Project-Based Work in the Cloud: 4 Reasons to Consider SaaS Project Management

I believe that successful project management is more about people than technology, but I'm convinced that project software in general and on-demand project management software in particular make it possible for skilled project managers to focus on facilitating communication and work effectively with project teams. SaaS (Software as a Service) work management applications have been around for a while, and are giving legacy PPM applications a run for the money.

With that in mind, let me share a couple of opinions as to why I believe SaaS is an effective way to manage project-based work:

1. It's relatively easy and inexpensive to enter: Last year in a conversation with the PMO of a large international organization who was in the middle of a SaaS project management software implementation. He expressed frustration at the previous three-year-long unsuccessful installation of a legacy PPM software that claimed to offer business process expertise. The inherent complexity of legacy PPM solutions make implementation and adoption lengthy and difficult. His consternation is shared by many who don't have the time or resources to accommodate an expensive, multi-year implementation process.

2. Pay-as-you-go vs. pay-through-the-nose: Because SaaS software is typically subscription based, organizations can pay for the software when they use it, and access it via the Internet, rather than going through the expensive process of installing software on individual machines or purchasing expensive and costly-to-maintain servers to keep the software up and running.

3. On-demand project management software makes real-time collaboration possible: Although all SaaS solutions are not created equal, taking project data from the desktop and making it available in a centralized location gives project managers and teams access to all the data relevant to their projects. Although some SaaS vendors do this better than others, this is the first step to real-time collaboration.

4. SaaS empowers small- and medium-sized businesses: There will always be mega-organizations who insist on spending millions of dollars on legacy PPM software, but SaaS allows SMBs with much smaller budgets to take advantage of the latest (and in my opinion, some of the best) project management tools available. In fact, most SaaS solution providers are committed to a robust schedule of continual update and improvement.

My list is by no means all inclusive, but for organizations that want affordable access to the latest PPM technology, SaaS project and portfolio management is a great option.

Author Bio: Ty Kiisel makes the concepts and best practices of project management accessible to both the expert and novice project professional. Ty is also host of popular podcast TalkingWork.com.