Final answer:
A critical project management tool, found in almost all PM software, ensures stakeholders are kept updated about a project's status, maintaining buy-in and project success.
Step-by-step explanation:
The project management tool that is so crucial that it is included in nearly all project management software is a system for ensuring all stakeholders are kept informed of a project's status. This tool could encompass features like dashboards, reporting systems, and communication platforms.
These systems aim to maintain buy-in from all parties involved in the project, including researchers, community stakeholders, and other collaborators. The feedback from these stakeholders is essential in all aspects of the project, from design to execution.
Ensuring continuous engagement is even more important during transitions, such as changes in staff or shifts in the project's direction.
For engineers, the importance of such tools cannot be overstated, as they frequently juggle multiple projects with varying deadlines and team compositions.
Missing a deadline due to poor communication could result in severe financial losses or project failure, as seen in the case of designing a new video game controller for a holiday season release or competing with another firm's product launch.