Engineers need effective project management tools and processes to stay organized, meet deadlines, and track progress.
Project management software for engineering firms falls into two camps: tools built specifically for A&E practices and general systems used across industries. Both have a place, but the differences matter when you're juggling multi-phase projects, consultant coordination, and tight fee budgets.
These 9 project management software options support engineering project planning, time tracking, billing, staffing, and reporting. Engineering firms should evaluate time tracking, administration effort, and industry fit before choosing software.
What is Engineering project management software
Engineering project management software helps you manage your projects including budgeting, scheduling, planning, staffing, invoicing, and more.
This is different from engineering design software. Engineering design software usually helps with the design of structures, systems, and products. With it, engineers can draft and build models, and develop plans to send to clients.
Engineering project management software should include time tracking, simple administration, and A&E-specific workflows.
First, software should have time tracking built into how it manages projects, resources staff, and handles billing. In engineering, time is money and there's no way to measure performance and profitability without using time as the key metric.
Second, it needs to be easy to administer and use because engineering firms don't often have an in-house IT expert.
Third, because engineering is unique in many respects, it helps to use software that is verticalized, meaning that it is built for engineers. Software built for lawyers, consultants, and other professional services will not meet the unique workflow challenges you and your firm face every day.
Here are the 9 best project management software systems we found for engineers.
1 - Monograph
Monograph Project Management Software for Engineers
Every part of Monograph was designed by design professionals and with engineers in mind.
Engineers are experts at designing structures, systems, and products. Monograph is easy to implement and use. We've built (and are continuing to build) all of the features that engineers need, while eliminating the complexity that has become characteristic of software in this space.
Monograph was also designed around the concept of time as the key unit of measurement. When employees track time with Monograph, that time is automatically turned into insights in other parts of the platform: profitability, project progress, billing, and more.
Features
- Get a bird's-eye view of your projects, budgets, and tasks
- Share project timelines with your clients with a single click
- See real-time reporting on profitability, projects, and billable hours
Pricing
Monograph offers two pricing plans. Track and Grow give firm leaders options that help them meet their goals.
Reviews: 4.5 ⭐ (224 Reviews on Capterra)
Checkout how Monograph customers build, manage, and grow high-performing A/E firms.
2 - Deltek Ajera
Deltek Ajera Project Management Software Screenshot
This combination of project management and accounting software was developed specifically for architecture and engineering firms.
Deltek Ajera has been around for years, so some tools can feel clunky and outdated. See how Deltek Ajera compares to Monograph.
Features
- Real-time dashboards
- Project management tools
- Resource planning
- Time and expense tracking
- Invoicing and accounting
- Viewing staff data like utilization and forecast workloads
Pricing
Deltek Ajera doesn't publicly share its pricing. You will need to reach out to the company directly for an exact cost.
Related Read: Deltek Ajera Alternatives for Architecture Firms
3 - BQE Core
BQE Core Project Management Software Screenshot
BQE Core was made with the goal of helping you save time and focus on your architectural duties. It is feature-rich and has several features ported over from ArchiOffice. However, product reviews show implementation and management can be challenging, especially when performance issues come up. Checkout Monograph vs BQE Core.
Features
- Easy to use performance metric dashboards
- Time and expense tracking
- Project management
- Document management
- Billing
- Financial transactions and accounting are merged into one place
- Automated reporting
- HR software
- Mobile app for iOS and Android
- Built-in RFI and ASI integration
Pricing
You'll need to reach out to their sales rep to get a quote. Pricing information is also listed on Capterra.
Read Also: BQE Core Alternatives For A&E Firms
4 - Newforma
Newforma focuses on project information management.
As a project information management tool, Newforma is best for storing records and documents. You can quickly and easily share those files with clients or consultants.
Features
- Project management tools
- Document management tools
- BIM, available as an add-on module
- Integrates with AutoCAD and Revit
Pricing
Newforma doesn't list their prices on their website. You will need to contact them directly for a quote.
