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Are companies linking document management into their big data strategies? They should be
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Many big data implementations are leaving document management systems behind, but DMSes house major stores of unstructured data. Should data analysts think again?
The earliest document management systems (DMSes) appeared in the 1980s. They moved beyond physical file cabinets and PC server storage and appeared on networks where multiple people and departments within a single company could gain access to a trove of documents in electronic form.
Since then, document management systems have been the primary movers and shakers behind companies’ efforts to digitalize. These systems scan, index, store, retrieve and transform documents. They have been instrumental in moving paper-based documents and images out of file cabinets and storage rooms and onto widely distributed networks that everyone uses.
 
The question is: Are companies linking document management with their big data strategies?
In many cases, companies are lagging.
SEE: Microsoft Power Platform: What you need to know about it (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
The big data repositories that are being built combine systems of record data with incoming Internet of Things and outside source data that is unstructured. Document management systems are used in this process, but there isn’t necessarily a concerted effort in big data strategies to maximize all of the data in a DMS.
On the DMS side, users search data and digitize and organize it — but other big data technologies, such as data cleaning and normalization, artificial intelligence, machine learning and more advanced algorithm development, aren’t yet broadly used.
Of course, there are niche exceptions.
One of these exceptions is the legal discovery process that pores through reams of documents that are often housed in corporate document management systems. The goal of a legal discovery software is to analyze unstructured documents and to use AI and machine learning to determine which documents (out of thousands) are most relevant to a potential upcoming legal case, and which are not.
In this instance, there are no lengthy corporate arguments about whether it’s necessary to import documents into a big data repository from a DMS. The use case stands by itself.
However, in other cases, a compelling reason to mesh a DMS with a big data repository might not be there. For instance, does a genome sequencing experiment really rely on what a DMS would typically include?
SEE: Digital transformation: 3 things your organization can’t afford to overlook (TechRepublic)
The takeaway is not really whether a DMS is needed for a big data repository but simply that it should be considered. The DMS so often becomes an outlier for big data strategy because data scientists and IT data analysts have a tendency to overlook it.
What should companies do to ensure that their DMS systems are included as potential sources for information that flows into a big data repository? Here are four steps.
Are companies linking document management into their big data strategies? They should be
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Microsoft this week announced SharePoint Server Subscription Edition changes, including a switch to biannual "feature update" release model.
A so-called "rings" approach also will be used with these biannual feature update releases. Microsoft also signaled plans to release SharePoint Workflow Manager by year’s end, replacing Microsoft Workflow Manager.
Biannual Feature Updates
SharePoint Server Subscription Edition users are getting put on a biannual feature update model. New feature updates will arrive twice per year, labeled as "H1" and "H2," and prefixed by the year. These feature updates will arrive with Microsoft’s Public Update and Cumulative Update cycles, which typically corresponds with "update Tuesday" quality and security patch releases.
The "22H2" feature update for SharePoint Server Subscription Edition is already released with the September 2022 SharePoint Public Update, the announcement explained.
Microsoft is using the feature update term to refer to new capabilities in the SharePoint Server Subscription Edition product. The term can have other meanings, though. For instance, for Windows clients, a feature update release is a new operating system.
New features used to arrive with a new product, such as SharePoint Server 2019. Microsoft, though, conceives of SharePoint Server Subscription Edition as bringing new features more frequently via a "more agile approach," explained Stefan Gossner, senior escalation engineer for SharePoint, in this in this Microsoft blog post.
Feature Release ‘Rings’
Microsoft is planning to release feature updates to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition in two ways, per its so-called "feature release rings" approach. Organizations will be offered an "Early" release and a "Standard" release.
