TLDR (Summary)
The best project management software for consultants is Plutio ($19/month).
Plutio connects task management to time tracking, invoicing, client communication, and file delivery in one platform. Consultants track what's done and what's due while Plutio automatically logs billable hours, generates invoices from completed tasks, and shares the work through branded client portals. Projects connect to proposals, contracts attach to engagements, and every interaction feeds into one unified client record instead of scattering across email, separate PM tools, billing software, and file storage.
According to project management research, 60% instead of actual project execution-switching between tools, updating duplicate records, and searching for scattered context.
For additional strategies, read our freelance project management guide.
What is project management software for consultants?
Project management software for consultants is software that tracks the work, deadlines, and billable hours with complete visibility into margin before the invoice goes out.
The distinction matters: generic project management tools track completion. Consultant project management tracks completion and cost. Tasks finish, but without hours attached to each deliverable, extra work stays invisible until the project closes and the math reveals you worked 40 hours to earn what you quoted for 25.
What consultant project management actually does
Core functions include task assignment with time tracking built into each item, milestone tracking that connects to budget estimates, client-specific project views that separate confidential work, workload visibility across multiple simultaneous engagements, and margin tracking that shows margin per project rather than just completion percentage. Generic project tools answer "what's done?" Consultant tools answer "what's done, what did it cost, and are we still profitable?"
Task management vs. billable project management
Task management software like Asana or Trello organizes work into boards, lists, and due dates. Projects move forward, tasks get checked off, and teams stay coordinated. But when the project finishes, task tools don't tell you whether you made money. Billable project management connects each task to hours logged, each hour to a rate, and each rate to an invoice-so margin appears alongside progress instead of surprising you at billing time.
What makes consultant project management different
Consultants juggle multiple clients simultaneously, bill by the hour or fixed-fee with scope limits, need to show work-in-progress to clients without exposing other engagements, and operate on tight margin where a few unbilled hours per project compound into thousands in lost annual revenue. Without project management that tracks time as tasks complete, hours disappear into "quick fixes" that never make it to the invoice, scope additions feel minor until the timesheet reveals 8 extra hours, and margin stays unknown until the engagement closes and it's too late to adjust.
When project management connects to time tracking and invoicing, margin becomes visible during the work rather than after-so consultants adjust scope, renegotiate deadlines, or bill for additions before margin erodes.
Why you need project management software
Consultants who manage more than three simultaneous client projects face a compounding problem: task lists track the work, but hours bleed across engagements with no central record of what work cost which client.
The issue multiplies with each new client. One engagement stays manageable with a spreadsheet and manual notes. Three engagements require switching context between projects, remembering which deliverable belongs to which client, and tracking hours after the fact when memory has already faded. Five simultaneous projects turn every hour into a decision about which timesheet entry to create, which task to update, and whether that quick email counts as billable or gets written off.
The invisible hour problem
According to research, 60% instead of billable client the work. For consultants specifically, that means updating task boards after completing the actual work, entering hours into a separate timesheet hours or days later when the exact time has already been forgotten, copying project status into client emails because the project tool doesn't generate client-facing reports, and reconciling tracked hours against project budgets manually because the systems don't talk. A 30-hour project estimate turns into 38 hours worked with 6 hours written off because no alert triggered when budget approached its limit.
The fragmentation problem
You stack 3-5 disconnected tools: Asana or Monday for task management, Toggl or Harvest for time tracking, FreshBooks or QuickBooks for invoicing, Google Calendar for scheduling, and Dropbox or Google Drive for files. Each tool handles one function, but none share data automatically. Client names get entered five times. Hours logged in the time tracker don't appear in the project tool, so budget tracking requires exporting CSVs and building spreadsheet formulas. When a project scope changes, the task board updates but the budget estimate stays stale in a different system - and nobody notices until the invoice reveals the discrepancy.
