Project Management Tools Overview
Web-based project management apps like ClickUp, Jira, Trello, and open-
source tools (e.g. Redmine, OpenProject) help teams organize work by
projects, tasks, milestones, and team roles. Each tool provides ways to
create projects, assign tasks, track progress, and collaborate. For example,
Redmine (open-source) supports multiple projects with Gantt charts and
time tracking for each issue[1]. Many tools offer free plans: ClickUp’s free tier
even includes unlimited tasks and team members[2]. As a project
manager you evaluate features (task views, boards, reports) and ease-of-
use. In this report we focus on ClickUp and how to perform core actions from
a PM’s perspective.
Key Features of ClickUp
ClickUp is a flexible “everything” app for work. It lets you create tasks and
subtasks with custom fields, statuses and checklists. You can tailor
workflows using ClickApps (35+ built-in apps that add features) – e.g. add
custom fields, sprint points or automations to tasks[3]. ClickUp supports 50+
automation actions and triggers to automate repetitive steps[4], and
offers hundreds of templates for common project types (marketing, IT, HR,
etc.) to save setup time. It integrates with 1,000+ tools (calendars, email,
Slack, Git, etc.)[5] so your data can sync from other apps.
For organizing and tracking, ClickUp provides multiple views (List,
Board/Kanban, Gantt, Calendar, Timeline, etc.) and Dashboards.
Dashboards let you visualize project metrics in one place: you can add
widgets for tasks, sprints, time tracking, status charts and more[6]. ClickUp
also supports Goals and Milestones – you can mark any task as a
Milestone (displayed as a diamond in Gantt view) to signal key
deliverables[7]. Built-in time management lets team members use a global
timer or add time estimates to tasks, and then report time spent[8]. In
summary, ClickUp’s rich feature set (custom fields, automations,
dashboards, goals, integrations, etc.) makes it suitable for managing projects
and teams.
Setting Up a Project in ClickUp
1. Create a Space (Project container) – In ClickUp, your highest level
is a Workspace (for the organization). Inside it, create a Space to
represent your project or department. Spaces are groups of work and
can be organized by team or initiative[9]. Each Space has its own
settings and can be shared or private[9].
2. Add Folders and Lists – Within a Space, you can add optional
Folders and Lists to organize tasks. Folders (useful for complex
projects) automatically start with one List[10]. Inside each Folder (or
directly in a Space if not using Folders), create Lists to group related
tasks[10][11]. For example, you might have Lists for “Sprint 1”,
“Design Tasks”, or any stage of work. Lists contain the actual tasks
and subtasks[11].
3. Example: Create a Space called “Website Redesign.” Inside it, add a
Folder “Frontend” (it will auto-create a List). Rename the List (e.g. “UI
Tasks”). You now have a space-folder-list hierarchy ready for tasks.
4. Create Tasks and Subtasks – In any List, click the “New Task”
(plus) button to add a task[12]. Enter a task name and (optionally) a
description. You can then set due dates, attach files, add tags or
custom fields, etc. Each task can also have subtasks (smaller action
items) or checklists inside it. Use the task input form to add details. For
repeated work, you can save a task as a template for reuse.
5. Example: In your “UI Tasks” list, click +, name it “Design home page”,
and fill in details. Under this task you might add subtasks like “Create
wireframe” and “Review with team.”
6. Set Milestones – To mark important project phases, designate a task
as a Milestone. In ClickUp you can turn a task into a milestone via its
task settings or in Gantt view[7]. Milestones are shown as diamonds on
timelines and indicate completion of key stages. For example, you
could set “Launch Beta” as a milestone.
Each task automatically has a status (like To Do, In Progress, Complete). You
can customize these statuses to fit your workflow[13]. Statuses help track
progress (see below).
Adding Team Members
To collaborate, you must invite team members to your Workspace. As an
owner/admin, go to Workspace Settings (People) and enter emails of
teammates[14]. Choose their role (Member or Admin) and send the invite.
ClickUp’s free plan allows unlimited free members, so you can invite your
whole team[2]. Once they accept, they gain access. You can also share
specific Spaces, Folders or tasks with guests or limited members, assigning
view/comment/edit permissions as needed[15].
Example: Invite alice@[Link] as a Member to your Workspace.
Then share the “Website Redesign” Space with her. Alice can now see
that project and will appear as an option when assigning tasks.
