In any large organization, managing projects can feel like conducting a massive, sprawling orchestra. You have diverse teams, complex workflows, and dozens of simultaneous initiatives, each with its own rhythm and tempo. Keeping everyone in sync and ensuring each project contributes to the company's overarching strategy is a monumental task. When simple task lists and disconnected tools no longer cut it, you need a more powerful, centralized solution.
This is where an enterprise project management system comes in. It’s the conductor's podium for your entire organization, providing the structure, visibility, and control needed to turn complex project portfolios into a symphony of success.
In this guide, I'll walk you through everything you need to know about EPM. We'll explore what it is, the powerful benefits it can bring to your business, and how to select the perfect enterprise project management software to meet your unique needs and drive better outcomes.
What is enterprise project management?
Enterprise project management (EPM) is a comprehensive approach to managing projects on an organizational scale. Instead of focusing on individual projects in isolation, EPM treats all projects as a single portfolio. The primary goal is to align this portfolio with the company's broader strategic business objectives, ensuring every initiative delivers measurable value.
At its heart, enterprise project management is about creating a unified framework for visibility, governance, and resource optimization across all departments. It provides leadership with a bird's-eye view of every enterprise project, enabling them to prioritize work based on strategic importance, allocate resources more efficiently, and anticipate risks before they escalate.
An effective EPM approach relies on an integrated system that connects high-level strategic planning with the day-to-day tactical execution of tasks. For example, a system that allows you to link a strategic goal documented in a shared knowledge base directly to the project board where the work is happening ensures that every team member understands the "why" behind their tasks. This creates a powerful connection between effort and impact, which is the essence of true enterprise work management software.
👉 Learn about how Lark boost your project management here.
How is EPM different from traditional project management?
While they share some common ground, enterprise project management and traditional project management operate on fundamentally different levels. Think of it this way: traditional project management is about making sure a single ship reaches its destination successfully. EPM is about managing the entire fleet to ensure all ships are sailing in the right direction to achieve a common mission.
Traditional project management (PM) is tactical. It focuses on the success of a single project, constrained by its specific scope, timeline, and budget. The project manager is responsible for planning tasks, managing team resources for that project, and mitigating project-level risks to deliver the final product or service on time.
Enterprise project management (EPM), on the other hand, is strategic. It takes an organization-wide view, focusing on the collective success of a portfolio of projects. Here are the key distinctions:
Scope: PM focuses on individual project deliverables. EPM focuses on achieving broad, strategic business goals through a collection of projects.
Prioritization: In PM, tasks are prioritized to meet project deadlines. In EPM, entire projects are prioritized based on their alignment with company objectives, ROI, and resource availability.
Resource management: PM manages resources within the confines of a single project. An enterprise project management solution involves portfolio-level resource allocation and capacity planning, optimizing staff and budget across all ongoing initiatives to prevent bottlenecks and burnout.
Governance: PM follows project-specific guidelines. EPM establishes standardized processes, methodologies, and governance across the entire organization, often managed by an Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO).
To truly achieve this level of strategic alignment, an all-in-one platform is essential. Lark connects your high-level strategy documents with daily tasks, ensuring everyone is working towards the same enterprise goals.
Benefits of enterprise project management system
Adopting a robust enterprise project management system is more than just a process upgrade; it’s a strategic move that delivers tangible benefits across the entire organization. By centralizing control and enhancing visibility, these systems empower businesses to operate more efficiently, collaboratively, and strategically. Here’s what you can expect to gain.
Improved strategic alignment
An EPM system ensures that every project is directly tied to key business objectives. This top-down alignment allows leadership to make more informed decisions, investing resources in initiatives that provide the highest strategic value and confidently discontinuing those that don’t.
Enhanced portfolio visibility
Say goodbye to information silos. An enterprise PM system provides a single source of truth, offering real-time dashboards and reports on the health of the entire project portfolio. This transparency keeps all stakeholders—from team members to C-suite executives—on the same page, enabling proactive course correction rather than reactive problem-solving.
