Plug it In: Third Party Integrations
No tool is an island, as “they” say, and your project management tool is no exception. The data you put into your PM tool, and the data that needs to come out, often flows back and forth between other critical business applications. When evaluating a new application, keep a close eye on both the explicit applications it claims hooks into, any available application programming interfaces (API’s), and the import/export formats it supports and examine if those allow for the level and type of data or workflow integration you need, or desire in the future.
Examples of third party applications you may want your online project management tool to integrate with:
- Invoicing and Billing
- Time Tracking
- Calendar and Scheduling
- Email (e.g. Exchange/Outlook) for To-Do’s, Notifications, Discussion
- Desktop/Server-Based Project Management (e.g. Microsoft Project)
- Software Development and Bug/Issue Tracking
- Content Management
Examples of Import/Export formats to look out for:
- CSV
- XML
- RSS
- iCal
- Quickbooks
Another way to tackle integration is via plugins or “add-ons” such as those found in 37 Signals’ Basecamp product. By exposing an API to the outside development community, Basecamp has seen an array of third-party applications spring up that integrate with the core Basecamp product in some manner. The end result is the potential for endless customization of the application to meet your needs, albeit usually for an incremental fee to the outside application vendor.
By taking stock of your current and planned needs for integration with outside data, systems, and functionality and then considering that in your evaluation process, you can save an enormous amount of pain down the road.
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