February 23, 2021

9 BEST PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR ARCHITECTS

The perfect project management software will benefit every industry or every company rather than achieving the best results. In this article, you will find the list of best project management software for architects, with explanations of features that make them our top picks.

The primary requirement for successful completion of architectural projects is easy communication across wide stakeholders of the company including the engineers, the financial planners, accountants, investors, etc. The usual practice becomes storing these data in numerous excel sheets but the conundrum still seems unmanaged, and that is when these project management software for architects become a blessing. By the name of it project management software for architects might seem similar to construction management software but some additional features are specific to architectural project management. They can help in keeping a better track of the projects, work in progress, and the processes better.

First things first. Let’s understand how you should evaluate project management software for architects.

  • User Interface (UI)
    Are the UX and the UI easily understandable? Can they be understood at a glance? Is the layout intuitive and designed well?
  • Usability
    Is the software compatible with both android and iPhones? Does it have a proper learning curve with video tutorials, webinars, papers, wikis, etc?
  • Features and their Function
    • Designing – Does the software let you brainstorm, take notes, and collaborate, and wireframe frame ideas with ease?
    • Accounting And Budgeting– Are features like billable hours for each worker and timesheets for tracking the time devoted to a particular project included in the tool? Does it also include money management features like invoicing functionalities, which could help architects in managing projects better?
    • Document Management And Versioning – Are all the versions of designs stored in the tool? Does the tool save posterity so that previous designs can be revisited? Does it show cost history and which department or individual had tracked which invoice? Does the software store blueprints? Can files be imported from tools like Google Drive or Dropbox?
    • Asset Storage and Collaboration– Can various audio, text, and video files be stored and compiled in the app as the project progresses? Can separate employee departments be made in the tool itself? Does the tool have built-in functions like chat or calling where architects working on the same project can communicate, collaborate, and work together in real-time? Can the management personnel keep a track of all the departments simultaneously?
    • Resource and Task Management – Can the software assist with helping architects with planning and allocating the required resources? Does it send alerts when the inventories need to be restocked? Does the software allow viewing the team member’s capacities and workload and allow for adjustment if required? Can users or team heads set deadlines for the projects? Can workers enter their attendance through the software? Does the tool allow workers to update their work progress every day? Does it also alert respective members about upcoming meetings of the day in the morning?
  • Integration Capacity
    Can other software used by the firm be connected with this tool to extract and collaborate information. For example, can it be connected with the time management, inventory management, and accounting management software that is already being used by the firm to obtain real-time information?
  • Value For Money
    Does the price paid, compensate for the features and capabilities of the software? Is the pricing transparent and flexible based on the versions used?

That was all about the features, now let’s talk about the software which has these features and makes it easy for architects to work.

  1. DELTEK AJERA
    Deltek Ajara is a robust project-based ERP built specifically for the field of architecture and engineering. It is a cloud-based platform including business intelligence, project planning, and project management. It is designed to manage the entire project life cycle including invoicing and accounting. Pricing or the software is available on request.
  2. TAIMER
    Taimer is one of the best options for keeping business processes and software in one place as it has capabilities in sales, project management, finance, and accounting, and business intelligence. It has task management, resource scheduling, and document management as relevant features for the architecture field.
  3. TOTAL SYNERGY
    Total Synergy is software specifically built for architects and engineers. It has features for project briefing, budget estimation, project planning, and several other integrations.
  4. TEAMGANTT
    It is a web-based, simple interface software for making Gnatt charts that can be easily applied for architecture projects. Additionally, it is also a drag and drop tool which makes it very usable. It has features for workload and resource management and collaboration, including the ability to view team workloads and adjust the team member availability. The software also lets team members communicate with each other. It starts at $24.95 per month.
  5. BASECAMP
    Basecamp is a project management tool that has features like task check-ins, file storage, and project boards. It has features like document management, collaboration, and task management features like message boards, calendars, to-do lists, schedules, file, and document storage, and client access options. It also has time tracking and billing features. The tool has limited direct integration options, even though it uses third-party tools like Zapier for the same.
  6. ASANA
    This software is specifically manufactured for architects. It is a project management software that helps lead architects to create visual plans for complex projects. It has features important to keep projects on track, including tasks, due dates, approvals, dependencies, and project templates. Asana has strong workload reporting and a suite for team management, security, and access. It also has a well-established feature for collaboration, communication among the users of a company. The pricing begins at $10.99 per user per month.
  7. NOTION
    Notion is a highly customizable software where one can create Kanban boards, company wikis, catalog design assets, to-do lists, and prepare projects and tasks in a way that is beneficial for the team. The tool contains boards, lists, documents, tables, and more than 30 templates that can be customized and fit into various projects. The price for Notion begins at $8 per month.
  8. WORKFLOWMAX
    WorkflowMax is Xero-built cloud-based management software. It has some impressive integrations apart from document management, lead management, and invoicing capabilities.
  9. ARCHIOFFICE
    ArchiOffice is a project management software that works on both mobiles and laptops. The project management software has time tracking capabilities and has been specially created for architectural firms and architects.

We hope that this list helps you in choosing the best project management software for your company.

About the author 

Peter Hatch


{"email":"Email address invalid","url":"Website address invalid","required":"Required field missing"}