Prioritize-Track-Manage with Task Management Tools: Best Task Management Software to Consider for 2024

Tools to manage tasks equip teams with the ability to schedule tasks, assign tasks, issue notifications and alerts, track time, and even report progress of tasks. Here are the capabilities that tools for task management bring to the table – 

Task scheduling

Project and task management tools help teams and individuals to set task delivery deadlines in advance. Scheduling tasks in advance helps them plan their efforts and ensure that deadlines are met. Schedule management is essential for effective task execution, meeting deadlines, and maintaining a well-balanced work routine. 

Task customization

Tools to manage tasks also enable teams to customize their tasks as per specific situations that arise during project execution. Customizing tasks as per the unique requirements of the organizations ensures that projects align with overall organizational goals. 

Task assignment

Task management tools enable teams to assign tasks efficiently by matching the requirements with resource’s capability. Internal coworkers, external partners, or sometimes both are assigned tasks by the task management software. 

Alerts and notifications

Project and task management needs to handle several tasks and involves several task holders. Managing and tracking each of these tasks and ensuring that deadlines are met, requires a task management tool. Project and task management tools issue alerts and notifications to all the stakeholders (users) to remind them of pending reviews and approvals. 

Recurring tasks or templates 

Task management software standardizes the repetitive steps in the task workflow by standardizing them with workflow templates. 

Sub-tasks 

Task management tools enable users to create additional tasks within a task. Sub tasks can be created within parent tasks. 

Time tracking 

For efficient execution of tasks the time spent on each task needs to be tracked. Tracking time helps in accurate estimation of the time required for project execution. 

Progress reporting 

It is important to track and report the progress of each task in the project. Process reporting helps track current positioning with regards to the overall goal. 

Task organization 

Organization and categorization of tasks can be effectively done with task management tools. Tasks can be organized with the help of tags, labels, and channels, to group them by common team or project. 

To-do lists 

Task management software help create a to-do list and list tasks according to their priority by way of task visualization. Once tasks are prioritized, they can even be pinned to the calendar in order of their priority.

Need for Task Management Software

Why is task management software needed? Task management software can be used by teams, individuals, and organizations to schedule and prioritize efficiently. While task management tools ensure that critical tasks are completed on time, they also ensure that the less important ones are not overlooked. Here are reasons why you need task management tools – 

Task management tools help prioritize tasks 

Task priorities are dynamic during the course of project execution, so managing tasks and time judiciously is critical. Task management tools constantly evaluate every task and help teams decide which task to take up at the right time. 

Task management tools provide deeper insights

With task management software, you can visualize tasks and processes along with their respective statuses. Users get deeper insights into where the tasks stand currently and where they are headed. You can even map out the project dynamics, workflows, and nature of teamwork in cross-functional teams with task management software. Project operations can be monitored and useful insights can be derived from the reports generated by task management software. 

Task management software helps you track deadlines and costs 

You can visualize tasks, processes, and their respective tasks with a task management software. Once you have a clear picture of processes, tasks, and statuses, it becomes easy to track deadlines and costs. 

Task management helps improve communication and collaboration

Task management entails followup, review, and feedback. Once tasks are assigned to individuals or teams, communication and collaboration are essential to complete work. Task management software helps employees periodically update tasks, and enables managers to review them easily. This followup-review-feedback loop creates a consistent collaboration and communication path between leadership and employees, leading to uninterrupted task progression. 

Task management tools improve efficiency with deep transparency

Task management tools enable project managers to keep track of all tasks. Project managers can respond to issues quickly and provide a smooth project flow with task management software. 

Task management software increases productivity

With task management tools, managers can constantly review tasks and address challenges efficiently. Task management fosters teamwork and gets employees involved in tasks that improve the overall productivity. 

Types of Task Management Tools

Task management is impossible without the right tools. The basics of task management are the same regardless of the nature of the project and the tasks it involves. Task management tools and their capabilities vary according to the size and scale of organizations. The 3 types of task management tools are –

Manual task management tools 

Manual task management tools are helpful in visualizing tasks with the help of charts, whiteboards, planners, schedules, etc. These tools are flexible and easy to use. However, these tools are not scalable and are only suitable for personal use. 

