Better tools for assigning and tracking team tasks efficiently

For a team manager or entrepreneur, project planning and effective management of resources, whether human or material, are the key to success. Numerous constraints, appointments and deadlines demand anticipation and organization..

Planning and resource management software are invaluable tools that can act as an extension of your brain to manage a list of tasks, keep track of them and mobilize the necessary resources.

Selection of planning and resource management software

Planning software is a computerized solution that enables you to organize and optimize your resources with a view to project management. The ultimate goal is to make you more productive. Such software enables you to compile on a single interface schedules, mission types, team skills and material resources useful to your project.

Here is a selection of notable tools in this field, based on the sources :

1. Teambook

Ideal for: agile organizations from 10 to 200 people, managers and project leaders. Teambook is often considered the “best choice”, particularly in view of its intuitive, visual interface and its capacity management module, which is unique in the industry, as well as its per-project, unlimited-user pricing.

Rating: 9.8/10 and 4.7/5 based on user reviews.

Key features :

• Intuitive, cloud-based visual solution
• Project team planning (visualization of “who does what and when”, availability)
• Drag-and-drop resource allocation
• Information synchronized with employee calendars
• Capacity management with simulated utilization over the next 6-24 months
• Share planning with customers via URL link
• Real-time tracking with pre-filled timesheets and “one-click” data entry
• Timesheet approval system
• Intelligent tagging system to map team talent
• Clear, easy-to-understand dashboard
• Flexible and efficient reporting

Advantages : Optimization of resource utilization, no software installation (via browser), easy to use and intuitive, even for vacation planning, attractive design, easy integration with preferred communication tools, task notification, regular upgrades, responsive customer support, unbeatable price, saves valuable time in organizing projects, clear view of team production capacity, useful filters (projects, resources, customers), drag&drop, reminders, simplified color visualization, transparency, more efficient Excel spreadsheets, clear view of activities, evaluation of billable hours, calendar synchronization, fast to deploy, built by experts, management of production capacitydrop, reminders, simplified color visualization, transparency, more efficient planning than Excel sheets, clear view of activities, assessment of billable hours, calendar synchronization, quick to deploy, built by experts, unique medium-term capacity management. Finally, it’s one of the very few tools available in many languages in addition to English (French, German, Spanish, Italian…). In short, a very good tool!

Disadvantages : No major drawbacks reported by users. Some may criticize the narrow focus on resource management (rather than a complete PSA solution), but this is a conscious choice for this leader in the “Best of Breed” approach.

Rates: Billing per active project (unlimited teams, users, customers).

Paid version from €3.00/month (up to 10 active projects) for planning features.

Free 30-day trial

User reviews: Mostly very positive, emphasizing simplicity, efficiency and support. Considered better than Float and Resource Guru in terms of efficiency or price/features.

2. Wrike

Ideal for: teams of over 20 people up to large companies. Remote working.

Rating : 4.2/5 based on customer reviews.

Key features :

• Cloud platform for project management in the broadest sense
• Efficient use of resources
• Plan, assign and monitor tasks
• Identify the right people for each project
• Segment work into simpler tasks
• Over 400 integrations available
• Define tasks according to priority and availability
• Flexible scheduling features (move, modify, add tasks via drag & drop)
• 360° view of workload to assign the right people

Benefits: Flexible and modular, with numerous ready-to-use templates. Unified platform thanks to integrations. Enables employees to work faster and more efficiently. Simple, efficient and fast to optimize robust planning. Seamless working (internal and external access). Major player used by over 20,000 companies.

Disadvantages: The system quickly becomes complex and expensive, depending on the modules chosen. The size of the editor makes it less responsive than in the past.

Prices: from USD 10 per user, for the first module.

User reviews: High overall rating based on a large number of reviews. Mentioned as an alternative to Teambook for large companies.

3. Float

Ideal for : Digital agencies.

Rating: 7.8/10 and 4.5/5 based on third-party reviews.

