This might be a bit of a rambling post.
In a meeting for a project I'm involved in, the topic of project management tools came up. At first, I was just passively listening, thinking "Oh, so that's a thing." But it piqued my curiosity, so I decided to look into it myself.
What's the problem?
To summarize what I heard in the meeting: here's the situation.
One department uses Redmine, another uses Azure DevOps. The Redmine side hasn't been able to maintain its database properly, and the Azure DevOps side is "too feature-rich to use effectively." They want to visualize product development productivity across the organization and run a PDCA cycle, but the fragmented tools make that difficult.
This is happening in a team of about 30 people.
Naturally, the conversation turned to "let's unify our tools." But honestly, even after listening, I had no idea which tool to choose.
Is there even a tool with no complaints?
As I gathered information, I realized that every project management tool has its pros and cons.
Redmine, Azure DevOps, Jira - each has its strengths. But each also has its weak points. Redmine is highly extensible but has an outdated UI. Azure DevOps is all-in-one but complex. Jira is powerful but heavy and expensive.
Why is this the case? I can think of several reasons.
Project management tools are used by developers, managers, and executives alike. Developers want Git integration and technical granularity. Managers want progress visualization. Executives want high-level dashboards. Trying to satisfy everyone inevitably leads to complexity.
Also, customizability and ease of use are a trade-off. Tools that are flexible to customize become complex to configure. Simple, easy-to-use tools have limited customizability.
But what struck me most was: maybe there are problems that exist before the tool even enters the picture. Communication gaps, vague requirements, unrealistic schedules. No tool solves those fundamental issues. Some complaints about tools might actually be issues with project management itself.
So how do you decide?
As I gathered information, I came to this conclusion:
Searching for the "perfect tool" is impossible. It's more realistic to find "the tool that's best suited for your team or organization right now."
To do that, I thought we first need to clarify the specific current problems. Not "it somehow feels hard to use," but what exactly is the problem.
In this case:
- Redmine's DB isn't being maintained â risk
- Azure DevOps isn't being used effectively â wasted potential
- Tools are fragmented â no visibility
Also, we need to decide whose pain is least acceptable. Do we prioritize developer productivity or manager visibility? This depends on the nature of the organization.
And we need to consider migration costs. License fees and migration work hours are obvious, but temporary productivity loss should also be estimated. Until the team gets used to the new tool, overall efficiency drops. This might actually be the key factor.
I learned about a tool called Linear
During my research, I discovered a tool called Linear.
It's a relatively new tool founded in 2019, designed to be simple with a low learning curve. But it has the features needed for cross-organizational visibility. It's not as complex as Azure DevOps, so the "can't use it effectively" problem is less likely to occur, according to reviews.
For a team of 30, it would cost about $2,880 to $5,040 per year. Compared to Redmine maintenance costs (outsourcing costs around 100,000-300,000 yen per month), unifying tools might actually be cheaper overall.
Other options include GitHub Projects and Jira, but in this case, given the experience of "not being able to use Azure DevOps effectively," a simpler tool seems like a better fit.
So I decided to try it out
Having organized the key points, I decided to try Linear myself first.
There's a free plan, so there's no risk. I wanted to check whether issue creation is smooth, the kanban board feel, whether cross-project views can be created, whether metrics are visible, things like that.
After actually trying it... honestly, I'm not sure yet.
I've barely used it, so my honest reaction is "what's good about this?" It does feel lighter than Azure DevOps or Redmine, but I haven't used it enough to really know. Since it's not in Japanese, it might take some getting used to.
Maybe I'll understand its value as I use it more.
No answer yet
As of writing this article, I haven't made any decisions. I'm not in a position to make major decisions anyway; I'm just trying to get a feel for Linear's usability.
Maybe I'll be able to have a meaningful conversation in the meeting, or maybe not. But I thought, if I don't know what kind of uses are possible, nothing can begin, so I just tried it out.
Tool selection for project management ultimately comes down to someone having to accept some compromise. There's no perfect tool. Given that, how do you decide?
What I thought about while gathering information:
- What are the specific current problems?
- Whose pain is least acceptable?
- The balance between migration costs and value gained
- The trade-off between simplicity and features
But I don't know if this is the right approach. After actually using it, my thinking might change again.
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