Optimized resource management
One of the biggest challenges for large organizations is allocating resources effectively. EPM tools provide a clear view of resource capacity, availability, and workload across all projects. This insight allows you to prevent resource conflicts, minimize idle time, and ensure your most valuable assets are deployed where they can make the biggest impact.
Standardized processes and governance
Consistency is key to efficiency and quality. An EPM system helps you establish and enforce standardized project management methodologies, workflows, and templates across all teams. This not only streamlines project execution but also simplifies compliance and makes performance easier to measure and compare.
Proactive risk management
Instead of tackling risks as they appear on a project-by-project basis, an EPM system allows for a holistic approach. You can identify, track, and mitigate risks at the portfolio level, spotting trends and systemic issues that might otherwise go unnoticed. This proactive stance significantly reduces the chances of costly overruns or project failures.
Increased collaboration and productivity
When communication, documents, and project plans all live in one place, collaboration becomes seamless. An integrated enterprise project management system breaks down departmental barriers, fostering a culture of transparency and shared ownership that naturally boosts productivity and team morale.
Imagine optimizing resources in real-time with shared calendars and integrated workload views. Lark’s all-in-one suite makes these benefits a reality, boosting productivity by centralizing communication, planning, and execution.
Top 10 enterprise project management systems in 2025
Choosing the right enterprise project management system can transform how your organization operates. To help you navigate the options, I’ve compiled a list of the top platforms on the market today. Each offers a unique approach to solving the complex challenges of EPM project management, from all-in-one collaborative suites to highly specialized scheduling tools.
1. Lark: The all-in-one superapp for enterprise collaboration
Overview
Lark is more than just an enterprise project management software; it's a unified digital workspace designed to break down silos and bring every aspect of your work into a single, cohesive platform. It seamlessly integrates real-time communication, collaborative documents, powerful databases, and automated workflows to create a true single source of truth. This all-in-one approach ensures that your teams can plan, execute, and monitor projects without the friction of switching between dozens of different applications, fostering unparalleled alignment between strategic goals and daily tasks. For any enterprise looking for a holistic enterprise project management solution, Lark provides the foundational tools for communication, collaboration, and control.
Standout features
A powerful, no-code database for custom workflows: At the core of Lark's EPM capabilities is a versatile database tool that allows teams to build custom enterprise project solutions from scratch. You can track everything from project timelines and budgets to resource allocation and risks on Lark Base. With multiple views like Gantt charts for scheduling, Kanban boards for visualizing workflow, and customizable dashboards for real-time reporting, you can monitor KPIs and manage the entire project lifecycle visually.
Fully integrated communication: Unlike other platforms where communication is an add-on, Lark Messenger is the central hub. All notifications from your project boards, task lists, and documents flow directly into your chat feed. You can discuss a task, share a project plan, and even start a video call right from the same window, keeping conversations in context and decisions moving forward.
AI-powered productivity: Lark embeds artificial intelligence to automate and accelerate work. It can automatically summarize long documents, transcribe video meetings into searchable text with action items, and even help generate content within your project database. This focus on intelligent automation helps teams work smarter, not harder.
Collaborative documents and knowledge management: Plan your projects in shared documents Lark Docs where team members can comment, edit, and contribute in real-time. These documents can be linked directly to tasks and project boards, creating a connected knowledge base that supports every enterprise project.
Built for every employee: With a robust mobile app, Lark ensures that every team member, whether in the office or on the frontline, can contribute to projects, update tasks, and stay informed, making it a truly enterprise-wide solution.
Pricing
Starter: A generous free plan for up to 20 users that includes key features like 18 months of message history, 100GB of storage, and 1,000 workflow automations/month.
Pro: Starts at $12 per user/month and is ideal for growing teams, offering unlimited message history, significantly more storage and automations, and video meetings with up to 500 participants.
Enterprise: Custom pricing for large organizations needing Single sign-on (SSO), advanced security, compliance, and management controls, along with massive-scale supergroups and dedicated support.