5 - Outplanr
Outplanr Project Management Software Screenshot
Outplanr is a work management and project planning tool.
You have the option of creating tasks for work and for personal use. The personal ones are kept private.
Because Outplanr is a general work management tool, some tools may not fit architecture or engineering workflows.
Features
- Workload balancing
- Tracking time spent on tasks
- Calendar and task list views
- Reporting tools
- Use with other apps like Slack and Google Calendar
Pricing
Outplanr pricing varies each month depending on the number of team members.
6 - Archisnapper
ArchiSnapper Project Management Software Screenshot
ArchiSnapper helps with field reports and punch lists.
It is designed for architects, but engineers can use it on their projects, too.
Features
- Floor plan annotations
- Site report templates
- Track and assign tasks to other people
- Information sharing and working with others
Pricing
The cost for ArchiSnapper starts at $34/month per user.
ArchiSnapper Pricing Screenshot
7 - Xledger
Xledger is a cloud-based ERP system focused on automating tasks and cutting manual steps.
It helps small businesses avoid integration issues and unnecessary costs by bringing together into one app:
- Business management
- Accounting
- Project planning
Xledger has the customizability and scalability to fit most businesses.
Features
- Handles billing and payroll
- Manage expenses
- Time tracking
- Project planning
- Inventory and stock management
Pricing
Xledger doesn't list their pricing on their website. You will need to contact them for a quote.
8 - Taimer
Taimer is a project management option with most of the typical project management features that the average architect could need.
Taimer's goal is to simplify your work.
Taimer is great for customer relationship management, or CRM. Download their software to improve your communication with your clients.
For architect workflows, Taimer offers a free eGuide to using their software as an architect.
Features
- Project management tools
- Sales pipeline
- CRM
- Resource planning
- Quotes and invoicing
- Time and expense tracking
- Reporting tools
- Integrates with over 15 different platforms like Google Calendar and Quickbooks
Pricing
Taimer pricing is on a per-user, per-month basis.
9 - ASANA
Asana works best for architects and engineers as a task management tool rather than a full project management system.
Asana is great at creating visual task lists. This helps your whole team quickly understand what their to-do lists are every day.
Features
- Task management
- Workflow templates
- Calendar and timeline views
- Team collaboration
- Integrates with hundreds of apps
Pricing
Asana has a free basic plan. Paid plans scale based on team size and feature needs.
Why use project management software
Project management software helps make running an engineering practice easier.
1 - REDUCE NON-BILLABLE WORK TO BE MORE PROFITABLE
PMI's Pulse of the Profession report found that project management software saves employees significant time each year.
Instead of clicking through emails and spreadsheets to track timesheets, you click a few buttons and get a detailed report.
Instead of asking everyone what they're working on, you can see exactly how much time each employee is spending on every project.
Monograph customers like Verdant Studio reduced weekly staffing planning to about an hour with Monograph.
Learn more on How Verdant Supported Growth With a Scalable Solution.
“Previously, I would sift through emails and use project staffing sheets to plan out the week for teams––that would take me nearly 4-5 hours to complete, but now it only takes me an hour, if that.”
—Jessica Hester, CEO, Principal Architect at Verdant Studio
2 - KEEP TRACK OF PROJECTS TO STAY ON TIME AND ON BUDGET
Engineers use project management software for the same reason we use other apps: to stay organized in a complicated world.
You can spot when projects start to veer off track before it's too late. You can see if your team is running out of budget or if the schedule is running behind.
Project management software helps teams check whether projects are tracking against the original budget.
To stay on time and on budget, you need a way to see where your budget sits in comparison with your timeline.
When companies used project management software, 66% of them completed projects within their original budget (Pulse of the Profession report.)
In comparison, only 47% of businesses that didn’t use project management software completed projects on budget.
That means your team is 40.2% more likely to stay on budget if they use project management software.
In order to stay on time and on budget, you need a way to see where your budget is in comparison with your timeline.