The Early release was described as being available for testing, but it’s also there to "use new feature experiences in a production environment as soon as possible," per Microsoft’s "rings" document.
The Standard release is Microsoft’s default and was described as being "supported for production use." A Standard release typically gets validated beforehand by an Early release.
IT pros can use "SharePoint Central Administration" to switch feature update deliveries between the Standard and Early options.
New Features in Version 22H2
The new features that are in SharePoint Server Subscription Edition version 22H2, released on Sept. 13, are described in this document.
Just two features — the feature release rings capability and a Windows Antimalware Scan Interface (AMSI) integration capability — are available with the Standard release this month.
The AMSI integration was described as allowing "applications and services to integrate with any antimalware product present on a machine and examine incoming web requests to detect and block potentially malicious requests," per the announcement.
Other 22H2 new features are just available in the Early release ring. They include:
The latter item represents a rebuilding of ListData.svc "so that it no longer depends on the legacy WCF Data Services components," the announcement explained.
The 22H2 new features released this month sort of represent the value to expect with the SharePoint Server Subscription Edition.
"The features above are the beginning of how we will continue to deliver new value to SharePoint Server Subscription Edition through our updated release model, designed to bring new capabilities every six months through these changes," explained Bill Baer, a Microsoft senior product marketing manager for SharePoint, in the announcement.
SharePoint Workflow Manager
Microsoft also announced that it will be replacing Microsoft Workflow Manager and Service Bus with a new SharePoint Workflow Manager.
A release of SharePoint Workflow Manager, which is designed for use only in SharePoint environments, is expected to be available "by the end of this year."
The SharePoint Workflow Manager replacement will affect users of other SharePoint Server products as well." SharePoint Workflow Manager will work with "SharePoint 2013, 2016, 2019 and Subscription Edition," according to Troy Starr of Microsoft, in the comments section of Microsoft’s announcement.
Microsoft will be putting its "future investments and maintenance on SharePoint Workflow Manager rather than Microsoft Workflow Manager," Starr added.
There doesn’t appear to be much published information about SharePoint Workflow Manager. The exact reason for this coming change wasn’t explained.
By SharePoint workflows, Microsoft is referring to small applications that are used to automate business processes, per this Microsoft support document’s definition. These SharePoint workflows "have been retired since August 1, 2020 for new tenants and removed from existing tenants on November 1, 2020," the support article indicated.
However, there’s an exception carved out for SharePoint Server Subscription Edition users. Here’s how this "deprecated features" article described it:
SharePoint 2010 workflows are deprecated but will remain supported for the SharePoint Server Subscription Edition release until July 14, 2026. After that date, SharePoint 2010 workflows will no longer be supported. Microsoft recommends exploring SharePoint 2013 workflows or Power Automate as potential alternatives to SharePoint 2010 workflows.
SharePoint Server End-of-Support Warnings
Organizations using SharePoint Server 2013, SharePoint Server 2016 and SharePoint Server 2019 will be getting notifications from Microsoft as their product end-of-support times draw near.
"These versions of SharePoint will now display notifications in both the Central Administration and SharePoint Management Shell experiences when the affected product is approaching its end of support date," Baer indicated in the announcement.
Topping that list will be SharePoint Server 2013, which will fall out of support on April 11, 2023.
Microsoft offers SharePoint Server upgrade advice in this document.
Subscription Edition Tied to Software Assurance
SharePoint Server Subscription Edition was commercially released late last year and now constitutes the only way for organizations to run SharePoint Server on their infrastructures going forward.
The SharePoint Server Subscription Edition follows Microsoft’s traditional licensing to a degree. For instance, it has Server Licensing costs and Client Access Licensing costs. However, to use it, organizations also must renew mandatory Software Assurance annuity payments each year.
The notion that the Subscription Edition is tied to Software Assurance annuity payments is maybe not so clear, but it’s explained by Starr in this Microsoft Tech Community post.
About the Author
Kurt Mackie is senior news producer for 1105 Media’s Converge360 group.