👉Try Lark Savings Calculator：You can realize significant savings if the total cost of ownership for a typical toolset for a team is taken into consideration.
User reviews
Users on platforms like G2 and Capterra consistently praise Lark for its all-in-one convenience and powerful collaboration features. Many highlight the value of having chat, docs, and project management in one place, though some note that the sheer number of features can present a learning curve for new users.
2. Wrike: A versatile EPM tool with powerful visualization
Image source: wrike.com
Overview
Wrike is a popular enterprise project management software known for its robust features and high degree of customizability. It caters to a wide range of teams, from marketing to professional services, by providing powerful visualization tools like Gantt charts, workload views, and customizable dashboards. Its focus on providing 360-degree visibility helps enterprise teams manage complex projects and portfolios effectively.
Standout features
Customizable workflows and request forms to standardize processes.
Real-time analytics and dashboards for project portfolio management.
Workload management views to optimize resource allocation.
AI-powered features to assist with risk prediction and task creation.
Pricing
Free: For teams getting started
Team: Starts from $10/user/month
Business: Starts from $25/user/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Pinnacle: Custom pricing; for teams with complex work needs
User reviews
Users often praise Wrike for its powerful reporting and customization capabilities. However, some find the interface can be complex and that the best features are locked behind higher-priced plans.
3. Adobe Workfront: The enterprise solution for creative and marketing teams
Image source: business.adobe.com
Overview
Adobe Workfront is a top-tier enterprise work management software designed to connect work to strategy, especially for large marketing, creative, and IT teams. It excels at managing the entire work lifecycle, from initial request to final delivery. Its deep integration with Adobe Creative Cloud makes it an indispensable tool for enterprises where creative asset production is a core part of projects.
Standout features
Seamless integration with Adobe Creative Cloud and Experience Cloud.
Advanced resource management, including capacity planning and forecasting.
Scenario planning tools to model different project outcomes.
Comprehensive portfolio and program management capabilities.
Pricing
Workfront is an enterprise-focused product, and pricing is available only upon request through a custom quote.
User reviews
Customers value Workfront for its ability to handle complex workflows and provide strategic oversight. The main critique is its high cost and complexity, making it less suitable for smaller organizations.
4. Zoho Projects: A budget-friendly, highly integrated business suite
Image source: zoho.com
Overview
Zoho Projects is part of the larger Zoho ecosystem of business apps, offering a comprehensive yet affordable enterprise project management solution. It provides solid project management features, including task management, Gantt charts, and time tracking. Its key strength lies in its seamless integration with other Zoho products like Zoho CRM and Books, creating a unified system for managing an entire business.
Standout features
In-depth task management with subtasks, dependencies, and recurring tasks.
Integrated time tracking and invoicing for easy budget management.
A workflow automation engine to streamline repetitive tasks.
Built-in collaboration tools like chat, forums, and a project feed.
Pricing
Free: Up to 5 users
Premium: Starts from $4/user/month
Enterprise: Starts from $9/user/month
Projects plus: Custom pricing
User reviews
Users appreciate Zoho Projects for its excellent value for money and broad feature set. Some mention that the interface, while functional, can feel a bit dated compared to newer tools.
5. Smartsheet: Spreadsheet-powered work management with robust automation
Image source: smartsheet.com
Overview
Smartsheet offers a unique take on project management, building its platform on a familiar spreadsheet-like interface. This makes it highly accessible for teams accustomed to Excel but adds powerful project management capabilities like automation, reporting, and multiple data views (Grid, Gantt, Card). It is an excellent choice for enterprises that need a flexible and scalable enterprise project management tool.
Standout features
Intuitive spreadsheet-style interface that is easy to adopt.
Powerful workflow automation to streamline approvals and updates.
Customizable reports and dashboards for real-time visibility.
Strong security and compliance features suitable for enterprise needs.
