This web-based project management software system came online in 2009 and helps companies of any size make the most of their projects with robust task management and reporting, auto-notifications, customer portal, collaboration tools, dashboards, mobile apps, document management, and more, such as the Inbox feature to capture all updates generated automatically by the software. Free for up to 15 users with pricing after that based on number of users, the system can be accessed on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones whether Android or iOS. Asana’s robust communications features mean you don’t have to utilize email to talk about projects at all, and sending attachments is easy, although the file size of any given attachment is limited to 100MB.

Here’s how Asana stacks up along six critical dimensions:

• Usability. Users do find the system easy to use, but only after getting through a fairly steep learning curve, but then feel it’s well worth the effort, although some have noted that the aesthetics of the interface could be improved. Some find it ugly.
• Maintainability. This is a cloud-based solution, so users never need to worry about maintaining the system.
• Performance. Users have not complained at all about any performance issues.
• Integration Ease. Asana can integrate with DropBox, Sunrise, HipChat, Slack, Box and Google Drive.
• Functionality. The strength of Asana is in how easy it makes collaboration through sharing projects, creating interactive to-do lists, creating meeting agendas, and keeping track of completed work.
• Support. Asana makes a lot of support available through video tutorials, which seem to work really well for those who use them.

Pros

Here’s what users like most about Asana:

• Unlike some project management systems, Asana allows you to assign a task to one user, but then assign sub-tasks to different users. This allows for greater collaboration with less back-and-forth emailing, as well as quick views of where things are at on a given project or task without having to ask them.
• Users not that it’s also worth subscribing to the Asana blog and watching all the good tutorial videos available, both of which help you better utilize the system.
• The collaborative nature of Asana seems to particularly work well for conducting meetings, which many users note go much more smoothly with Asana.

Cons

Here’s what users like least about Asana:

• Because of its robust functionality, user adoption for yet another software tool can be a challenge, but if you can get everyone using it, it’s well worth the effort.
• The learning curve feels steep for many users, which is where the online videos come in so handy.

If you’re interested in project management software that can eliminate endless email threads and get people on the same page for meetings before they even happen, Asana is the collaborative tool for you.