You can use Salesforce for project management in three ways: build a simple project app on the platform with custom objects, Path, Kanban, Flow and dashboards; install a Salesforce-native project management or professional services automation (PSA) app from AgentExchange, the marketplace formerly called AgentExchange (formerly AppExchange); or integrate a dedicated tool such as Jira so project status appears next to the customer record. The right choice depends on how complex your projects are and whether you bill for time.
This guide was first published in 2019 as "6 Ways To Use Salesforce For Project Management". It has been rewritten for 2026 and now also covers our older posts on managing projects in Salesforce and on Salesforce project management apps.
Why manage projects in Salesforce at all?
Manage projects in Salesforce when they deliver what you sold, because the customer data is already there. The main reason is that the customer is already there. When a deal closes, the project that delivers it starts with the same account, contacts, products and promises. Running the project in Salesforce means:
- sales, delivery and support see the same customer history;
- a won opportunity can create the project automatically, with no re-keying;
- managers report on pipeline and delivery in the same dashboards;
- renewals and upsells are planned with real delivery status in view.
The reason not to is equally simple: if your projects are engineering work with sprints, backlogs and code, a dedicated tool will fit better, and Salesforce should only show the summary.
Three ways to do project management in Salesforce
The three routes are to build on the platform, buy a native app, or integrate an external tool; they differ in effort, cost and depth.
| Approach | Best for | Effort | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Build on the platform | Simple delivery or onboarding projects with a few stages and tasks | Days to a few weeks of admin work | No Gantt charts, resource planning or timesheets unless you build them |
| Native AgentExchange app | Professional services firms that need resources, timesheets and billing | Licence cost plus configuration | Extra licences, and a data model you must learn and maintain |
| Integrate an external tool | Engineering or creative teams already using Jira or similar | Integration project | Two systems to keep in sync; decide which one owns each field |
Option 1: build a project app with standard Salesforce features
A custom Project object with Path, Kanban, Flow and dashboards covers simple delivery projects. For many companies this is enough, and it costs nothing beyond the licences you already have. A typical build:
- Create a Project object with lookups to Account and Opportunity, and fields for start date, due date, budget, owner and status.
- Add a child object for milestones or project tasks, or use standard Tasks related to the project for small teams.
- Add a Path for the project's stages. Trailhead explains that Path shows at a glance where a record is in the process, with key fields and "Guidance for Success" at each step (Trailhead: Path and Kanban).
- Show projects as a Kanban board. According to the same Trailhead unit, almost any list view can be displayed as Kanban, for most objects including Leads and Tasks. Group by Status and drag cards between columns to update them; Kanban settings let you change the grouping field and the field summed in each column (Trailhead: Kanban view).
- Automate the hand-off with Flow. A record-triggered flow can create the project, its standard milestones and the first tasks when an opportunity is marked Closed Won.
- Report on it. Build reports on projects overdue, milestones due this week and budget versus actual, and put them on a delivery dashboard.
- Collaborate on the record. Use Chatter or Slack so conversations stay attached to the project rather than in email. On paid Slack plans, Slack lists track project tasks with an assignee and due date by default (up to 1,000 items per list on Pro and Business+, 5,000 on Enterprise Grid, as of November 2026), and Slack's Salesforce apps let people view and update Salesforce records from Slack.
Build it in a sandbox first; our sandbox guide explains which type to use. If you are importing existing projects from spreadsheets, our Data Loader guide walks through the import.
Option 2: install a Salesforce-native project management or PSA app
Buy a native app when you need Gantt charts, resource planning, timesheets or billing. AgentExchange (formerly AppExchange) lists many project management and PSA apps that run inside Salesforce. They add what a custom build lacks: Gantt charts, task dependencies, resource scheduling, timesheets, utilisation and billing. One example is Cloud Coach, whose listing describes resource management, time tracking and support for fixed-price and time-and-materials projects.
What to check before you choose one:
- Licensing. Who needs a licence: only project managers, or every team member who logs time?
- Data model. Does it use its own project object, and how does it link to Account, Opportunity and Products?
- Resource management. Can it plan people by skill, role and availability, or only assign tasks?
- Time and billing. Does it handle your billing model and pass data to your finance system?
- Reporting. Can you report on its objects with standard Salesforce reports?
- Reviews and support. Read the AgentExchange reviews and check how recently the app has been updated.
Option 3: integrate a dedicated project tool
Integrate when delivery teams already work in a tool such as Jira, and show only the summary in Salesforce. If your delivery teams already live in Jira or another tool, don't force them into Salesforce. Integrate instead: create a Jira project or epic when a deal closes, and show its status and key dates on the Salesforce account or project record. Agree which system owns each field, and sync only what each team needs. Our Salesforce and Jira integration page covers this pattern, and our integration patterns guide explains the design choices.
Which option should you choose?
Three questions decide it: do you bill for time, do you need scheduling depth, and where does the delivery work happen?
- Do you bill clients for time? Yes: look at a PSA app. No: carry on.
- Do projects need Gantt charts, dependencies or resource planning? Yes: a native app. No: carry on.
- Is the delivery work done by engineers in another tool? Yes: integrate. No: build it on the platform.
Running the Salesforce implementation itself is a different job; see our Salesforce project management guide, and for example builds, Salesforce project examples. Starting with a simple build is rarely wasted: the Project object and the Closed Won flow you create are often what a later app plugs into.
Common mistakes
The usual mistakes are treating opportunities as projects, hand-building a PSA and over-engineering the stages.
- Using opportunities as projects. Opportunity stages describe a sale; once it is won, delivery needs its own record and stages (see what an opportunity is).
- Building a full PSA by hand. Resource planning and timesheets are hard to build well; if you need them, compare apps first.
- Too many stages. Five to seven stages on the Path is usually enough to see where projects stall.
- No owner for data quality. Dashboards are only as good as the status fields people update; make updating part of the weekly routine.
Getting help
Techila is a Salesforce Summit Partner. Our professional services team helps firms run delivery in Salesforce, whether that means a custom project app, a native PSA app or a Jira integration. Talk to us about the projects you need to track.
Frequently asked questions
Can Salesforce be used for project management?
Yes, in three ways: build a project app with custom objects, Path, Kanban, Flow and dashboards; install a Salesforce-native project or PSA app from AgentExchange (formerly AppExchange); or connect a tool such as Jira so project status shows in Salesforce.
What is the best project management app for Salesforce?
It depends on the work. Professional services firms that bill for time usually need a PSA app with resource management, timesheets and billing. Teams that only track delivery tasks after a sale can often manage with a simple custom build or a lighter native app.
How do I track projects in Salesforce without an app?
Create a Project object linked to the account and opportunity, a child object for milestones or tasks, a Path for the project stages, a Kanban list view to move projects between stages, a Flow that creates the project when a deal is won, and a dashboard for status.
Is Kanban available in Salesforce?
Yes. Trailhead says almost any list view can be shown as a Kanban board, for most objects including Leads and Tasks. Cards are grouped by a field such as Stage, and dragging a card to another column updates that field.
Should we use Salesforce or Jira for project management?
Many teams use both: Jira for engineering work and Salesforce for customer-facing delivery, with an integration that shows issue status on the account or project record. Moving everything into one tool rarely suits both sales and engineering.