We Tested 8 Team Management Tools. See The Top 8 For 2023
Are you tired of missing deadlines, not knowing what your team members have to do, losing track of tasks, and not finding the necessary documentation to implement your projects? Don’t worry, you are not alone. These problems are common and have a resolution: implementing team management tools.
But first, let’s see how can these problems escalate if they are not addressed in the early stages of your business development.
- Your Team will Lack Effective Communication: Communication breakdowns within the team can lead to misunderstandings, missed deadlines, and poor quality work. You may find it challenging to convey your vision, goals, and expectations to the team, resulting in a lack of clarity.
- Your Team Will Have Low Productivity: When the team is not managed well, it can lead to low morale, reduced motivation, and decreased productivity. You may struggle to keep the team focused and engaged, resulting in missed opportunities and reduced output.
- High Turnover: Poor team management without tools can lead to a high turnover rate, with team members quitting or being fired frequently. This can result in the loss of valuable talent and knowledge, as well as increased hiring and training costs.
- Resistance to Change: You might find resistance to changes that you want to implement, such as new processes or policies. This can make it difficult to improve your business and stay competitive.
Addressing these problems requires effective leadership, clear communication, and a commitment to creating a positive and productive work environment. But how can you do that, more precisely? By implementing team management tools. In this article, you’ll discover why investing your time and resources in team management tools is vital for your organization.
Alvanda
Alvanda is the ultimate real-time business process optimization platform that minimizes errors and improves your company’s performance.
Main features
- Define Organisational Chart – With the help of the Org Chart creator, you can assign specific duties and processes based on the roles and departments you define. Once you define a role, you can add as many people as you want to that role, without resetting permissions. Everything will be there for the new employee to onboard successfully.
- Organise processes – Using Alvanda’s business process management software to create processes for every single part of your business, will lead to deadlines being met, people following up with each other, and everyone’s work being transparent to the managers that can help them move things forward.
- Components – Alvanda has a Components system, allowing you to create and keep track of every single moving part of your business. It’s similar to a project task-tracking tool, that is outstandingly customizable and easy to work with.
- Tasks – With Alvanda’s task management software, you’ll never have to worry again about new hires not finding the information they need, your team not following predefined processes, or forgetting certain tasks. Plan projects, refine processes, and innovate faster. You’ll know exactly how well your resources are utilized, and be able to track time spent on tasks and remove time-wasting activities.
- Builder – Create and share step-by-step instructions for your business processes. Support these detailed instructions with images, videos, and files, and get real-time visibility into what’s happening in your business. Can it get better than this? Yes! Every change you make in a process is updated in real-time for anyone using it.
- Admin Area – With Alvanda, you can run massive projects, alongside the rest of the day-to-day running of the business, effortlessly. You have access to your membership settings and billing information, enjoy high levels of automation, and receive plenty of support to set up your business processes.
How to use it
With Alvanda, you can generate automated reports, have access to real-time analytics, have a faster and better onboarding process, define accessible company processes and procedures, identify process gaps, and focus on agile teams that need to collaborate and communicate.
Pricing
You have five Alvanda Plans to choose from depending on the number of employees. Introduce the number of your employees and Alvanda will automatically recommend the best plan. In addition, there is an opportunity to save 10% if paid annually.
Slack
Teams of all sizes utilize Slack to streamline task discussions, reports, event schedules, ideas sharing, and more. Slack provides a full-featured solution set for the virtual collaboration of your team members in a chat.
Main features
To-do reminders, conversation bots, team members mentioning and tagging, channels, file sharing, integrations, and bots are just a few of the most important features of Slack.
How to use it
Slack is a team management tool that can be used for a variety of purposes, from communication to task tracking. While it may seem daunting at first, Slack can be a very efficient way to manage a team if used correctly. Here are some tips on how to use Slack efficiently for team communication:
- Create separate channels for different topics or projects. This will help keep the conversations organized and focused.
- Use @mentions to get someone’s attention. This is especially useful if you need to reach someone who is not active in the channel you’re currently in.
- Make use of Slack’s many features, such as file sharing, video conferencing, and integrations with other apps. These can all be helpful in keeping the team organized and productive.
