Team management requires flexibility in response to the progress of each member. In addition, to save time and effort in such management, it is effective to utilize a “Team management software”.
However, many people may be concerned that it is difficult to choose the best software for their team from a wide variety of team management softwares.
In this issue, we will focus on team management softwares that are useful for team management for below people.
- “I do not have much time, so I want to compare and contrast from carefully selected team management softwares.
- “I want to introduce a tool and manage tasks for the entire team efficiently.”
- “We want to find a software that allows you to manage tasks without burden, even if you are not an IT expert.”
This article will help you find the best team management software for your team and reduce your management burden.
Contents
What is team management?
This section provides an overview of team management. If you have not had a clear understanding of how it differs from project management and why it is necessary, this is a must.
Differences from project management
Team management and project management have different objects to manage. The specific differences are as follows
- Project management
- Team management
The purpose of project management is to manage the “entire team” for the success of the project. The project leader must achieve the three goals of “quality”, “cost”, and “delivery date” through project management.
The purpose of team management is to adjust tasks of each member and create system for efficiency for the success of the project. Through team management, the project leader needs to monitor the overall progress of the project.
In this way, project management and team management have different management objectives, but both have the same goal of “making the project successful”.
Why is team management in the spotlight?
The reason why team management is attracting attention is because it allows the members of working remotely to proceed with their work without delay.
While the number of companies implementing remote work, there are cases where face-to-face communication has decreased, making it difficult to keep track of progress. In this way, “not knowing who has done what work and how far they have progressed” is fatal to the progress of a project.
This is why “team management softwares,” which allow workers to check progress and communicate with other people promptly even while remote work, are attracting attention. If the progress of the entire team is known in real time, it is possible to promptly report and respond to any delays in tasks.
What are 3 merits of team management?
Here are 3 merits of team management. If you make the following known to your team members, you will not be in a situation where you cannot gain their understanding of team management.
(1) It will help you meet deadlines
The first benefit of team management is that your team will be able to meet deadlines.
For example, when tasks are shared within a team, there is a stronger sense of “being watched”, which creates a sense of tension and responsibility. However, in individual task and information management, it is not uncommon for a task to be put off until the very last minute, because it is not pointed out to you.
Thus, correct team management allows each team member to proceed tasks to keep on time and projects on schedule.
(2) Increased communication
The next benefit of team management is to increase communication among team members.
For example, if a task is running behind schedule, the team can immediately become aware of it and can ask about problems or share their know-how. On the other hand, if task management is left to individuals, communication will not occur unless each individual reports.
In other words, team management can help solve one of the challenges of remote work: lack of communication.
(3) Progress of members becomes visible
Finally, there is the merit of making members’ progress visible.
If progress of tasks are shared by the team, “who has done what and to what extent” can be seen at a glance, and there is no need to worry about excessive workloads being placed on certain members.
In other words, sharing tasks not only makes it easier to manage the team, but it is also essential for assigning tasks according to each member’s abilities and situation.
As we mentioned above, the leader should create the environment for each member to work comfortable and show the ability of them.
5 best team management softwares for free
Below are 5 team management softwares that can be used by teams.
Using a team management software has the merit of visualizing the progress of your team and facilitating communication. However, it is not recommended to select a software based on qualitative judgments such as “it has various functions and seems convenient”.
This is because a multifunctional software may not be used properly by team members who are not familiar with IT, resulting in omissions of tasks. A software is meaningless if it cannot be used by everyone in the team, so be sure to check whether the software is simple enough that anyone can operate it without burden.
In conclusion, the best software to choose is Stock, which has all the necessary functions for task management and can be used intuitively by anyone.
Stock has a “Note” where you can leave all kinds of information, and “Task” linked to the Note allow you to easily set, share, and manage tasks. Tasks are linked to the Notes and can be easily set, shared, and managed. Also, “Messages” are associated with notes, so there is no need to use different softwares to communicate with your team.
Stock｜The easiest way to manage any information to enhance team productivity
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock"
https://www.stock-app.info/en/
Stock is the simplest tool to stock information. Stock solves the problem, "there is no easy way to stock information within the company".