Pricing
No free plan; offers a free trial
Pro: Starts from $9/member/month
Business: Starts from $19/member/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Advanced work management: Custom pricing
User reviews
Smartsheet is widely praised for its flexibility and powerful automation. A common point of criticism is that per-user costs can add up quickly for large teams, and some advanced features require expensive add-ons.
6. Oracle Primavera P6: The industry standard for complex, large-scale projects
Image source: oracle.com
Overview
Oracle Primavera P6 is a heavyweight in the world of EPM project management, specifically designed for industries like construction, engineering, and manufacturing. It excels at managing large-scale, highly complex projects with tens of thousands of activities. Its focus is on meticulous scheduling, resource management, and risk analysis, making it the go-to tool for capital-intensive enterprise projects.
Standout features
Best-in-class critical path method (CPM) scheduling and analysis.
Advanced risk management and mitigation planning.
Robust resource and cost management capabilities.
Strong portfolio management features designed for industrial projects.
Pricing
Primavera P6 is an enterprise-grade solution with pricing that reflects its powerful capabilities, typically sold through enterprise licenses.
User reviews
It is revered by professional schedulers and project controls experts for its power and precision. However, it is widely considered to have a very steep learning curve and is overkill for anything other than large, complex projects.
7. Jira Align: The premier choice for scaled agile at the enterprise level
Image source: atlassian.com
Overview
From Atlassian, Jira Align is an enterprise program management platform built to connect business strategy with technical execution in organizations practicing scaled agile. It sits on top of the team-level tool, Jira Software, to provide visibility and alignment across multiple teams, programs, and portfolios. It is designed to help large organizations successfully implement frameworks like SAFe, LeSS, or Spotify.
Standout features
Connects agile development work directly to strategic enterprise goals.
Provides real-time visibility across all programs and teams.
Supports multiple scaled agile frameworks.
Advanced roadmapping, dependency management, and financial forecasting.
Pricing
Jira Align is available under a single, enterprise-focused plan called Strategy Collection:
Starting Price: $77,400 per year.
User Tier: This price covers up to 50 users.
Custom Quotes: Organizations with more than 50 users need to contact sales for pricing.
User reviews
Users in large agile organizations praise Jira Align for its ability to provide true enterprise-wide visibility. The primary drawbacks are its high cost and the significant organizational maturity required to implement it successfully.
8. Microsoft Project: Deeply integrated scheduling for Microsoft-centric enterprises
Image source: microsoft.com
Overview
Microsoft Project is one of the most established enterprise project management tools available. It offers comprehensive scheduling, resource management, and portfolio management capabilities. For organizations heavily invested in the Microsoft ecosystem, it provides seamless integration with tools like Teams, Power BI, and Office 365, making it a natural choice for managing complex projects in a familiar environment.
Standout features
Powerful Gantt chart and scheduling capabilities.
In-depth resource management and capacity planning tools.
Seamless integration with the broader Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Support for various project methodologies, including hybrid approaches.
Pricing
No free plan; offers a free trial for one month
Microsoft planner: Included in Microsoft 365
Planner plan 1: Starts from $10/user/month
Planner and project plan 3: Starts from $30/user/month
Planner and project plan 5: Starts from $55/user/month
User reviews
It is respected for its powerful and detailed planning features. However, users often find it has a steep learning curve and can be less intuitive and collaborative than more modern, cloud-native alternatives.
9. Monday.com: A visual and highly customizable work operating system
Image source: monday.com
Overview
Monday.com positions itself as a "Work OS," a highly visual and flexible platform that allows teams to build their own workflows. Its colorful, user-friendly interface and extensive customization options make it a popular choice for a wide variety of industries. For enterprises, it offers dashboards for portfolio management, resource allocation, and automation to streamline processes across different departments.
Standout features
Bright, intuitive, and highly visual interface.
Extensive library of templates and customizable columns.
Strong automation and integration capabilities.
Dashboards for high-level portfolio tracking and reporting.
