PM Tool Selection

Echolocity
Jun 18
2 min read

Juggling Project Management Software Selection; Monday.com & Smartsheet

As business management solution consultants, we are often asked by clients’ which project management software to implement. As these questions come up, it is impossible to give a meaningful recommendation without understanding the details of their business and knowing what their project management need is.

The answer is in the requirements details. A great first step is to approach the answer by making a list of all the requirements you need, weight them, research and rate the best for what you need and within your budget.

Details to consider:

Your Industry
The number and length of your projects
Frequency of projects
How many projects do you have running at the same time
# of team members/project
# of tasks involved/project
Integrations needed with other software and your IT system requirements
Style of project management you prefer: Agile, Waterfall, etc. Do you need lists, calendars, Kanban boards
Do you need forms?
Do you need file storage and communication integration?
Technical proficiency of users to ensure a strong adoption rate.
Do you need workload management, time tracking and capacity planning?
Do you need budgeting, billing and invoicing capabilities?
Are there task planning dependencies?
Are there Cross-project dependencies?
Do you need to have multi-project reporting
Who are the users? Do you need to have user rights?
Who needs this data/reporting: analysts, leadership team?
What is your budget?

Here are key comparisons:

Criteria	Smartsheet	Monday.com
Features	- Grid-based interface with project tracking and task management.- Advanced reporting, dashboards, and Gantt charts.- Workflow automation and integrations with tools like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Google Workspace.- Time tracking and resource management.- Templates for various use cases like IT, marketing, and operations.	- Highly customizable boards for project tracking.- Visual task management with Kanban, Gantt, calendar, and timeline views.- Automation of repetitive workflows.- Integrates with apps like Zoom, Slack, Jira, and Salesforce.- Extensive templates for teams and industries.- Time tracking and workload management.
Adoptability	- Popular with enterprise-level organizations.- Strong adoption in construction, IT, and marketing teams.	-Widely used across small to mid-sized businesses and teams within large enterprises.- Flexible for various industries like tech, marketing, and HR.
Learning Curve	Moderate to steep: Advanced features like reporting and automation require training.	Low to moderate: User-friendly interface, but customization and advanced setups may take time to master.
Costs	- Free Plan: None.- Paid Plans: Start at $7/user/month (minimum of 3 users).- Enterprise pricing available.- Free trial for 30 days.	Free Plan: Available for individuals.- Paid Plans: Start at $8/seat/month (minimum of 3 seats).- Enterprise pricing available.- Free trial for 14 days.
Best Features	- Detailed project and resource tracking.- Powerful reporting and analytics.- Scalable for enterprise needs.	-Highly visual and customizable task boards.- Simple and intuitive interface.- Comprehensive integrations and automation.

Key Takeaways:

Smartsheet is ideal for teams needing a spreadsheet-style interface and enterprise-level project management capabilities with strong analytics and reporting.
Monday.com suits teams that prioritize visual task management, simplicity, and customization, especially for small to medium businesses.