Best Project Management Software for Consultants: 8 Platforms To Choose From

Chelsea Williams
Subject Matter Expert
May 26, 2023
13
min read
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Consultants tend to be heavily focused on solving clients’ problems. That’s both the best and most risky thing about your profession. Going above and beyond for your clients requires a significant amount of research, critical thinking, data analysis and collaboration — in other words, time and money. 

As a consequence, you and your team may not have had the time or resources to focus on the systems that need to be in place to support a heavy workload, nor considered that project management is likely one of the most important parts of your business.

However, there are significant benefits of intentional project management that apply to the consulting industry. Managing projects well is akin to maintaining the internal machinery of your business. And not doing so leaves an uncomfortable amount of room for error.

That’s why the implementation of a project management system that’s specifically designed for service businesses is not just nice to have. It’s a strategic imperative for driving the measurable part of your business.

Use this overview of benefits, considerations and popular platforms to evaluate and improve how your firm plans and delivers consulting projects.

The Impact of Solid Project Management Processes on Your Consulting Services

There are few industries besides consulting in which time equates more directly to billable hours. When you streamline your operations, especially the way your team manages projects, you’ll experience what it means to thrive rather than survive. As the consulting market grows ever more competitive, you can’t afford to sit back and miss out on an opportunity to refine what and how you provide services to your clients.

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A team that can comfortably track tasks and timelines can reply to clients with confidence. A team that understands potential issues can preempt them and adjust to ensure timely delivery in the end. And a team that has complete visibility can more easily talk to each other and innovate where necessary to make sure clients get the quality of service they expect.

Why Is Project Management Software Important for Consultants?

Your team is no doubt already managing plenty of projects, but like a lot of small businesses, you might be doing so in a piecemeal way. If you’re tracking tasks, time and progress in different places, or not at all, your firm could be missing out on helpful visibility — and profit potential.

When you implement a tech platform that’s specifically built for consulting firms, you can correct hidden inefficiencies, verify how your team is spending their time and improve the quality of client communication.

The list below can help you choose software to support your preferred project management methodology.

Essential Functionality of an Effective Consulting Project Management Solution

A good project management solution for consultants should be more than just a repository for task lists; it should offer comprehensive functionality that supports the entire lifecycle of a project. Look for these five key components at a minimum.

Project planning

Successful project execution starts with meticulous planning. The ideal project management tool will support due dates, deliverables, milestones and various project views, such as Kanban boards and Gantt charts. These features help consultants plot out project timelines, set expectations and keep track of progress against benchmarks.

Task lists

Task management is the core of any project management system. The right tool should enable consultants to create, assign and manage tasks with ease. Features like dependencies will help consulting teams move away from spreadsheets and other outdated methods of organizing tasks.

Collaboration features

Consulting is a team sport. So, a consulting project management solution should include robust collaboration tools that facilitate seamless communication and coordination among team members, regardless of their physical location. Shared workspaces, chat functions and commenting options are crucial for a productive team dynamic.

Automation

Automation in project management platforms significantly reduces time spent on repetitive tasks. Notifications and reminders can make sure no task is forgotten and that every person is aware of their responsibilities and upcoming deadlines. Bonus if the platform features customizable triggers!

Resource management

A top-tier solution should also provide resource management features like timesheets, billable hours tracking and team scheduling. These are vital for maximizing efficiency and accounting for every hour your team dedicates to project work, which has a direct relationship with your bottom line.

Bonus Benefits of Using a CRM With Project Management Tools

If you go for a CRM that integrates project management tools with customer relationship management features, your project resources and history are tied to your client records. This synergy allows for smoother transitions from sales to service delivery, as all of the client’s information, preferences and interactions are readily accessible.

A truly integrated CRM doesn’t just have these two functions, though. It provides access to sales tracking, ticketing, billing, reporting and more in one unified space.

Which Consulting Project Management Tool Is Best?

