Requirements & Selection

Multi-project management software:
what it really needs to do

Most selection processes compare feature lists. What actually matters is something else: whether the software connects projects, department capacity and existing systems into one shared plan. The requirements checklist for project-driven industrial companies.

Linetrack multi-project management software for machinery and plant engineering

In short

Multi-project management software has to meet five core requirements: scheduling and capacity planning across every parallel project, involving the relevant departments in planning, connecting to ERP and time-tracking systems instead of becoming another isolated tool, structured collaboration with external suppliers, and a phased rollout that actually lands in every department. Feature count alone isn't the criterion – most systems ship with functionality that never gets used.

The requirements checklist

What multi-project management software
needs to do – and what it doesn't

These requirements don't come from a requirements-spec generator – they come from the questions project-driven industrial companies actually ask in initial conversations. Five core requirements decide whether software holds up in daily use – everything else is feature cosmetics.

What multi-project management means as a planning approach across the whole project portfolio is explained on the multi-project management overview page.

Map every project and its impact on departments

The most common first question in every initial conversation. Any tool can plan a single project – what matters is the overall view: which projects are running in parallel, and what do they mean together for design, manufacturing and assembly? Multi-project management software has to translate every project automatically into department workload. Only then is it visible whether a new order fits the portfolio – before the deadline gets promised.

Show the impact of delays and bottlenecks

Plans go stale – in project business, change is the norm. The software has to answer: what happens if Project A slips by four weeks? Where does the bottleneck appear, which other projects are affected, and which alternative is best? Without scenario simulation, every reaction to a delay stays a gut call made in a meeting.

Data in without duplicate upkeep

The plainest question is often the decisive one: how does the data get into the system? If planners have to manually re-enter master data, orders and hours, every system eventually dies against reality. The answer has to be: through interfaces – not through effort.

Interfaces to the existing system landscape

ERP, time tracking, existing planning data: multi-project management software without integration just becomes the next island next to the ones already there. Linetrack connects to ERP systems such as SAP, proALPHA or AP+ and time-tracking systems like AIDA, Finkzeit or OptiTime – actual hours and absences flow automatically into capacity planning.

Simple enough for every key user

The most underrated criterion – and, after rollout, almost always the most important one. Systems that are too complex fail on adoption; systems that are too simple fail on real project complexity. The software has to be usable by every key user, not just the PMO: anyone who sticks to their Excel list out of convenience creates redundancy – and the shared data foundation is dead before it ever lives.

What a new order does to your departments

The first core requirement, by example: three projects are already running and a fourth order is up for commitment. Only when every project is translated into departmental load automatically does the bottleneck show up before you commit.

running projectsnew ordercapacity limit

Engineering110 % over capacityEngineering: 85% from running projects, 110% with the new order.
Production90 % Production: 75% from running projects, 90% with the new order.
Assembly70 % Assembly: 60% from running projects, 70% with the new order.

Engineering lands at 110% once the new order is added. Without that translation it only surfaces after the date has been promised.

Principle

Process first,then the tool

A PM system is a visualization and simulation tool. It shows what is, and calculates what would be – the decision on what actually gets done always comes from a person. That's why every rollout needs a minimum of established processes: who plans what and when, and what happens in the event of a delay or bottleneck? Software can make rules visible and help enforce them – it can't replace them. And because people rarely welcome change, at some point it takes decisions from leadership: the shared data foundation only works if everyone uses it. The good of the overall process then has to outweigh individual habit.

Multi-project management software visualizes and simulates – a person still has to decide. Flip that around, and you've just introduced a tool and are left wondering why nothing changed.

How schedules and capacity connect specifically in machinery and plant engineering is covered on our project management software for machinery and plant engineering.

The Linetrack planning cycle

From sales opportunity to corrective action in nine steps – the process the software maps afterwards.

Sales forecastPlanRoughly estimate the resource demand of a sales opportunity.
Rough planningPlanStructure and schedule the project once it is won.
Detailed and staff planningPlanDepartments plan the targets in detail – down to individual employees.
Tracking on siteTrackStatus where the work happens, via Kanban and the Linetrack app.
Portfolio analysisTrackSpot delays and upcoming bottlenecks early.
Scenario planningControlDevelop and simulate alternative solutions.
Plan-actual comparisonControlHold the scenario against the real state.
Corrective actionControlOutsourcing, rescheduling, extra shifts, hiring.
NotificationControlEveryone affected is informed about changes automatically.

After the corrective action the cycle runs again – with updated dates and capacities.

The usual suspects

Why Excel and MS Project
‍fail on the five requirements

Most industrial companies don't start from zero – they're coming from Excel lists and MS Project plans. Both are useful in their place. Both systematically fail on the five core requirements:

For a structured overview of every software category, see our multi-project management software comparison.

Excel

Flexible, available everywhere, everyone can use it – which is exactly why every department ends up with its own list. But: no shared data foundation, no automatic impact on department capacity, no simulation of delays, no interfaces. Everything is only as current as the last manual update. Of the more than 400 planning tools Linetrack has replaced, most were Excel solutions – no coincidence, but the result of isolated tool landscapes grown over years.