The margin gap
Task completion percentages show progress. They don't show margin. A project can be 80% complete and 150% over budget, but if hours and tasks live in separate systems, that gap stays invisible until billing day. Consultants discover unprofitable projects after the work finishes-when it's too late to adjust scope, renegotiate terms, or stop working on the work that cost more to produce than the client will pay. The math appears in hindsight instead of in real time.
The scaling tipping point
You hit a threshold around 4-6 active client projects where manual coordination breaks down. Remembering which tasks belong to which client requires checking notes. Tracking hours after the fact turns into guesswork when Tuesday's work spanned three different projects. Invoicing means exporting hours from one tool, matching them to projects in another, and building the invoice in a third. Each new client adds overhead that scales linearly-more time spent on admin, less time available for billable work.
Connected project management software absorbs the admin work that would otherwise scale with each new client-so consultants handle 8 projects with the same overhead that used to require 3.
Project management features consultants need
The essential project management features for consultants connect task tracking with time logging, budget visibility, and client-facing reporting while handling the confidential multi-client workflows that consulting work requires.
Core project management features
- Time tracking per task: Start a timer directly from a task card. Hours log automatically with task context attached, so invoicing knows what work earned which hours without manual matching.
- Budget tracking with alerts: Set hour estimates per project or milestone. System alerts when logged time approaches 80% of budget, so scope adjustments happen before margin disappears.
- Client-separated workspaces: Each client sees their project only. No risk of exposing confidential work from other engagements when sharing status updates or granting portal access.
- Milestone-based workflows: Break projects into phases with the work, deadlines, and budget allocations per stage. Track progress and cost at the milestone level instead of only seeing total project health.
- Margin dashboard: See margin per project in real time. Compare estimated hours to actual logged time, billable rates to costs, and projected revenue to budget before the invoice goes out.
Consultant-specific features
- Retainer tracking: Allocate hours against monthly retainer limits. System shows remaining hours available and alerts when utilization approaches the cap, preventing over-delivery that erodes margin. Industry standard retainer utilization is 75-85%.
- Proposal-to-project automation: When a client accepts a proposal, the project, timeline, and budget create automatically from the quoted scope. No manual re-entry of the work and milestones that were already defined in the proposal.
- Timesheet-to-invoice export: Generate invoices directly from logged hours. Select date range and client, system pulls billable time with task descriptions attached, and the invoice populates with line items that match the work performed.
Platform features that multiply value
- White-label branding: Custom domain, logo, colors. All client-facing communications show your brand, not the software provider's.
- Unified inbox: All client messages arrive in one place. Reply to project comments, proposal questions, and invoice inquiries from a single thread instead of monitoring email, project tool, and billing system separately.
- Permissions: Control who sees what. Junior consultants access assigned tasks only, senior team members see full project scope, clients view progress without internal budget data.
- Automations: Create rules that trigger actions without your involvement. Common consultant automations include: send invoice when project reaches 100% completion, alert when logged hours exceed estimate, create recurring tasks for monthly retainer the work.
The deciding factor for consultants is integration depth. Project management software that connects with time tracking and invoicing eliminates the duplicate data entry that turns 30-second updates into 5-minute admin tasks.
Project management software pricing for consultants
Project management software for consultants typically costs $10-25 per user per month when stacking separate tools for tasks, time, and billing-with integrated platforms providing complete functionality at lower total cost.
What consultants typically pay for project management tools
- Asana: $10.99-24.99/user/month. Tracks tasks and deadlines but doesn't include time tracking or invoicing, so consultants add Toggl ($10/user/month) and FreshBooks ($17-30/month) for complete workflow. Total: ~$38-65/user/month for the stack.
- Monday.com: $9-19/user/month with 3-seat minimum. Project boards with automation but no time tracking or billing features. Requires separate tools for hours and invoices.
- ClickUp: $7-12/user/month plus $9/user AI add-on. Includes basic time tracking but invoicing requires third-party integration. Known for slow loading times (3-5 seconds reported in user reviews).
- Trello: $5-10/user/month. Simple kanban boards for task organization. No time tracking, budget alerts, or margin reporting-pure task management only.