Knowing all of the above potential benefits, you know you need to make an informed decision about software. Yet, the research process can be overwhelming. We’re removing some of the burden by dissecting the intricacies of leading project management platforms that serve client-based businesses, including consulting firms.

Navigate to each platform to learn more:

  1. Accelo
  2. Asana
  3. BigTime
  4. ClickUp
  5. Scoro
  6. Teamwork
  7. Trello
  8. Wrike

1. Accelo: An Intuitive Client Work Solution

Accelo is an end-to-end client work management platform built to help professional service businesses automate tasks, improve visibility and increase profits. 

While it includes robust project management, Accelo offers solutions for all stages of client work, including sales and quoting, customer relationship management, client support and tickets, billing and retainer management.

Key features

  • Robust features not limited to project management
  • Retainer tracking to easily manage ongoing client relationships
  • Customizable workflows
  • Stream of recent activity for each client and project

Pros of Accelo

  • Clear visibility of scheduling and employee utilization
  • Email capture supports consistent client communication 
  • Editable access permissions and four default user types
  • A secure client portal to share quotes, project progress and more

Cons

  • Not ideal for businesses looking for solely project management (includes additional products to support entire client journey)
  • Customizable templates may not be suited for consulting firms that use a standard project format

Notable Project Management Integrations for Consulting

  • Google Workspace
  • Salesforce

Pricing

Accelo offers four pricing plans that scale with your business, from a self-serve plan for managing client information, tasks and communication all the way to the Elite tier, which includes all quote-to-cash features, premium support and more.

READ NEXT: How These 4 Consulting Firms Use Accelo

2. Asana: For Streamlining Workflows and Collaboration

Asana is built to enhance team productivity and project transparency. It’s a good choice for consultants who need to manage multiple tasks across various projects so nothing falls through the cracks.

Key features

  • Multiple project views, including list, calendar, timelines and Kanban board
  • Project and task templates to simplify recurring work
  • Customizable dashboards and goal tracking at the company, team and individual levels
  • Rule-based automations to save time and organize tasks

Pros

  • User-friendly interface
  • Adaptable for multiple industries and project types
  • Forms and automations to simplify workflows
  • Timeline view for tracking deadlines and dependencies

Cons

  • No invoicing or accounting options or integrations
  • Limited customization options compared to some competitors

Notable Integrations for Consulting

  • Microsoft Teams
  • Slack

Pricing

Asana offers three pricing tiers:

  • Basic: Free, with a 15-user limit for security essentials
  • Premium: $10.99 per user per month
  • Business: $24.00 per user per month

➡️ Learn about the core differences between Accelo and Asana.

3. BigTime: A Robust PSA Tool

BigTime is a professional services automation (PSA) software that offers businesses real-time insights into resource allocation. The platform makes it easy to manage projects, track billable time and generate detailed reports in one integrated suite. In 2022, BigTime acquired Projector PSA — now called Projector by BigTime.

Key features

  • Time tracking and expense tracking
  • Client billing
  • Custom reports and dashboards
  • Automatic scheduling recommendations based on availability

Pros

  • Invoicing and billing integrated with project management
  • Profitability and utilization reports
  • Complex project accounting
  • Built-in payment processing with BigTime Wallet

Cons

  • No granular view of project progress and budget
  • No free plan and no free trial readily available

Notable Integrations for Consulting

  • Salesforce
  • Slack

Pricing

BigTime’s pricing is as follows:

  • Essentials: $20 per user per month
  • Advanced: $35 per user per month
  • Premier: $45 per user per month
  • Projector: $60 per user per month

➡️ Explore how BigTime compares to Accelo.

4. ClickUp: A Customizable Project Hub

ClickUp is a modern project management platform that encourages collaboration with features such as whiteboards, Gantt charts and Kanban boards. It supports granular task management and tracking projects for various departments simultaneously. 

