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Completing a task can become overwhelming when a team is disorganized and unable to prioritize the most important tasks. This is where task management software comes in handy.
By utilizing such a tool, businesses of all sizes, from small teams to large enterprises, can keep track of campaigns, files, messages, and all information pertinent to a particular task. A task management platform centralizes all these things so that they’re stored within one platform, making it easy to refer to them and revisit tasks.
It goes without saying that task management software tools can eliminate much of the tedious work involved in searching for key information and communicating with team members.
What to Look for in Task Management Software:
Task Management Platforms and Factors to Consider
Before you choose a task management platform, here are some essential factors to consider:
Identify which features you need
A task management software solution has multiple features that help you break down processes into more manageable ones. Think of it as a Swiss army knife for completing your tasks. But task management platforms are not made equal; not every tool will have everything that solves your company's issues. In other words, its features may not be what your team is looking for.
One crucial strategy when choosing the software to use for your team is to identify your specific needs and constraints. Making a detailed list of your needs vs. constraints will help you narrow down your options more efficiently.
Test the free version
After you’ve pared down your list of software options, what you can do next is test out the platforms. It would be tough to figure out which platform is a good fit for your team without using it. So sign up for a free trial, or request one from the company.
Once you get a feel for the software’s free version, you'll know if the user interface works for you and your team, if the features are helpful and well-suited to your needs, and if you can address the everyday tasks that bog down your daily workflow using it.
Discuss with your team
Sometimes the boss or manager may prefer a particular software, but most of the staff will have an entirely different opinion. It's important then to discuss this as a whole team and gauge how user-friendly the platform really is. Create tasks and subtasks for each team member, explore automation and scheduling, customize notifications, create shared files, and assign deadlines. These can inform your company's decision about the task management tool.
Calculate the value
Implementing a task management software will add to your operational expenses, so the software you use should be a worthwhile tool for your company. It can be hard to pinpoint the exact cost-benefits from day one, but a good rule of thumb is to compare the purchase or maintenance cost of the software versus the cost of not having it.
Ask yourself: Is your team working shorter hours now? Do you experience fewer errors? Can you accommodate more clients? All these are examples of benefits you can gain from investing in the right software.
Top 5 Task Management Software Recommendations
Here are our top software recommendations for companies of all sizes:
Monday.com is among the most reliable project management and task management software solutions available on the market. Companies of various sizes, from individuals and SMEs to large enterprises, can leverage the software to handle numerous tasks. Offering a suite of fully loaded functional features, Monday.com is a frontrunner in terms of collaboration, planning, visibility, insights, and more. It’s a powerful and user-friendly tool that can deliver customizable dashboards and workload efficiency for your staff. Features Multiple Views. Monday.com lets you view tasks based on your specific requirements. If you prefer a timeline view or a calendar view, or if you want to switch views between tasks or split views—this is all doable within the platform. View tasks as Gantt charts or Kanban boards to visualize your workflows in a way that makes the most sense to you. With multiple views, managers can easily determine task statuses and deal with pressing issues asap. Time Tracker. Monday.com has a built-in time tracking column feature, meaning you don’t have to get a time-tracker add-on if that’s something that your team needs. The software’s time tracker enables managers to ascertain how long tasks take and identify some bottlenecks in terms of file submission or task fulfillment. Team members can use the time tracker to optimize their working hours and better manage their time. This feature is also available for mobile users. Automation Options. This tool can slash the time spent on repetitive tasks. Automation features are customizable and available for every team member. For example, assigning or transferring tasks to another member can be automated, with email notification for the designated person. This feature is intuitive and easy to set up even for novice users. Status updates, alerts for due dates, time tracking, creation of recurring tasks, and more can be automated. Third-Party Integrations. The right tools can make things more efficient. Integrating your company’s various applications is a lot more than just connecting one app to another. By using automation tools and integrating third-party services, you can streamline operations for everyone in the office on autopilot. Monday.com enables more than 200 integrations. Tools like Slack, Dropbox, Google Calendar, Zoom, Shopify, and more can be integrated here. Pricing Trello is a user-friendly solution for teams looking to manage their various tasks. It’s a visual collaboration tool that helps teams better understand the tasks being worked on and keep track of each one’s progress. Features Advanced Checklists. This feature can help you keep your team more accountable by making it easy to view tasks and due dates in a single list. Trello also allows you to automate and repeat checklists that you often use for more streamlined workflows. Multiple Views. Trello offers multiple views for visualizing your tasks, such as Timeline, Calendar, Dashboard, Table, and Map. Users can create multiple custom overviews based on their work needs. Custom Templates. Save time by using Trello’s wide array of templates. You can find templates for daily task management, team tasks, personal tasks, and more. Convenient Labeling. Trello’s labeling feature assists members in prioritizing the most important tasks in their list of to-dos. It lets you filter labels, essentially hiding the ones you don’t need to work on immediately so that you can keep your attention focused on priority tasks. Pricing Asana is one of the best