Microsoft on Monday announced the “general availability” commercial release of Windows Server 2022 on the Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS).
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Solutions Review’s listing of the best metadata management software for healthcare is an annual mashup of products that best represent current market conditions, according to the crowd. Vendors are assessed if they have a dedicated offering designed for professionals in this industry.
The editors at Solutions Review have developed this resource to assist buyers in search of the best metadata management software for healthcare to fit the needs of their organization and use case. Choosing the right vendor and solution can be a complicated process — one that requires in-depth research and often comes down to more than just the solution and its technical capabilities. To make your search a little easier, we’ve profiled the best metadata management software for healthcare providers all in one place. We’ve also included links to each company’s industry-specific product page so you can learn more.
Note: The best metadata management software for healthcare is listed in alphabetical order.

Alation Data Catalog helps you find, understand, and govern all enterprise data through a single pane of glass. The product uses machine learning to index and make discoverable a wide variety of data sources including relational databases, cloud data lakes, and file systems. Alation democratizes data to deliver quick access alongside metadata to guide compliant, intelligent data usage with vital context. Conversations and wiki-like articles capture knowledge and guide newcomers to the appropriate subject-matter expert. The intelligent SQL editor empowers users to query in natural language, surfacing recommendations, compliance flags, and relevant policies as users query.

Alex Solutions is a technology agnostic unified enterprise data catalog. It features a business glossary that enables users to define and maintain key business terms and link them to physical data assets, processes, and outputs. Policy-driven data quality combines data lineage with data profiling and machine learning-based intelligent tagging. Alex also offers intelligent tagging that helps users add business context to physical data assets. Deployment and integration are simple, and the product’s user interface is friendly to business users.

Collibra’s Data Dictionary documents an organization’s technical metadata and how it is used. It describes the structure of a piece of data, its relationship to other data, and its origin, format, and use. The solution serves as a searchable repository for users who need to understand how and where data is stored and how it can be used. Users can also document roles and responsibilities and utilize workflows to define and map data. Collibra is unique because the product was built with business end-users in mind.

IBM’s InfoSphere Information Server features a metadata repository that stores metadata from suite tools and external tools and databases and enables sharing among them. Users can import metadata into the repository from multiple sources, export metadata by various methods, and transfer metadata between design, test, and production repositories. Changes that are made in the repository are automatically made throughout the suite, and uses standard relational database technology.

Informatica Metadata Management allows enterprises to tap into four major categories of data, including technical, database schemas, mappings and code, business (glossary terms, governance processes), operational and infrastructure (run-time stats and timestamps), and usage (user ratings and comments). Informatica creates a knowledge graph of an organization’s data assets and their relationships by applying AI and machine learning. Active metadata serves as the foundation for Informatica’s Intelligent Data Platform.

Octopai is a centralized, cross-platform metadata management automation solution that enables data and analytics teams to discover and govern shared metadata. The product does metadata scanning by automatically gathering it from ETL, databases and reporting tools. Metadata is stored and managed in a central repository, and a smart engine using hundreds of crawlers searches all metadata and presents results quickly. Octopai is best used for use cases in business intelligence, governance, and data cataloging.

Oracle Enterprise Metadata Management is a metadata management platform that can harvest and catalog metadata from any provider. The product allows for interactive searching and browsing of the metadata as well as providing data lineage, impact analysis, semantic definition, and semantic usage analysis for any metadata asset within the catalog. Oracle Enterprise Metadata Management also touts advanced algorithms that stitch together metadata assets from each of the providers.

Platform: OvalEdge
Description: OvalEdge offers an on-prem data catalog and governance toolset that crawls databases, data lakes and back-end systems to create a smart catalog of the information. The product provides a discovery platform that both novice and experienced analysts can use to discover data quickly. OvalEdge includes built-in governance tools that help define a standard business glossary, data assets, PIIs and limits access by various roles. It also organizes data automatically via machine learning and advanced algorithms.

SAP offers its metadata management capabilities via SAP PowerDesigner, SAP Information Steward, and SAP Data Intelligence. SAP utilizes metadata integration for multiple DBMS platforms, across the SAP ecosystem, with available integrators for BI platforms, data modeling solutions, and other data integration software. Users can ingest metadata from other tools to create reporting and monitoring systems for data migration and data valuation as well. Metadata discovery data modeling and scenario analysis are available via SAP Data Intelligence.