Key features

  • Goal target tracking
  • Multi-layered approvals
  • Customizable views
  • Gantt charts and Kanban boards 

Pros

  • Usable for teams of fewer than five employees
  • Built-in apps for customizing task management
  • Competitive pricing for small to mid-sized teams
  • Agile-friendly with features supporting sprints, backlogs and more

Cons

Notable Integrations for Consulting

  • GitHub
  • Google Calendar

Pricing

ClickUp has four pricing tiers:

  • Free (for personal use)
  • Unlimited: $7 per user per month
  • Business: $12 per user per month
  • Enterprise: Custom quotes are available.

➡️ Compare the features and benefits of Accelo vs. ClickUp.

5. Scoro: Comprehensive Business Management

Scoro is a systems-oriented project management platform that helps consulting firms and other professional service providers manage complex projects. It improves team productivity with customized project templates and ample integrations.

Key features

  • KPI dashboard for simple goal tracking
  • Task bundles to cut down on project creation time
  • Multiple languages for invoices, quotes, contracts and more
  • Customizable templates for unique workflows

Pros

  • Useful for businesses that need the ability to automatically plan recurring projects
  • Best for businesses that value clear KPI visibility
  • Easy setup of recurring tasks and projects
  • Supports multi-currency and multi-language invoicing

Cons

  • More costly than some other project management tools
  • Not as customizable as some comparable software platforms

Notable Integrations for Consulting

  • Microsoft 365
  • Zapier

Pricing

Scoro does not offer a free plan. Its pricing tiers are:

  • Essential: Starting at $26 per user per month
  • Standard: Starting at $37 per user per month
  • Pro: Starting at $63 per user per month
  • Ultimate: Custom quotes required

➡️​​ Dive deeper with our comprehensive comparison of Accelo vs. Scoro.

6. Teamwork: Elevated Project Execution

Teamwork is a project management platform designed to facilitate collaboration and deliver a high degree of control over projects. It caters to consultants who need a clear, centralized view of project objectives, deliverables and timelines.

Key features

  • Project tracking with milestones, task lists and messages
  • Time tracking with billing and invoicing capabilities
  • Collaborative document management and editing
  • Resource management and workload capacity planning

Pros

  • Intuitive interface for client communication
  • Task management flexibility
  • Rich features for remote teams
  • Straightforward billing process

Cons

  • Users report that the mobile app is glitchy
  • Some project management features are not as in-depth as those in other platforms

Notable integrations for consulting

  • Harvest
  • HubSpot

Pricing

Along with a free plan for up to five users, Teamwork has three paid tiers:

  • Deliver: $10 per user per month
  • Grow: $18 per user per month
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing for advanced features and dedicated support

➡️ Read more about Accelo vs. Teamwork.

7. Trello: A Visual Project Collaboration Tool

Trello is a user-friendly web-based software built around the Kanban method of project management. Collaborators communicate on task cards, which they can drag and drop to various customized lists as each task advances through the project process. 

Key features

  • Multiple assignees per task card
  • Automated list movement and team assignments
  • To-do lists, images, files and comments on each task
  • Mobile app available for iPhone and Android

Pros

  • Simple, card-based task management
  • Power-Ups to enhance boards with additional features and integrations
  • Free version with limited features
  • Good for non-tech-savvy users and remote teams

Cons

  • Not usable for teams whose workflows don’t work with the Kanban method
  • List views can become cluttered and confusing according to some users

Notable Trello Integrations for Consulting

  • Confluence
  • Jira

Pricing

Trello has four pricing tiers:

  • Free: Up to 10 boards per workspace
  • Standard: $5 per user per month
  • Premium: $10 per user per month
  • Enterprise: $17.50 per user per month

➡️ Discover why Accelo’s reports were key for one accounting firm.

8. Wrike: Work Management for High-Performing Teams

Wrike is a work management tool that consolidates internal and external communication for teams of all sizes. The interface provides at-a-glance project progress and tracks goal progress for multiple teams within an organization.

