Creative Project Management Software: Explore the Top 7 Tools Here
Managing creative projects is a handful for any organization, given the amount of work that goes inside it. With several steps and multiple rounds of approvals, the process becomes inefficient and often surpasses the budget. This happens because of the lack of proper software that can handle every step.
To acquire smooth creative project management, organizations go for creative project management software that elevates efficiency by removing redundancies, bottlenecks, and delays.
Read further to unlock some essential information on creative workflow software and how it is beneficial for businesses.
Table of Contents
What is Creative Workflow Management?
Creative workflow management is the process specifically used for managing all the creative works initiated in the organization. Using this management process, the progress of all the projects can be tracked using a workflow. Creative workflow management is also termed creative operations.
The Phases of Creative Workflow
Understanding the different phases of the process helps in the right management by organizing everything properly. The phases in a creative workflow can be broadly classified into four stages, they are –
Phase 1 – Definition and Ideation
The first phase is where the need is defined. Whether it is a new product creative project or a marketing project, defining the need and developing the project idea. This is the phase where the creative brief defines the purpose, goals, objectives, target audience, budget, expected outcomes, project timeline, and all the important details.
Phase 2 – Creation
This is the phase where the idea becomes a reality. This is where the product or the marketing content is created. The idea and the techniques are deciphered at this stage. Similar creative initiatives in the industry of the competitors are studied and worked in a collaborative environment.
Phase 3 – Review and Approval
Once the project is ready, the output is sent for the review and approval process. The approval will be granted by the internal manager, followed by the client. If the approvers request any changes, the team will have to work on the suggestions given.
Phases 4 – Launch
Once all the corrections have been made, the final result of the project will be set for the launch. Once the launch is done, the outcomes are measured using the set KPIs.
Why Do You Need a Good Creative Workflow Process?
A management process is what brings order and framework to projects making it easy for work delegation and accountability in roles. What happens in the absence of such a process? Let us take a closer look at it.
Challenges Faced with the Lack of a Creative Workflow
A study conducted by Webinar Care shows that most of the software projects have an average cost overrun of 66% of the estimated amount. This same cost for the non-software projects is estimated to overrun by 43%.
Scope Creep
Scope creep often brings down the pace of the project. It is a natural and expected phenomenon and can sometimes be advantageous to projects. However, 52% of project teams were reported to be facing scope creep in 2017 and this has been gradually increasing since. This is a challenge because the client lacks precise requirements. This will lead the project team on a haphazard path.
Disconnected Communication
Effective communication is the key to completing a project successfully. Good communication enables the team members to understand and convey the requirements correctly. Miscommunications tend to increase confusion and delay and are the biggest issues in project management.
Inadequate Budget
Midway through the project, estimated budgets seem to be inadequate. This happens because of the lack of right planning and ends up using extra resources unnecessarily. This demands more operational costs. This might even stall projects with a lack of budgets.
Unrealistic Deadlines
Unrealistic deadlines are yet another drawback when it comes to project management. Clients demand the final product/content as soon as possible from the team. This is due to the lack of understanding of what goes inside the process. Setting such deadlines puts the whole team under pressure, unable to work peacefully.
Unclear Responsibilities
Without a workflow in place, the team will not have a clear understanding of what their roles are. This can lead to overlapping tasks, two people working on the same steps, making the process chaotic.
Lack of Clear Goals
When there is no clear framework given to the process, several issues arise making the process difficult to reach the finish line. Studies show that 39% of the projects fail due to improper planning with no defined goals. Quantifying the results is crucial so that the team knows where they stand and what they should achieve.
Tackling these challenges can be a tedious task unless you have a creative workflow management process. So, what are the benefits acquired by implementing a management process workflow?
Benefits of a Creative Project Management Workflow
Implementing a creative management workflow guides the team in the right direction. This helps in avoiding confusion and defining the roles of each team member. This improves the efficiency of the process.
- Organized process
- Effective communication
- Simplified process flow
- Defined roles and responsibilities
- No invasive scope creep
- Setting of clear goals
- Saves time and money
Transforming the Process with Creative Project Management Software
The changing business environment demands creative projects be top-notch. The process involves multiple departments and overlapping approval processes. If the project is taken up for a client, the team will have to work on it until the client is satisfied. Moreover, meeting short deadlines can make everything hectic. This can make the process challenging and cumbersome.
For a creative project to deliver maximum productivity, it is necessary to ensure that its management is done the right way. This is why creative project management software is recommended. So what can creative project management offer to a business?
What is Creative Project Management Software?