- Finally, don’t forget to have some fun! Add custom emojis or use Slack’s built-in GIF search to lighten the mood and make communication more enjoyable.
Pricing
Many small teams use Slack-free plans. However, there is a limit to the amount of data you can store. So after some time, the system deletes a history of your conversations.
Clockify
Clockify is an efficient and free app with features that help you manage the time of your team. It enables you to add unlimited users, create unlimited projects, and track productivity levels across weeks. You can select who’s working on what, set project time estimates, and add tags and descriptions to time entries to obtain a clear overview of progress. Additionally, you will have access to a Dashboard section that allows you to track who worked on what each day, who’s most active, and what was their last activity. There is also the Manager role where a team member can manage projects and other team members as well. This way you’ll be able to handle hourly rates for billing purposes and pay your employees accordingly.
Main features
Some of its main features include:
- Time tracking: Clockify allows users to track time spent on tasks and projects through a simple interface that allows you to start and stop timers as needed.
- Project management: Users can create projects and assign tasks to team members, set project budgets, and track progress.
- Reporting: Clockify provides detailed reports on time spent on tasks, projects, and clients, giving users insights into their productivity and profitability.
- Integrations: Clockify integrates with a variety of other tools, including Trello, Asana, and Slack, making it easy to track time within your existing workflow.
- Mobile app: Clockify has a mobile app that allows users to track time on the go, making it easy to stay productive even when away from the office.
- Free plan: Clockify offers a free plan with unlimited users, making it an affordable option for individuals and small teams.
How to use it
Using Clockify efficiently for team management requires a few best practices that can help you get the most out of the tool. Here are some tips:
- Set up projects and tasks: Create projects for each of your team’s initiatives and break them down into specific tasks. This will allow team members to log their time against specific projects and tasks, giving you a clear picture of how much time is being spent on each initiative.
- Assign tasks to team members: Assign tasks to specific team members so that everyone knows what they are responsible for. This will also help you track who is working on what and how much progress is being made.
- Set budgets and deadlines: Set project budgets and deadlines to help keep your team on track. This will help you ensure that projects are completed on time and within budget.
- Use reports to track progress: Use Clockify’s reports to track progress and identify any areas where your team may be struggling. This will help you make adjustments as needed and ensure that your team is working efficiently.
- Integrate Clockify with other tools: Clockify integrates with a variety of other tools, including Trello, Asana, and Slack. Use these integrations to streamline your workflow and make it easier for team members to log their time.
- Encourage regular time tracking: Encourage team members to track their time regularly and provide feedback on how they can improve their productivity. This will help your team stay on top of their workload and ensure that everyone is working towards the same goals.
Pricing
Jira
JIRA is an agile project management system beneficial to business and software development teams. You can use it to manage projects, log bugs and tasks, measure performance, and monitor related details. It helps you create Scrum boards or Kanban boards to track progress statuses of issues such as “To Do”, “In Progress” or “Done”, plan and prioritize workloads with a Roadmap view, as well as assign the right personnel for the right deals. Besides that, its Scrum Templates allow you to craft Backlogs with issues for sprinting purposes. Additionally, this comprehensive tool has versatile features that enable you to tackle other tasks such as bug tracking (Bug Tracking Template), organizing team projects (Task Tracking Template), tracking activities for recurring processes (Process Control Template), etc.
Jira, celebrated for its team management proficiency, helps teams design organized workflows for the purpose of streamlining various operations in the workplace. The calendar view allows you to manage your assignments and keep a check on deadlines assigned to your business and workflows. The new roadmaps let you know how to maintain control of your progress in an orderly fashion and communicate plans with stakeholders. Once used simply as a bug/issue solver, Jira is now commonly utilized as a team management program.
Main features
Jira is a comprehensive project management tool that offers a range of technical features to help teams manage their projects effectively. Some of the main technical features of Jira include:
- Issue tracking: Jira’s core functionality is issue tracking, which allows teams to create, manage, and track issues through a centralized platform.
- Customizable workflows: Jira allows teams to create custom workflows that reflect their unique processes and requirements. This can help teams stay organized and streamline their work.
