, it’s best to look for PPM solutions that incorporate foundational aspects of risk management: identifying, assessing, managing, controlling and communicating risks at the project and portfolio level. It’s also vital to identify risks and their financial implications on large-scale projects.
Work Management

The ability to effectively manage operations is another key component to consider. Work management gathers crucial project information related to work activities while giving managers and the PMO deeper insight into a project’s details. They also provide project overviews for monitoring the status of projects and the overall portfolio, along with an archive of project status reports.

Timesheet management automates time entry, tracking, billing and reporting at multiple levels, while expense management captures expenditures and supports the expense reporting, submission and approval process.

These systems offer a centralized repository for storing and managing problems, requests and ideas. This gives managers control over projects as they evolve. After classifying, discussing and reviewing, you can turn these demands into new projects, change requests or issues.
Change Management

Operational restrictions, technical adjustments, legal troubles or modified requirements lead to project failure. Modified project scope or details often result in missed deadlines and budget overruns.

Sophisticated PPM systems respond to changes by matching resource availability with altered demands. They incorporate multiple change requests with a central repository while providing quick answers. This capability helps you track project budgets and timelines in real time.
Integrations

Many leading PPM solutions can connect with email clients, though integration isn’t as standard or robust. However, the opposite is true when it comes to providing open APIs.

All the top systems include open APIs that integrate with third-party applications for seamless data transfer. The capability improves workflows by automating tasks, enables the development of custom applications and grants greater integration flexibility.

As business systems become more sophisticated and data proliferates, integrating with third-party applications has become central in connecting the dots to ensure the right people can easily access the information they need.
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Advanced Features & Functionality

It’s helpful to be aware of secondary features in addition to core capabilities. While not necessarily as important, these features can play a role in determining whether a portfolio software solution is right for your company.

Security

Security is a primary consideration for any company, especially those that execute projects for external clients. Having control over who can access and edit project information can prevent a disaster while ensuring all necessary stakeholders have the ability to stay informed.

Many project and portfolio management programs provide the option for administrators to set role-based privileges, so every user has the appropriate level of access based on their role.

Team members won’t need the editing powers of managers, and clients may only need to view certain segments of a project. Such a level of flexibility simplifies the process of securing sensitive project information.
Notifications and Alerts

Notifications are crucial to track progress and details. You can configure alerts to notify your managers and team members about approaching deadlines and overdue tasks. Users can receive notifications via email or within the application via a notification tab. The capability provides complete visibility and prevents essential details from getting lost.
Globalization Support

For organizations that operate on a global scale, this feature enables operations to run smoothly.

Multi-lingual support capabilities allow users to configure the settings across a range of common languages. And with multi-currency support, solutions are able to track costs and expenditures based on regional currency.
Native Mobile Apps

On-the-go access to project information has become more available thanks to mobile apps. The ability to view and update details from anywhere, at any time, is crucial for teams that operate out in the field.

However, the level of capability varies depending on the specific solution. Some support native Android and iOS apps, while others rely on the workaround of visiting the URL via the mobile device’s browser. In such cases, an interface optimized for mobile viewing is essential.
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Upcoming Trends

In the fast-evolving world of PPM technology, new trends constantly emerge that influence how companies conduct their daily businesses. The project and portfolio management market continues to evolve just as quickly as the organizations that use it. The following are some emerging trends to consider.

Project Portfolio Management Trends

Scaling Agile into Portfolios

Agile continues to be an influential trend in portfolio management. Organizations have started to feel the growing need to change their practices as they adopt agile methodologies. One of the most pressing difficulties facing businesses today is to devise ways to combine Agile and traditional projects into a unified portfolio view.

Since its release in 2011, the Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) equipped organizations with the tools and methodologies to increase productivity, drive quality improvements, achieve faster time to market and increase employee engagement.

According to a recent McKinsey survey, successful Agile transformations enhance organizational performance in multiple ways. Businesses reported a 30% increase in customer satisfaction, operational performance, employee engagement and efficiency.