Expanding the possibilities, creative workflow software offers new ways to manage multiple projects efficiently. The software solution enables the creation of workflows where all the tasks can be integrated into one space. When this is done, it makes it easy for the project manager to exercise control over all the tasks effectively.
Additionally, every member who is a part of the workflow can track their work and the goals they are working for. With wider capabilities than traditional project management tools, creative management software has combined features of making the teams working on projects more reliant and efficient. Creative project tracking software eliminates repetitive tasks by automating it.
Reasons Why Traditional Project Management Tools are Simply Not Enough
Traditional creative project management tools do have the potential to stabilize and support certain aspects of the process, however, these fail to address unique challenges in the process or the collaboration aspects within the team. These are places where they fall short for creative teams.
- Lack of flexibility
- Limited support for creative processes
- Inadequate communication and collaboration features
- Poor integration with creative tools
- Limited focus on visual content and assets
On the other hand, creative project management software takes care of every aspect of working on a project. It streamlines tasks as well as facilitates team collaboration and communication leading to the fast-paced development of the project.
Attributes You Acquire with Implementing A Project Management Software for Creatives
If not managed with the right tools, project management can be a handful. Help your team members and processes reach their highest potential. Here are some attributes that you acquire with creative project management software.
Streamlined Creative Workflow
Implementing the best creative project management software brings coordination and sync between different tasks. This also enhances the review and approval process making it faster. Moreover, tasks like data entry, sourcing data from other tools or systems, etc. are automated making the process more efficient.
Improved Collaboration
Having a streamlining tool facilitates easy collaboration between the team members by giving them a centralized platform. This centralized platform offers them a common space to communicate, share feedback and suggestions, make decisions, and make necessary changes.
Better Visibility and Tracking
All the members added to the workflow have visibility into the progress of the project and offer suggestions to it. Moreover, project managers or clients have visibility into the status and can give their comments. This way, the project does not have to be edited or changed completely after finishing.
Faster time to Market
Integration is a feature that project management software offers that enables users to access anything from any source outside the workflow. Through integration, the software enables connecting with external applications, systems, etc.
Scalability and Flexibility
With improved efficiency, the software allows the teams to scale new demands and be flexible easily. As the size of the project grows, the team will be ready to adapt to it with a tool that will aid in the process.
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How Different Industries Use Creative Project Management Software
Be it any kind of work such as designing, audio, visuals, etc. collaboration is an important aspect when it comes to working on a creative project. Creative workflow software is an ideal solution that aids in facilitating teams at different levels. With several tools, it can be daunting to make the shift from traditional ways.
Take a closer look at how organizations can put creative project management software to effective use.
To Track Time and Expenses
Team leaders have to keep track of the time they take to work on a project. This helps them in determining the expenses with respect to the time taken for the completion of the project.
To Assign Tasks
Assigning tasks is made easier within the team, with the responsibilities clearly defined. Such clarity in the process brings better results.
For All-in-one Management
Creative workflow management software is the best tool to manage every aspect of a project. These tools have the provision to offer a document database where all the required files can be accessed. These databases can be mapped into the workflow, and the team members do not have to manually source data.
For Efficient Status Updates
Regular updates do not have to be given to the clients or the manager on the progress of the project. Updates and status details can be automatically sent to the clients through email, text messages, etc.
For Gathering Inputs from Multiple sources
For a project, data has to be gathered from several sources. All these sources can be integrated into the project through creative workflow tools. This way the team can work on the project efficiently.
For Document Tracking
Teams do not have to worry about the tracking of documents that are required throughout the lifecycle of the process.
For Proofing and Approvals
The review and approval process is simplified. The clients and approvers can access the progress of the work whenever they want and suggest necessary changes at the right moment. Hence, this will drastically reduce the number of reviews required.
Features to look for in Creative Project Management Software
Creative project management software in the market is curated for different and specialized tasks. Therefore, when you choose creative workflow software, some primary features are essential. Here are some of the key features to look for in a creative project management tool.
- Automated intake and requests
- Centralized approvals and proofing system
- Customizable projects and permissions
- Integrations with other tools
- Personalized visualizations
- Scalability
Top 7 Creative Project Management Software to Explore in 2024
1. Cflow
Cflow is the number one no-code workflow platform that specializes in automating any business process. With powerful workflow automation features that involve zero codes, it gives an all-in experience for the users. The platform provides extensive tools like workflow templates, rules engines, forms, integrations, and several others. Cflow is one of the best tools that automate every process in a business.
Key features –
Drag and Drop Form Builder: The platform offers a simple no-code, drag-and-drop form creation. The fields of the forms can be created by non-technical team members too.