Digital task management tools 

These task management tools use electronic devices to help manage tasks. Digital task management tools could be simple spreadsheets or digital boards, or even a robust task management software that can integrate with other business systems to provide a wide range of capabilities. 

Online task management software 

Online task management tools are software solutions that are available online and delivered as Service as a Software (SaaS). They offer cloud capabilities and promote better collaboration among team members from different locations. Cflow is a cloud-based SaaS workflow automation solution that helps you manage tasks remotely. Online task management solutions are highly scalable and upgradable. 

Task management software is one of the ways to manage tasks. There are other task management tools that can be used to manage tasks efficiently. 

To-do-lists 

These are the most commonly used task management tools. To-do lists are a simple way of organizing your daily tasks, both officially and personally. The major advantage of using to-do lists is their easy accessibility and usability. When tasks are checked off the to-do list, it gives them a sense of achievement. To-do lists may be useful and enough for handling simple tasks, but handling complex work items that involve multiple stakeholders and dependencies is not feasible with these task management tools. 

Excel Spreadsheets 

Another widely used task management tool that is easy to use and accessible. Spreadsheets are similar to to-do lists and can be used to populate and track work items. Managing and sharing data is very easy with spreadsheets. Spreadsheets work well for  simple, small scale operations, but business operations that require more advanced task management features like time and progress tracking, resource management, workflow automation, etc, may not be possible. 

Kanban boards 

Kanban boards provide effective and interesting ways of managing tasks. While several online versions of Kanban boards are available, these boards can be easily made with a whiteboard and several sticky notes. The effectiveness of Kanban boards lies in their visual depiction of tasks that makes it easy for multiple people to get status updates in an instant. The online versions provide more sophisticated features like custom task statuses and views based on business needs. 

Gantt charts 

These charts are popular project planning tools that can double up as task management tools. Similar to Kanban boards, Gantt charts provide visual representation of tasks, with which everyone can easily adopt and manage. Dependency management features like critical path and baselines provided by Gantt charts make it an accurate way of representing work in real time. Online Gantt software is also available for task management. 

Benefits of Using Task Management Tools

Irrespective of whether you are using task management tools for individuals or teams, they provide significant benefits to the daily workflow. Some of the compelling benefits of using task management software include –

Streamline workflow 

Task management helps individuals and teams assign, record, and organize all of the processes of a given workflow. Having a streamlined workflow helps spot redundancies, bottlenecks, and inefficiencies in a task management workflow. 

Improved productivity 

Task management software minimizes the time employees spend on sifting through volumes of data and organizing it. Employees can also prioritize tasks and stay on top of current responsibilities at all times. Even the low priority tasks are accounted for by the software and are not missed out. Task management tools can improve productivity significantly. 

Effective collaboration 

With project teams scattered across various geographic locations, it becomes more important to collaborate and communicate seamlessly. Situations where you have discussed several plans over the phone, but have not noted the points are common among team members. There is a high likelihood of miscommunication or loss of information in such situations. Task management software brings everyone on the same page, which fosters better communication and collaboration. Everyone on the team is aware of the status of tasks and also knows what tasks they are responsible for and when they need to complete the tasks. 

Must-have Features of Task Management Tools

What features should you look for in task management tools? Each team has unique requirements. For example, cross-collaborative teams require much more than a simple to-do list. They need a task management tool that goes beyond identifying, monitoring, and managing tasks, to provide collaborative and automation features for effective goal completion. 

Other useful features provided by task management tools are task prioritization, task scheduling, and progress tracking that allow smoother decision making. Other useful functionalities include –

Flexibility 

Task management software is always one that has a user friendly interface. The user interface must facilitate easy and quick creation of task workflows. The software must also run smoothly on all the major operating systems, which provides teams unprecedented control over everyday tasks. 

Time tracking 

The task management tool must provide time-tracking features that help teams manage their time well. 

Task automation 

Growing businesses require automated task workflows that play a key role in expanding the task base. Task management software must allow users to automate recurring admin tasks, which provides users more time to focus on cognitively demanding assignments. 

Communication 

Distributed teams require task management tools that support communication and collaboration. Task management software must support productive task-related discussions, instant announcements, and file-sharing features. 

Reporting and analytics 

Best task management tools provide reporting features for recording and analyzing information. Task data recorded by the software can be used for productivity analysis, payroll management, and invoicing. 

