ProjectManager has revealed the latest update to its PPM solution. Headlining the update are three new integrations with leading solutions. There are new integrations to team management solution Trello, agile software development tool Jira, and collaboration platform Slack.
Other minor improvements in this release include a new notification if a file is moved to a new folder. Governance improvements include better visibility of permissions on folders and an entry on the task history log when someone moves a task to a different column. This update follows from a security update earlier this month.
Trello and Jira
While many might see Trello as a competitor, and it is indeed used as a project management tool in some companies, it does not have the project management focus of ProjectManager. Instead, it focuses on Team and task management. The integration is straightforward, and Trello users need to set up ProjectManager as a Power App and connect the two applications with an API key.
Once integrated, users can work within their chosen applications, viewing and updating relevant information either on cards in their Trello boards or from within ProjectManager. Trello tasks must be individually mapped to the appropriate Project Manager task. As yet, there is no way to create tasks for specific departments using the integration automatically. Once connected, Trello users can view:
- Task Description
- Priority
- Progress
- Due Date
Data from Trello, such as progress and priority, are passed to ProjectManager.
Jira is the tool of choice for software developers to manage their work. Similar to the Trello integration, data is visible and can be updated in both applications. Although tasks must be linked from within Jira, it is possible to create new tasks within Jira that can appear in ProjectManager
Slack
Even before the acquisition by Salesforce, Slack was growing in popularity and challenging Microsoft Teams. The new integration with Slack enables users to access ProjectManager tasks and projects from within Slack. Users can also create new projects and tasks from within a Slack Channel using the slash command.
Other features include the ability to see information within Slack about a ProjectManager project, including a description, due date, priority, progress and assignee. This is done by copying and pasting the ProjectManager URL into Slack.
Task and Project creation is interactive. Slack will provide a form to enter basic details of each. It is also possible to create a named task or named project without this additional step. The task or project will appear in the My Work section of ProjectManager.
Enterprise Times: What does this mean
This update sees a change in the ProjectManager strategy. The only previously listed integration within the help files is Zapier. It is limited in use. Companies want a direct integration between solutions with better functionality. The integrations appear to be first-generation, and it will be interesting to see how ProjectManager developed these and what other integrations it considers.
Certainly, this update is welcome, and a more open approach from ProjectManager may see it attract more interest. With the announcement coming just before TSW, it may prove a timely announcement. However, ProjectManager is not one of the sponsors.