Smartlogic Semaphore is an enterprise-grade semantic platform that allows organizations to enrich data, extract facts, and harmonize information sources. The product features a model-driven, rule-based approach that enhances the capabilities of existing technologies. Smartlogic allows users to drive self-service delivery as well as move enterprise search from keyword to semantic to find data related to a query. Smartlogic is known for its excellent modeling, metadata transformation, and creation capabilities.

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The transaction will bolster Transflo’s multi-channel capabilities for the transportation and logistics supply chain
TAMPA, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Transflo, a mobile, telematics and business process automation provider for the transportation industry, announced today that it has acquired Microdea, a leader in document management and workflow automation solutions for the transportation and logistics industry. The transaction represents a significant step toward Transflo’s goal of broadening its capabilities to meet the fast-growing demand for digitized workflows within the transportation supply chain and will expand Transflo’s presence in the Canadian market.

As a result of the transaction, Transflo will combine its operations with Microdea’s employees, customer relationships, and products, including Synergize, Microdea’s enterprise document management software. The combined business will operate under the Transflo brand as the leading provider of end-to-end supply chain solutions for shippers, freight brokers, carriers, and drivers in North America. Financial terms were not disclosed.
“We are extremely excited about joining forces with Microdea and adding its impressive product suite and client roster under the Transflo brand umbrella,” said Frank Adelman, CEO of Transflo. “The transaction is a strategic step in growing our footprint in the key Canadian supply chain sector and will drive additional efficiencies and solutions to the market today.”
Founded in 1991, Transflo provides the transportation supply chain with one of the largest digital platforms that helps shippers, freight brokers, carriers, drivers, and receivers improve communication, gain load visibility, expedite payment processing and automate the back office. This strategic collaboration will enhance the digitized end-to-end automated document workflow within the supply chain for all of these constituents.
“Microdea has done an outstanding job in providing value and significant ROI to their customers. We hope to capitalize on those areas where they excel,” added Adelman.
“The joint strength of Microdea and Transflo will solidify our position as a leading provider of best-in-class mobile and back-office workflow automation technology solutions in the transportation industry,” said Jonathan Cowie, General Manager, Microdea. “We’re excited to join forces and help carriers and brokers get more value from their Microdea and Transflo technology investments.”
The Transflo Digital Ecosystem incorporates telematics and the Transflo T-Series ELD, which is connected to both the vehicle and Transflo Mobile+ app via a driver’s mobile device. The company’s suite of solutions includes Electronic Bills of Lading (EBOL), Electronic Proof of Delivery (EPOD), Velocity+ broker services, document scanning, freight visibility, truck navigation, and other features such as image optimization and digital workflow management tools.
Bennett Jones LLP and Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP served as legal advisors to Transflo while DC Advisory LLC and KPMG LLC served as the company’s deal advisors.
Stikeman Elliott LLP and Woods Oviatt Gilman LLP served as legal advisors to Microdea while Ernst & Young LLP and principals of Klar Ventures LLC served as accounting and financial advisors to Microdea.
For more information about Transflo’s full ecosystem of products and solutions, please contact us at sales@transflo.com or call 866-220-8267.
About Microdea 
Microdea is a document management and back office automation software solution provider that has been serving the North American transportation and logistics industry for 25 years. Over 400 transportation companies use Microdea’s technology solutions to speed up cash flow, increase profitability, and accelerate growth. To learn more visit: www.microdea.com
About Transflo 
Transflo® by Pegasus TransTech is a leading mobile, telematics, and business process automation provider to the transportation industry in the United States and Canada. Transflo’s mobile and cloud-based technologies deliver real-time communications to fleets, brokers, shippers, and commercial vehicle drivers, and digitize 800 million shipping documents a year, representing approximately $84 billion in freight bills. Organizations throughout the Transflo client and partner network use the solution suite and digital platforms to increase efficiency, improve cash flow, and reduce costs. Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, USA, Transflo is setting the pace for innovation in transportation software. For more information, visit www.transflo.com.