Integration 

Task management tools must integrate with third-party applications for expanding the capabilities of the software. Writing assistants, project management tools, messaging apps, are some of the third-party apps that task management tools can integrate with. Such integrations eliminate context switching, and facilitate team collaboration, and effective task monitoring. 

Agile Task Management Tools 

Agile project management is a novel, iterative approach to managing software development projects. The agile methodology focuses on continuous releases that incorporate customer feedback with every iteration. Agile project management methodologies help task management tools to increase the speed of software development, expand collaboration, and foster the ability to respond proactively to market trends. 

With today’s customers and businesses requiring rapid responses and changes, agile task management tools provide the flexibility to adjust and iterate during the development process. Agile was first adopted by software teams for transitioning from the traditional waterfall approach. Agile approach allows teams to be more resilient to changes that inevitably occur during a project. Agile task management tools help teams –

• Adapt to changing circumstances from newly discovered requirements to a blocked piece of work
• Gather feedback from stakeholders during the process and iterate responsively without any stress of final delivery deadlines
• Build relationships and connections across various roles making it easier for people to connect and communicate effectively

Agile principles are listed below –

• An agile project is segmented into several incremental steps for gathering regular feedback
• Promotes collaboration, especially with the customer
• A project requirement is segmented into smaller pieces, which are prioritized by importance
• Adjusts at regular intervals to ensure that customer’s needs are met
• Integrates planning with execution, so that teams can effectively respond to changing requirements

Moving to agile can be challenging, especially in teams rooted in traditional task management approaches. The right task management tools can help organizations move to agile methods. 

Why Cflow?

Managing complex tasks within the organization requires a simple, visually powered task management tool like Cflow. A no code workflow automation solution like Cflow can automate task management workflows within minutes. This BPM-based automation solution is your go-to workflow solution for an accurate and efficient process. Here are the top features that make Cflow stand out among task management solutions-

Drag-and-drop Form builder – The forms designed using Cflow can suit every type of organizational requirements.

Routing and notifications – A range of automated routing options are offered by Cflow for notifying the concerned individual.

Task customizations – The task workflows in Cflow can be customized as per user’s expectations.

Reports and analytics – The real-time reports and analytics feature enables users to stay informed about task statuses and employee productivity, and make informed decisions. 

Data security – Cflow’s secure data encryption protects sensitive information from fraud and duplication.

Sophisticated rules engine – The sophisticated rules engine in Cflow presents data in the right format for the business user.

Task prioritization – The agile Kanban feature provides a simplified framework for visualizing multiple tasks and prioritizing them efficiently. 

Fuzzy Search – Fuzzy search in Cflow provides easy mapping of data from the workflow database with an advanced match-and-find setup. 

Public forms – The public forms feature in Cflow enables users to embed in the public website or intranet and fill forms without logging into Cflow. 

OCR data extraction – You can simplify text reading and extraction with the OCR reading feature in Cflow. 

Third-party integrations – Cflow can seamlessly integrate with 1000+ applications in your organization. 

Top 5 Task Management Tools for 2024

Choosing the right task management tool for automating task management in your organization could be the game changer. We have listed the must-have features of task management software that you must consider before making the choice. Considering all the must-have features, Cflow tops the list of best task management tools to consider for small, medium, and enterprise businesses. Other task management solutions like Nifty, Weekdone, Hive, etc can also be considered for managing tasks. 

1. Cflow 

An all-in-one workflow management platform for managing repetitive admin tasks in key business functions. Accessible on web, desktop, and mobile, Cflow can supercharge the productivity of your business by automating workflows of critical business functions. The visual workflow builder in Cflow simplifies automation of workflows by eliminating coding and introducing visual elements. Features of Cflow are mentioned in the above section.

Other  features of Cflow include –

• Task prioritization and scheduling
• Time tracking and resourcing 
• Automated routing and notification
• Third-party integrations

Pros –

• Intuitive user interface
• No code workflow builder
• Auto approvals
• Transparent work environment
• Kanban feature

Pricing –

• Happy plan @ $7 /user/month;
• Joy @ $11/user/month;
• Bliss @ $16 /user/month

2. Proofhub 

Ranked among the top task management tools, Proofhub is chosen by teams of all sizes. As a project and task management tool, it helps track team tasks, facilitate communication, organize work, and manage projects efficiently. The user-friendly interface in Proofhub ensures that users stay informed about all the projects.

