Experienced managers know that when they have a complex project, or even a smaller one involving a lot of people, job management software will give them the key to coordinating resources, managing risk, and determining the critical path to project success. This article examines the types of job management software available, and the applications of each type.

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	Web-based job management software allows access to an unlimited number of people from any computer with Internet access.

Got a Big Job? Here's Where to Start

It takes a lot of coordination to hold a project together; especially if that project involves hundreds of people. The key to managing any large project and making sure it hits all of its projected goals is job management software. Whether it’s scheduling tasks so that the various parts fall into place in the correct sequence, or information needs to be shared and coordinated between different teams handling specific tasks, job management software is designed to keep projects running smoothly, on time, and under budget.

What Job Management Software Can Do For You

In general, scheduling is the most common task required of job management software and is typically broken down into five types.

Resource scheduling: This aspect of job management software is needed to make sure the right people have the right resources when a particular aspect of a project comes on line. By arranging tasks in their order of dependencies, conflicts over resources and time can be avoided.

Critical Path scheduling: Job management software is often used to determine the most advantageous way to line up a sequence of tasks. By determining what events or tasks have the greatest impact on the project overall and which tasks will stop or delay, the duration of critical path events can be kept under control.

Risk scheduling: Risk management scheduling allows for uncertainties and unexpected problems in both task complexity and duration. By identifying risks and instituting checkpoints for managing those risks, problems can be dealt with before they have a chance to affect the project as a whole.

Task scheduling: Different tasks often have different deadlines which will be contingent upon each other. Job management software helps managers arrange these deadlines so that all the members of the team can have the same ''top-down'' view of the project that the manager has.

Cross-Project scheduling: Managing schedules for multiple projects simultaneously is another important aspect of job management software. In situations where several projects may need to draw upon the same resources or personnel, job management software can identify conflicts and help avoid bottlenecks.

In addition to providing scheduling, job management software also provides a project manager with information, evidence and assessment, and tracking and correction.

Information: By its every nature, job management software collects data and arranges it into usable formats. This information can be used to create task lists for personnel, resources, and an overview of the project.

Evidence and Assessment: Job management software also acts as a record of a project’s life cycle. By collecting data on how a project varies from projections, managers can create a history of a project, identifying issues that may have created problems and ways in which those issues were circumvented.

Tracking and Correction: Sometimes job management software is designed to improve a project by providing tracking information about specific aspects of the project. For example, bug-tracking software can be used to log flaws or problems within a project, which are then either escalated to be corrected by the proper members of the team, or logged as fixed when the problem is corrected.

Job Management Software Types

Job management software applications are not ''one size fits all''. There are a number of scales of application available:

Single user: Single-user job management software assumes that only one person will be managing the project plan at any time. They are best used by small companies or on projects with a centralized project manager, and are typically run on a small company server or desktop computer.

Personal: Personal job management software is typically used to manage home or personal projects. Similar to single user systems, these types usually have less complex interfaces that a home user will be more comfortable with.

Collaborative: Collaborative job management software must be able to support multiple users who may all need to modify different sections of a project plan. If each person is responsible for a part or several parts of a project, collaborative software is the best way to make sure that each member of the project team not only knows his or her responsibilities, but is also aware of the needs and responsibilities of other team members. Web-based job management software normally falls into this area.

Integrated: Integrated job management software coordinates project management and planning with other areas of a company’s operations. If the project impacts other areas, such as customers, integrated job management software allows a company to spot the interdependencies and to take potential conflicts into account. In addition, the information-gathering aspect of integrated job management software allows a company to track customer relationships, bugs, task lists, calendars, meetings, and email interactions over the life cycle of a project, creating an accurate record of all related events throughout the company.

Desktop-based job management software is directly installed into the computer and can be tailored to the needs of each user.

Job management software platforms

In general, job management software is implemented in one of two ways:

Desktop-based Job management software: Desktop-based software is usually installed within the desktop computer of each user. These types are usually easier to implement and can be tailored to the needs of each user. Interfaces are usually graphics-intensive and customizable. The collected information can be stored in a file in the individual computer, or routed to a central database, where it can be accessed by all members of a project team. The local nature of desktop job management software allows sharing between users, especially if the files are stored on a network.

Web-Based Job management software: Web-based job management software is designed to be installed as an Internet application, which is then accessed via a network or through a web browser, such as Microsoft Explorer or Firefox. These installations can be accessed from any computer with the proper passwords and require no direct installation of the software to the individual computer. While this allows an unlimited number of people to access the job management software, the disadvantage is that if access to the Web is restricted or broken, the entire project team may not be able to use the job management software.

Conclusion

When coordinating large or complex projects, experienced project managers know that job management software can provide both an overview of the project and a means of tracking resources, tasks, and critical path issues. Whether your project will involve a high level of complexity or a large number of people, the many types of job management software can make job management software an important and valuable option for any project.

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