Over the past century, project management has evolved significantly as a formal discipline. Digital platforms and cloud-based solutions that are now an imperative in most projects didn’t appear with the discipline. Back in time, organizations relied on methods and tools that laid the groundwork for today’s top project management software.
Understanding the origins of modern PM tools is more than just historical interest. It shows how the key concepts like scheduling, resource allocation, and task sequencing appeared, and how the early innovations are related to the tools we use today. This article explores some of the oldest project management tools along with their origins, design, and impact.
Project Management in the BC (Before Computers) Era
Projects existed and were managed long before digital tools appeared. People just relied on some methods that might seem basic today, but seemed remarkably effective at that time.
The ancient Egyptians, for example, used some project management techniques to build the pyramids around 2500 BCE. They didn’t have a particular method or tool, but still needed to coordinate thousands of workers, materials, and complex calculations.
In the early 20th century, Henry Gantt presented a Gantt chart that could be used to visually schedule project tasks over time. Project managers started drawing these charts by hand, painstakingly updating and redrawing them when plans changed.
In 1956, early practitioners of project management formed the American Association of Cost Engineers that remained the leading professional society for cost estimators, cost engineers, schedulers, project managers, and project control specialists since. In 1957-1958, the Critical Path Method and the Program Evaluation Review Technique (PERT) were introduced.
The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) Approach was added to the project management toolset in 1962. And finally, in 1965, the first International Project Management Association (IPMA) was founded, where the discipline started taking a more organized structure.
Still, most of the work was done by hand and on paper. Piles of project documentation, phone calls, in-person meetings, handwritten timesheets, purchase orders, folders, and handwritten lists as databases. While all these methods worked, they had clear limitations if compared to modern approaches: slow updates, wasted time, misunderstanding, limited collaboration, and difficulties in coordinating. But here’s where the introduction of the personal computer changed everything.
Microsoft Project (1984)
Microsoft Project was launched in 1984 for DOS systems and contributed to the digitalization of project management. Its first version computerized Gantt charts and eliminated the need to draw timelines and plans by hand.
The initial versions of the software allowed users to list tasks, set their durations and dependencies, allocate resources, and monitor progress. Microsoft Project could also calculate critical paths and highlight conflicts in the plan, removing this from manual work.
The greatest innovation was introducing project management to personal computers. That way, Microsoft Project became the industry standard in project management and planning in the 1990s. Now, Microsoft Project has many worthy alternatives, which you can read about here.
Primavera P6 (1983)
Primavera Systems released its first PM software slightly before Microsoft Project, in 1983. Although it was created for construction and engineering, it later became a go-to solution for complex, large-scale projects.
The first version centered on the critical path method and scheduling. It allowed users to create networks of activities. Further versions added resource management, progress tracking, and reporting functionality. Its distinctive feature was that it allowed the handling of many activities and projects simultaneously.
What also distinguished Primavera was the enterprise-wide resource optimization capabilities. This not only made it essential for organizations managing numerous large projects, but also established it as the standard for advanced project management in such industries as construction, engineering, and defense.
SAP Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management (1990s)
SAP’s Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management solutions were launched in the 1990s as part of the entire ERP system. In these modules, the company opted for integrating project operations with business processes rather than singling out project management as a standalone functionality.
Therefore, the initial versions focused on aligning projects with overall corporate strategy, budgeting practices, and resource planning operations. Users could create work breakdown structures, distribute resources, track costs and budgets, and follow progress within the general financial and resource systems of the company.
This integration was quite innovative back then. Changes in projects’ data could trigger procurement processes, add updates to financial forecasts, and synchronize with enterprise-wide resource availability. Large organizations that used SAP for other business functions, could finally do it within the same system avoiding data silos and saving time.
Jira (2002)
In the early 2000s, Atlassian launched Jira as a bug and issue tracker for software development teams. The tool quickly became a comprehensive PM platform widely used by technical teams around the world.
The first versions primarily focused on possibilities for tracking software bugs and development issues. Core functions included ticket creation and assignment to team members, distribution of priorities, and the possibility to track if the issue was resolved. This was pretty much straightforward and effective for development teams.
Additionally, Jira focused on providing flexibility to its users. It was possible to develop custom workflows, create custom fields, and specify issue types to match particular processes. The company based all the software’s functionality on agile methodologies, as they were most popular among IT teams and developers.
Therefore, you could find tools for Scrum and Kanban methods with features for sprint planning, backlog management, and dynamic visualization.
Basecamp (2004)
When 37signals (now known as Basecamp) launched their product in 2004, they took a refreshingly different approach to digital project management. Instead of prioritizing complex planning and management features, they went for simplicity and communication.
The original version focused on basic task management needs: simple to-do lists, the possibility to track milestones, share files, and send messages in the app. Basecamp complex Gantt charts and resource management for the equation, and focused on effective communication and collaboration, and basic task organization.
Its distinctive feature was accessibility. A clean and simple interface did not require long training or setups. Thus, everyone, regardless of technical background, could easily sign up and start using the app.
As one of the first cloud-based project management solutions implemented by companies around the world, Basecamp introduced the concept of basic project management, combining project communications, tasks, and files in one accessible platform.
Wrike (2006)
A bit later, in 2006, Wrike entered the market as a middle ground between basic collaboration tools and more potent project management software. The flexibility of this cloud-based platform made the tool adaptable to different work styles and needs without any specific focus.
The initial version of the software was quite simple: a column with folders and projects, a column with tasks, and a column with details. Teams could organize tasks, plan them with interactive Gantt charts, share files, and discuss tasks in threads.
Wrike distinguished itself for the possibility to manage work in the team in real-time and have dynamic timelines that automatically adjust when changes occur. Moreover, it was among the first to offer potent integrations with other business applications. Users could connect their accounts in Wrike with email systems and cloud storage to have a more frictionless workflow.
Trello (2011)
Trello’s prototype Trellis was first introduced in 2011 with the aim of addressing project planning issues. The company brought a digital Kanban board into the project management world that appealed to teams of all kinds across the world.
The first versions included simple boards with cards that users could move around columns based on their statuses. It was possible to create cards and add descriptions, checklists, dates, and file attachments to them.
Trello’s distinction was its visual boards that followed Kanban philosophy. The interface was so easy to learn and understand that any team with any knowledge or resources could manage projects. Moreover, the way Trello structured work made it easy to establish correct task priorities and identify weaknesses at a glance.
From past to present
What started as a common sense in coordinating efforts has gradually turned into a completely digital process that addresses all the aspects of the established project management methodologies. Since the introduction of PCs in the corporate world, project management software has continually adapted through the years to emerging approaches and requests, bringing significant technological changes.
Despite the differences in interface and functionality of the first software with modern tools, the basis is still the same. These tools are meant to bring clarity to work, coordination to team effort, communication, and visibility to the planning and execution stages.
Most of the earliest PM tools (Primavera, Microsoft, SAP, and Atlassian products) are still with us, even though in modernized forms. Gantt charts, WBS, CPM analysis, resource management, and task tracking haven’t disappeared. They’re still foundational and relevant in all industries and projects.
Looking at today’s project management software, we can see that progress in project management has never been about replacing the old, but rather extending the well-established benefits.