Impact of Agile Transformation in Organizational Performance

There’s a growing shift towards hybrid portfolio management, which combines traditional models like Waterfall with newer Agile practices. Organizations realize that no technology is superior, and multiple methods can coexist to serve specific business functions.

Additionally, there’s a significant rise in lean portfolio management. As the name suggests, the concept promotes minimalistic portfolio management. Here, the focus is on improving efficiency by reducing waste while delivering the best value to the end customer.

Rethinking Value Delivery

Measuring ROI has been the most crucial trend in portfolio management. However, the market has witnessed a shift from projects to products and products to services over the years. Companies today are rethinking ways to provide maximum value to their customers while considering the methods to quantify that value.

Organizations are increasingly working with their clients to restructure how they measure portfolio advantages. Many businesses are struggling to find ways to move toward an adaptive portfolio management model that focuses on value delivery while optimizing traditional and agile techniques to provide that value.

Improving Resource Demand Management

Demand management is the structure for managing all new projects, initiatives, goods and services within an organization. However, demand and capacity management are often misconstrued. Organizations are continuously devising ways to balance their resources with their actual capacities.

In a continuously evolving market, it is critical for businesses to connect their expenditures and investments in the future with their long-term objectives. You won’t accurately understand who is working on what if you don’t have enough resource demand management systems in place.

Strengthening Data Visualization

Over the years, company analytics and collaborative technologies have improved significantly. Business analytics and collaboration solutions have made it easier for project managers to create dashboards while providing visibility into task progress and modifications.

Project managers are no longer required to be software developers. Many companies are leveraging digital dashboards to understand client project portfolios, identifying data sources while automating data collection into the dashboard. Automated dashboards significantly reduce manual reporting overheads while speeding up decision-making.

Practitioners are increasingly using portfolio management technologies to get better acquainted with the broader picture.

Integrating Artificial Intelligence

It is impossible not to mention AI and its impact on the broader corporate environment. AI has been at the heart of all technological innovations in the last decade, and its growing application in portfolio management is no exception.

The combination of hardware advancements, the rise of big data and machine learning based on neural networks provide actionable insights and automated processes that were previously a pipe dream.

These insights hold promise for the PPM industry, where massive volumes of structured data form the base for most initiatives. Until recently, data scientists had to manually “connect the dots” between all sorts of complex variables and dependencies to make sense of it all. The manual method was inconvenient and time-consuming.

Today’s PPM solutions offer AI-powered predictive analysis to help customers spot outliers, locate data quality issues within datasets and promptly spot any other data-related problems.

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Software Comparison

Choosing the right PPM solution among hundreds of vendors and products might appear daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. You can start by outlining the objectives that encapsulate your company’s primary strengths while laying down a solid framework for your business requirements.

To simplify your software search and align it with your corporate strategy, you can also use our detailed PPM software report that offers an insightful comparison of the best PPM products available.

Cost & Pricing Considerations

While evaluating PPM software, it is pertinent to keep your organization’s budget in mind. The price you end up paying will depend on many factors, including the number of user licenses required, the deployment strategy you choose and the modules and add-ons you purchase.

Additionally, you can also consider software support packages if required. You can carefully evaluate the cost of a PPM system before shopping for it, either from the vendor’s website or by requesting prices directly. You can also access our free PPM price guide to determine which top vendors align with your budget range.

Price Guide for PPM Software

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Questions to Ask Yourself

Choosing a PPM system that works best for your company is an important business decision. We’re here to help you navigate the options and hone in on the best solution for your business. The following are some valuable questions to build a framework for your search:

Project Portfolio Management Software Key Questions To Ask

What am I doing wrong with project management today?

  • How many projects are behind schedule due to a lack of project visibility?
  • What percentage of your projects achieve timely completion?
  • What manual workarounds are you relying on that the software will have to automate?
  • Is it possible to see how project progress is impacting overall company profitability?

What kind of project portfolio management software will I need?

  • Which project management, optimizing and scheduling workflows your current system doesn’t address?
  • How much time does your company spend on generating project management reports?
  • What workflows and production processes most differentiate your company, make it unique and place an added load on your PPM application?