With Stock, anyone can easily store all kinds of information, including text information such as requirements, images, and files, using the Note feature.
In addition, by using the "Task" and "Message" functions, you can communicate with each topic described in the Note, so that information is not dispersed here and there and work can always be carried out in an organized manner.
＜Why do we recommend Stock?＞
- A tool for companies that are not familiar with ITYou don't need to have any IT expertise to get started.
- Simple and usable by anyoneStock is so simple that anyone can use it without any unnecessary features.
- Amazingly easy information storing and task managementIt is amazingly easy to store information such as shared information within a company, and intuitive task management is also possible.
＜Stock's pricing＞
- Free plan ：Free
- Business plan ：$5 / User / Month
- Enterprise plan ：$10 / User / Month
Trello｜A software to manage tasks like posting sticky notes
＜Features of Trello＞
- You can use the Kanban system
- Measuring work productivity
Trello allows users to manage tasks using the Kanban method, where tasks are re-posted over and over again like sticky notes to keep track of their progress.
Using the extended functionality, anyone can add a timer to each task to measure the amount of time worked on it, allowing them to monitor their productivity.
＜Notes of Trello＞
- Some features are not available on smartphones
- Difficult to make sense terms and functions
Some functions are not available from the smartphone version of Trello, so check before operating on a company smartphone.
There is actually user said “Trello is difficult to distinguish between archive and deletion”, because of multifunctionality.
＜price of Trello＞
- FREE：$0
- STANDARD：$6 USD/user/month (monthly payment)
- PREMIUM: $12.50 USD/user/month (monthly payment)
- ENTERPRISE: $17.50 USD or less per user per month (paid annually)
Todoist｜A tool to manage tasks with a to-do list
＜Features of Todoist＞
- Tasks can be managed in the form of a to-do list
- Can be linked to other softwares
You can manage tasks in the form of a to-do list, in which tasks are displayed in a list. Also, you can use the Kanban method of managing tasks on a board.
You can integrate Todoist with softwares in a variety of fields, such as calendars, communication, and voice assistants.
＜Notes on Todoist＞
- Task information cannot be stocked
- Business use is difficult with the free plan
The amount of information that can be stored in Todoist is limited, so you cannot manage tasks and information together.
Todoist’s free plan does not have a reminder function to prevent tasks from being left undone, so it may not be suitable for projects with a set deadline.
＜Price of Todoist＞
- Free: Free of charge
- Pro: $5/user/month (paid monthly)
- Business: $8/user/month (paid monthly)
Notion｜A tool to manage tasks in a database
＜Features of Notion＞
- Database-based software
- Detailed access privileges
Notion is a database-based software, and you can create your own task management charts by customizing the functions.
Notion has 5 access privileges: “Full Access”, “Edit”, “Comment”, “Read”, and “Access Denied”, so you can choose which one to use depending on the information.
＜Notes of Notion＞
- Difficult to master due to its multiple functions
- Sharing is difficult with the free plan
Although Notion has a database and a variety of other functions, it is complicated to use and may not stick with those who are not digitally savvy.
Since the number of people who can share Notion’s free plan is limited, it is difficult to operate with a large team.
＜Price of Notion＞
- Free: $0
- Plus: $10/user/month (paid monthly)
- Business: $18/user/month (paid monthly)
- Enterprise: inquire upon request
Wrike｜Task management software with rich functions
＜Features of Wrike＞
- Template function available
- You can switch the display format of tasks
All tasks required for a project can be registered in a template, so you can solve unnecessary work when starting a similar project.
Tasks can be displayed in a variety of ways, including “List,” “Board,” “Table,” and “Gantt Chart.
＜Notes of Wrike＞
- It is difficult to master because of its multifunctionality
- Costly to operate
Although Wrike has a wide variety of functions, it can be difficult for people who are not good with digital technology to master it, and it may not take root in your team.
To get the most out of Wrike, a paid plan is the way to go, but be aware that there is an operating cost of $9.80/user/month.
