What is the best PPM tool for a 200-person IT department?
On our grid of 6 weighted criteria for a 200-person IT department, Planview (69/100), Planisware (66/100), Sciforma (66/100) come first, but gaps are small (from 58 to 69/100): the right choice depends mostly on your existing platform and your ability to administer the tool. If your need is limited to capacity and trade-offs, Workload scores 74/100 on the same grid but is not ranked because it is not a full PPM. This ranking is not independent: Workload publishes one of the tools.
Top PPM tools for a 200-person IT department
A ranking on six weighted criteria, with the method, ratings, and limits shown.
Last updated :
Scores by criterion
| Rank | Tool | Score /100 | PPM coverageWeight 30 | Capacity and resourcesWeight 20 | Time to valueWeight 10 | Cost and pricing transparencyWeight 15 | IT integrationsWeight 15 | Team adoptionWeight 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Planview | 69 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 1/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 |
| 2 | Planisware | 66 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 1/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| 3 | Sciforma | 66 | 5/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 1/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| 4 | ServiceNow SPM | 66 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 1/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 |
| 5 | Smartsheet | 64 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
| 6 | Microsoft Project | 62 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| 7 | Triskell | 62 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 2/5 | 1/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 |
| 8 | Monday.com | 58 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 |
For reference (not ranked)
Shown on the same grid but kept out of the ranking because the tool is not in the category.
| – | Workload | 74 | 2/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 3/5 | 4/5 |
1. Planview — 69/100
Strengths : The broadest PPM coverage on the grid, with advanced governance and reporting.
Limits : Heavy rollout and administration; quote-based pricing.
Detailed comparison →2. Planisware — 66/100
Strengths : Robust suite for large development and investment portfolios.
Limits : Significant rollout project; quote-based pricing.
Detailed comparison →3. Sciforma — 66/100
Strengths : Complete multi-BU PPM with mature resource management.
Limits : Multi-month rollout project; quote-based pricing.
Detailed comparison →4. ServiceNow SPM — 66/100
Strengths : On the same platform as ITSM: demand, projects, and resources alongside ServiceNow data.
Limits : Mostly relevant if ServiceNow is already central; implementation and licenses are quote-based.
Detailed comparison →5. Smartsheet — 64/100
Strengths : Quick to deploy and familiar; good for a portfolio managed through sheets and dashboards.
Limits : Portfolio governance and IT capacity must be modeled yourself.
Detailed comparison →6. Microsoft Project — 62/100
Strengths : Proven project scheduling, integrated into the Microsoft ecosystem.
Limits : Portfolio and aggregated capacity less developed than in a PPM suite.
Detailed comparison →7. Triskell — 62/100
Strengths : SaaS PPM for mid-size and large companies: arbitration scenarios, resource and budget management, agile, waterfall, or hybrid methods.
Limits : Quote-based pricing; rollout and configuration to plan for.
Detailed comparison →8. Monday.com — 58/100
Strengths : Very fast adoption and a visual interface; good for cross-functional coordination.
Limits : Little portfolio governance and net capacity for an IT department.
Detailed comparison →Workload — 74/100
Strengths : Capacity and allocation layer: conflicts, planned vs actual, setup in about 30 minutes.
Limits : Not a full PPM: no multi-BU financial governance or enterprise demand management.
Ranking methodology
Last reviewed :
Profile assessed
- IT department of about 200 people (staff and contractors)
- 30 to 80 active projects, mix of methods (agile, waterfall)
- A portfolio committee arbitrating on value, budget, and capacity
- Existing IT ecosystem: Jira or Azure DevOps, SSO, possibly ServiceNow
Criteria and weights
| PPM coverageWeight : 30/100 | Scale : 5: demand, portfolio, stage-gate, budget, and benefits · 3: portfolio and projects without full financial governance · 1: task tracking |
|---|---|
| Capacity and resourcesWeight : 20/100 | Scale : 5: native net capacity, multi-project conflicts, skills, and what-if · 3: basic resource planning · 1: to be built |
| Time to valueWeight : 10/100 | Scale : 5: under a day · 3: a few weeks · 1: multi-month project |
| Cost and pricing transparencyWeight : 15/100 | Scale : 5: accessible public pricing · 3: public per-user pricing · 1: quote-only, consulting likely |
| IT integrationsWeight : 15/100 | Scale : 5: ITSM, Jira/Azure DevOps, and SSO native or on the same platform · 3: standard connectors · 1: import/export only |
| Team adoptionWeight : 10/100 | Scale : 5: usable without heavy training · 3: short training · 1: dedicated administration required |
How the score is computed
Score = Σ (criterion weight × rating ÷ 5), giving a total out of 100. Each rating runs from 0 to 5 according to the criterion's scale.
Ratings are whole numbers. Ties are broken alphabetically.
Sources and date
Ratings are based on vendors' public documentation (websites, pricing pages, product docs) and demos, cross-checked on the review date. No confidential data is used.
Transparency: conflict of interest
Workload publishes one of the tools evaluated. Ratings are Workload's editorial assessment, not an independent audit. The grid is defined for the profile above: with another profile, the ranking changes.
Limits of the method
- Ratings reflect one specific profile; a large multi-BU enterprise would weigh things differently.
- Offerings change: check features and pricing on vendors' websites.
- A rating is not proof of performance: test 2 or 3 tools on your own data.
Spotted an error or an update? Write to us through the contact page.
How to choose for your situation
ServiceNow is already your central platform
ServiceNow SPM: demand, projects, and resources on the same platform as ITSM.
You want the broadest PPM coverage and have a team to administer it
Planview, Sciforma, or Planisware, depending on your sector and ecosystem.
You want a PPM geared to IT departments, without aiming for the very large suites
Triskell targets mid-size and large companies with a PPM approach geared to IT departments; compare it with the large suites through a demo.
Your real need is capacity and trade-offs, not financial governance
A capacity layer such as Workload, alone or alongside a PPM.
Frequently asked questions
How is this ranking built?
Six weighted criteria (PPM coverage 30, capacity 20, cost 15, integrations 15, time to value 10, adoption 10), rated 0 to 5 on a public scale. The score is the weighted sum out of 100. The full method is detailed on the page.
Why is Workload not ranked?
Workload is a capacity and allocation layer, not a full PPM. It is shown on the same grid for reference, because ranking a tool outside the category would distort the comparison.
Is the ranking independent?
No: Workload publishes one of the tools shown. Ratings are an editorial assessment based on public documentation, with the conflict of interest declared on the page.
Do you need a PPM at 200 people?
Not always. If your need is mostly capacity, conflicts, and planned vs actual, a light capacity layer may be enough. A PPM becomes necessary when you must govern demand, budget, and benefits across the portfolio.
How often is the ranking updated?
The last review date is shown at the top of the page. Ratings are re-examined when offerings or pricing change significantly.
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