Discover the unique role of project management in the digital age and understand the significance of proficiency in Microsoft Office and other project management software tools. Explore the most commonly used software and the skills needed for a successful career in project management.

Key Insights

  • Project management is a hands-on career, with a significant portion of planning, communication, reporting, and team management happening digitally.
  • Project managers are expected to be familiar with project management software tools, as 77% of high-performing projects are linked to the use of such software.
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office is a top requirement for project managers, with advanced skills in Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint needed for various project tasks.
  • Microsoft Project Management Software, also known as Microsoft Project, is the most widely used project management software and its familiarity is significant for professional project managers.
  • Other popular project management software programs include Trello, JIRA, Primavera, Monday.com, and Asana, each offering unique features for project and workflow design.
  • Industry-specific software programs may also be required for Project Managers, such as AutoCAD for construction project managers or programming languages for software project managers.

Project management is a hands-on career that requires interacting with teams, upper management, vendors, and potentially visiting job sites. However, most planning, communication, reporting, and team management will happen digitally. 

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Project Managers need to be familiar with project mmanagement software tools. PricewaterhouseCoopers reports that 77% of companies use Project Management software linked to higher-performing projects. Their report shows a strong correlation between successful projects and projects on Project Management software.

The most commonly required skill on Project Manager job listings is proficiency in Microsoft Office. Professional Project Managers must have advanced Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint skills. For example, a Project Manager may use Excel for budgeting a project and PowerPoint for reporting to stakeholders. Many companies also use Microsoft Office programs, such as Outlook for email and the Tasks program. 

Microsoft Project Management Software, commonly called Microsoft Project, is the most widely used Project Management software. It is recommended that professional Project Managers have at least some familiarity with the program is recommended for professional Project Managers. It was designed to assist Project Managers in creating a schedule, assigning tasks, tracking progress, managing the budget, and administrative tasks. One advantage of Microsoft Project is its full integration with Microsoft Office.

Popular Project Management Software Programs:

  • Trello: an online Kanban-style list-making software 
  • JIRA: customized project and workflow design
  • Primavera: enterprise-level project management that includes risk analysis and resource management
  • Monday.com: Cloud-based project management and workflow 
  • Asana: web-based organization and team management 

There may also be industry-specific software programs required for Project Managers. For example, a Construction Project Manager may also be required to know AutoCAD. Or, a Software Project Manager may need to be familiar with their team's programming languages.