3 X Best Software for a Project Manager

1. CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system

For a project manager, a CRM system is a powerful addition to your project management. Especially if you work with customers, stakeholders, or collaborate with multiple teams.

A project manager is the link between internal teams and external parties such as customers, suppliers, or stakeholders. A CRM system helps keep track of all communications in one central place.

A CRM system keeps track of:

• Which agreements have been made
• Which deadlines have been communicated externally
• What is the status of each contact or customer

This allows you to better manage expectations and communicate proactively if something changes in the schedule.

In addition, a CRM system connects sales, marketing, and project management. For a project manager of a commercial company, that means knowing exactly what the customer wants, what was promised, and when to deliver.

FlowQi CRM is designed specifically for teams that need simplicity, overview, and structure, without the complexity of large CRM packages. It’s user-friendly, lightweight, and built with project-based work in mind.

Some benefits of FlowQi CRM for project management:

• Customer and project files: You can link customer profiles to projects, tasks, and communications. Everything belonging to one customer or task sits neatly in one overview.
• Automated follow-up: FlowQi lets you set up automatic reminders and follow-ups. So as a project manager, you don’t have to keep track of everything manually; FlowQi automatically sends you a signal.
• Simple task distribution: You can link tasks to customers or projects, with deadlines and responsibilities.
• Quick visual overview: Many CRM systems are packed with functions you never use. FlowQi focuses on simplicity and overview.
• Links to other tools: FlowQi integrates with other tools, so you no longer have to combine separate systems. This saves time and prevents things from falling between the cracks.

2. Project planning and task management

As a project manager, you want to be able to see immediately who is working on what, what the deadlines are, and where you are behind. Good project planning software is essential.

You can use free software for that, such as Trello. Or you can choose FlowQi, where FlowQi CRM is integrated with FlowQi project management and task management by default.

The advantages of Trello are:

• Visual and intuitive, just like FlowQi. Trello works with a Kanban system (like post-its on a wall). This makes it easy to use, even for beginners.
• Flexible to use. You can use Trello for almost anything: content planning, to-do’s, project phases, event planning.
• The free version gets many freelancers pretty far.
• Collaboration in real time. You can assign tasks, post comments, create checklists, and add files.

But the drawbacks of Trello are:

• No CRM. Trello is not a CRM. It doesn’t keep track of customer data, has no follow-up reminders, and doesn’t provide a central place for customer communications or sales processes.
• Little structure as you grow. As your projects get more complex, Trello gets messy quickly. There is no hierarchy (such as sub-projects or team-level overview).
• Limited reporting and insight. Trello offers little insight into statistics, progress by team members, or project performance without external plug-ins.
• Stand-alone system. Trello stands alone. If you work with clients, you’ll still need an external CRM system - and you’ll fragment your overview.

Would you rather work with an easy-to-use CRM integrated with task and project management? Then choose FlowQi.

This also allows you to automate your workflows. Think of automatic follow-up, reminders, phases per project type, and status updates. Comes in handy if you have repetitive processes such as onboarding, quotes, or sprints.

3. Communication and collaboration

Misunderstandings often arise from inadequate communication. Therefore, it’s smart to use a clear communication tool in addition to email. Of course, this is also available in FlowQi, so you can always maintain direct lines of communication with your teams.

Other communication tools are:

• Slack. For real-time messaging, channels by project, and links to other tools.
• Microsoft Teams. Useful if you’re already working with Microsoft 365.
• Google Chat. Works with Google Workspace.
• Whatsapp. Suitable for freelancers and small business owners.

But instead of using endless emails, different systems, or separate WhatsApps, FlowQi lets you add comments to tasks, projects, and client files, so everything stays together.

Summary: Best software for project managers

It can quickly become overwhelming with all the software out there for project managers. But our advice is: start small. Choose one tool and slowly expand your system.

Plus, keep everything under one roof so you avoid switching between systems and fragmented data. A good project manager doesn’t necessarily have the most expensive software, but knows how to use smart tools to keep a good overview.

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