The Commoditization of Project Management Software

 

I cut my teeth in a business of nuts and bolts (the definition of a commoditized product). My father sold industrial fasteners and I worked my way up from driving the delivery truck to outside sales. Working for him early in my career taught me that there were differences in the materials used to make bolts and how they reacted in different situations and under different stresses. I learned which type of fastener to recommend for any given situation and whether or not you would use a heat-treated bolt rather than something different.

When you look for project management software solutions, are you taking a nuts and bolts approach? Or commoditizing products and limiting your search by looking at a software features list and comparing feature by feature to make decisions about which particular work management software to buy. I think this might be a mistake. Let me explain why.

Without making a value judgment about which would be better to purchase (because depending on your use case either could be a good choice), let's look at a Ferrari and a Hyundai:

1. Four wheels—check
2. Engine—check
3. Steering wheel—check
4. Transmission—check
5. Brakes—check

You probably get my point. Although the above feature list can be met by both automobiles, there are still many differences between the Ferrari and the Hyundai. If the only criteria you use for choosing a car is the above criteria, the differences between the two cars wouldn't make a difference (commoditizing the buying decision).

In addition to the feature list above, considerations like performance, style, and what you intended to do with the car might also be considerations. When those criteria are added, there could be some situations where the Hyundai might not even be a consideration, right?

Looking at work management solutions, I believe that there are many of the same type of considerations. Most PPM software solutions offer similar (if not identical) features, making it difficult to make an accurate side-by-side comparison without commoditizing the process. In my opinion, the differences are typically identified when organizations consider what their objectives for implementing a solution include, who is going to be using the solution, whether or not the solution will accommodate current methodologies, etc. There may be times when a simple task management solution will fill the bill, and other times when a more complete and robust solution is required. In other words, neither the Ferrari or the Hyundai will work for everyone all of the time.

The commoditization of any product, including PPM software doesn't make sense unless the product being commoditized is really a commodity, like bolts and nuts. (Say that three times real fast.) Chosing the right software tools requires a number of considerations over and above the feature set. If the project management tools you use don't help make the process easier or more efficient, or provide some kind of value to the process, maybe it isn't the right solution.

How do you measure the success or failure of your software tools?