- Agile project management: Jira offers Agile project management features, including Scrum and Kanban boards, that help teams plan, track, and manage their work using Agile methodologies.
- Integration with other tools: Jira integrates with a wide range of other tools, including Confluence, Bitbucket, and Slack. This makes it easy for teams to collaborate and streamline their workflow.
- Reporting and analytics: Jira offers powerful reporting and analytics features that allow teams to track progress, identify bottlenecks, and make data-driven decisions.
- Custom fields and configurations: Jira allows teams to create custom fields and configurations that are specific to their projects and workflows. This can help teams tailor Jira to their specific needs and make it more effective for their work.
- Security and permissions: Jira offers a range of security and permission features that help teams protect their data and control access to their projects and issues.
- Mobile app: Jira has a mobile app that allows team members to manage their projects and issues on the go, making it easy to stay productive even when away from the office.
Overall, Jira’s technical features are designed to help teams manage their projects more effectively, streamline their workflow, and improve collaboration and communication.
How to use it
Jira is a powerful team management tool that can help your team stay organized, improve communication, and increase productivity. Here are some best practices for using Jira effectively:
- Create a clear project hierarchy: Use Jira’s project and issue hierarchy to create a clear structure for your team’s work. Create projects for each major initiative, and break them down into smaller tasks and sub-tasks.
- Assign tasks to team members: Assign tasks to specific team members so that everyone knows what they are responsible for. This will also help you track who is working on what and how much progress is being made.
- Use Agile methodology: Jira’s Agile features can help your team work more efficiently and effectively. Use Agile boards to visualize your team’s workflow, and use Scrum or Kanban methodologies to help your team stay on track.
- Use automation: Jira allows you to automate many tasks, such as assigning tasks to team members, updating issue statuses, and sending notifications. This can help you save time and reduce the risk of errors.
- Use Jira reports: Jira provides a variety of reports that can help you track progress, identify bottlenecks, and measure your team’s performance. Use these reports to make data-driven decisions and improve your team’s efficiency.
- Integrate with other tools: Jira integrates with a variety of other tools, such as Confluence, Bitbucket, and Slack. Use these integrations to streamline your workflow and make it easier for team members to collaborate.
- Customize Jira to fit your team’s needs: Jira is highly customizable, so take the time to configure it to fit your team’s specific needs. This can help you optimize your team’s workflow and maximize their productivity.
Pricing
Zoom
Zoom is a powerful team management tool that can help your team stay connected and productive. With its easy-to-use interface and features like video conferencing, screen sharing, and instant messaging, Zoom is the perfect way to keep your team connected and collaborating.
Main features
Some of the main features of Zoom include:
- Video and audio conferencing: Zoom allows teams to hold video and audio conferences with up to 1,000 participants at a time.
- Screen sharing: Zoom’s screen sharing feature allows teams to share their screen with other participants, making it easy to collaborate on projects and presentations.
- Virtual backgrounds: Zoom’s virtual background feature allows users to choose a virtual background to use during video conferences, which can be helpful in maintaining privacy and reducing distractions.
- Recording and playback: Zoom allows users to record their video conferences and save them for future reference or sharing with team members who couldn’t attend.
- Chat and messaging: Zoom’s chat and messaging features allow users to communicate with each other during video conferences, as well as outside of meetings.
- Breakout rooms: Zoom’s breakout room feature allows hosts to split participants into smaller groups for more focused discussions and collaboration.
- Scheduling and calendar integration: Zoom allows users to schedule and manage their video conferences using an integrated calendar feature.
- Security features: Zoom offers a range of security features, including password protection, waiting rooms, and end-to-end encryption, to help ensure the privacy and security of video conferences.
Overall, Zoom’s features are designed to make remote collaboration and communication as seamless and effective as possible, helping teams to stay connected and productive regardless of their location.
How to use it
Here are some tips on how to use Zoom efficiently for conferences:
- Schedule your conference in advance. This will give you time to set up the meeting and invite all the participants.
- Make sure everyone has the Zoom client installed and updated. This will ensure that everyone can connect and participate in the conference without any issues.
