Multi-administrator team management software: comparison and user guide

For a team manager or entrepreneur looking to improve efficiency, project planning is essential to success. Managing a project involves navigating through numerous constraints, appointments and deadlines, which requires anticipation and organization.

Planning or resource management software is a computerized solution designed to organize and optimize your resources for project management purposes, with the aim of improving your productivity.

These tools enable you to compile on a single interface the schedules, types of assignment, team skills and purely material resources required for your project. They provide an overview of the allocation of the company’s human and financial resources to the various projects in progress.

Resource management software is specifically designed to plan, monitor and optimize the use of company resources. It also helps to manage projects, tasks and, where applicable, budgets associated with resources.

Why use planning and resource management software?

The use of dedicated software brings many benefits for companies and their managers. They function as an appendix to your brain and post-its, enabling you to manage a list of tasks, keep track of them and mobilize the necessary resources. The ultimate aim is to make you more productive and direct your efforts in a productive way.

These solutions are invaluable for planning your projects, from short-term day-to-day tasks to long-term projections and forecasts. They facilitate the decision-making process when prioritizing different projects, providing decision-makers with a global view. They also enable managers to visualize the workload assigned to team members, and to distribute it more effectively.

By simplifying resource management, they enable you to create schedules in just a few clicks, view everyone’s availability, manage leave requests and plan replacements, all of which can increase your company’s productivity and reduce the costs associated with scheduling errors.

In general, this software helps you plan, track and manage projects, tasks and expenses in real time, improving overall project efficiency and productivity. They provide a complete overview of all your company’s resources.

Key features to look for

Planning and resource management software offers a wide range of features to optimize planning and monitoring. Among the most important are :

Resource planning and allocation

Allows you to plan and allocate resources to tasks and projects. Features include team availability management and drag-and-drop allocation methods.

Task and project tracking

Provides a clear, real-time view of task and project progress. This includes time tracking and deadline management.

Capacity and workload management

Allows you to visualize team workloads… and manage available capacity to ensure that no-one is overloaded or unoccupied. Some tools offer medium-term capacity management.

Reports and analyses

Generates detailed reports on resource utilization, finances and project performance. This aids analysis and decision-making.

Absence and leave management

Centralizes the management of leave requests and absences.

Collaboration and communication

Facilitate internal communication and enable teams to work together on a unified or collaborative platform.

Integrations

The ability to integrate with other project management tools, CRM, calendars or HR systems is a major asset.

Customizable views

Offers different views (calendar, Gantt, Kanban, dashboard, etc.) to adapt to user and project needs.

Financial features

Some software packages include budget management, expense tracking, revenue and cost forecasting, and billing support.

Alerts and notifications

Notification system for schedule changes or conflicts.

Data management

Comprehensive resource directory, advanced tag and filter system, data import.

Mobile access

Availability of a mobile application to manage schedules remotely.

Resource planning stages

Effective resource planning generally follows a structured process. According to the Gantt model, frequently used in project management, we can identify several key stages:

Division into phases

This involves dividing up the project chronologically, listing the tasks, people involved and deadlines for each phase. This starts with an inventory of current and future projects, and the definition of short-, medium- and long-term objectives.

Prioritization

The tasks are then prioritized, and each deliverable is described in detail. These objectives are then prioritized.

Scheduling

This step refines the prioritization, highlights interdependencies between tasks, and determines whether they should be processed sequentially or simultaneously.

The schedule

This is where deadlines are set (preliminary studies, tests, customer approvals, delivery, etc.), possible additional time margins are defined, and the budget forecast is drawn up. Tasks are assigned on the basis of skills and availability, the people responsible for each stage are defined, and a realistic workload is established.

Identifying risks

To guarantee realistic planning, it’s crucial to take potential problems (defects, absences, budget cuts) into account, so that they can be avoided or resolved. Various scenarios and solutions can be envisaged. It’s important to anticipate and manage the unexpected.

It is also essential to communicate this information clearly to the team, and to monitor progress regularly to adjust planning in the light of unforeseen circumstances and feedback.

Selection of the best planning and resource management software

Choosing the best software depends on the specific needs of each company. Here’s an overview of the best-performing tools according to sources, classified by category or strengths:

Teambook

Often cited as the best choice for its ease of implementation, and the best for agile companies from 10 to 100 people.

