How a Task Management Software Can Keep Your Team Well Organized

Task management software is an advanced version of the to-do list. It is like a structure to help managers and teams accomplish large tasks with a fair amount of ease. Without such a system, managers will be left guessing as to what they must do next. This kind of tool tracks the project from the very beginning till the end. Also, it is equipped with capabilities to predict any delay in the future which is pretty useful for devising alternate courses of action in advance. 

Different businesses have different requirements and and they should keep in mind those requirements when deploying a task management system. Here are some tips which will help you select the best task management software for your business.

1. SCAN THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT OF YOUR BUSINESS: The size of the company and the number of employees in it play a pivotal role in determining the kind of task management software you will need. Aside from this, also take into consideration your products, services, and the industry in which you operate. Your team must be welcoming of the change. In case of resistance, the project manager can call a meeting where all employees can vent out their fears and doubts pertaining to the system. The project manager can organize a training session to make the team comfortable with the upcoming change. 
2. THINK OF THE WORKFLOWS YOU WILL EXECUTE ON THE TOOL: Before zeroing in on any particular system, make a list of things that you intend to do with it. Once this is done, make a list of features that will help you to accomplish the projects. Submit this to the vendor and they will come back to you with the best task management software for your company. In the end, it’s your duty to ensure that the solution is scalable and falls within the budget range. 
3. TRY IT BEFORE FINALIZING ANYTHING: Try out the fully functional software for a brief period before purchasing it. During this time you will get to know whether the team is actually using the software. At the end of the trial period, you will be able to make a more informed decision. 

Businesses today take place on e-mails and spreadsheets. On top of this, employees play different roles which makes deployment of a task management tool a neccessity. To improve teamwork, centralize activities, manage tasks anywhere, and keep the clients happy, online task management software seems a fairly reasonable choice as task are assigned a due date and is broken into smaller projects. Also, a task requires resources to complete so a task management tool must be capable of noting the resources needed to accomplish a particular task. 

1. WHAT IS A TASK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?

A task management system is basically a structure or framework that organizes the activities to be performed by a manager or person so that they don’t go off schedule. 

If you don’t have a task management system, you are simply relying on your brain to to remember everything and remind you of tasks at precisely the right time. Think of your brain like a computer and once you have your computer’s memory filled with photos, videos, or whatever, the computer starts to slow down. It is simply not able to process things as quickly. If your brain is so busy trying to remember all the tasks that you have to do, your thought process is not going to be as effective. 

To help you with task management, there are a wide variety of systems and tools out there. There are 6 major components that every task management software must have.

• Capture: Managers and teams need to have some sort of way to make note of all the tasks and ideas. Capturing these ideas makes a work plan effective and flawless. 
• Assign: Assignment of work to employees becomes easy and they get used to it and start trusting the system. 
• Estimating: When the manager knows the estimated time to finish a task, it becomes easier for them to set deadlines. 
• Collaboration: The online task management software is more of a collaboration tool as it enables managers and teams to work collectively towards a common goal. 
• Status Update: Progress report of various projects is presented in a single place in task management software. The reports may be presented in a graphical format depending on the tool. 
• Review: This is perhaps the most important component and shockingly most managers and teams don’t have it in their task management systems. By regularly reviewing all of your projects, your business can present true the true status to the clients and customers. The business can also know whether they need to speed up or not. 

2. WHY YOU NEED A TASK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM?

Inculcating online task management software is a lengthy process. It marks a big change in the company and employees often resist the change. Here are some benefits of deploying a task management tool which might lower the degree of resistance to any such change in your organization:

1. ACCOMPLISH MORE: Task management software allows managers and teams to accomplish more work in less time with fewer people and as a result, with less cost overall. This happens because the business is able to utilize the resources at their disposal in the best possible way. Also, a task management tool keeps track of every penny and every bit of resource spent on a particular project. This not only helps the teams to accomplish more but also stay within the budget. 
2. INCREASED PROFITABILITY: Since a project planning software allows the teams and managers to accomplish more in less time, they can take up more work which basically translates to increased revenue and profitability. 
3. BETTER CONTROL: Back in the days, teams were trying to improve their workflow so as to suit the software. Today, the business environment is dynamic and requires a system that allows teams and managers to upscale their business. Furthermore, the task management software adjusts itself as your business grows. As a task management comes integrated with AI and machine learning capabilities, it slowly and steadily understands the patterns of the work and makes necessary changes itself. 
4. MORE PRODUCTIVE, EFFICIENT, AND EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION: As mentioned above, a manager has hundreds of things going on their mind and it is very difficult to remember everything exactly when you need it. A task management system comes very handy at such times because it streamlines the process, tasks, and activities and so on in the organization.  And since all activities are streamlined, the organization automatically becomes effective and more productive at what they do. Task management tool provides real-time updates on issues in the projects. This is particularly useful in resolving issues at the earliest. 
5. INCREASES QUALITY: Since issues are resolved, more tasks are done, and better control is exercised, all this contributes to increased quality of work. The better the quality of work, the more customers will choose you over competitors. 
6. REDUCTION IN POWER STRUGGLES: Task management software leads to better utilization of resources. When this happens, power struggles are automatically reduced. 
7. BETTER COMPANY DECISIONS: Since all facts and figures are in front of the manager because of the task management software, they can make a better and informed decision beneficial for the company and the clients. All the above pointers contribute to one thing; better decision making. Since all work-related talk takes place in a centralized location, managers can use it to make better and quicker decisions. 
8. FREE FLOW OF COMMUNICATION: Task management tools come with an inbuilt communication system where all work-related talk takes place. Communication should really not take place on e-mails as both managers and team members already have a bunch of unread e-mails. A work-related e-mail may get dumped in the heap of unread emails which may cause trouble later. Therefore, all work-related communication should take place in one location. Outstanding work in the context of the projects is always available on the system which can be seen by both internal members and clients as well. This eliminates the need to manually communicate to everyone progress reports.
9. ACCESSIBILITY: Since the software is for everyone to use, it is always accessible on the cloud. There is no need to install anything or any requirement of high-tech equipment. All the managers and users need a device connected to the internet. This way, everyone on the team can access data anytime irrespective of their location. 
10. SECURITY: Cyber-attacks have increased in the last couple of years and therefore it is very important to keep all the business data confidential. Task management tools have built-in security features that keep all the sensitive data secure. The project manager and only a few other people have access to that data. Also, the password is encrypted which makes bypassing the security perimeter hard for those with malicious intents. 
11. COLLABORATION: Teams and managers can collaborate on different projects at the same time and know the progress on different tasks. Since they work collectively, projects and tasks are completed quickly and without any mistake. Collaboration with clients is just as important as a collaboration with the team. Communication with clients and suppliers is facilitated by task management software. Also, clients can see data relevant to their project on the system. 
12. BETTER PRIORITIZATION: Prior to implementing the task manager, managers had difficulty prioritizing all the tasks that were given to them. There are multiple channels of information coming in like voicemail, e-mail, text messages etc. With the task manager, they have a very specific list of to-do’s. All tasks are prioritized and it is clear what the expectations are. 
13. MONITORING: Monitoring tasks is key for every business if they want to achieve long term success. Since the task management system is designed just to do that, it gives manager insights into whether or not the task will be completed in a timely fashion. 
14. SHARING DOCUMENTS: As mentioned above as well, when integrated with already functional company applications like the CRM software, task management system becomes more useful. Sharing of documents, wireframes, and specifications and so on is done smoothly and in a transparent manner.
15. 24 X 7 ACCESSIBILITY: This feature of task management software is particularly useful when the deadline is approaching. People that work from home or late in the night are largely benefitted from this system because it is accessible 24 x 7. All you need is a handheld device with an internet connection. 

Online task management software is useful for big companies with big marketing teams, small companies with a staff of over 10 persons, and even for personal work.It makes workflow on the most complex of projects smooth which ultimately translates to saving money and time.

3. KEY FEATURES OF TASK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

Everyone that works in a team knows how chaotic collaboration can be. A good task management tool can track deadlines, email, notes, and conversations and store them in one place for easy accessibility. Here are a few features that every task management system must have:

1. TASK ASSIGNMENT: A big task when divided into smaller pieces makes it easier for the team to complete it on time. It should be capable of assigning tasks to team members. 
2. NOTIFICATION: It notifies the teams working on any project about updates and changes in it. A notification goes out to all the users when someone comments on a task or on arrival of a new task.  
3. PRIORITIZING TASKS: Ranking tasks in order of their significance truly helps to move ahead with new tasks. Prioritizing is better than working to meet deadlines. 
4. SECURITY PERMISSIONS: It keeps the client data secure and only those with permissions can view it. This eliminates the scope of conflict within the team.
5. CALENDAR SYNCING: Task management software should be able to sync tasks to Google Calendar, Outlook Calendar, offerting the team better visibility. 
6. FILE ATTACHMENT: Attaching documents, charts, and graphs with a task make it easy for the team to understand and accomplish the task. Therefore, a project management tool should be able to retrieve attachments to be sent along with the task. 
7. INTEGRATION WITH OTHER APPLICATIONS: The task management software should be compatible with other applications like CRM software in particular. These applications work as an extension of the tool and make it all the more functional. 
8. CHAT SYSTEM: Almost all task management tools come with an inbuilt chat system which allows quick communication within the team. 
9. MOBILE APPLICATION: Mobile devices have become ubiquitous  these days and it is simply not feasible to carry a laptop every time, everywhere. A mobile application of the task management software comes handy when you want to access it quickly on the go. 
10. REPORTING: The main objective of a task manager is to monitor the progress of different tasks or projects. A good reporting system makes sure that no deadlines are missed and projects run on schedule. 
11. TIME TRACKING: A time tracking feature is pretty useful to determine the time taken to complete a particular task. Its helps the team make sure the project is not overshooting the desired cost or helps in billing the client in an accurate manner.

The business must find software that satisfies all their needs and requirements. It should be compatible with the applications that you already use in your organization like CRM software. No matter how good the tool is, the business will have to tweak it up a little bit to match their requirements. With proper research, you can come pretty close to buying the best task management software for your company. 

4. WHY SMARTTASK IS THE BEST TASK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

SmartTask plays a pivotal role in making your team more productive, cohesive, and functional. All work related information is gathered in one place for teams to draw conclusions, make decisions, and get work done in an effective and efficient manner. The user interface of SmartTask is simple yet powerful enough to handle all your business workflows. It comes integrated with useful features like a search bar, custom fields, portfolio view, timeline, charts, inbuilt chat system etc. 

ADVANTAGES OF SMARTTASK

SmartTask has a bunch of really useful features which make it the choice of online task management software of small and big companies alike. General Electric and Reliance industries make use of SmartTask. It handles integration with CRM software of the company pretty easily. 

Custom fields and Custom Charts makes  SmartTask a joy to use. All business information is in stored in one place for instant access. It facilitates collaboration between teams and with clients. This results in effective communication of project status to clients and they are also updated about any delay or modification in the project. Moreover, guest users are absolutely free!

With a  friendly and intuitive user interface your team would be able to adopt the tool very quickly.

B) PROCESS OF SMARTTASK TASK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

WHAT IS SMARTTASK TASK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE?

Businesses today operate in a dynamic environment. Tasks performed are also increasing at a rate never seen before. As a matter of fact, an average employee accomplishes over 5000 tasks per year. Hours spent following up on tasks has gone up manifolds in the last decade or so. Usually, phone calls, e-mails, meetings take place to discuss the status of a task. Even after all this, the list of tasks never seems to end. Due to the dynamic business environment, phone calls, e-mails, meetings are no longer feasible to handle tasks. 

SmartTask brings a whole new framework for getting things accomplished. All tasks and conversations are organized in a single place by SmartTask which is particularly useful in finding the exact information you need. SmartTask creates a soothing work environment by eliminating the need for the manager to remember everything and in doing so, it makes sure that the manager and their team have a great user experience. 

ADVANTAGE OF SMARTTASK TASK MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE

1. BETTER USE OF TIME: Instead of searching for outstanding tasks in diaries, SmartTask gathers all the pending work and conversations in one place for easy retrieval. Also, SmartTask prioritizes tasks which basically mean that the manager can straight away start working on top priority tasks. 
2. BETTER TASK MANAGEMENT: Sales executives have uncountable negotiations throughout the day and it is very difficult for them to remember exactly which deal they finalized with which lead. SmartTask allows sales executives to mark leads, meetings, and follow-ups. Also, they can store conversations in the system which can be retrieved anywhere anytime to devise future sales pitch and strategy. 
3. SEARCHABLE INFORMATION: Information flow is organised, clear, and precise which leads to a better decision making process. A lot of useful things and information is shared on the task management software. Users can search the specific bit of information from the task management software itself. 
4. NEVER FORGET A TASK: There are hundreds of tasks that a manager has to remember. Failing to complete a task may cause a cascade of delays in the subsequent tasks. With SmartTask a manager can create a monthly or weekly sheet of the tasks to do. Also, delegation becomes a possibility with SmartTask. SmartTask also reminds the manager about payment dates, due dates of bills and so on. 

FEATURES OF SMARTTASK

Here are some features of the SmartTask task management software:

1. DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT: Different documents, charts, graphs etc. are stored inside of the software and can be retrieved anytime using the inbuilt search bar. Different teams can share documents, files, charts, graphs and so on with each other. 
2. PROJECT MANAGEMENT: SmartTask can track progress on different projects at the same time. 
3. CUSTOM FIELDS: SmartTask allows the manager to attach special attributes to the task such as risk, status, process, or phase. Reporting on workflows which are core to your company becomes easy with custom fields. 
4. CUSTOM CHARTS: Each task can be presented in a graphical form. Custom charts make deriving conclusions easy. 
5. PORTFOLIO VIEW: Portfolio view helps the managers to ascertain the potential return on undertaking a particular project. Portfolio view utilizes data available regarding the project and forecasts whether or not the project will be beneficial for the company. 
6. TIMELINE VIEW: Timeline view helps the project manager to time activities like production, marketing, sales, and customer support. 
7. KANBAN BOARD: In kanban board, each task is presented in in the form of an informative card. These cards display the progress of different projects. As a project moves from one phase to another, the cards are updated automatically.  
8. TIME TRACKING: It tracks the time taken to complete a particular task. Also, it reassesses the completion time if any delay comes along the way. 
9. ACTIVITY MANAGEMENT: It breaks bigger tasks into small pieces which are then delegated to team members. Progress on all activities is lodged in the system which makes it easier for the manager to track progress on tasks as a whole. 
10. COLLABORATION: Teams may work on different tasks but their goal is the same. SmartTask facilitates collaboration among different teams. Also, collaboration with clients and suppliers becomes possible with SmartTask. 
11. BRAINSTORMING: Everyone in the company can throw in their ideas in the system. The most suitable idea can then be pursued with consent. All this is facilitated by the SmartTask.
12. STATUS TRACKING: Each activity is closely monitored by SmartTask and gives real-time progress reports to the manager. 
13. EMAIL INTEGRATION: Approaching deadlines, priority tasks, delays etc. are communicated to the manager via e-mail. 
14. DISCUSSION BOARDS: There is a chat system inbuilt where meaningful discussions can take place. 

All these advantages and features are sure to give managers and team members a great user experience. 

Some other features of SmartTask include; idea management, project templates, contact management, custom fields, Gantt charts, portfolio management, requirements management, project budgeting, and dash board. 

SmartTask is suitable for startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, and agencies. It comes as a web application and is also available on the Google Play Store and Apple Store.