All options require either stacking additional tools for time and billing or accepting incomplete workflow visibility. The per-user pricing model means total cost scales with team size-a 3-person consulting team pays $114-195/month for disconnected tools vs. integrated alternatives.
Plutio pricing (January 2026)
- Core: $19/month: Unlimited project management plus time tracking, invoicing, proposals, contracts, and scheduling for up to 9 active clients.
- Pro: $49/month: Unlimited clients, 30 contributors, advanced permissions for team collaboration.
- Max: $199/month: Unlimited team, white-label with custom domain, single sign-on for enterprise clients.
The ROI calculation for consultants
- Eliminated tool stack: Replace 3-5 separate subscriptions (task tool $15/month + time tracker $10/month + invoicing $20/month + scheduling $10/month = $55/month minimum) with one platform at $19-49/month. Savings: $6-36/month per consultant.
- Recovered billable hours: If connected project management reduces administrative overhead by just 2 hours per week (conservative estimate given the 60% admin time statistic), that's 8 hours per month. At $100/hour consulting rate, recovered capacity worth $800/month in billable work.
- Improved margin capture: Budget alerts that prevent 5 hours of unbilled extra work per project, across 3 projects per month, saves 15 hours of write-offs. At $100/hour, that's $1,500/month in margin preserved by catching overruns early.
Project management software ROI comes through margin preservation rather than task organization. Plutio pays for itself when a single budget alert prevents one project from going 10% over hours-which happens within the first month for most consultants.
Why Plutio is the best project management for consultants
Plutio handles project management as part of a complete platform where tasks, time tracking, invoicing, and client communication work together rather than as separate tools that need manual connection.
Tasks with built-in time tracking
Every task includes a timer. Click to start tracking, work on the deliverable, click to stop-and hours log automatically with the task name, project, and client attached. No separate time tracking app to open, no manual entry of what you worked on, no reconciling hours against tasks at the end of the week when memory has faded. The task board shows both completion status and hours logged per item, so progress and cost appear together instead of requiring two different tools to see project health.
Budget tracking that alerts before overruns
Set hour estimates at the project or milestone level. As time logs against tasks, Plutio calculates percentage of budget consumed and triggers alerts when tracked hours approach limits you define-typically 80% of estimate. The alert appears while work is still in progress, so consultants can pause to renegotiate scope, adjust the work, or inform the client about additional costs before margin disappears. Generic project tools show task completion. Plutio shows task completion and budget health in the same view.
Client portals with project visibility
Clients access their project through branded portals that show progress, the work, files, and communication-without revealing internal budget data or other client work. The portal pulls from the same project data you use internally, so client-facing status updates happen automatically instead of requiring manual report generation. Clients see what's done, what's next, and when the work are due. You see the same information plus hours logged, budget consumed, and margin metrics that stay internal.
Proposal-to-project workflow
When a client accepts a proposal in Plutio, Plutio offers to create the project automatically with milestones, the work, and budget pulled from the quoted scope. The proposal already defined what work will happen and how many hours it should take-so the project starts with that structure in place instead of requiring re-entry of information that was already written. Changes to project scope update the proposal record, maintaining a single source of truth for what was sold vs. what work actually happened.
Timesheet-to-invoice automation
Generate invoices directly from logged hours. Select client and date range, Plutio pulls all billable time entries with task descriptions attached, and the invoice populates with line items showing what work was performed. Hourly billing becomes one-click instead of exporting hours from a time tracker, matching them to projects manually, and typing descriptions into an invoicing tool. For fixed-fee projects, the timesheet still tracks actual cost even though the invoice shows the agreed price-so margin calculations reflect real hours worked, not just what the client pays.
Multi-project dashboard
See all active client projects in one view with completion percentage, hours logged vs. budget, upcoming deadlines, and margin per engagement. The dashboard answers "which projects need attention?" without opening individual project files. Red flags appear immediately: projects approaching budget limits, the work past due, clients who haven't responded in over a week. Generic project tools require drilling into each project to see health. Plutio surfaces problems across the entire client portfolio at a glance.
