Work Management: 10+1 Tools for Planning and Managing Your Work

 

Managing projects is rightly regarded as one of the most responsible types of job. Large companies employ only highly qualified professionals as project managers. However, if you are running a small business all by yourself, or you work as a freelancer, you have to be the project manager and take care of your customers in the best possible way that you can think of. Especially, if you do not have the opportunity to meet with your customers and colleagues. Fortunately, there is a number of project management solutions that can provide aid in your everyday struggle.

We are presenting a list of 10 different software (with an additional surprise at the end) that are indispensable when it comes to organizing your work and boosting your productivity and efficiency.

1. TimeCamp

TimeCamp is modern software designed for monitoring and optimizing the efficiency of one’s work. This tool measures the time spent by the user on computer activities. Then it categorizes them into those that are productive and those not related to the duties a user should be doing. It can be used both in the case of stationary work in the company and by the remotely working employees.

Here are some of TimeCamp’s important features:

• Automatically records time usage of each application running on your computer.
• It shows the most frequently visited web pages with time allocated for browsing.
• Monitors the time devoted to individual documents.
• Easy budgeting of hours in projects – budgeting function lets you estimate how much time the implementation of individual projects will take, and thus effectively plan the use of human resources and make a valuation of future similar projects.
• Integration with popular project management software such as Trello, Basecamp, Podio, Pivotal Tracker, Wunderlist, Jira.
• GPS tracking,
• Measures the working time by particular categories
• Records the time spent away from a computer – detects when user ceased to be active and for how long it lasted.

If you are interested in TimeCamp and would like to gain more information before trying the product, we have a detailed article describing all the features of this software.

Feel free to try TimeCamp, we offer a 14-day trial and our prices are considerably cheap compared to other work time tracking software.

2. Assembla

Assembla is an application designed primarily for web developers. It allows you to effectively communicate with your customers, as well as team members, investors or external contractors. It is integrated with Dropbox, allows you to work in the cloud and provides storage space for the written code or files. You can share the access to this space with your co-workers, team members or even clients for a better co-operation. Assembla is also a project management software – you can assign tasks, track progress and manage the completed and uncompleted projects.

Version for home users (12 users in 2 working spaces) costs $24. Versions designed for the bigger number of users cost proportionately more – $49 or $99 per month.

3.BaseCamp

BaseCamp is on of the most popular project management tools. It has been widely used by managers of various qualifications for over a decade. The gathered experience resulted in an excellent user interface, synchronization between calendar and schedule, constant access to the work of our team members and workers, and the ability to preview the entire project and its files. All these features are accessible practically from one page. BaseCamp got rid of all the unnecessary elements and distractions, providing an elegant and intuitive interface.

Prices begin at $29 per month and go as high as $3000. BaseCamp has native mobile apps for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone.

Basecamp can be integrated with TimeCamp for even better performance. 

4. Clarizen

Clarizen is a great software for managing projects and motivating team members. It creates a friendly environment at the office with features that support efficiency and productivity of its users. In addition, you can make use of a functionality map of the project – a tool for monitoring the project and managing the sources used to create it. Clarizen has its own “market” of add-ons, plugins, and mobile applications that you can use to upgrade it and customize to your needs.

The free trial for 30-days is available. However, it is impossible to find pricing on the page, which is a little bit suspicious =]

5. Kanban Tool 

Kanban is a well-known software among the freelancers. Most of them at least heard about it. If you have to manage a large project as a freelancer or remote worker, it is difficult to meet at one table and draw the scheme of the project on the board, or attach and detach sticky notes as the progress continues. Kanban Tool was created to help with such difficulties – on the virtual board that it provides you are able to easily manage tasks that are in the process of completing, or have been already done.

Free trial version is available for 14 days. If you belong to a bigger project that concerns more people, you can extend it. For a large number of users, there are paid plans the cost from 3.5 to 6.5 Euro per user per month.

6. Liquid Planner

This tool is used to manage projects online. It equips its users with tools that increase their productivity at work – organizing tasks for the team, creating schedules with the drag-and-drop method, and reporting. It also provides access to all the project’s branches and fully displays them. This software is also available on mobile devices.

You can use the free 30-day version or purchase one of the plans – Small team for minimum 5 users, $9.99 per user/month, Professional for minimum 10 users, $39 per user/month. There is also an Enterprise plan which price is established on a contact.

7. Podio

Podio helps you with managing not only projects but also meetings and events that are associated with those projects. It has an intuitive and user-friendly interface. From this interface, you are able to manage tasks, message your team members or employees, It is fully synchronizable with SkyDrive, Google Drive, and Dropbox.

The BASIC version costs $9 per month, version PLUS $14, and version PREMIUM $24. Businesses can count on special price packages. Podio is available on mobile devices.

Podio can be integrated with TimeCamp for even better performance. You can learn more about Podio from our blog.

8. ProProfs

What if your project must fit within a certain budget and time frame? ProProfs provides help – you can use it to check the status of both the budget and deadline. What is more, it creates a perfect environment for the team’s co-operation.

You can try any plan for free on a 14-day period. There are 3 plans, SOLOPRENEUS for $19/month for 10 projects, TEAM for $49/month for 50 projects, and UNLIMITED for $199/month for (you guessed it right) an unlimited number of projects.

9. ProjectUrf

ProjectUrf may help those freelancers who find it hard to begin their work. You can use it to follow the time and costs schedule (and much more), all in a user-friendly, drag-and-drop interface. If the layout is not to your liking, you can always customize it to your needs.

If you are curious about this software, make use of the 14-day trial. There are 4 plans and their prices vary according to the number of projects.

• BASIC for $20/month for 5 projects
• TEAM for $50 for 30 projects
• BUSINESS for $100 for 80 projects
• ENTERPRISE, starting at $200 for 100+ projects

10. ProofHub

You can use this application to work with individuals, as well as with groups. ProofHub assigns tasks to specific users, checks progress, changes the status of tasks, and assess the effectiveness of one’s work. This application has one more huge asset – it offers advanced methods of data protection. On the other hand, its cost makes it a solution designed primarily for the large companies.

The price depends on the number of projects and there are 4 plans to choose from:

• INDIVIDUAL – $18/month for 10 projects
• START UP – $45/month for 40 projects
• BUSINESS – $63/month for 80 projects
• ENTERPRISE – $135/month for unlimited projects

+1 A Sheet of Paper

Sometimes the best ideas just appear in our heads, and the first step we take when they do is to write them down. There is not and probably never will be anything better for that, than a simple sheet of paper.

What is more, a blank page can be used to draw an Eisenhower matrix, Gantt chart, or basic analyses. We can visually emphasize the importance of issues by marking them with colors, so there is no need to stick only to the pen or pencil. One glance at the page should be enough to see how we stand with the implementation of important tasks.

That’s all folks! We hope you enjoyed the article and the tools that you found in it will be of any help in your everyday time management. If you are already using project management software that is not listed here, write its name in the comments.

Make sure to check out Hey.Space, our new free task management software with chat!
Start managing and planning your work today and take your company to the next level!