Pricing
Free: Up to 3 boards
Basic: Starts from $9/seat/month
Standard: Starts from $12/seat/month
Pro: Starts from $19/seat/month
Enterprise: Custom pricing
User reviews
Users love Monday.com's ease of use and visual appeal. Some critics point out that while it is very flexible, it can sometimes lack the depth of more specialized EPM tools, and costs can escalate for larger teams.
10. ClickUp: The all-in-one platform for feature-rich task management
Image source: clickup.com
Overview
ClickUp aims to be the one app to replace them all, packing an incredible number of features into a single platform. It combines task management, documents, goals, whiteboards, and more. For enterprises, its strength lies in its extreme customizability, allowing teams to tailor virtually every aspect of their workflow. It offers different views, custom statuses, and powerful reporting to manage complex projects.
Standout features
An expansive, all-in-one feature set.
High degree of customization for statuses, fields, and views.
Integrated goals, documents, and real-time chat.
Competitive pricing model that offers significant value.
Pricing
Free: Best for personal use.
Unlimited: Starts from $7/user/month.
Business: Starts from $12/user/month.
Enterprise: Custom pricing.
User reviews
Fans of ClickUp rave about its versatility and the fact that it consolidates so many tools into one. The most common complaint is that the sheer number of features can be overwhelming and lead to a cluttered user experience.
How to choose the best enterprise project management system
Selecting the right enterprise project management system is a critical decision that will impact your entire organization. With so many options available, it's essential to approach the choice systematically. Here are the key factors you should consider to find the platform that best fits your needs.
Assess your organization's needs and strategic goals
Before you even look at a demo, understand what you need the software to do. Are you in a highly regulated industry like construction that requires intense scheduling and risk analysis? Or are you a fast-moving tech company that needs agile workflows and deep collaboration tools? Define your key pain points and strategic objectives. This will serve as your scorecard when evaluating different enterprise PMO software.
Evaluate core features and functionality
Every EPM platform should excel at the basics. Look for robust task and project management, comprehensive resource allocation and capacity planning, and powerful reporting and analytics. Make a list of your must-have features versus your nice-to-haves. For instance, if you manage a large portfolio, features like dependency tracking and portfolio-level dashboards are non-negotiable.
Consider collaboration and communication tools
An EPM system is only effective if it helps your teams work together better. How does the tool facilitate communication? Does it have built-in chat, commenting, and real-time document editing? A platform with integrated communication prevents context switching and ensures that all project-related discussions are captured in one place, which is vital for remote and hybrid teams.
Check for integration capabilities
Your enterprise project management software won't exist in a vacuum. It needs to connect with your other critical business systems, such as CRM, ERP, finance, and HR software. Check the platform's integration library and API capabilities to ensure a seamless flow of data across your entire tech stack.
Prioritize user adoption and ease of use
The most powerful tool is useless if your team finds it too complicated to use. Look for a clean, intuitive interface and a smooth user experience. Consider the learning curve and the availability of training resources. A platform with strong mobile accessibility is also crucial for keeping teams productive on the go.
Analyze security and compliance
When you're dealing with sensitive enterprise project data, security is paramount. Evaluate the platform's security features, such as access controls, data encryption, and audit trails. Ensure it meets your industry's compliance standards (e.g., GDPR, SOC 2).
Compare pricing and total cost of ownership
Finally, look beyond the sticker price. Consider the total cost of ownership, which includes implementation, training, and support. Some platforms may seem cheaper upfront but require expensive add-ons for essential features. Conversely, an all-in-one solution might have a higher per-seat cost but save you money by allowing you to consolidate and cancel other software subscriptions.
Choosing the right system means balancing functionality with usability. Lark excels here by offering a fully integrated suite—from databases to chat—ensuring your system supports your processes and your people from day one.
How Lark supercharges your enterprise project management
While many tools can help you manage projects, Lark is uniquely designed to supercharge your entire enterprise management framework by integrating every part of the process. It moves beyond simple task tracking to create a connected ecosystem where strategy, planning, execution, and communication all happen in one place.