Questions About the Software

Asking questions about the product itself can help chart out a strategy in advance. We recommend asking at least the following questions:

How will it help my PMO team optimize multiple projects that rely on the same resources?

Asking this question will help you understand the level of integration of your product's portfolio structure. It also reveals how well the system integrates optimization logic.

How will it rebalance portfolios in cases of budget modification?

Changes in budgets and financial projections often lead to project reorganization. You can assess a system's capability by gauging how quickly it can redo the parts of the project that need modification without impacting the entire structure.

Does it track costs by project, including EVM analysis and reporting?

Your chosen system should track costs and EVM across a portfolio for you to visualize which projects are on schedule, at risk or lagging. The solution should also analyze the completion percentage of each project in the portfolio and show how resource trade-offs impact overall EVM over time.

How will it improve my business?

Your chosen system must make you more competitive globally while improving your project delivery and efficiency. Its EVM modules should help your company effectively manage each project relative to budget, constraint and broader timeline goals.

Questions to Ask Vendors

Asking vendors meaningful questions helps resolve your software implementation queries. Use the following questions as a starting point for honest conversations with vendors:

What level of customizations will my business need for applications, screens and platforms?

Typically, on-premise solutions have more customization options since you fully control the environment and code. However, you may find cloud solutions that meet your requirements and don't require IT expertise to configure.

Will the product be able to manage data reports a year from now?

One of the significant advantages of project and portfolio management software is its reporting capabilities. Instead of manually sifting through Excel spreadsheets to compile reports, you can generate them with much greater ease.

Will it integrate with my current modules, and what other integrations does it offer?

Creating a seamless flow of data is critical. It eliminates silos and ensures each system has the information you need to make informed decisions.

What level of support and training will you offer during and after installation?

The types of support and training PPM companies provide will vary. Knowing this upfront can help narrow your list. The support you receive from a vendor needs to align with your determined requirements.

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In Conclusion

Choosing from the host of PPM products is a task you can't afford to take lightly. The solution you end up with can be the difference between subpar and exceptional business performance.

You can use this project portfolio management software guide as a starting point for making this decision.

Additional Resources

About The Contributors

The following expert team members are responsible for creating, reviewing, and fact checking the accuracy of this content.

Pragya
By Pragya Singh
Technical Content Writer
Pragya Singh is a Technical Writer and Market Analyst at SelectHub. She writes content for Project Management, PPM, Time and Attendance Management and Employee Scheduling. An avid reader and writer she studied English Literature at the University of Delhi (India). In her leisure time, she likes to dabble with poetry, is glued to an interesting book, looks for book recommendations, makes random backpacking plans or is hooked to a sitcom. She occasionally indulges in outdoor sports and getting into debates about current and world politics, entertainment and everything else.
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Joan
Technical Research By Joan Akash
Senior Analyst
Joan Akash, a Senior Research Analyst at SelectHub, holds a Post-Graduate Diploma in Management with a specialization in Marketing. Her expertise as a researcher and reviewer spans diverse software categories, including Project Management, Customer Relationship Management, Live Chat, and Help Desk. Beyond her professional pursuits, Joan is spiritually driven, with a passion for teaching children and a penchant for reading biblical blogs and crafting poetry.
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Manan
Technical Review By Manan Roy
Principal Analyst
Manan is a native of Tezpur, Assam (India), who currently lives in Kolkata, West Bengal (India). At SelectHub, he works on categories like CRM, HR, PPM, BI, and EHR. He has a Bachelor of Technology in CSE from The Gandhi Institute of Engineering and Technology, a Master of Technology from The Institute of Engineering and Management IT, and an MBA in Finance from St. Xavier's College. He's published two research papers, one in a conference and the other in a journal, during his Master of Technology.
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Hunter
Edited By Hunter Lowe
Content Editor
Hunter Lowe is a Content Editor, Writer and Market Analyst at SelectHub. His team covers categories that range from ERP and business intelligence to transportation and supply chain management. Hunter is an avid reader and Dungeons and Dragons addict who studied English and Creative Writing through college. In his free time, you'll likely find him devising new dungeons for his players to explore, checking out the latest video games, writing his next horror story or running around with his daughter.
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