Trish DaCosta
KCD PR
(619) 955-7759
transflo@kcdpr.com
Transflo acquires Microdea – expands footprint into Canada to meet the fast-growing demand for digitized workflows within transportation sector.
Trish DaCosta
KCD PR
(619) 955-7759
transflo@kcdpr.com

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The rebuilding in places like Matlacha, Fla., won’t happen overnight.
Massive storms like Ian and Fiona mark the beginning of a long and frustrating process for anyone who loses their home and possessions.
Recovery usually takes years.
Everyone’s experience is unique, but I’ve noticed some common patterns while researching disaster recovery. Understanding this complex process, which includes dozens of nonprofit and government programs – along with what resources are available and how aid is distributed – can benefit survivors and those who want to help them.
At first, relatives, friends and neighbors may provide basic necessities like shelter, child care, transportation, food and water. They might assist with debris removal.
In addition, nonprofits, religious institutions and groups of volunteers flock to affected areas. They remove debris, place tarps on houses and clean flooded properties.
These clusters of do-gooders often respond to requests via organizations that match disaster survivors with volunteers.
Once this support dissipates, everything gets much harder – including emotionally.
Homeowner and flood insurance, supplemented by savings, are the most common sources of money for rebuilding housing destroyed or damaged by disasters.
Unfortunately, rising building costs and housing values have exacerbated underinsurance – leaving more people without the right kind of insurance or too little coverage. And most Americans have less than US$7,000 saved up.
Replacing demolished homes usually costs more than new construction. Habitat for Humanity, a nonprofit that builds and renovates homes for people unable to afford them, spends up to $100,000 per house. That is likely less than an individual would pay because of Habitat’s ability to get discounted supplies and its reliance on volunteer labor.
Even those with insurance covering home reconstruction must document all losses and contact insurers right away – starting what could be years of paperwork for reimbursements and applications for several kinds of aid.

