Project Management Tools

I am currently enrolled in an Information Security Management course as part of a Cybersecurity Masters program. This week, we have been reviewing some tools that project managers may use to aid them in their planning. Of course, you cannot have a discussion on project management tools without mentioning Microsoft Project. Microsoft Project is noted to be the most widely used project management suite, however can be very costly, limited, or hard to use. I took a look for some alternatives, and I found the two below to be the most interesting.

Asana is an automated security tool that is free of charge for teams up to 15 people. Asana’s driving feature is to limit the reliance on email for task status updates and conversations amongst workers, instead incorporating this information within the task management tool itself. This creates a central, consolidated location for all task-related information that all personnel can see. The tool is very visual in nature and allows for great flexibility based on the unique requirements of the project. Asana is available for not only Windows and Mac users, but also enables mobile access via Android and iOS.

Basecamp is a second Microsoft Project alternative. Unlike Asana, it is not free of charge from the start, but costs anywhere from $20 to $150 per month, depending on the number of projects being managed, as opposed to the number of users in the team. Basecamp is highly regarded as one of the best project management tools, making it easy to keep track of your team, post updates to tasks, create to-do lists, and engage in discussions all in one location. Like Asana, it is available on Windows, Mac, Android, and iOS.