＜Price of Wrike＞
- Free: Free of charge
- Team: $9.80/user/month
- Business: $24.80/user/month
- Enterprise: You need inquiry
- Pinnacle: You need inquiry
Basic functions of team management softwares
There are 7 basic functions of a team management software that are useful for especially.
| Basic functions | Details |
|---|---|
Registration of tasks | This function allows you to create individual tasks. |
File management | Storing the file that you will use securely. |
Set the due date | This function allows you to set a deadline for a task. You can prevent forgetting to do a task. |
Sharing task status | This function allows you to record and track the status (progress) of tasks regarding each member. |
Search function | This function allows you to search for any infomation you need to check. |
Request tasks | This function allows you to assign a task to a subordinate. |
Communication | You can communicate with other people in software regardless of time and lacation. |
If a software does not have too much or not enough of the above functions, you do not need to add functions or learn how to use them later.
3 selection points for team management softwares
Here are 3 points to consider when selecting a team management softwares. If you want to find the best software for your company, this section is a must see.
(1) Does it have a note function?
First, check if a note function is included.
A point that is often overlooked in team management is “whether or not related information of tasks can also be organized together”. If the software cannot manage related information, you will have to search for necessary documents and data from other places.
On the other hand, a team that is good at team management has a centralized management system that links tasks and related information together. Therefore, if there is a “note function” associated with a task, there is no need to worry about the information getting mixed up, and the task can be handled more smoothly.
(2) Is a message function included?
Next, it is also important to have a message function.
For example, if a member’s progress is lagging behind, a message function can be used to quickly find out what the problem is. Also, since there is no need to use another software to communicate at the same time, operating costs can be significantly reduced.
In this way, by utilizing a team management software with a message function, task-related communication can be completed on a single software.
(3) Is it easy to request and confirm tasks?
Finally, it is also important to make sure that task requests and confirmations are easy to perform.
If a software does not make it easy to request and confirm tasks, team members will be reluctant to use it. Furthermore, there is a possibility that the assigned tasks will not be confirmed and progress will be delayed.
Therefore, it is necessary to choose a software with simple operation, such as Stock, which allows even non-IT company members to search information and request tasks instantly.
3 tips for team management
Here are 3 tips for successful team/department task management. To get the most out of your task management, keep the following points in mind.
Tip 1｜Subdivide tasks into smaller tasks
One of the most important tips for team management is to subdivide all tasks into smaller pieces.
If tasks are highly abstract, team members will get confused when executing a task, saying “I do not know where to start”. For example, in the task “process file data”, it is not clear which data should be processed, so you should set a task for each specific data.
In this way, if the tasks are subdivided, it is possible to clearly determine “what should be done and how to proceed”.
Tip 2｜Appropriately distribute tasks
Next, distribute tasks appropriately. Specifically, it is effective to keep the following 3 points in mind.
- Understand the skill level of each member
- Set appropriate deadlines for tasks
- Prioritize tasks
It is especially important to set priorities for tasks. Since the same resources cannot be allocated to all tasks, the tasks that are prioritized must be clearly identified.
Tip 3｜Use team management softwares
Finally, to successfully manage your team’s tasks, utilize a “team management software”.
Unlike Excel or spreadsheets, team management softwares allow you to set and request tasks smoothly. Also, there is no need to use e-mail or chat tools to share information.
However, be aware that a multifunctional software may not be used if members are not familiar with IT. On the other hand, a Stock that is simple and not overloaded with necessary functions will not incur training costs, unlike complex softwares.
Summary of 5 best softwares for team management
We have focused on 5 best team management softwares and selection points for team and departmental task management. The 3 specific selection points are as follows
- Does it have a “Note function” to link tasks and information?
- Does it have a “Message function” for speedy communication?
- Does it have a “Task function” that allows users to search for tasks and make requests instantly.
If the software has all of the above functions, it will help your team manage tasks more efficiently. However, since multifunctional softwares are often complicated to use, “easy to use even if you are not an IT expert” is a prerequisite.
In conclusion, the best choice is “Stock”, which is equipped with “Note”, “Message”, and “Task” can be used intuitively at non-IT companies.
It only takes 1 minute to register for free, so using Stock to streamline your team management and ensure the success of your project.