Key features

  • Custom tags and fields
  • Robust and customizable reporting views
  • Supports cross-department collaboration
  • Shareable dashboards

Pros

  • Good for simultaneously managing both long- and short-term projects
  • Saves time when onboarding new employees
  • Scalable for small teams and large enterprises
  • Advanced analytics and reporting

Cons

  • Users claim there’s a steep learning curve
  • Lack of audit capabilities could be problematic for large teams

Notable Integrations for Consulting

  • Adobe Creative Cloud
  • Microsoft Teams

Pricing

Wrike’s pricing is tiered as follows:

  • Free: Limited features
  • Professional: $9.80 per user per month
  • Business: $24.80 per user per month
  • Enterprise: Custom pricing for larger businesses

➡️ See even more Wrike alternatives for project management.

How To Choose the Right Platform for Your Consulting Team

Choosing the right project management platform is pivotal for the growth of most consulting firms. If you find one that’s intuitive, the ease of use will encourage adoption and minimize resistance to new processes. Once implemented, it can significantly influence your operational flow and scalability.

To ensure you make an informed choice, follow these tips for vetting project management software:

1. Assess user-friendliness

The platform should have an easy-to-understand interface or offer team training and implementation support to help your consulting team become proficient quickly. During your trial or demo, note how easily you can navigate the system and complete basic tasks.

2. Evaluate scalability

Analyze how well the platform can adapt to the evolving needs of your business. It should handle an increasing workload and more complex projects without compromising on speed or user experience. Inquire about pricing and adding new users to gauge the platform’s ability to grow alongside your business.

3. Inspect integration capabilities

Integrating seamlessly with other tools is essential, especially if you’re looking at project management software that doesn’t have other client work functions built in. Check on native integrations and APIs to see if you can connect to the other platforms you already use and any you might consider in the future.

4. Investigate customization options for project management

Each consulting firm has unique processes. Do you have specific workflows, project types or reporting needs that a project management tool must be able to configure?

5. Confirm security features

Given the sensitive nature of client data, robust security measures are non-negotiable. Verify every potential platform’s compliance with industry standards and regulations, and look into its data encryption, access controls and backup procedures.

6. Scrutinize support

A responsive support team can greatly enhance — and even make or break — your experience with a software tool. Determine what kind of support is available and the hours of the support team to verify that it aligns with what your business needs.

7. Read reviews and case studies

Client testimonials and case studies can provide valuable insights into how a platform performs in the real world. As much as possible, seek user feedback from others in consulting.

8. Consider the total cost

Beyond the per-user monthly price, you’ll want to factor in implementation and training costs, add-ons, subscription fees for other platforms that make up for limitations and any other expenses that will accrue over time. An initially more expensive platform might offer greater long-term value than a cheaper alternative with lackluster support and minimal flexibility.

Committing to Project Management Software

With many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to decide which project management software is best for your consulting firm. It’s not just a matter of deciding on tools — it’s a strategic move that can ultimately shape how your firm operates, collaborates and delivers value to clients.

As you seek to understand your firm’s specific needs and how they align with the capabilities of the software, don’t forget to consider what your firm requires today and what it will need in the future. If you put effort into finding a long-lasting solution, you’ll be able to keep up with the ever-changing worlds of project management and consulting.

In an effort to simplify this process and minimize confusion, we want to have a conversation with you. In an Accelo demo, you’ll get a chance to express your biggest challenges and past roadblocks, and we’ll help you envision how efficient and profitable your business could be with the right technology.

If you’re ready to consolidate platforms and help your entire team through every stage of client work, including project management, consider reaching out to us to book your demo.

Author Bio
Chelsea Williams
Accelo's blog posts are brought to you by a team of experienced subject matter experts. With a deep understanding of client and sales management, resource planning, and project efficiency, we aim to share our knowledge and practical insights to help you navigate the complexities of operating a service based business. Our goal is to provide you with expert-driven content, up-to-date information, and actionable advice on Professional Services Automation, designed to help your business succeed.
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