Is project management necessary in a single dev shop?

Question

I'm the sole developer at my job and we currently do not have any kind of project management software for our products. I believe something was used when they had a larger development team but nothing since I've been there. I track new feature requests and project milestones via documents but I'm not sure if this is the best practice.

Should I even consider incorporating a project management tool? Is there a tool that is considered industry standard or that would be best for my situation? I've heard of basecamp but have never really looked into the product.

To give a little more background. Our source was in CVS and I've since migrated it to SVN. I'm also using GIT for some of our newer code bases. I've got a bug system (fogbugz) going but haven't gotten to the point where I use it often. My next goal with the code is creating and executing tests which again used to be done but hasn't for a little while. Its a lot of work but its fun!

Answer 1

a) Yes project management is necessary b) The tool is not the point. You cannot select your tool until you know your process, and what you will track.

I would not recommend, for instance MS Project - you can draw horizontal bars with a ruler. I would recommend doing your project planning on paper. You may well wish to use an issue tracker to track tasks.

Use version control. Create and execute tests.

Answer 2

It is very important to have a proper project management software in an organization. A project management software helps in lot of areas like:

• application life-cycle management
• goal setting
• internal business analysis
• manage multiple projects at same time and more.

If asked personally, I have been using a project management software for the last 6 months for strategy development process & application life-cycle management in my organization and it has also turned to be very helpful in managing projects. I will recommend you to opt for one to manage your work easily.