Survivors can get up to $37,900 for home repairs beyond what their insurance covers from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA also may provide up to $37,900 in individual assistance funds to meet other needs.
Known as IA, these funds can pay for things like child care, funeral expenses, medical costs and furniture after most federally declared disasters. Eligible expenses must be directly linked to the disaster and not covered by insurance or savings.
Survivors apply online or at disaster resource centers, which operate in local community centers, gyms or arenas. These temporary offices are one-stop shops where residents learn about and apply for government and nonprofit recovery programs.
I have seen this process frustrate or overwhelm survivors. They find FEMA paperwork grueling because of the details, records and time required.
Even if you qualify for the maximum $37,900 available in 2022, it is unlikely to fully cover rebuilding costs. And most applicants receive less than that.
Some survivors get only a one-time $500 payment from FEMA to cover what it calls “critical needs.”
After Hurricane Harvey struck Texas and Louisiana in 2017, claimants received an average of about $4,000. In addition, FEMA regularly denies claims. In those cases, FEMA asks disaster survivors for additional documentation if they wish to appeal. Survivors can also appeal to FEMA to increase the amount they were awarded.
Survivors don’t repay FEMA’s individual assistance program if they follow all guidelines, such as not using housing funds to get a car. They can also apply for a Small Business Administration loan to help cover recovery costs for their home or business.
FEMA individual assistance and SBA loan programs usually stop accepting new applications 18 months after a disaster.
People with adequate insurance coverage and enough savings – and who qualify for FEMA grants and Small Business Administration loans – often rebuild their homes as quickly as within six months and generally within two years.
Those ineligible for FEMA’s aid, or those who need more help than it offers, can turn to nonprofits.
Many nonprofits aim to support many disaster survivors’ needs, such as housing, mental and physical health care, transportation and employment. They also help survivors file FEMA appeals.
Several national nonprofits are experts at disaster case management, helping survivors apply for available services and funding. Others assist with repairs or complete home rebuilds.
Faith-based nonprofits like United Methodist Committee on Relief, St. Vincent de Paul, Lutheran Disaster Response and INCA Relief USA are among those providing or supporting disaster case management. Mennonite Disaster Services offers much-needed rebuilding and repairs small and large. These organizations stay in affected areas for years to walk survivors through recovery.
I study what are called long-term recovery groups. They coordinate and collaborate with local and national nonprofits to reduce the burden on disaster survivors so they don’t need to shop around for help at dozens of different organizations.
Local and state governments also play a big role. One way is through distributing the funds that originate with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery program.
Priorities and eligibility for CDBG-DR aid vary for each place and disaster, and this source of assistance helps more than just homeowners. Examples include issuing forgivable loans to landlords to rebuild rental housing, rebuilding public housing, buying out properties in floodplains and providing funds to pay for the elevation of homes to make them less likely to be flooded in the future.
This funding tends to take a long time to access. In 2022, six years after Hurricane Matthew struck South Carolina and North Carolina, I participated in a study that found some survivors were still awaiting a response to their application for funds that would pay for either housing elevation or a buyout.
Some people never return and rebuild after a disaster.
New Orleans’ population is smaller now than before Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005. The city has become more white and Hispanic – indicating that many Black residents never returned.
Permanent displacement happens even in small towns after smaller-scale disasters. A research partner and I found that 12% of the houses in the town of West, Texas, weren’t rebuilt within three years of a tragic fertilizer plant explosion that upended life in that community of 2,800 in 2013.
People who recover first are usually wealthy and white. Those facing many hardships even before a disaster occurs are more likely to never fully recover, because of inequities at each step.
FEMA has found inequities in its own aid processes, confirming what scholars have pointed out for years.
Among homeowners, those with high incomes in predominantly white communities get more aid than others. Small Business Administration loans hinge on creditworthiness, privileging those with high credit scores and incomes. People over 65 may refuse to take on loans because they live on small pensions or Social Security benefits.
Renters get little of this aid, even though rental properties are the slowest to be repaired and rents rise after disasters because of high demand and low supply.
People who live in mobile homes, as many do in Florida, have trouble finding aid to replace demolished housing. Mobile home parks are slow to reopen after disasters, if they don’t close for good.
Survivors who are undocumented immigrants or were homeless before disasters are left out of most government disaster recovery programs.
While nonprofits do make low-income survivors a priority, they work fastest with the owners of single-family homes. Nonprofits rarely repair mobile homes, rental units or multifamily housing like apartments and condos.
As a result, it’s up to the state and local government agencies that disburse HUD disaster funds to assist with recovery efforts for people who reside in these kinds of affordable housing.
Michelle Annette Meyer, Director, Hazard Reduction and Recovery Center; Associate Professor of Urban Planning, Texas A&M University
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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While project management software has a reputation for being intimidating, we’re going to break it down and show you that project management can be as easy – or as complex – as you want it to be. Read on to discover eight tools you can use today.