Customizations: Anything and everything on Cflow can be customized according to the user or based on the project.
Reports and Analytics: All the data regarding the workflow can be accessed through the extensive reports and analytics given by the platform.
Routing and Notifications: Cflow is specialized in creating an effective network of task routing and notifications
Kanban: The platform offers agile-based Kanban that is essential for managing tasks based on their priority.
OCR: Texts can be read and extracted from physical forms by simply scanning them using the OCR feature.
2. Trello
Trello is a Kanban tool where tasks can be added as cards that can be moved to different stages. These cards can be added to the respective members based on the tasks. The platform is easy to use where users can move the cards from one status to another by just a drag and drop action. This is the best tool for smaller teams and projects.
Key Features –
Kanban Boards: The platform has a simple and vibrant interface that is easy to use.
Custom Fields: The board can be customized completely such as the due dates, comments, etc. The complete board can be accessed by all the members who have been added to the board.
Automation: on this platform, the flow of the cards can be automated. By setting a schedule, the flow is streamlined and the task’s pace is improved.
3. Basecamp
Basecamp is an extensive project management tool that can be leveraged by teams that work on less complex projects. As one of the easy-to-use platforms, it is best suitable for small teams. Teams can schedule, collaborate, and monitor the different tasks on this platform.
Key features –
To-do Lists: Even though it is best suitable for simple projects, complex ones can be broken down into smaller tasks using the to-do listing feature. This will allow the teams to understand and complete the difficult tasks better.
Message Boards: the platform offers message boards where the members can communicate effectively and get the work done.
Project Scheduling: with a proper scheduling feature, the team will be able to stick to the given deadlines.
4. Hive
Hive is known as the world’s first democratic productivity platform that ensures that it is built for users and from the feedback collected from its users. This tool is specifically curated for creative teams to indulge in their process effectively. It supports group messages, file sharing, and native email.
Key features –
Custom Views: On this platform, the users can view their projects in different formats such as Kanban, Gantt, portfolio, etc.
Real-time Analytics and Tracking: Hive is equipped with an in-built time-tracking tool that efficiently tracks time and also keeps track of the data to assess the team’s performance.
Custom Templates: Custom templates, like intake forms, are offered to generate team-wide processes that are repeatable.
5. Adobe Workfront
Workfront is an Adobe-based project management tool for organizations. As a part of Adobe, if the team uses the Creative Cloud suite then it can have a high sense of creativity. The point to be noted here is that it is one of the most highly-priced products in the market. It is best suited for enterprises that require several features.
Key features –
Strategic Goal Setting: This platform is a proper goal-setting space where teams, groups, and even individuals can set distinct goals. This helps in aligning them with the final project goals.
Detailed Dashboard: The tool offers a dashboard that lets the members track the progress and status of the tasks easily.
Scenario Planner: The scenario planner helps the creative project teams to be prepared for specific business scenarios and deal with them accordingly. Moreover, the teams can run different outcomes to check the potential results.
6. FunctionFox
FunctionFox is an extraordinary creative project management software that can be easily used in different web browsers. The platform is best for providing its users with simple and innovative features that can ease up the tasks in a creative workflow.
Key features –
Reports: The reports that the platform provides detailed and diverse information that enables the team members to carry out in-depth analysis.
Collaboration Tool: With just a simple drag-and-drop feature, it allows the users to organize tasks and collaborate in the right way.
Project Tracking Tools: These tools are specialized in tracking the tasks, comments, reviews, and approvals.
7. Ziflow
Ziflow is the best tool for users to manage teams based on clients, users, and projects. Using custom forms all the details can be collected that are required for assigning tasks, setting accounts, emails, etc. The tool provides a powerful dashboard with all the necessary details and also allows multiple users.
Key features –
Centralized Asset Management: The platform provides CRM for assets, attachments, contacts, and other files.
Workflow Automation: With workflow automation, the users will be able to automate tasks. This will include automating email consent, automated signature, approvals, and online sign-in.
Centralized Collaboration and Review: All the different tasks in the creative workflow are automated facilitating the creation, signing, and saving of the required task.
Conclusion
Creative project management software enhances the productivity of the team exponentially by reducing manual involvement to a great extent, and this is why such a tool becomes a crucial part of the creative team.
The creative workflow software not only enhances efficiency, it also facilitates collaboration which is an important aspect when it comes to creative projects. It also cuts down on the number of reviews and approvals that are required.
If this is what you are looking for in a project management tool, then Cflow would be the right choice for you. Sign up today!
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