- Test your audio and video settings before the conference begins. This way, you can be sure that everything is working properly and that there are no technical problems.
- During the conference, make use of features such as screen sharing and recording. These can be helpful in making sure that all the participants are able to see and hear what is being discussed.
- After the conference, take some time to debrief with your team. This will help you identify any areas where improvements can be made for future conferences.
Pricing
Asana
Asana provides an easy way for teams to combine task management approaches. Using the Kanban drag & drop system, list layout, attachments, labels, subtasks, descriptions, comments, and milestones — as well as conversation threads and a File section to organize all your project information — you can collaborate with your team efficiently and keep track of deadlines in the Calendar view.
Main features
Assana is a team management tool that helps teams stay organized and efficient. It offers a variety of features to help teams manage their work, including task management, team collaboration, communication, and file sharing. Assana is a great tool for teams of all sizes and industries. It is simple to use and has a wide range of features that can be tailored to the needs of any team.
How to use it
Assuming you are already familiar with the basics of using Asana, we will dive deeper into how to use this tool efficiently for team management.
When creating tasks in Asana, be sure to assign them to the relevant team member or members. You can do this by typing in their name or email address in the Assignees field. This way, everyone knows who is responsible for what and when it is due.
If a task is taking longer than expected or needs to be changed, you can easily edit the task details and update the due date if necessary. Simply click on the task and make your changes in the editing window that pops up.
You can also leave comments on tasks if you need to communicate with your team members about them. To do this, just click on the task and type your comment in the box that appears. Your team members will be notified of your comment and can reply accordingly.
Asana also has a handy feature called Kanban view which lets you visually see all the tasks that are currently being worked on, as well as those that are completed and still need to be done. This is useful for getting an overview of where everyone is at with their work.
Pricing
Evernote
Evernote is a powerful team management tool that helps teams stay organized and productive. With Evernote, teams can easily create and share notes, lists, and task lists. Evernote also makes it easy to keep track of tasks and assignments by allowing users to set reminders and due dates. Plus, Evernote integrates with a variety of other productivity tools, making it a valuable asset for any team.
Main features
Some of the main features of Evernote include:
- Note creation: Evernote allows users to create and organize notes in a variety of formats, including text, audio, images, and web clippings.
- Note organization: Users can organize their notes using notebooks, tags, and search functions.
- Note sharing: Users can share their notes with others by inviting them to view or edit specific notebooks.
- Synchronization: Evernote automatically synchronizes notes across all devices, allowing users to access their notes from anywhere.
- Collaboration: Evernote allows users to collaborate on notes and notebooks with others in real time.
- Integration: Evernote integrates with other applications and services, such as email, calendars, and file-sharing platforms.
- Web Clipper: Evernote Web Clipper allows users to save content from the web directly to their Evernote account.
- OCR (Optical Character Recognition): Evernote can recognize text within images and make it searchable.
- Reminders: Users can set reminders for specific notes or tasks.
- Note templates: Evernote offers a variety of note templates to help users get started with specific types of notes, such as meeting minutes, to-do lists, and project plans.
How to use it
Evernote is a powerful team management tool that can be used to organize projects, track deadlines, and collaborate with teammates. When used efficiently, Evernote can help teams work more effectively and get more done. Here are some tips for using Evernote efficiently for team management:
- Create a shared notebook for each project. This will allow all team members to have access to the same information and avoid duplicate work.
- Use tags to categorize notes and make them easier to search. This will help everyone on the team quickly find the information they need.
- Use the reminders feature to keep track of deadlines and assigned tasks. This will ensure that nothing falls through the cracks and that everyone is on the same page.
- Take advantage of Evernote’s collaboration features by inviting teammates to contribute notes and comments. This will promote open communication and allow everyone’s ideas to be heard.
- Regularly review your notebooks to ensure that they are organized and up-to-date. This will keep the team running smoothly and prevent any unneeded frustration.
By following these tips, you can use Evernote to its full potential as a team management tool. With Evernote, teams can work together more effectively, stay organized, and get more done!