You need to be able to plan, execute and monitor projects without running out of breath. What’s the best way to do it all? Easy-to-use project management software. 
Project management software keeps your workflow organized and maintains a transparent record of who’s doing what, so you can save your mental bandwidth and stop having to run behind everyone for updates. 
The project management apps on this list have tons of great features. Flexible project/portfolio views, project resourcing and tracking, and tools for analytics are among the features that define easy-to-use project management software. In fact, a PwC report claims that 77% of high-performing projects use this kind of software. 
There are many simple project management tools, but one of the easiest to manage projects today is Trello. Its simple drag-and-drop interface allows you to track project progress visually and is great for small teams to start with, even with the free version.
Notion boasts an impressive 20 million users worldwide. Other commonly used project management tools include Basecamp, with a total of 16 million users; Trello, with 4.75 million users worldwide and ClickUp, with 4 million users.
Some of the best project management software, like Trello and monday.com, offer free plans.
Finding easy-to-use project management software can be a challenge. There are so many options out there, and it’s hard to know where to start.
If you’re looking for a good project management tool, start by learning about the key features that people in your industry use. Ask your peers what they like about their current software solution, then determine whether that software will meet your needs. If not, look for other tools with similar features but better interfaces or support.
It’s also a good idea to test-drive multiple services. Look for key features like task assignment and filtering, creating project timelines and milestones, sending messages and feedback to team members and monitoring the amount of time your team spends working on projects. Some software allows you to add useful widgets and integrations to your dashboards and create post-project audit reports.
Now that you know what you’re looking for in your project management software, here are the top eight to kick off your journey today.
More details about monday.com:
Pros:
Cons:
monday.com has a wide range of use cases as an easy-to-use project management software. Out of the box, the software has various functionalities. Some of its top features include real-time team collaboration, timeline views, calendar views, time tracking and dozens of integrations. This not only helps keep projects streamlined, but also enhances team communication overall. 
Projects are managed through a single central board, which serves as the project’s hub and reflects changes made on a task-by-task basis. Boards can also be customized by adding new columns to view data on hours spent per task, status and location. You can also customize the aesthetics, by adding a theme and color to the groups and labels.
This makes it powerful for overall reporting and project tracking.
monday.com’s pricing has a cap of two users on the free plan, and view access is limited to just list and kanban. The paid plans feature multiple project views, unlimited tasks and automations. There’s also a 14-day trial available on all paid plans. Check out our monday.com review. 
More details about Trello:
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If you’re looking for simple project management software to get started, Trello’s a great fit. Trello’s interface is designed to be user-friendly, so you can easily transform it into the project management tool of your dreams. It’s easy to use for managing projects, with a kanban view popular among users of all skill levels. It also includes a ton of premade project templates.
Trello is built around cards, which you can organize into different phases on your kanban board. You can color-code the cards and attach images or files to them, as well as invite team members to collaborate on a board with you. 
Trello’s free plan is quite robust, with unlimited users and integrations (referred to as Power-Ups). It does, however, set a limit of 10 boards per workspace and restricts file sizes to 10MB. If you want to use unlimited team boards and expand your collaboration beyond the kanban view, choose the Standard plan, which begins at $5 per user per month. You can read our full review of Trello here.
More details about Wrike:
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Wrike is a robust project management tool that excels at creating customized team workflows. From there, it’s simple to set a timeline, make interactive views like Gantt charts and see your upcoming tasks clearly. Wrike’s real-time report-building feature also allows you to analyze performance.
Wrike combines project management software with visual tools and allows you to monitor workload management, track project budgets, and create vision boards that let you collaborate in real time with your team. It also grants detailed administrative control, so you can customize the look and feel of different dashboards and see who is engaged with what.
Wrike provides a free plan for unlimited users with no time constraints, but it limits some of the advanced features like Gantt charts. The paid plans unlock access to all of Wrike’s features. Read our Wrike review today.
More details about GanttPro:
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GanttPro is a one-stop shop for everyone involved in a project or portfolio to see all the specifications and timelines in one place. It’s a purely online project management platform and gives users the ability to create different workspaces for both personal and professional purposes.
GanttPro is primarily aimed at teams that make extensive use of Gantt charts to define their workflows. 
GanttPro is on the more advanced end of the project management spectrum, but you don’t have to be a subject matter expert of Gantt charts to be able to pick up the tool’s functionalities from the get-go. Thanks to the platform’s intuitive interface, you can get started with tracking task dependencies, linking dependencies and monitoring the critical path in no time. 