Rated 9.8/10 and 4.7/5 on Software Advice. Appreciated for its simple, intuitive and visual interface, and its pricing based on projects, not users.

It offers project team planning, medium-term capacity management and real-time monitoring, with features such as drag & drop. It’s Swiss software, renowned for its responsive support and excellent value for money.

Resource Guru

Good software for large international companies… and suitable for large groups.

Rated 9.3/10. Resource Guru is appreciated for its ability to manage not only employees, but also equipment and meeting rooms.

More than 3,000 entities in some 100 English-speaking countries use it, and appreciate its integration with existing processes (CRM, SSO), its user-friendly, customizable dashboards and its ergonomic overview with flashy color codes.

Elapseit

Very practical for managers who bill customers directly for their services. Rated 5 stars on Capterra and described as a reliable and powerful solution, combining user-friendliness, transparency and performance.

It supports professionals from project start-up to invoicing, including expense management and one-click invoice generation.

Teamdeck

Often cited for its value for money and ease of use. It is used internationally and allows unlimited management of projects and team members. It is described as a comprehensive tool covering project planning, delivery forecasting and budget management.

Runn.io

Considered the preferred planning software for product teams. Its platform emphasizes speed and agility, helping to reconcile “big projects” with “on-time, on-budget”.

It puts your pipeline under control, with financial forecasts (revenues, profits, costs) and an overview of all projects, including financial health. It enables rapid planning and assignments in a matter of seconds.

Float.com

The right choice for digital agencies.

Rated 7.8/10, it lets you define working hours, customize collaborator parameters (skills, profitability) and synchronize with existing calendars and project management tools. It offers real-time budget tracking and easy comparison of estimated and actual hours. Pricing is per person managed, with unlimited projects and access.

Parallax

A good alternative for marketing teams. Rated 7/10, it focuses on tackling fragmented data for business growth. It offers easy integration with leading CRMs, capacity forecasting and hiring reports, and allows teams’ workloads to be adjusted in real time.

Monday.com

Recommended for efficient planning, allocation and monitoring of resource utilization. It’s a flexible platform with numerous customizable modules. It allows you to create timetables, track hours, and manage resources via a system of status and deadlines.

Wrike

Project management software that includes a planning tool to leverage resources and achieve productivity targets. It helps prioritize and manage tasks, makes it easy to identify the right people for projects, and offers a unified platform with numerous integrations.

Staff Planning

Automatic time and attendance software for teams. It helps plan staff, manage schedules, absences, leave and replacements. It’s intuitive and collaborative.

Visual Planning

A collaborative, intuitive and flexible tool for managing and optimizing resources in all sectors. It facilitates drag-and-drop planning, manages various types of resources (human, material, interventions, training) and is accessible via a mobile application.

Cost and free options

Pricing options vary considerably from one software package to another. Some offer per-user pricing, while others, like Teambook, are based on the number of active projects.

Many programs offer free versions or free trials.

Teambook offers a 30-day free trial, and has a €3/month plan that gives access to all planning features for up to 10 active projects. Paid plans start from $45 per month for a pack of 40 projects, unlimited users & customers.

Elapseit offers a free version for companies with fewer than 2 users, but you need to contact the publisher to take advantage of this. They also offer a free trial. Pricing then depends on the number of users.

Teamdeck has a 7-day free trial with full functionality. Its paid plans are considered affordable, starting from $6 per month.

Float offers a 30-day free trial with no strings attached, followed by per-user pricing starting at $10 for standard functions.

Conclusion: Choosing the right software for your team

Planning and resource management software is an indispensable tool for any organization seeking to optimize productivity and ensure the success of its projects. By centralizing information, facilitating planning and monitoring, and improving communication, it saves precious time and enables resources to be used more efficiently.

The market offers a variety of tools, each with its own strengths and targeting different types of business or needs (small or large companies, digital agencies, product teams, small and medium-sized construction companies, etc.). To choose the right software, it’s crucial to assess your specific needs in terms of functionality (scheduling, time tracking, capacity management, reporting, integrations), team size, industry sector, and of course, budget. Exploring free options and trials can be an excellent first step in testing the tool’s suitability for your organization.