Assigning Tasks and Collaborating
With team members added, you can assign tasks to them. In a task’s
details, click the assignee avatar icon and select a person’s name[16].
(ClickUp also supports multiple assignees if enabled.) Once assigned, that
user will get notifications and see the task on their personal board. You can
reassign or add more people at any time.
Team members can discuss tasks via comments, mention each other, attach
files, or even chat inside ClickUp. Comments can be pinned as action items.
ClickUp also has collaborative Docs and whiteboards if you need shared
planning documents. In short, after adding people, simply open a task and
assign it by clicking the assignee icon[16].
Tracking Progress and Reporting
ClickUp provides several ways to track project progress:
Task Statuses: Update each task’s status (e.g. To Do → In Progress →
Done). Statuses keep work organized and make progress
transparent[13].
Views: Use the Board view (Kanban-style columns per status), List
view, Calendar view, or Gantt view to visualize work. For example,
Gantt view shows tasks over a timeline. In Gantt, a progress bar at the
top shows how many tasks are complete versus total (in that
Space/Folder/List)[17]. Hovering over it reveals the completion
percentage.
Dashboards: ClickUp Dashboards let you create custom project
reports. You can add widgets (charts, pie graphs, task lists) for team
workload, sprint burndown, time tracked, or goal progress[6]. This
gives at-a-glance indicators of overall progress, bottlenecks, and
resource allocation.
Goals & Milestones: If you set project Goals or Milestones, ClickUp
can automatically track the percentage of linked tasks completed. For
instance, marking all tasks under a milestone as done shows that
milestone as 100% done in reports.
Time Tracking/Estimates: If your team logs time on tasks, ClickUp
can report total hours spent and compare to estimates. (Time can be
entered manually or via the built-in timer on tasks.)
In practice, you would update task statuses daily. Use the Gantt or Board
view to see the current state of all tasks. Dashboards and the “Progress”
metrics help a manager ensure the project stays on track. The combination
of statuses and visual reports means you always know “how many tasks are
left”.
Importing (Migrating) Data
If you have existing tasks (e.g. in Excel, CSV, or another tool), ClickUp can
import them to save setup time. Using the built-in Import feature (in
Workspace settings ➔ Import/Export), you can upload a spreadsheet and
map its columns to ClickUp fields. The importer will then create a new list of
tasks with your data[18]. ClickUp also offers direct imports from apps like
Jira, Slack, or [Link][18]. In short, you can migrate data into ClickUp:
simply format your tasks in a spreadsheet or export from your old tool, then
use ClickUp’s Spreadsheets Importer to populate your new project quickly.
Other Tools (Alternatives)
Aside from ClickUp, many PM tools exist. For example:
Jira (Atlassian): Geared toward software teams, with Scrum/Kanban
boards, backlogs, and robust agile reporting. It has deep configuration
for workflows and sprints. (Not directly covered here, but it’s widely
used.)
Trello: A simple Kanban-based board app with cards and lists (free
plan with limited features). Good for small teams or simple workflows.
Asana: Task and project tracking with list/board views and timelines,
has a basic free tier.
Open-Source Options: Tools like Redmine and OpenProject can be
self-hosted. For example, Redmine supports multiple
projects/subprojects, role-based permissions, issue tracking and Gantt
charts and calendars for planning[1], as well as time logging.
These tools are free but may require more setup.
For this assignment, you focus on ClickUp. Later, you can experiment by
mapping one of your own projects into ClickUp’s structure for practical
experience.
Sources: ClickUp official documentation and feature pages[19][6][7][17][13]
[14][16][2][18][1] provide details on features and usage. These illustrate
how to create projects, tasks, assign team members, and track progress in
ClickUp (and show comparable features in other tools).
[1] Features - Redmine
[Link]
[2] The best work solution, for the best price.
[Link]
[3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [19] ClickUp™ Product Features
[Link]
[9] [10] [11] Intro to the Hierarchy – ClickUp Help
[Link]
Hierarchy
[12] [16] Create a task – ClickUp Help
[Link]
[13] Manage task statuses – ClickUp Help
[Link]
statuses
[14] [15] Invite people to your Workspace – ClickUp Help
[Link]
your-Workspace
[17] Create and share a Gantt view – ClickUp Help
[Link]
a-Gantt-view
[18] Use the Spreadsheets importer – ClickUp Help
[Link]
Spreadsheets-importer