How do you train and onboard your team to use project management software effectively?

One size may not fit all, so what is the nature and size of the project; how complex is the delivery i.e. does it involve multiple partners or cross team colloboration; how do the deliverables interact etc. Always remember the PM itself is not a deliverable but an enabler and should be approprate to the proejct not an all consuming activity.

We need to clearly understand the client's requirements and goals before choosing project management software. Once they have been cleared, we need to pick the tools and technologies that fulfill the requirements and are capable enough to achieve the desired goals in the best time span.

Train and onboard your team to use project management software effectively by providing comprehensive tutorials, hands-on practice sessions, and ongoing support. Tailor training to individual learning styles and needs, emphasizing key features, workflows, and best practices. Encourage experimentation and offer opportunities for feedback and questions. Foster a collaborative environment where team members can share tips and insights, promoting mastery and confidence in using the software.

Scalable here is key; i.e. if all you need is a simple task breakdown with owners and timelines you need something as easy as setting up a basic spreadsheet. The other aspect is managing collaboration and control i.e. who can read, who can report against and who can modify. Also how does its reporting suite meet the needs of your organisation and/or external stakeholders.

Always try to select software that is easy to understand, easy to operate, and adaptive in nature. This will aid the feature team concentrating on the problem statement instead of the software deployment and integrations. This will enable the development team to produce the best product within the shortest possible timeframe.

If it needs much training then its no good - should be intuitive to anyone with basic PM skills, but there may be gold users who act as how to do gurus for more complex tasks....

We need to choose tools that match both client requirements and project software features. It is possible to assess the team's confidence in the technologies that will be included in future development cycles. Depending on the team member's self-assurance and familiarity with the tools and technologies. Based on that information, we must organize knowledge transfer sessions, virtual and physical webinars, and workshops. If necessary, we should consider other suitable options to support and train team members.

This is very important. The set standards could include logging hours daily, adding proper comments, and updating the status workflow accordingly. The expectations could involve assigning responsibilities within the team. Assuming you are managing the project using Agile methodologies like the Scrum framework, ensure that the responsibilities are well-defined, such as monitoring work, managing the backlog, reviewing reports, etc.

Really? - as said before this has to be a simple tool not a self generating overhead - if the efficiencies and benefits are not obvious it's not fit for purpose.

I would say monitoring does need to take place but it needs to be against the Project Software Objectives. What would be classified as 'Efficencies and benefits are not obvious'? Is the objective to provide information in a more timely manner to stakeholders, is the objective for the PM to spend less time administrating the project, is the objective to ensure that all decisions and documents for example are stored and accessed from a single place. Is the objective to improve collaboration and communication? If all communication is now being done by messages in a system rather than face-to-face dialouge has communication 'improved'. I feel as though the 'objective' in projects like this is often missed.

Train and onboard teams for project management software by offering tailored sessions. In an oil and gas exploration project, hands-on training accelerated software adoption. Incorporate real-life energy project scenarios for practical understanding. Foster a learning culture, as in a utility-scale solar initiative, by providing continuous support and resources. Ensure teams grasp the software's value in enhancing collaboration and efficiency, crucial in the dynamic energy sector.

I feel a large element that is missing is migration, prior to implementing a PM software most organizations will have some kind of project tracking be it spreadsheets, a different software etc. Will only new projects go into the software? Will we put all non-closed projects into the software and how. What access levels will users have will resources be able to update the status on their own tasks or will the PM take responsibility based on discussion with team members. What forums will the software be used, will it be used to provide status updates to stakeholders rather than more traditional project status reports, will the software be up on screen and updated during project stand-up meetings etc.