Unfortunately, GanttPro doesn’t have a free plan, but it does offer a two-week trial for all the paid plans, which are charged per user, per month and billed annually. For more advanced project planning features like custom fields, you’ll have to upgrade to the Pro or Business plan.
More details about TeamGantt:
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If you’re just getting started with Gantt charts, TeamGantt provides a user-friendly interface worth considering. Users can create a collaborative Gantt chart that shows how long each project should take, and breaks it down by user so that everyone can see how their tasks are interrelated.
What truly distinguishes TeamGantt is its extensive visualization capability. Gantt chart, board, list, calendar and portfolio project views are all available. The timeline also offers a high level of visualization, including the ability to see all your projects on one screen, while task dependency features allow you to monitor the order in which tasks are completed and have oversight into individual workloads and capacity.
The free plan gives you access to one chart and up to two collaborators, with a limit of 60 tasks. If you get comfortable and want to go beyond using just one Gantt chart, you should consider opting for one of the platform’s paid plans. Learn more in our review.
More details about ClickUp:
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ClickUp is an easy-to-use project management software with customizable views such as a list view, a board view (similar to a kanban view), a box view (which separates individual workloads) and a calendar view (which sorts actions by due date). 
It’s also one of the best free project management apps available, with a generous freemium version that makes it one of the best project management software for startups. Smaller teams can use it for task management, creative projects and more.
ClickUp can be used by various teams, regardless of the goals they are working on. It has a wide range of use cases, ranging from acting as an HR database to functioning as a CRM software for managing customer relationships and insights. 
It can also be used for marketing and sales, as well as more personal project tracking options for individuals. Users can work toward project tasks, which serve as the user’s “mission control center.” Other features include two-way calendar sync and integrations with Toggl for time tracking.
As a free project management tool, ClickUp offers a comprehensive solution for teams of varying types with file sharing limits of 100MB per file upload, followed by an unlimited plan that starts at $5 per user per month. If you want to collaborate with external partners or unlock more advanced automations and features, consider moving to the paid plan. Learn more in our ClickUp review.
More details about Notion:
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Notion combines the functionality of a project management app with the features of note-taking and centralized documentation. If you’re a freelancer or a part of a team with tasks that require a lot of documentation or organizational wikis, Notion would be a great fit.
Each department can set up its own base, dividing the organization’s functional units into identifiable team resources, while still actively working toward the same goals. 
Notion is divided into three sections. In projects and tasks, teammates can record individual tasks or assign them to teammates. Notes and docs lets teams share meeting notes or pertinent documents; the team wiki is where information can be stored and recorded. 
Notion’s centralized operating system keeps the entire team informed. The project and task lists come with flexible kanban boards. Notion offers the capacity to designate a person and a priority level for each task. You can also add board properties for further customization, defining each property as per your requirements. 
Notion has an amazing free plan for individuals, with access to all major features plus unlimited pages and blocks. However, if you want to use the platform as part of a larger team, you’ll need to upgrade to a paid plan. You can read more in our review of Notion.
More details about Basecamp:
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Basecamp is rather popular in the project management space, but is known for excelling in one particular way: as a communication tool. It’s half basic task manager and half communication tool, focusing more on the information shared between team managers rather than the deliverables (projects) themselves. 
Basecamp sets up its users in a pyramid structure. The top layer represents HQ (the whole company), the middle layer is for teams (divided into specific departments) and the final level is for individual projects. This helps streamline communications, so users only see pertinent information. Each card comes equipped with different tools like a message board, to-do feature, document and file uploads and more.
Basecamp offers a free plan with a cap of three projects, 20 users and 1GB of storage. Opt for the Business plan If you want to unlock more — you can try it free for 30 days first. Though charged monthly, Basecamp offers a 15% discount if you pay for a year up front. Learn more in this Basecamp review.
If you’re new to project management and don’t have much experience with project management software, it’s important to find the right product. Some users prefer one of the free options, while others want to pay for a premium solution that offers more features and functionality. monday.com is our overall favorite, but another option might be better for your particular needs.
Trello, Wrike and GanttPro made our top four, due to the versatility of their features and the easy interface they all provide. Each sports its own unique features, from kanban-based models to Gantt-chart work breakdowns, but all the project management tools on this list come power-packed in their own way. 
It’s also important to note that different kinds of businesses require different types of project management tools. Small businesses may only need basic tasks like tracking time cards, while large corporations need more advanced tools to manage their business processes and stay within budget. 
Feel free to chime in and let us know what your favorites are in the comments section, and as always, thank you for reading!

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