White-label everything
Use your own domain. Upload your logo, set your brand colors and typography. Every client-facing touchpoint shows your brand: proposals arrive from your domain, contracts display your logo, invoices match your color scheme, client portals use your branding, and project notifications come from your business name. Clients interact with your consulting firm, not with Plutio-which matters for premium positioning where generic software branding undermines perceived value.
Unified inbox for all client communication
When a client comments on a task, asks about an invoice, or replies to a proposal, the message appears in one inbox. Reply directly without switching to email. The conversation thread includes context-which project, which deliverable, what the question relates to-so responses reference the full history instead of requiring you to remember details or search through tools to find what the client means.
Granular permissions
Control exactly who sees what at the level that makes sense for your consulting structure. Junior team members access assigned tasks only, senior consultants see full project scope including budget, clients view progress and the work without internal cost data, and external contractors get task-level access without visibility into other projects or client lists. Permissions prevent accidental exposure of confidential information when collaborating with contractors or granting client portal access.
No-code automations
Create rules that trigger actions without your involvement. Common consultant automations include: send invoice automatically when project status changes to "Complete", create recurring tasks for monthly retainer the work on the 1st of each month, alert team when logged hours exceed 80% of project budget, send client reminder 48 hours before scheduled meeting, archive completed projects 30 days after final invoice is paid. Automations handle the repetitive admin work that used to require manual checking and updating.
Native integrations for consultant workflows
Connect Stripe and PayPal for payment collection directly from invoices. Sync Google Calendar or Outlook so scheduled meetings appear alongside project deadlines. Link QuickBooks or Xero so invoicing syncs to accounting automatically. Use Zapier to connect 3,000+ other apps when workflow requires specialized tools. Integrations mean Plutio becomes the hub where client work happens, with data flowing to accounting, calendar, and payment systems without manual export and import.
Everything runs from one app with your branding, your terminology, and your workflow logic-so consultants manage projects, track margin, and bill clients from the same system instead of juggling 5 tools that don't share data.
How to set up project management in Plutio
Setting up project management in Plutio takes 2-4 hours for initial configuration, then 5-15 minutes per client project after your templates and workflow rules are in place.
Step 1: Configure default settings (30 mins)
Define your standard hourly rate for time tracking and invoicing. Set default currency and timezone. Choose calendar view (week, month, or list) as your preferred project dashboard. Configure notification preferences for task assignments, deadline reminders, and budget alerts. You let budget alerts at 75% and 90% of estimate, and deadline reminders 48 hours before due date.
Step 2: Create project templates (1-2 hours)
Build 3-5 templates covering your common engagement types. For consultants, recommended templates include:
- Strategy engagement: Discovery phase (client interviews, research, analysis), strategy development (framework creation, recommendations), delivery phase (presentation, documentation), with milestones at 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% completion.
- setup project: Planning phase (requirements, timeline), execution phase (build, test, iterate), handoff phase (training, documentation), with weekly check-in tasks and budget tracking per phase.
- Monthly retainer: Recurring tasks for standard the work (weekly reports, monthly strategy calls, ongoing support), hour allocation tracking, and automatic rollover of unused hours if your retainer structure allows it.
- Audit engagement: Data collection, analysis, findings report, recommendations presentation, with task checklists for compliance requirements and file upload prompts for evidence documentation.
Step 3: Connect integrations (20 mins)
Link Stripe and PayPal so invoices include payment buttons. Connect your calendar (Google Calendar or Outlook) to sync scheduled client meetings with project timelines. If you use accounting software, connect QuickBooks or Xero so invoices sync automatically. Test each integration with a dummy transaction before using with real clients-verify that payments process, calendar events sync bidirectionally, and accounting entries create with correct categories.