Key features :

• Comprehensive calendar (reservations, availability, vacations, public holidays)
• Integration with Google Calendar and Slack
• Measurement of billable and non-billable time
• View by project and resource
• Export timesheets
• Mobile application
• Reports (project, budget, resources)
• Ability to define working hours and customize employee parameters
• Real-time budget tracking
• Pre-filled timesheets
• Estimated vs. actual hours
• Easier communication with the finance department
• Automated reminders (Slack, mobile, email)
• Project capacity management
• Unlimited addition of new projects
• Time tracking for capacity management
• Multi-project management
• Performance reporting and forecasting tools
• View who’s working on what and when to optimize productivity
• Quick visualization of schedules, fair distribution of tasks, optimized use of resources
• Travel time recording via mobile app

Benefits: High-performance tool with intuitive interface. Visualizes and optimizes workloads and facilitates team communication. Numerous, easy integrations. Useful mobile application. 24-hour support. High level of security and stability.

Disadvantages: Some users report approximations in reports (not always in real time). Its apparent simplicity is counterbalanced by the constant addition of new features based on customer feedback, making it more complex to learn.

Rates: 30-day trial. Per-user pricing, from $10 per month, unlimited projects and customers.

User reviews: High overall score. Mentioned as an alternative to Teambook and Resource Guru. Good consideration of customer feedback for improvements.

4. Runn

Ideal for: product teams. Speed and agility, making “big projects” rhyme with “on-time, on-budget”. Project managers and executives seeking transparency.

Rating : 8/10.

Key features :

• REST API enables Runn to be integrated with other media (Clockify, WorkflowMax)
• Time-of-use graphs for team members
• On-line monitoring and accounting to adjust resources to budget
• Financial reports with filters
• Pipeline management (revenue, profit and cost forecasts)
• Customize availability by day/hour to optimize working time
• Group people by project, specialty, and assign roles
• All projects in a single view
• Plan provisional projects (visualize potential impact)
• Managing teams, projects and performance
• Capacity forecasts, project types, budgets

Benefits: Streamline deliveries, balance projects, manage billable/non-billable tasks. Rapid resource planning (seconds for assignments, less than 10 minutes to plan a project). Overview of available tasks/teams. Helps meet deadlines. Forecasting capability. Social/ecological impact (reduced non-profit rates). Apparent simplicity. Global approach.

Disadvantages : Only available in English. Offers a global approach rather than daily details.

Rates: 14-day free trial, then rates from USD 10 per user (USD 14 for Pro plans)

User reviews: Used by over 5,000 users in the English-speaking world, centered around its geographic base (New Zealand), the reviews are quite positive.

Discover Teambook VS Runn.io.

Other notable tools

Teamdeck

Ideal for: small businesses looking for simple functionality.

Key features: View employees’ availability, assign them to projects and track their working hours. Offers a calendar including availability and vacations. Allows you to plan and assign tasks in just a few clicks. Time sheet management.

Advantages: Good value for money. Some integrations available.

Disadvantages: Some users report approximations in the reports, which are not necessarily updated in real time.

Rates: 14-day free trial. Team Member Plan from 6 USD per month.

User reviews: Rating of 4.5/5. Claims to have replaced Mavenlink or Resource Guru with Teamdeck.

Napta formerly PickYourSkills

Ideal for: French companies looking for staffing software.

Key features: Tracks team skills and assigns tasks based on available skills. Helps plan projects accordingly.

Advantages: Easy to install. 100% customization. Process automation.

Asana

Ideal for: project management in the broadest sense.

Key features: Effective resource mobilization management to ensure that every project has what it needs. Aims to balance workloads so no one is idle or overwhelmed. Can be programmed to assign resources to similar requests. Uses an AI function to determine when the workflow is out of balance.

Skello

Ideal for: field teams (intelligent HR management solution).

Key features: Smart Planner technology lets you create schedules at the click of a button. Manages and digitizes requests for absences, replacements and unavailability, which has a direct impact on task planning. Automates scheduling and administrative tasks.

Agendrix

Ideal for : Not specified, but it’s a free scheduling software.

Rating : 4.6/5.

Key features: Enables rapid planning of working hours by drag & drop or copy & paste. Provides a 360° view of employee, shift and leave information. Helps meet needs based on availability. Includes a mobile application.

Benefits: Fast, visual planning. Complete view. Mobile application.

Factorial

Ideal for: companies looking for all-in-one HR software.

Key features: Automates personnel management tasks, including scheduling. Facilitates tracking of team working hours. Sends notifications when schedules are published or modified. Warns of scheduling problems such as overlaps or hours already assigned.