Workload management tools: how to choose it?

The global workforce has changed dramatically in the last few years. Employees, freelancers and other stakeholders are dispersed around the world and often use disparate tools and software solutions to complete their projects.

 Face-to-face communication is the exception, rather than the norm, as teams keep in touch via Slack, video conferencing, and email. 

The result? Managers and project leads have very little visibility or oversight into the progress or financial impact of various tasks, especially across cross-functional or remote teams.

Teams face poor communication and difficult collaboration, resulting in misunderstandings, duplicated efforts and missed opportunities for synergies. Resources, including time and talent, are often allocated haphazardly. Projects often fall behind schedule due to poor time management and lack of visibility on task progress.

Luckily, there is a solution. Workload management tools can help organizations allocate tasks, prioritize tasks, optimize resource allocation between projects, manage time more efficiently, and maintain clear and transparent communication channels to inform all team members of workload expectations, progress and potential challenges.

What is workload management?

Workload management, refers to the process of efficiently selecting, distributing and balancing, projects, tasks and responsibilities among individuals or resources within an organization.

These tools ensure that resources are directed towards achieving project goals, prioritizes tasks based on objectives, and facilitates collaboration, increasing the chances of success.

It also assists project managers and team leaders with accurately estimating task duration, setting realistic deadlines and costs, and monitoring progress and profitability, allowing for adjustments and proactive responses to potential delays and deviations.

Financial departments can also use these tools to analyze historical data and identify trends to improve budget forecastsnd resource allocation, while features like simulations and what-if scenarios can help finance teams analyze potential impacts of different decisions and prepare for various situations.

What are the benefits of workload management tools?

Workload management come with several benefits that justify the investment:

Customer satisfaction

Workload management tools enable teams to schedule and allocate tasks efficiently, ensuring timely completion of projects. These tools aid in planning and initiating projects promptly by efficiently assigning resources and kickstarting tasks, aligning with customer expectations for project start times.

Having the right resources for each project, in terms of employee skills and will to work on a given project, makes it possible to build the best teams and thus increase productivity.

Profitability and finance

Workload management tools help in balancing workloads, preventing overallocation of resources, and optimizing utilization rates.

By streamlining tasks and resources and benefiting from historical data, these tools assist in better budget forecasting and adherence, preventing cost overruns and optimizing financial resources.

When combined with project follow up and tracking, budget and anticipated deviation analysis can prevent from not respecting the budget.

Retention and employee motivation

When making the workload collaborative, that is to say bringing the possibility to employees to apply to projects that fit their skills and will, they are more engaged. Balancing workloads ensures that employees are not overburdened, reducing burnout and stress.

Transparent task assignment and workload distribution help in recognizing individual contributions, promoting fairness and job satisfaction among team members.

Collaboration and unified workflows

Workload management tools provide a unified platform for task allocation, progress tracking, and communication. seamlessly, ensuring everyone stays on the same page without the need to have extensive staffing meetings and endless modifications through messages.

These tools offer real-time updates on project status, enabling teams to collaborate more effectively by instantly sharing information, updates and comments.

The stakes are high in these areas; effective workload management not only impacts project success but also influences employee satisfaction, customer relationships, and the overall financial health of the organization.

Tips to effectively manage the workload

Of course, the success of any workload management tool hinges largely on the team that is using it. Here are some tips to help you navigate and optimize workload management:

Project and Task Prioritization

Employ frameworks like Eisenhower Matrix (urgent vs. important or the MoSCoW method (Must-have, Should-have, Could-have, Shouldn't-have) to prioritize tasks and projects based on their significance and urgency. 

Make sure to assign the highest priority to the tasks and projects that align with the organization's key strategic goals and objectives, ensuring that efforts contribute to the overall mission.

Staff Knowledge and Visibility

Create and regularly update a skills inventory for each team member. This helps in understanding the team's capabilities and identifying gaps that may require training or resource  allocation adjustments.

Integrate with collaboration tools that provide visibility into team members' workloads, skills, and availability to improve the way work is coordinated and planned within and across teams. 

Consider the cost, delay, and quality Trio

Clearly define project constraints related to cost, time, and quality upfront. Ensure that all team members are aware of these constraints and understand the trade-offs that may need to be made.

The beauty of workload management tools is that you are able to continuously assess the trade-offs between cost, delay, and quality throughout the project lifecycle so that you can make adjustments in respons based on changing priorities or project requirements.