Step 4: Import existing projects (30 mins)
Export active projects from your current system as CSV if available, or manually create client records for ongoing engagements. Focus on active work rather than historical archives-you need current projects with upcoming deadlines, not completed engagements from two years ago. Import client names, project titles, key the work, and deadlines. Hours worked to date can be added as manual time entries to establish baseline for budget tracking.
Step 5: Test with one real project
Run through the complete workflow with an actual client engagement rather than a test account. Create the project from template, assign tasks, start time tracking on a real deliverable, log hours, check budget alerts trigger correctly, generate a draft invoice from logged time, and send a project status update through the client portal. Real workflow reveals friction points that test data doesn't show-like whether task names make sense to clients in portal view, or if your milestone structure actually matches how work happens.
Common setup mistakes to avoid
- Over-customizing too early: Start with simple templates that match your current workflow. Add complexity (custom fields, automation rules, detailed budget breakdowns) only after using the basic structure for 2-3 real projects. Premature optimization creates elaborate templates that don't match actual work patterns.
- Ignoring mobile: Download the Plutio mobile apps (iOS and Android) during initial setup and test key workflows from your phone. Consultants work from client offices, airports, and coffee shops-if time tracking only works from desktop, hours get logged late and accuracy suffers.
- Skipping automation setup: Configure budget alerts and deadline reminders during initial setup, not later. The first project that goes 20% over budget without warning will cost more than the 10 minutes required to set alert thresholds.
- Creating one giant template: Don't build a single massive template that tries to cover every engagement type. Create 3-5 focused templates for your common project patterns-then customize per client. Overly complex templates require deleting more tasks than you use.
Build templates for the 80% cases that cover most of your work-strategy engagements, setup projects, monthly retainers. The 20% edge cases can be built from scratch when they happen.
Project management organization for consultants
Organizing project management creates clarity around deliverables, deadlines, and margin while enabling efficient status updates and scope management across simultaneous client engagements.
Project categorization for consultants
- By engagement type: Strategy, setup, audit, retainer, one-time advisory. Different engagement types require different milestone structures-monthly retainers need recurring tasks, strategy projects need research phases, setups need testing checkpoints.
- By client size: Enterprise, mid-market, small business. Larger clients often require more documentation, formal approval gates, and stakeholder communication. Small business engagements move faster with less formality.
- By delivery timeline: Sprint (2-4 weeks), standard (1-3 months), extended (3+ months). Timeline affects milestone granularity-short engagements need weekly check-ins, extended projects need monthly phase reviews.
- By team involvement: Solo, collaborative (2-3 consultants), full team (4+ people). Team size determines permission settings, task assignment patterns, and communication frequency.
Project lifecycle stages
- Discovery/Scoping: Initial client calls, requirement gathering, proposal development. Tasks focus on understanding client needs and defining deliverables before work begins.
- Active Delivery: Primary work phase where deliverables get created. Tasks here are the actual consulting work-analysis, strategy development, setup, or ongoing retainer services.
- Review/Approval: Client feedback, revisions, stakeholder sign-off. Tasks include presenting work, incorporating feedback, and getting formal approval to proceed or complete.
- Handoff/Close: Final deliverable transfer, documentation, training if applicable. Tasks make sure client can use the work product after engagement ends.
- Invoicing/Archive: Final billing, payment collection, project archive for future reference. Tasks include generating invoice, following up on payment, and documenting lessons learned.
Information to track per project
- Client contact details and decision-maker names for approvals
- Quoted scope from the proposal vs. actual scope added during work
- Hour budget (estimated hours per phase and total) vs. logged time
- Billing structure (hourly, fixed-fee, retainer) and rates
- Key deadlines for deliverables and client availability constraints
- Risk factors like dependency on client data, external approvals, or technical limitations
- Stakeholder map showing who reviews what, who approves, and who receives final deliverable
Proven methods for consultant project organization
- Name projects consistently using "Client Name - Engagement Type" format (e.g., "Acme Corp - Q1 Strategy" or "Smith LLC - Website Audit"). Consistent naming makes project lists scannable.
- Set milestones at payment triggers. If contract includes milestone payments, structure project phases to match invoice schedule. 50% upfront and 50% on completion should have two project phases with clear deliverable definitions at each.
- Track scope changes explicitly. When a client requests additional scope mid-project, create a separate task tagged "Scope Addition" with hour estimate. Makes end-of-project reconciliation clear when actual hours exceed original quote.
- Use task descriptions for client context. Write task names that make sense to clients viewing portal ("Draft Q1 strategy recommendations" not "Do strategy stuff"). Task descriptions should include enough detail that another consultant could pick up the work if you're unavailable.
- Archive completed projects quarterly. Move finished engagements out of active view 90 days after final invoice is paid. Keeps project dashboard focused on current work while preserving history for reference.
Organized project management enables margin analysis across engagement types. Structure serves the question: "Which types of projects are most profitable per hour worked?" so consultants focus on high-margin work.
Client portals for consultants: project management connection
Client portals connect project management data to client-facing access, creating smooth status visibility without manual report generation or exposing confidential internal information.
Portal as project command center
Clients access their complete engagement through branded portals. Project timeline, deliverable status, file uploads, communication history, and upcoming meetings appear in one place. Consultants update task completion and milestone status internally, and client portal reflects current state automatically. No separate client status report to write-the project itself becomes the report. Portal permissions control what's visible: clients see progress and deliverables but not internal hour tracking, budget alerts, or margin calculations that inform consultant decision-making.
Consistent professional experience
Portal presentation reflects the organized structure in project management. Clear milestone names, professional task descriptions, and logical phase progression create confident client perception. Generic update emails ("making progress on your project") get replaced by portal access where clients see specific completed deliverables ("Strategy framework complete - review draft in Files section"). Professional, consistent client experience across all projects because portal structure comes from your templates rather than ad-hoc communication.
Self-service access reduces interruption
Clients find their own project files, review deliverable status, and check upcoming deadlines without emailing to ask. Project management organization enables client self-service without creating administrative burden. Questions like "when is the next deliverable due?" and "where's that document you sent last week?" get answered through portal instead of interrupting billable work. Reduction in status-check emails compounds across multiple clients-5 clients asking 2 questions per week becomes 10 interruptions that portal access eliminates.
Two-way visibility into engagement health
Portal interactions feed back into project management. When a client uploads requested data to the portal, task status updates to "Client input received" and next phase becomes unblocked. Client comments on deliverables appear in project timeline so consultant responses include full context. Activity tracking shows when client last logged in, what files they viewed, and which deliverables they reviewed-giving consultants signal about engagement health and client satisfaction before formal feedback happens.
Engagement continuity across phases
Portals maintain relationship context when projects span multiple engagements. Client who completes initial strategy engagement and returns six months later for setup finds their history intact. Prior deliverables, decisions made, and strategic framework remain accessible. Connection maintained between strategy phase and setup phase without requiring clients to search email archives or re-explain previous work. For retainer clients, portal accumulates engagement history over months or years-creating valuable record of advice given, decisions made, and outcomes achieved.
Portals make project management client-facing. Internal organization of tasks, milestones, and deliverables translates to external experience where clients see professional structure rather than raw project data.
How to migrate project management to Plutio
Migration from another project management system typically takes 3-5 hours of active work spread over a weekend, with the best time to switch being between major client engagements rather than mid-project when deliverable tracking matters most.
Step 1: Export from your current tool
Most project management software provides CSV export for tasks, projects, and time entries. Here's what to export from common tools:
- Asana: Go to project menu > Export > CSV. Exports task names, assignees, due dates, and descriptions. Time data lives in separate tool if you use Toggl or Harvest-export that separately.
- Monday.com: Click board menu > More actions > Export to Excel. Exports columns, task status, and dates. Custom fields require manual mapping to Plutio structure.
- ClickUp: Settings > Import/Export > Export. Choose CSV format and select which projects to export. Time tracking exports separately if enabled.
- Trello: Board menu > More > Print and Export > Export as JSON. JSON format requires conversion to CSV using a tool like json-to-csv converters online before importing to Plutio.
Focus on active projects with upcoming deadlines. Historical completed projects can stay archived in the old system-you need current engagement data, not three years of finished work.
Step 2: Build templates in Plutio (2-3 hours)
Use your exported project structure as reference to create new templates in Plutio. Look at your 5 most recent projects and identify common patterns: which milestones repeat across engagements? What tasks appear in every project of a given type? Build 2-3 core templates that match your actual workflow rather than trying to replicate the exact structure from your old tool. The approach is the opportunity to fix organizational problems that existed in the previous system-tasks that were always in the wrong phase, milestones that didn't match how work actually happened, or budget tracking that was too granular or too vague to be useful.
Step 3: Set up integrations (30 mins)
Connect payment processing (Stripe, PayPal), calendar sync (Google Calendar, Outlook), and accounting software (QuickBooks, Xero) before migrating active projects. Test each integration with a dummy transaction: process a $1 test payment, create a test calendar event and verify it syncs, send a test invoice to accounting and confirm it appears correctly. Finding integration problems after migration is painful-fix them during setup while stakes are low.
Step 4: Import active project data (30 mins)
Upload your CSV to Plutio using the import function. Map fields from old system to Plutio structure: "Task Name" to "Title", "Due Date" to "Deadline", etc. Review imported data before committing-spot check that dates mapped correctly, client names didn't get scrambled, and task descriptions made it through intact. If time tracking data exports as a separate CSV, import that next and verify hours attach to correct projects and tasks.
Step 5: Run parallel for new client work
Use Plutio for all new client engagements that start after migration day, while keeping the old system active for projects already in progress. Parallel running avoids mid-engagement confusion where clients receive status updates from two different systems or consultants forget which tool has current task status. New client onboards into Plutio with proposal, contract, project, and portal. Existing clients stay in old system until their current engagement completes or reaches a natural break point like milestone delivery.
Step 6: Migrate in-progress projects at phase breaks
When an active project reaches milestone completion (client approves phase 1, payment clears, next phase hasn't started), migrate that project to Plutio. Export current task list and time logged, import into Plutio, set up remaining milestones using templates, and notify client that future updates will come through the new portal. Natural phase breaks create clean migration points where switching tools doesn't disrupt active deliverable tracking.
Step 7: Phase out the old tool (30-90 days)
Once all active work on your old system completes (typically 30-60 days after new engagements start using Plutio), cancel that subscription. Keep old system accessible read-only for an additional 30 days in case you need to reference archived data, then export complete project history as backup CSV files and close the account. For tools with time tracking, export final timesheets for tax and accounting records before shutting down access.
Common migration pitfalls to avoid
- Trying to migrate everything at once: Don't attempt to move 50 historical projects and 10 active engagements simultaneously. Focus on active projects with upcoming deadlines, let completed work stay archived in the old system. Perfect migration wastes time on data that won't be referenced.
- Switching mid-deliverable: Migrating a project while a major deliverable is in progress creates confusion about current status, which tasks are done, and what's due next. Finish active deliverable phases in the old system, then migrate at milestone breaks.
- Not testing integrations first: Discovering that Stripe integration doesn't work correctly after you've already invoiced a client through Plutio is a painful support conversation. Test payment processing, calendar sync, and accounting connections with dummy data before migration.
- Forgetting to notify clients: If clients had portal access in the old system, tell them about the new portal before sending the first Plutio-based status update. Unannounced tool switches create "which login do I use?" confusion.
- Not preserving time tracking history: For consultants who bill hourly or need annual hour reports for capacity planning, historical time data matters. Export complete timesheet records from old system as CSV backup before canceling subscription.
The investment in migration pays back in time saved on every future project status update, budget check, and invoice generation-typically within 2-3 client engagements after the switch.