MS Project

Solid scheduling for a single project – but the plan lives on the project manager's computer. No cross-project capacity view, no involvement of the relevant departments, no connection to ERP or time tracking. If a project slips, nobody sees the impact on the others. MS Project fails requirements one through four – and fails requirement five because nobody but the project manager ever works with it.

10 WD

to the first genuinely
planned project

400 +

replaced Excel lists
and planning tools

1512 +

projects managed
in parallel

50 %

fewer
status meetings

*Figures from live Linetrack implementations, as of August 2026.

References

From Excel and software silos to a shared data foundation

For the concrete features behind connected scheduling and capacity planning in daily use, see the multi-project management product page.

Man with a beard and blond hair in a blue suit, arms crossed, standing in front of a modern office window.

Blue gradient with a darker tone at the bottom and lighter tones at the top.

MSG Solutions uses Linetrack in project management and across departments to plan and manage projects efficiently. The system has fully replaced our old PM tool and now serves as the central platform for scheduling and resource planning.

Thanks to a shared data foundation, we always have a clear overview of the status of all projects and save significant time on portfolio analysis. The workflows are ideally suited to the requirements of mechanical and plant engineering - planning and decisions can be made in a practical, well-founded way.

We particularly value the support: the Linetrack team responds quickly, is flexible in further development, and trains the application in a hands-on way tailored to our processes. You can tell that real experience from mechanical engineering goes into it.

Managing Partner

MSG Solutions GmbH

„Before Linetrack, we used a project management system that didn't give us the transparency we needed in many areas. On top of that, different departments worked with their own isolated planning lists.

With Linetrack, we were able to replace these processes and now have professional, cross-departmental scheduling and resource planning - from the sales phase through to project tracking. We especially value the collaborative way of working and the close support from the Linetrack team, who adapted the software to our requirements, migrated our legacy data, and trained our staff.

For us, Linetrack isn't just another tool - it's a solution that actually works.“

Head of Project Management

Schnaithmann Maschinenbau GmbH

„Linetrack has helped us keep track of complex development and automation projects. Project plans are now created collaboratively across departments and tracked automatically.

What convinces us most is the ease of use, combined with close contact with the Linetrack team. The flexible rollout and hands-on training meant our team adopted the solution quickly - a clear added value for our work.“

Management

LANG Technik GmbH

„As a company in mechanical engineering, we always struggled to track and manage project data efficiently. With Linetrack, we've not only brought transparency to our projects but also significantly increased our productivity.

We were especially impressed by the usability and the way data is presented, which lets us keep everything in view at all times.

I can recommend Linetrack to other companies without reservation. It's easy to use, highly efficient, and has genuinely simplified our business.

Managing Director

Krüger & Salecker Maschinenbau GmbH & Co. KG

„At InVENTer GmbH, we develop ventilation systems for residential buildings and manage many cross-departmental projects.

Before Linetrack, the biggest challenge was that constant reminders and follow-ups were needed to keep track of tasks. With Linetrack, we were able to significantly reduce this effort: reminders now run automatically, and the team works noticeably more productively.

Rolling out the system was easy, the support from Linetrack was excellent - and it's so intuitive to use that everyone got up to speed quickly. We especially appreciate that the training module is available at any time.“

Managing Director

InVENTer GmbH

1/5

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Still have questions?

Book a meeting with our team.

What does multi-project management software need to do?

Five core requirements: map every parallel project along with its impact on department capacity, simulate delays and bottlenecks, pull in data through interfaces instead of manual upkeep, connect to ERP and time-tracking systems, and stay simple enough for every key user. Feature count alone isn't the criterion – what matters is the fit with real day-to-day planning.

How long does it take to roll out multi-project management software?

With Linetrack, the median time to the first genuinely planned project is 10 working days. The full rollout across all departments follows in stages after that – what matters is working with real projects early instead of spending months on configuration. Looking for the basics? Our multi-project management overview page explains what it is and how it works.

What does a company need in place before rolling it out?

A minimum of established processes: who plans what and when, and what happens in the event of a delay or bottleneck? A PM system visualizes and simulates – the rules by which decisions get made still have to come from the company. It also takes backing from leadership so that every key user works from the shared data foundation instead of their own lists.

How does the data get into the multi-project management software?

Through interfaces, not manual upkeep: Linetrack connects to ERP systems such as SAP, proALPHA or AP+, as well as time-tracking systems like AIDA, Finkzeit or OptiTime. Master data, actual hours and absences flow automatically into planning. Existing planning data from Excel or MS Project is carried over during rollout.

Why do project management software rollouts fail?

Usually one of three patterns: the system is too complex and departments drift back to Excel, the system is too simple for the real project complexity, or the decision is made on feature lists instead of how users actually work. On top of that, enforcement is often missing: when individual key users cling to their old lists, redundancies creep in and the shared data foundation dies.

Does multi-project management software replace the project manager's decisions?

No. The software visualizes the state of all projects and simulates the impact of scenarios – the decision on what to actually do always rests with a person. That's exactly why it only works combined with clear processes defining who decides what, and when. Most industrial companies don't start from zero – they're coming from Excel lists and MS Project plans. Our multi-project management software comparison shows all five software categories out there. Excel and MS Project systematically fail on the five core requirements:

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