Key features include –

• Streamlined task assignment
• Task dependencies
• Bulk actions
• Custom fields
• Multiple task views
• Time tracking
• Collaboration features

Pros –

• Flat pricing
• Intuitive and customized reporting
• Custom fields
• Simple learning curve

Cons –

• Notifications can be overwhelming
• No inbuilt invoicing for freelancers

Pricing –

• Essential plan @ $45 per month and
• Ultimate control plan @ $89 per month.

3. Chanty 

An all-in-one collaboration platform that comes with a built-in task manager. Tasks can be assigned to any team member and filtered by status, dates, and people. You can discuss any task in a related workflow with relevant stakeholders. The flexible and simple Kanban board in Chanty provides an efficient way to manage all your tasks in one place. Users can also set due dates, assign personnel, and control the status and priority of the task.

Key features include-

• Task discussion flow
• Assigning team members, setting due dates, and priority
• Tasks can be presented as a Kanban board or task list

Pros –

• Empowers team collaboration and task execution
• Integration with 3rd party apps
• Easy to set up tasks and assign them to team members
• Tasks can be discussed in a separate conversation

Cons –

• Lack of sub-tasks

Pricing –

• Business plat @ $3 per month per user for annual billing,
• and $4 when billed monthly

4. nTask 

An intuitive and simple task management and work management tool used by smart teams. I can be used to manage single or multiple projects, for both personal and professional use. While using nTask, you can enjoy the ability to create as many teams and workspaces for different work purposes, projects, or even different departments.

Key features include –

• Monitor time spent on tasks and projects
• Manage and collaborate in real-time
• Log and manage project issues or bugs to address with issue tracking
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with projects

Pros –

• Ease of use
• Manage progress with Gantt charts
• Paid plans are cost effective

Cons –

• Reporting feature not available
• No Kanban board feature

Pricing –

• Premium plan @ $4 per user per month billed monthly and $ 3 billed annually;
• Business plan @ $8 per user per month billed monthly and $ 12 per user per month billed annually;
• Enterprise plan that is customized as per enterprise requirement.

5. Basecamp 

A simple employee task management system that can be used to manage tasks of multiple projects simultaneously. Basecamp is known for its ability to make teams better organized and more productive. With basecamp, whether it is the people or tasks or files or documents or deadlines, you can manage everything with relative ease. The software allows you and your team to stay in touch and collaborate with each other through group chats and direct messaging.

Key features include-

• Activity view that allows managers to see everything related to project tasks
• Share docs and files
• Automate check-ins
• Create to-do lists and choose assignees and set due dates

Pros –

• Comment directly on tasks and lists
• Drag and drop files to upload them
• Bookmark to-do lists, messages to gain quick access
• Easy to set up projects and add team members

Cons –

• Cannot assign priority levels to tasks 
• Misses out on advanced features like Gantt charts and timesheets

Pricing –

• Basecamp plan @ $ 15 per user per month;
• Basecamp PRO unlimited @ $299 per month, billed annually; $349 per month, billed monthly

Final Thoughts

Streamlining and organizing of tasks pays rich dividends for businesses. How? When execution of your day-to-day tasks is planned and organized, you save a lot of time and effort by focusing on what matters most. A 2023 survey conducted by Microsoft reveals that 68% of employees claim that they do not have enough uninterrupted focus time during their work day. Managing your everyday tasks efficiently can be done with the help of task management tools. A no code workflow automation solution like Cflow can automate everyday tasks in an organization. Try out Cflow for free to experience the power of workflow automation. 

FAQs

Do you need task management tools?

Task management tools can help businesses manage daily business operations in an organized and streamlined manner. From managing daily personal tasks to business operations, a task management tool can improve efficiency and productivity. 

Can businesses of all sizes use task management tools?

Yes, businesses of all types and sizes can use and benefit from using task management tools. These tools can be customized according to the type and size of the business. 

What is the advantage of automating task management workflows?

Time and cost savings are the immediate advantages of automating task management workflows. Teams can work more efficiently when tasks are prioritized and scheduled by task management software.

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