A single source of truth for seamless collaboration
The biggest challenge in EPM project management is often fragmentation. Information lives in emails, plans are in spreadsheets, and conversations happen in a separate chat app. Lark solves this by creating one unified environment. Your project plans in Lark Docs are directly linked to your execution boards in Lark Base, and any updates or comments trigger real-time notifications in Lark Messenger. This means everyone from the project team to stakeholders is always working with the most current information, eliminating confusion and rework.
Customizable workflows for any project or team
Enterprises aren't one-size-fits-all, and neither are their projects. Lark Base is a powerful, no-code database that lets you build the exact enterprise project solutions you need. You can create custom fields to track specific metrics, design workflows with automated triggers and approvals, and visualize your data with dynamic Gantt, Kanban, and calendar views. This flexibility allows you to standardize processes where needed while still giving individual teams the freedom to manage their unique workflows.
Real-time communication that drives alignment
In Lark, communication isn't a separate feature—it's the engine that drives everything. You can start a video call directly from a project chat to resolve an issue quickly. You can @mention a colleague in a document to get their input, and they'll receive an instant notification. You can even create dedicated chat groups for every project or calendar event automatically. This constant, contextual communication ensures that teams stay aligned and projects keep moving forward.
AI-powered productivity to work smarter
Lark infuses artificial intelligence across the platform to handle repetitive work and provide intelligent insights. Lark Minutes can automatically transcribe your project meetings, identify speakers, and generate a summary of key decisions and action items. Within your project database, AI can help you summarize progress reports, translate content for global teams, and even categorize incoming requests automatically. These AI capabilities free up your team to focus on high-value, strategic work.
Enterprise-grade security and governance
Lark is built with the security and governance needs of a large organization in mind. With advanced permissions, you can control exactly who can view or edit specific data within your project databases, protecting sensitive information. Features like Single Sign-On (SSO) and advanced admin controls ensure that your enterprise pmo software is not only powerful but also secure and compliant.
Conclusion
Navigating the world of enterprise project management is about much more than just adopting a new tool; it’s about transforming your approach from managing isolated tasks to orchestrating a unified portfolio aligned with your core business strategy. The right system provides unparalleled visibility into your entire project landscape, optimizes the allocation of your most critical resources, and fosters a culture of seamless collaboration that breaks down departmental silos. By centralizing information and standardizing processes, you empower your teams to work more efficiently and make smarter, data-driven decisions that propel the entire organization forward.
Choosing the best enterprise project management system is the critical first step in realizing these benefits. You need a solution that is not only powerful and flexible but also intuitive enough for your teams to embrace. The goal is to find a platform that brings your people and processes together in one cohesive digital environment, reducing friction and amplifying impact.
Lark's all-in-one platform is built to do just that, consolidating communication, planning, and execution into a single, intelligent workspace. Give your teams the integrated tools they need to succeed and watch your enterprise projects thrive.
FAQs
What is enterprise project management software?
Enterprise project management software is a centralized platform that helps organizations manage their entire portfolio of projects. It provides tools for strategic alignment, portfolio-level resource management, risk mitigation, and reporting. Solutions like Lark integrate these functions to provide a single source of truth for all enterprise-wide initiatives.
What is the difference between a PMO and an EPMO?
A Project Management Office (PMO) typically focuses on tactical execution, standardizing processes and supporting the successful delivery of individual projects. An Enterprise Project Management Office (EPMO) operates at a strategic level, overseeing the entire portfolio of projects to ensure alignment with the company’s business goals and managing enterprise-wide resources.
What is the difference between PM and EPM?
The key difference is scope and focus. Traditional project management (PM) is tactical, concentrating on delivering a single project on time and within budget. Enterprise project management (EPM) is strategic, focusing on managing an entire portfolio of projects to ensure they align with the organization's overarching business objectives.
What is an enterprise management system?
An enterprise management system is a broad term for an integrated suite of software that manages a company's core business processes, such as finance, HR, and operations. An enterprise project management system is a specialized component of this, focused specifically on planning, executing, and monitoring an organization's portfolio of projects.
