Project Management Tools for Systems Development Work

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Project Management Tools for Systems Development Work

System Analysis and Design · Chapter 9: Project Management, Scheduling, and QualitySection 9.6 · lesson 65 of 696 min · free with a free account

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In this lesson

MS Project, Jira, Trello, and Asana - and how to choose among them.

  • Identify the core features of MS Project, Jira, Trello, and Asana
  • Compare the 4 tools across the same dimensions
  • Choose a tool to fit a project's characteristics

Transcript

Everything said in the video, section by section (806 words). Read along, or search it.

Project Management, Scheduling, and Quality

Project Management Tools

Plans, schedules, and backlogs all need somewhere to live. This section looks at four widely used project management tools, compares them side by side, and shows how to choose the right one for a project.

4 Philosophies

Tools as Categories

Many project management tools exist. But four of them represent four distinct philosophies for tracking work. M S Project stands for detailed, predictive scheduling. Jira stands for agile issue tracking. Trello stands for a lightweight, visual board. And Asana stands for flexible, general task management. Understand them as categories, and it becomes easier to evaluate any other tool a team might come across.

Up Close (1 of 2)

MS Project and Jira

Microsoft Project is built around the Gantt chart. A detailed schedule of tasks, durations, and resources, linked by their dependencies. It supports resource allocation, critical path analysis, and complex, multi-phase scheduling. That suits large, plan-driven projects with many interdependent tasks, the predictive style of planning covered earlier in the course. Jira is built around issues, sprints, and agile boards. It tracks a backlog of work items through Scrum or Kanban workflows. It integrates tightly with software development, including bug tracking and release management. It is the tool most associated with agile teams. A software team running two-week sprints against a shared backlog would reach for Jira.

Up Close (2 of 2)

Trello and Asana

Trello is a lightweight, visual Kanban tool. Cards, each representing a task, move across columns that represent the stages of work. It is simple to learn and quick to set up, which makes it a strong fit for small teams and straightforward workflows. The trade-off is that it offers little support for complex scheduling, or for dependencies across many teams. Asana is a flexible work management tool. It offers multiple views of the same tasks, a list, a board, a timeline, and a calendar, for tracking ownership and progress across teams. It sits between Trello's simplicity and M S Project's depth, and is often used for team coordination well beyond software. For an organization coordinating several different kinds of teams, those multiple views give it an edge over Trello's single board.

Side by Side

Comparing the 4 Tools

Here are the four tools side by side. M S Project's core metaphor is the Gantt chart. Its strengths are detailed scheduling, resource allocation, and critical path analysis. It fits large, plan-driven projects. Jira's core metaphor is the issue tracker and agile board. It is strong at sprint planning, backlog management, and developer workflows. It fits agile software teams. Trello's core metaphor is the Kanban board. It offers simplicity, visual clarity, and quick setup. It fits small teams with simple workflows. And Asana is flexible work management, with multiple views and cross-team tracking. It fits general coordination across varied project types.

Figure 9.1

Mapping the Tools

This map positions the four tools on two dimensions. Left to right runs complexity, from lightweight and simple to set up, to full-featured and complex. Bottom to top runs planning style, from adaptive, agile tracking, to plan-driven, predictive scheduling. M S Project sits in the top right. Predictive and full-featured. Trello sits in the bottom left. Adaptive and lightweight. Jira is adaptive, but more complex than Trello. And Asana sits near the middle, balancing the two. Tools further right offer more depth, at the cost of more setup.

Choosing a Tool

Match the Tool to the Project

The right tool depends on how the project itself is run. How predictive or adaptive its planning is, how large and complex its dependencies are, and how many kinds of teams need to see the same work. If a project needs detailed scheduling, resource leveling, and critical path tracking across many dependent tasks, consider M S Project. If it is run by a software team working in sprints against a backlog, consider Jira. If it is small and straightforward, and suits a simple visual board, consider Trello. If it spans several teams or project types, and needs flexible views of the same work, consider Asana. These choices are not always exclusive. Many organizations use Jira for day-to-day engineering, alongside M S Project for program-level scheduling across teams and vendors. Together they cover ground neither covers alone.

Key Terms

The Vocabulary of This Section

Let's lock in the key terms. A Gantt chart is a schedule of tasks laid out over time, linked by their dependencies. A sprint is a short, fixed cycle of work. A backlog is the ordered list of work still waiting to be done. A Kanban board shows cards moving across columns that represent stages of work. And resource leveling adjusts a schedule, so that no resource is over-allocated.