Pricing
Trello
Trello is a great way to manage your team’s tasks — it allows you to assign members to cards, track progress as they move cards across columns, and make use of checklists. With this app, you can create your own custom workflow by adding numerous columns, with different titles that best fit your team’s needs. Furthermore, you’re able to work with tags, files, and deadlines in addition to having the capability of viewing these tasks on the Calendar view. This makes managing your project much easier!
Main features
Some of the main features of Trello include:
- Boards: Trello allows users to create boards to organize tasks and projects, which can be shared with team members or kept private.
- Lists: Each board can contain multiple lists, which can represent stages in a project, priority levels, or other custom categories.
- Cards: Cards are used to represent tasks or items within a list, and can be customized with labels, due dates, attachments, and comments.
- Labels: Labels are used to categorize cards, and can be customized with colors and names.
- Checklists: Cards can contain checklists to break down tasks into smaller sub-tasks.
- Attachments: Users can attach files and documents to cards, such as images, spreadsheets, or PDFs.
- Comments: Users can comment on cards to provide additional information, ask questions, or provide feedback.
- Activity feed: Trello tracks all changes and actions on a board, and provides an activity feed to show updates in real time.
- Search: Users can search for cards and boards by keyword, label, or member.
- Integration: Trello integrates with other applications and services, such as Google Drive, Slack, and Zapier, to streamline workflows and automate tasks.
How to use it
Here are some tips for making the most of Trello:
- Use boards to organize different areas of your life: Create boards for personal projects, work-related tasks, or anything else you want to organize.
- Customize your boards to suit your needs: You can change the background color, add custom labels, and adjust settings like privacy and permissions.
- Break down tasks into smaller items: Use checklists or separate cards to break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable steps.
- Use due dates and reminders: Set due dates and reminders to help you stay on track and prioritize your tasks.
- Collaborate with others: Invite team members or collaborators to your boards to share information and work together.
- Use filters and labels: Use labels and filters to easily sort and find specific cards or tasks.
- Take advantage of keyboard shortcuts: Trello has many keyboard shortcuts that can help you save time and navigate the interface more efficiently.
- Integrate with other apps: Use Trello’s integrations with other apps like Google Drive, Slack, and Zapier to streamline your workflows and automate tasks.
- Use the mobile app: Trello’s mobile app makes it easy to stay organized and access your boards from anywhere.
- Experiment with different board layouts: Trello allows you to use different board layouts like Kanban, Calendar, or Dashboard, so try different layouts to see which one works best for you.
Pricing
What management tools are the best for startups?
There are a lot of different management tools available for startups, and it can be tough to decide which ones are the best to use. However, there are a few that stand out as being particularly useful for startups.
First, project management tools can be extremely helpful in keeping track of deadlines, assigned tasks, and progress reports. This can be especially important in a startup where everyone is wearing a lot of different hats and things can fall through the cracks easily.
Second, financial management tools can help startups keep track of their expenses and budget their resources effectively. This is critical for early-stage businesses that need to be very careful with their money.
Finally, customer relationship management (CRM) tools can help startups keep track of their customers and manage their interactions effectively. This is important for building long-term relationships with customers and ensuring that they remain happy and loyal.
What tools to use for a small and medium business?
There are a variety of management tools available for small and medium businesses. The best tool for a business depends on the specific needs of that business. Some common management tools include project management software, customer relationship management (CRM) software, and accounting software.
Project management software helps businesses track deadlines, assign tasks, and monitor progress. CRM software helps businesses manage customer data, automate marketing tasks, and track sales pipelines. Accounting software helps businesses track finances, prepare tax returns, and generate financial reports.
The best way to determine which management tool is right for a particular business is to consult with an expert or look for online reviews from other businesses similar in size and scope. Once the right tool has been selected, it is important to ensure that all employees are properly trained on how to use it.
What tools are the best for large companies?
There are a variety of management tools available for large companies. Some of the more popular ones include project management software, customer relationship management (CRM) software, and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. These tools can help companies keep track of projects, customers, and resources, respectively. They can also help managers make better decisions by providing them with data and analytics. There are many other management tools available, but these are some of the most commonly used ones.
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