Agile Project Management Tools
Managing a team of any size is always a daunting task if not organized. As Scrum Master I am responsible in executing and maximizing the Scrum process. However, I'm also tasked as being Project Manager. The traditional Project Manager is the leader and planner that manages a particular project and the team involved in said project. The role of the Scrum Master is more of an assistance role, a role that sits between the project and the client. I get to play both roles here at LevelTen; so having the right tools to execute successfully is key.
Here at LevelTen, we follow an Agile Project Management process. Instead of using the traditional Scrum Board like the one that was demonstrated on an episode Silicon Valley HBO TV series, we went for a digital approach. We use Pivotal Tracker, an agile project management tool that is focused on collaboration for software development teams.
Some of the employees here at LevelTen use Mac Apps to access Pivotal Tracker instead of using the website itself. I should point out that Pivotal Tracker is a web-based SaaS platform. Pivotal Tracker has an official app in the iTunes store, however it is only for iPhone and iPad, not desktop. You can download it here.
There is however a desktop Mac App called Booster for Pivotal, which will send a feed of updates to you Mac computer. You can do everything you normally would if you were logged into pivotaltracker.com. You can download it here.
Pivotal Tracker for iPhone and iPad
Booster for Pivotal Tracker
Don’t like Pivotal Tracker? Or are you just exploring a platform for your Agile team? Then here are some alternatives to try:
OpenProject
OpenProject is a free open source software for project management. It is very similar to what Pivotal Tracker offers, however instead of having to log on to a website, the program itself can be installed in your own infrastructure where you have control over all the data or build it on a private cloud. Other features that OpenProject has to offer that Pivotal Tracker doesn’t are document management where it acts similar to Basecamp. Also, there is a Wiki function that can be created for each and every project. Open Project also has a time and costs plugin that helps you keep track of time and budget of each project. Finally, it comes with a Scrum plugin that has a product backlog, sprint backlog, task boards, printable story cards, and more.
Yodiz
Yodiz is the one platform specifically made for Scrum. They call their platform Agile Scrum Tool and Issue Tracker. There is ScrumBoard where you can see velocity, user stories progress, issues progress, day’s left in the sprint, etc. The best feature of this project management tool is that it comes with what they call a “Project Dashboard”. The dashboard has a real-time data that shows the sprint’s progress as well as how well the team is performing their task and at what rate they are completing them.
Breeze
Unlike Pivotal Tracker, OpenProject, and Yodiz, Breeze is a minimalist and simple tool for project management. There is no clutter in the Breeze interface like the previously three mentioned Agile tools. This one was built with tech and non-tech projects in mind. The dashboard is rather simple with just 4 columns of ideas, to-do, doing, and done. Also they use a timeline where team members brainstorm ideas. A feature that is intriguing is the built in calendar where it shows when a project starts and ends, as well as when each task should be done on certain dates. This platform is not for those who practice Scrum, but rather just a simple Agile method, which is why I decided to feature it today.
What program do you use for project management or do follow Scrum? Let me know in the comments.
