Right before we go out to find project management software tools, I recommend that you create a comparison chart. The purpose of the comparison chart is to highlight the requirements for which you are looking, and to be able to compare different software tools against those requirements.

I am using the term "comparison chart", you may also hear it referred to as an evaluation sheet, scorecard, or a number of different terms.

Let me make a quick side note here. I understand there are organizations that because of complexity or regulations need to go through a much more formalized Request for Proposal (RFP) process. That is not the focus of these posts, and there are plenty of papers, training courses, manuals, etc. on how to perform an RFP. Our focus is on the rest of us who want to follow a good process to select the right system, but do not have the time, money, or need to follow such a complex process.

Back to the comparison chart...on this chart you will list the broad features that you need. But I recommend including some other evaluation criteria as well. What are those, you ask? Here is a list of what I recommend:

Flexibility
Can the system adapt to how your organization does business?

Ease of Use
Will your people be able to use the system without an overabundance of training?

Category
Into which category of project management software does it fit, and does that category match with the needs of your organization?

Responsiveness
How responsive is the organization?

Pricing
Does the pricing of the system match the value you will receive?

Features
Does the system have enough features to meet your current and future objectives?

I'm sure there are a hundred different criteria you could include, but these will serve you well. If you want a more thorough discussion of these criteria, download our project management software guide.

Here is a snapshot of a comparison chart, also from that project management software guide:



You may even want to create a vendor-facing version of this document. Have them complete it and return it to you. In other words, have them do some of the work for you. A good vendor will do that. However, only send it to vendors at which you are legitimately looking. Don't waste a vendor's time. More on finding vendors in a subsequent post.

The Comparison Chart will help you to hone in on those vendors at which you want to take a closer look. Now, how do we find and evaluate those vendors?