Collaboration:  

OpenMind features standard collaboration options like team calendars and timelines (which have one of the easiest to follow layouts we've seen in any project management software). This program also features forums and email integration, making it easy for users to communicate with other users, and for project managers to easily communicate with team members. Microsoft Project integration is available, letting you import already-created projects into OpenMind. But OpenMind lacks some essential elements like a dashboard, which facilitates collaboration between project participants.

Resource Management:  

Data entry (adding and removing) of human resources is as simple as clicking the mouse, key in resource management. You can import your resources directly from Microsoft Outlook, eliminating the need to re-enter each resource’s individual information, or you can add them directly from your task list. However, after adding resources for project success, little can be done. OpenMind doesn’t let you group resources together or sort them by skills or departments, which can come in handy when you don’t specifically know each individual involved in your project.

Project Management:  

OpenMind has the standard stock of project management elements: task management, calendars and budgeting. But it lacks some nice-to-have features like recurring tasks and automatic notifications, which streamline project management by not requiring you to enter reoccurigng tasks or opening the software to check project progress.

One of OpenMind’s greatest features in project management is its different views of your project—including a task list, Gantt chart, mind map, timeline and outline. These various views let project managers see the project in a manner most convenient for them. The mind maps, a unique feature to OpenMind, give you a project visual reminiscent of brainstorming bubbles, letting you see each milestone and its related task. Plus, being interactive, you can update tasks right on the map without having to manually enter the data in the task list.

Ease of Use:  

OpenMind has a very low learning curve. When you open the project management software, you’re easily directed to a new project (which includes interchangeable views and template options) or existing projects. Adding tasks and milestones in your task list is like entering data in a spreadsheet—simple with keyboard navigation. The interactive Gantt charts, mind maps and timelines let you update your project information simply by clicking and dragging the mouse.

Help/Support:  

OpenMind’s main method of help and support comes from users interacting with other users in forums. These forums create discussions with real users who have first-hand experience with the program. A FAQs section on the website provides answers for general questions. But being able to contact OpenMind experts at their corporate office would be helpful.

OpenMind has an extremely low learning curve. Its ease of use is one of the best for project management software, and its different visual options (like Gantt charts and mind maps) offer any user a view he prefers for rapid productivity. Although the software lacks some nice-to-have features, basic project management is easily accomplished with OpenMind, making successful projects easy to manage.

Interested in online solutions? See our Online Project Management Reviews