Working on a project and managing other work areas simultaneously can be very challenging. This makes project managers to rely on Zoho Projects to better concentrate on the project instead of being distracted by other non-vital things.
The Zoho projects integration with the Chrome extension displays the list of all their registered portals, allowing them to select a portal based on their task requirements – making it easy for teams to access all their portals and projects in one place.
In this overview, we’ll delve into the key features that make Zoho Projects a powerful project management solution and explore the pricing structure to help you make informed decisions for your project needs.
So, Let’s navigate the exciting possibilities that Zoho Projects offers businesses and organizations of all sizes.
Zoho Projects Overview
Zoho launched its project management solution in 2006, and it has grown from 50 paid clients by the end of 2006 to over 200,000 businesses worldwide. This growth is attributed to its ability to provide clients with quality solutions that benefits their businesses.
So, what is Zoho Project Management? It’s a platform that project managers or entrepreneurs use to guide their team members toward achieving some predefined goals within a specified time frame through planning, tracking, and execution. Project managers also use the built-in issue tracker module in Zoho Project to resolve issues while keeping track of deadlines.
It is essential for project managers to choose a highly customizable project management tool that caters to their unique business needs to achieve the best outcome. Zoho Projects perfectly represents this as it provides several pre-filled industry templates and the option to create your template for projects relevant to your field.
How does Zoho Projects work?
With Zoho Projects, you can create a new project or choose from available templates. You also have the option to develop strict, private, or public projects. Strict projects adhere to a defined methodology and are more successful as their modules cannot extend beyond the fixed project date.
Private projects are accessible only to member project users, while all portal users can view and follow public projects. In public projects, users have read-only access but can view, follow, and add comments.
To create a project:
- Navigate to the Projects tab in the left navigation panel.
- Click the “New Project” button in the upper right corner and enter a Project Title.
- Set the Group, Budget, Task Layout, and other criteria for your project, and select a Billing Method.
- Customize the tabs for your project as necessary and click “Add.”
Key Features of Zoho Projects
Bug tracking:
The success and failure of a project can only be determined by understanding the bugs that have been fixed and the ones that are still pending. Therefore, Zoho Projects enables you to track issues and bugs in your software, focusing on the high-priority ones rather than wasting time on more minor bugs. This allows you to resolve issues quickly, improving your software’s quality and overall profitability.
Task automation:
Task automation helps project managers scale faster and more sustainably in project management. As the business grows, more hands are needed to complete tasks, and more money is spent on salaries. A powerful task automation tool like Zoho Projects can auto-compile frequently used messages and automatically populate your recipient’s details into a template without requiring any action from you.
Timeline management:
Zoho Projects’ timeline management feature represents a project’s activities chronologically, enabling clients and teams to understand the schedule and track progress. This also facilitates effective and timely execution because there will be no need to send separate documents to the involved parties.
Collaboration tools:
Zoho Projects cuts down unnecessary meetings and lengthy phone calls, as people can access what they need simultaneously and communicate instantly over instant messaging. They can ask questions and get quick responses from their team members and managers. Also, everyone can track the progress of the same project, even from home.
Project management:
Most project managers rely on Zoho Projects to boost their team’s productivity and improve overall efficiency. Working on a project and managing it simultaneously can be very challenging. Zoho’s project management tool enables managers to concentrate on the project instead of the process and address new challenges to enhance growth and development.
Zoho Projects Integration:
The ability to integrate Zoho Projects with other tools reduces the need to hire a project management professional on a long-term basis. Examples of Zoho integration include the following:
- Zoho Projects and Microsoft Office 365 integration: Project managers can add tasks to their Calendar in Microsoft Office 365 from Zoho Projects. They can also perform essential functions like transitions, assigning work items, setting due dates, and modifying priorities from their Outlook mailbox.
- Zoho Projects and Chrome Extension: This integration makes it easy for teams to access all their portals and projects in one place, displaying the list of all their registered portals. They can select a portal based on their task requirements, such as viewing notifications or posting messages, which can be well managed.
- Zoho Projects and GitLab Integration: Users can host their repositories, view source commits, and make code changes. They can also view all the changes made in their GitLab repository in Zoho Projects.
Pros of Zoho Projects:
Zoho Projects provides a stress-free way to collaborate with your team, allowing you to use the chat box at any time without leaving the page or switching tabs.
Zoho Projects offers a safe and straightforward approach to planning, coordinating, and managing all work projects.
As businesses grow, the need to manage more projects arises. Zoho Projects enables users to add as many projects as they want, a significant advantage for teams handling multiple projects.
Cons of Zoho Projects:
Zoho Projects has many features, making it difficult for users to find tasks assigned to their team members.
Users of Zoho Projects often complain about its high learning curve. While it has tutorials and templates for assistance, it can be time-consuming.
Sending invites using Zoho Projects and invoices requires a separate login for clients, frustrating them as both apps are from Zoho, yet they need different credentials.
Zoho Project's pricing plans
FREE: ₦0 for Up to 3 users with access to the following;
2 Projects
Subtasks
5GB of storage space
Try it here
PREMIUM: ₦1,200/user/month billed annually with access to;
Free Features +
Unlimited projects
Project Templates
Time Tracking
Blueprints
ENTERPRISE: ₦2,700/user/month billed annually and access the below;
Premium Features +
Read-only users
Custom Fields & Status
Custom Roles & Profiles
Single Sign-On
Two-Factor Authentication
Zoho Projects Alternatives
Rodeo Drive: It is a project management platform that seamlessly integrates each of the 5 phases of a project’s life cycle to help project managers make more data-driven decisions. Top project managers highly recommend Rodeo Drive for its easy navigation and interface. Its timesheets are easy to use compared to Zoho, making it easier to encourage team members to stay on track.
Airtable: This platform is widely known for its flexibility. Its ability to create workflows and link existing databases is a significant advantage over Zoho Projects. Project managers working with spreadsheets should consider it a perfect fit for their needs.
Wrike: Wrike is best suited for larger organizations because of its versatility and scalability. It streamlines work processes for maximum efficiency, empowering teams across all departments to collaborate and manage projects. It serves as a single document for all departments.
Conclusion:
Zoho Projects stands out as a comprehensive project management solution in 2024, offering a robust set of features that empower teams to collaborate efficiently. Zoho Projects’ integration with other platforms like GitLab, Chrome Extension, Microsoft Office 365, etc., has reduced the need to hire a project management professional on a long-term basis.
With its user-friendly interface, advanced features, and flexible pricing options, Zoho Projects is a valuable asset for businesses seeking effective project management solutions in today’s dynamic landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Zoho Projects is one of the best time-tracking platforms, allowing you to log working hours, run reports, and bill clients. The time tracking functionalities of Zoho Projects streamline project performance, calculate time spent on tasks, export timesheet data in the desired format, and facilitate sending invoices for client payments.
Yes, the Zoho Projects Calendar can be integrated with Microsoft Outlook. This integration enables you to manage your workflow by scheduling it in the Zoho Projects Calendar. To set it up, log into your portal and click on Calendar in the left navigation panel.
Next, click the ICS help link in the upper-right corner and copy the Google Calendar link. Then, open the Outlook 2010 application and click the File menu. Click the Account Settings drop-down arrow, and then click Account Settings. Proceed to the Internet Calendars tab, click New, and paste the Google Calendar link copied from Zoho Projects. Finally, click the Add button to complete the integration.