That’s why Monograph created the MoneyGantt. The simple dollar sign indicator on our Gantt chart helps you visualize if you’re staying on budget so you can course-correct before you run out of fee.
“Every week, the team also uses the MoneyGantt to look at how much is owed to them, and how much time they have billed per project per phase to make sure they’re not going over budget.”
—Brad Mallette, Founder at AMBL Studios
3 - USE REPORTS TO GET REAL-TIME VISIBILITY INTO COSTS
In AIA's 2021 Tech Culture Report, architects, similar to engineers, were asked how they would grade their firm's ability for real-time visibility into costs, budgets, and profitability of projects.
Of the firms that use project management software, more reported that their firm is very or extremely capable with working systems in place.
For firms that don't use project management software, that share was lower.
The Monograph Projects Report pulls insights from your project budgets and hour allocations to give you a forecast of your revenue in addition to what's already been logged.
For each project, you can keep track of whether its status is proposed, active, paused, canceled, or completed. You can also compare the planned fee vs the consumed fee, and the planned hours vs consumed hours.
Checkout How to accelerate your budgeting process with everything you need and nothing that you don't.
4 - FORECAST PIPELINE TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS
According to PMI's Pulse of the Profession report, project management software users were more likely to report that they were very or extremely capable of understanding their full pipeline of potential projects.
Firms that don't use project management software were less likely to say the same.
Project management software increases visibility into project pipelines, which helps you make better decisions on hiring and project pursuits.
If you use Monograph as your project management software, you can keep track of your project pipelines inside Pipeline.
You can see future revenue, cost, and profit based on current pipeline.
Visualize your planned profit with Monograph.
“Planned Profit Report is so useful for us in our monthly meeting to look forward for the next 3 months. Being able to look at what’s coming down the pipeline and to see what we think we’re going to be making is extremely helpful."
—Dawn Zuber, FAIA, Principal at Studio Z Architecture
WHAT PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE IS BEST FOR YOUR FIRM?
Setting yourself up with the best project management software can help you stay on track, keep projects on budget, and save time for the work you enjoy.
The right tool for your firm depends on how you work, what you bill on, and how much administrative load you're willing to carry. Engineering-specific platforms reduce that load because they already understand phases, fees, and consultant coordination. General tools can work, but they often require workarounds to handle the realities of A&E project management.
If you're interested in trying Monograph, Get started today!
Frequently asked questions
What is engineering project management software?
Engineering project management software helps engineering firms manage projects from kickoff to close. That includes budgeting, scheduling, staffing, time tracking, invoicing, and reporting. It's distinct from engineering design software like AutoCAD or Revit, which focuses on the technical work of designing structures, systems, and products.
How is engineering project management software different from general project management tools?
General project management tools are built for task tracking and team collaboration across any industry. Engineering project management software is built around the way A&E firms actually work: project phases, fee budgets, consultant coordination, and time-based billing. That difference matters when you need to know whether a project is profitable, not just whether tasks are complete.
What features should engineers look for in project management software?
Time tracking should sit at the center of how the software works, because time is the unit that drives billing, utilization, and profitability. The software should be easy to administer without a dedicated IT person. It should also be built for A&E workflows rather than adapted from a generic tool designed for lawyers, consultants, or marketing agencies.
How much does engineering project management software cost?
Pricing varies widely. Some tools charge per user per month, others use tiered plans based on firm size or feature set, and several A&E-specific platforms only share pricing after a demo. When comparing costs, factor in implementation time, training, and the administrative load each tool adds or removes.
Can engineering project management software replace accounting software?
Most engineering project management platforms handle time tracking, budgeting, and invoicing, but they typically work alongside accounting software like QuickBooks rather than replacing it. Monograph, for example, connects to QuickBooks so financial data flows between the two systems without manual re-entry.
Is project management software worth it for small engineering firms?
Small firms often see the biggest gains. When you don't have a full operations team, every hour spent updating spreadsheets is an hour not spent on billable work. A purpose-built tool gives small firms the same visibility into project profitability and staffing that larger firms have, without the headcount.