task and project management software solutions right now. It enables users to manage and keep track of tasks efficiently by providing a clear pathway from assignment and execution to progress tracking. The smooth drag-and-drop user interface is straightforward to use and creates an easier way to check assigned tasks. Features Multiple Views. Asana may be overwhelming to a small business at first, but it undoubtedly has a comprehensive task management interface. It offers multiple views for visualizing your tasks, such as boards, list, calendar, and timeline views. It enables switching between views for managers to monitor the overall progress. There are real-time updates and customizable dashboard options, depending on what type of information you need right away. Team Collaboration. Asana makes documentation and retrieval efficient, as it has enough collaboration options for any company. You can share PDFs, JPGs, and Google documents, relay instructions for the team and for individuals, and more. Tasks, subtasks, and priority listing can be set, along with due dates—all in a single place, so everything can be easily tracked. Interoperability. Asana integrates with various third-party messaging tools, email software, and other apps like Google Drive, Dropbox, Slack, Salesforce, and more to further customize your team communications. Intuitive User Interface. Asana’s dashboard is user-friendly. All main features are located on the left side of the screen, and the tabs are across the top for easy navigation. Moreover, you can customize which features to show and which to hide. Pricing ClickUp is a cloud-based task management software that offers shared task functions. It makes alerts and task updates highly visible and accessible for managers and team members. ClickUp is one of the best tools when it comes to pricing and user interface. Features Customized Templates. ClickUp is ahead of the game when it comes to customization features for the work overview. The software can accommodate whatever type of business model, personal preferences on which details to show, and what kind of collaboration you need. For example, the Custom Fields feature lets managers add comprehensive info per task view, including web links. And there are over 50 widgets for your dashboards. You’ll have complete flexibility in working with software tailored to fit any task and individual user’s specifications. Multiple Views. This task management platform offers several views that you can choose from, allowing you to design how the timelines, task structure, and team designation will look on the dashboard. Built-in Gantt View, Calendar View, List View, Workload View, and Mind Map View are available. Real-Time Reports. ClickUp enables teams to retrieve data, create, and customize reports. It allows you to set measurable goals and key milestones for easier tracking of progress. Reporting on progress can make the company much more informed on what processes it can improve. Additionally, you can furnish performance reports and figure out how each team member can maximize their productivity in any task. User-Friendly Mobile App. Other task management platforms have issues with mobile-friendliness, but not ClickUp. Managers and staff can work using the mobile app to assign and finish tasks, communicate with team members, submit files, and more. This tool can be very beneficial for members handling tasks while on the go. Pricing Founded in 2015, Hive is one of the newest task management software solutions on the market. Despite being relatively new, it’s considered among the most effective tools for its versatility and customizability. Teams of all sizes can leverage Hive for convenient assigning of tasks and collaboration. Features Streamlined Tasks. Hive simplifies task management by making it easy to assign tasks to individuals, teams, and even multiple people who are not from the same departments. It allows members to track the time they spend on each task as well as automate update notifications. Custom Dashboards. With Hive, you and your team members get multiple task layouts for a better understanding of task progress. There’s the Kanban, Gantt, table, calendar, personal, team, summary, label, and portfolio view. Aside from customizing the layouts, you can set action statuses with custom colors and levels of urgency to indicate each task’s priority level. Custom notifications and emojis are also available. Team Collaboration. Hive enables you to store all task updates in a single location for better communications within the team. The platform is ideal for teams of various types, such as hybrid, remote, and in-office ones. Various Integrations. The software features 1,000+ integrations, allowing you to bring different apps to one location for better efficiency. Its native integrations include Microsoft Teams, Google Drive, Dropbox, Slack, Jira, GitHub, and more. Pricing
1. Monday.com
2. Trello
3. Asana
4. ClickUp
5. Hive
Streamline Task Workflows with Task Management Software
Managers and teams can highly benefit from implementing a task management software solution. It streamlines workflow processes, aligns with the company's custom business model and needs, and makes task monitoring convenient. Some platforms may present a steeper learning curve than others, but once all your team members are familiar with the software, you can centralize all task assignments, deadlines, and communications.
Again, you must find the right tool for your business, and that could take some trial and error. Kick off your hunt for the best software with our list of recommended task management solutions, and start streamlining your task workflows for improved team productivity.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is task management software used for?
Task management software is a type of digital platform that empowers individuals and teams to manage their tasks. Task management software provide more than just to-do lists. They help workers collaborate digitally, prioritize their tasks and assign tasks to one another.
Which task management tool is best?
The best task management software in 2023:
- Monday.com
- Trello
- Asana
- ClickUp
- Hive
What is CRM task management?
CRM task management allows you to build in reminders for customer accounts that sync to your own calendar. This means you can set up tasks for yourself or assign them to your team as well as set email reminders. In addition, you can set up recurring tasks.
What software is used to perform tasks?
Application software, also known as an app, is a computer software that helps users perform specific tasks. Examples of application software include enterprise software, accounting software, office suites, graphics software and media players.