Key Takeaways

What to Carry Forward

To pull this together. M S Project centers on Gantt-chart scheduling, for large, plan-driven, dependency-heavy projects. Jira centers on issues, sprints, and agile boards, for software teams working in Scrum or Kanban. Trello offers a simple, visual Kanban board, best for small teams and straightforward workflows. Asana offers flexible, multi-view task tracking, for coordination across varied teams and project types. And tool choice should follow the project's planning style and complexity. Organizations often combine more than one.

About System Analysis and Design at UPI Study

System Analysis and Design (Computer Science 390) is a self-paced online course of 69 video lessons in 9 chapters, from the analyst's role and requirements to UML modeling, interface and database design, testing, maintenance and project management. It carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits.

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Why students take System Analysis and Design with UPI Study

From business problem to working systemSystem Analysis and Design teaches how analysts study a business need and turn it into a system design: requirements, UML and data-flow models, interface and database design, implementation and project management. It is a core course in information systems and IT degrees.
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130,000+students helped with college creditsACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Where the credit goes

Universities that work with NCCRS

System Analysis and Design carries a NCCRS credit recommendation. These universities work with NCCRS; some are UPI Study's signed partners. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.

Thomas Edison State UniversityThomas Edison State UniversitySigned partnerUniversity of the PeopleUniversity of the PeopleSigned partnerCharter Oak State CollegeCharter Oak State CollegeSigned partnerStrayer UniversityStrayer UniversitySigned partnerColumbia Southern UniversityColumbia Southern UniversitySigned partnerIndiana TechIndiana TechSigned partnerPenn StatePenn StateWorks with NCCRSSouthern New Hampshire UniversitySouthern New Hampshire UniversityWorks with NCCRSSUNYSUNYWorks with NCCRS +many more cooperating universitiesFind my college →

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FAQ

Questions students ask us

About Project Management Tools for Systems Development Work

What is the difference between Jira and Trello?
Jira is built around issues, sprints, and agile boards for software teams, while Trello is a lightweight, visual Kanban board for small teams and simple workflows. Jira tracks a backlog through Scrum or Kanban and integrates with bug tracking and release management. Trello moves task cards across columns representing stages of work; it is quick to set up but offers little support for complex scheduling or cross-team dependencies.
When should a team use Microsoft Project?
Microsoft Project suits large, plan-driven projects with many interdependent tasks. It is built around the Gantt chart, a detailed schedule of tasks, durations, and resources linked by dependencies, and it supports resource allocation, resource leveling, critical path analysis, and complex multi-phase scheduling. Many organizations pair it with Jira, using Jira for day-to-day engineering and Microsoft Project for program-level scheduling across teams and vendors.
What is Asana best used for?
Asana is a flexible work management tool best suited to coordinating several teams or project types. It offers multiple views of the same tasks, including a list, a board, a timeline, and a calendar, for tracking ownership and progress. It sits between Trello's simplicity and Microsoft Project's depth, and it is often used for team coordination well beyond software development.
How do you choose the right project management tool?
Choose a project management tool based on how the project is run: how predictive or adaptive its planning is, how complex its dependencies are, and how many kinds of teams need to see the work. Detailed critical path scheduling points to Microsoft Project, sprint-based software work to Jira, a small simple workflow to Trello, and varied cross-team coordination to Asana.

About the System Analysis and Design course

How many college credits is System Analysis and Design?
System Analysis and Design (Computer Science 390) carries a NCCRS credit recommendation for 3 semester credits. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
How much does System Analysis and Design cost and what is included?
$250, paid once, with lifetime access: all 69 video lessons, a practice quiz after each, the graded work and final exam, and an official transcript when you finish. Students who want several courses choose UPI Study PRO instead.
Which universities accept UPI Study credits?
UPI Study has signed partner agreements with universities such as Thomas Edison State University, University of the People and Charter Oak State College, and works with universities such as Penn State, SNHU and SUNY. ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities. Use "Find my college" on this page to check yours.
How long does System Analysis and Design take?
It is self-paced with no deadlines. The 69 lessons total about 9 hours of video; most students add reading and practice time and finish in a few weeks to a few months, on their own schedule.
How are the exams done?
Quizzes and assignments are online in the course. The final exam is taken online with proctoring; a person on the UPI Study team checks assignments, usually within two days.
How do my credits reach my college?
When the course shows 100% complete, request the official transcript from your dashboard. It is sent to the college you name, and you can send it to more than one. Check your college first with "Find my college" on this page, or ask Athena.

Ready for the full course? Earn 3 credits in System Analysis and Design.

69 video lessons, a quiz after each one, and the graded work that earns the credit. Recommended for credit by NCCRS.

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