Effective communication

Conduct regular team meetings to discuss workload, project updates, and potential challenges and keep your workload management platform updated. Open communication channels foster collaboration and allow team members to share insights, concerns and suggestions. 

Use project management best practices

Opt for a workload management tool that offers a centralized platform for efficiently managing tasks, resources and progress.

Using different views like Gantt charts to represent project timelines can help employees visualize task dependencies, identify critical paths, and optimize project schedules.

Flexibility and adaptability

Agile methodologies shouldn't just be used by product teams! Embrace agile methodologies that enable flexible project management throughout the organization.

Agile frameworks enable teams to adapt to changing priorities and requirements while maintaining their focus on value creation.

Stafiz's intuitive approach, high visibility of projects, collaborative approach and data enable your teams to save time and make the best decisions. The result: utilization rates are optimized, profitability is under control, and your teams are involved in their own planning.

Discover Stafiz's ERP

 

Criteria for choosing a workload management tool

 Selecting the right workload management tool is crucial for  the success of the overall efficiency of your team. Here are criteria to consider when choosing a workload management tool. 

Resource Management

• Personnel management

Personnel management brings together all the functions designed to help shape your employees' careers: skills management and feedback.

• Remote team management

Look for collaboration features that facilitate remote team management, including communication tools, file sharing, and real-time updates on project progress.

Project management features

• Availability views
  

A Gantt chart provides a visual representation of tasks and timelines. Look for a tool that offers Gantt views for effective workload planning and management, and that offers
permission-based access across different tiers for greater transparency from the top-down. 

• Tasks/Phases (Program management)

Ensure the tool supports the organization of tasks and projects into phases or hierarchies. Program management is essential to handle complex projects.

• Time tracking

Choose a tool that offers flexible time tracking capabilities. This includes the ability to log hours, track progress, and manage time effectively to meet project deadlines.

• Project management

Your workload management should support budget and cost tracking features, allowing you to set and monitor project budgets and expenses.

Stafiz is a workload management tool that enables you to put together the most appropriate team for each project and assign these resources to your project schedules.

Manage your projects with Stafiz

• Billing

If your projects involve customer invoicing, select a tool that supports billing arrangements. This simplifies the financial aspects of project management.

Functional criteria

• Ease of use

Choose a tool with an intuitive, user-friendly interface. This is essential to get buy-in from team members who may have different levels of technical competence.

• Adaptability to various industries

Look for a tool that's adaptable to a variety of industries, whether you work in services, product development or any other sector.

The tool must be customizable to suit different types of projects and workflows.

• Integrations

Ensure that the workload management tool integrates seamlessly with other tools your team uses, such as collaboration platforms, communication tools, and project management software.

• CRM integration

If your projects involve client billing, select a tool that supports invoicing and billing functionalities. This streamlines the financial aspects of project management.

Comparing the options

Navigating the vast landscape of workload management tools can feel daunting. Below, we’ve rounded up a list of some of the most popular options:

• Combo

Designed for creative teams, agencies, and freelancers, Combo combines project organization (Gantt charts, Kanban boards) with collaboration features (video conferencing) and financial tools (invoicing)

• Snapshyft

Tailored for shift-based workforces in retail and hospitality, Snapshyft simplifies employee scheduling, manages time sheets, and offers basic progress tracking.

• Trello

Trello champions visual task management through its Kanban boards. Users organize tasks into cards on customizable boards, offering a clear and intuitive workflow for individuals and teams.

• ClickUp

ClickUp is a feature-rich powerhouse suited for complex projects and diverse teams. It boasts an array of project organization tools (Gantt charts, lists), team management features (permissions, hierarchy), and integrations with various platforms.

• Asana

Asana focuses on collaboration and team project management. Its Kanban boards and "Conversations" feature facilitate seamless communication and task tracking within teams.

• Stafiz

Built for service-based workflows, Stafiz offers specialized project timelines, reporting and analytics, and collaboration tools tailored to a number of different industries, with a strong focus on financial and cost management.

• MS Planner

Toggl focuses primarily on time tracking, offering detailed timesheets, reports, and project insights for individuals and freelancers.

• Toggl

Toggl focuses primarily on time tracking, offering detailed timesheets, reports and project information for individuals and freelancers.

Here's how the different tools compare in terms of the most important factors to consider in workload management tools: