If you are having difficulty managing your tasks, feeling overwhelmed by missed deadlines and not being able to track your progress effectively, then it is the right time to regain control by using a task management tool that is powerful.
Choosing the appropriate software from a wide variety of options can be quite overwhelming. Hence, I have conducted extensive research to compile a comprehensive list of the top 21 task management tools. This list will equip you with all the necessary information to make an intelligent decision.
In a systematic manner, analyze the advantages and disadvantages, pricing information, notable traits, and visual representations, such as screenshots, which offer a glimpse into the appearance of each tool.
What is a task management software?
Task management software is an effective tool that aims to assist teams, managers, and organizations in effectively arranging, monitoring, giving priority to, and cooperating on tasks and projects. Its primary purpose is to act as a central platform for handling various work-related activities, encompassing both straightforward and intricate assignments.
Best task management tools & software for teams (2023)
1. ProofHub
ProofHub is a powerful task management tool that enables teams to effectively plan, collaborate, organize, and track projects and tasks. It is the preferred option in the market, with users such as Google, Nike, and NASA who are leaders in their respective industries.
Key features:
- Streamlined task assignment: ProofHub lets you create and assign tasks to individuals or groups, ensuring the right person handles each job. Customizable workflows and recurring tasks streamline the process.
- Multiple task views: Choose from board, table, Gantt chart, and calendar views to manage tasks in a way that suits your role and preferences. Each view offers a unique perspective on your tasks.
- Task dependencies: Users can establish dependencies between tasks to ensure that one task cannot be started until another is completed. This helps in creating a logical flow for project activities.
- Bulk actions: Manage multiple tasks effortlessly with bulk actions. You can delete, move, or archive multiple tasks simultaneously, saving valuable time.
- Custom fields: Customize task information with various formats like dates, lists, text, and more. This allows you to tailor task details to your specific needs.
- Forms: Streamline client requests and feedback collection with customizable forms. Easily convert requests into tasks for clear tracking.
- Task comments: This feature enables team members to have conversations directly within task threads. This feature promotes effective communication, eliminates the need for external email chains, and keeps all relevant information in one place.
- Time tracking: Users can track the time spent on tasks, helping with accurate time management and billing for client projects.
- File sharing and document management: ProofHub enables users to share files and documents within tasks. This feature simplifies the process of attaching necessary resources to tasks, reducing the need for separate file-sharing tools.
- Collaboration features: ProofHub offers built-in chat, discussions, proofing, and announcements for seamless real-time collaboration, keeping everyone on the same page.
2. Chanty
Chanty, an all-in-one collaboration platform, includes a task manager feature that allows users to convert messages into tasks. These tasks can be assigned to any team member and organized by status, dates, and individuals. With Chanty, users can communicate and discuss specific tasks with the relevant team members within the platform.
With Chanty’s Kanban board, you have a flexible and easy method for managing all your tasks in a single location. You have the ability to assign a person, set a due date, and control the status and priority of any task.
Key Features:
- Tasks can be presented as a Kanban board or task list
- Task discussion flow
- Assigning a team member, setting a due date and priority
3. ClickUp
ClickUp is a comprehensive task management software that is intended to handle any task, whether it is your daily to-dos or intricate projects, and even your organization’s entire workflow, all on one screen. Teams from various industries depend on ClickUp to enhance productivity by utilizing more than 15 methods of visualizing workflows, such as List, Gantt, Calendar, and the Board view which resembles Kanban.
ClickUp’s customizable tasks are created with the purpose of aiding in the planning, organizing, and collaborative aspects of any project. This is achieved through a scalable Hierarchy system, which allows for the breakdown of intricate items into more manageable subtasks that can be effortlessly edited or rearranged.
ClickUp’s task automation, customizable ClickApps, and Custom Fields assist in streamlining processes and optimizing day-to-day operations in addition to organization and structure. With over 1,000 integrations, drag-and-drop functionality, and hundreds of flexible tools, ClickUp simplifies task management and reduces the workload.
Key Features:
- Customizable tasks and subtasks with automation, Custom Field data, time-tracking, and more
- Multiple assignees and comment threads to delegate tasks
- Assigned comments to turn thoughts into action items
- Sharable screen recordings that can be converted directly into a task
- Custom Statuses templates to replicate any workflow
- Checklists within tasks to track everything from multi-step workflows to simple to-dos.
4. nTask
nTask is a user-friendly and uncomplicated work management software that is utilized by intelligent teams. It offers the capability to oversee one or more projects, whether for personal or professional purposes. When utilizing nTask, you have the advantage of creating numerous teams and workspaces for various work objectives, projects, or even separate departments within your organization.
The nTask application can help you become more productive and accomplish more in less time. It enables you to easily share files, leave comments, assign tasks, and keep track of task duration. With just a few clicks, users can access tasks in various views including list view, grid view, calendar view, and Gantt view.
Key Features:
- Time tracking and Timesheets
- Team Management
- Meeting Management
- Issue Tracking
- Risk Management
5. Basecamp
Basecamp is a well-known task management tool that can be used to effectively manage tasks for multiple projects all at once. This tool is popular for its ability to enhance team productivity and organization.
Basecamp enables you to easily handle various aspects such as people, tasks, files, documents, and deadlines. Additionally, the software facilitates communication within your team through group chats and direct messages.
Key Features:
- Activity view allows managers to see everything related to project tasks
- Create to-do lists and choose assignees and set due dates for tasks
- Share docs and files
- Automate Check-ins
6. ProProfs Project
ProProfs Project is a task management software that is full of useful features to help you manage and prioritize tasks effectively. This software allows you to centralize all of your work, making it easy to assign and track tasks from one place. Additionally, you have the ability to create personalized workflows to ensure that you stay organized and on track with your tasks.
With its AI-powered insightful reports, ProProfs Project offers a collaborative workspace for teams, enabling them to stay aligned. These reports provide a summary of task progress and status, allowing for the identification and resolution of any gaps.
Key Features :
- Multiple views for different projects
- Real-time notifications & alerts
- Actionable reports
- Automation for recurring tasks
- Interactive Gantt charts & Kanban boards
7. Bit.ai
Bit is a fantastic tool for collaborating on documents and managing tasks. It enables you to create, store, organize, share, and collaborate on documents all in one place. Workspaces can be created around projects, teams, and departments, ensuring that your documents stay organized. These intelligent workspaces also allow for the appropriate team members to access the necessary documents when needed, thus promoting seamless flow of information and breaking down barriers.
Bit offers a platform that allows team members to collaborate, brainstorm ideas, share knowledge, and innovate together. Additionally, users can invite their team to collaborate on a Bit document and engage in real-time editing, inline commenting, @mentions, and more. It serves as the perfect tool for task management.
Key Features :
- Workspaces and folders to keep data organized and safe
- Real-time collaboration with team members
- Content and knowledge management capabilities
8. Trello
Trello is acknowledged by many as a widely recognized task management tool that is among the largest and most popular in the Kanban-style.
The visual approach to task management is used, wherein tasks are depicted as cards that can be easily moved across customizable boards and lists.
Users can easily track and prioritize tasks on Trello’s interface by moving cards between lists and visually representing their progress from “To Do” to “In Progress” to “Completed.” This clear overview of tasks and project progress allows users to easily manage their workflow.
Key features:
- Board view
- Trello cards
- No-code Automation
- Power-Ups
9. Airtable
Airtable is a task management software that is versatile and combines the capabilities of a spreadsheet and the strength of a database. It enables teams to effectively organize and monitor tasks in a highly collaborative and customizable manner.
With features such as the ability to collaborate in real-time, attach files, and utilize advanced filtering options, Airtable allows teams to maintain organization, effectively collaborate, and streamline their process for managing tasks. It is a highly capable tool that provides teams with a customizable and user-friendly solution for task and project management.
Key Features:
- Grid interface allows grouping of projects based on different criteria such as status and project owner
- View and move tasks to different stages as cards using Kanban boards
- Gallery view makes it easy to find photos, documents, etc.
10. Wrike
Wrike enables you to organize everything, from tasks to team members, allowing you to complete your projects in a timely manner. The tool is perfect for streamlining workflow and promotes collaboration to increase efficiency.
Wrike is a software that aims to enhance efficiency and productivity for both individuals and teams by getting rid of repetitive tasks. It achieves this by intelligently arranging tasks, placing importance on due dates and priority levels.
Thanks to its extensive list of features, Wrike has gained a high rating as a task management tool.
Key features:
- Customizable dashboard
- Interactive Gantt charts
- Purpose-built templates
- Custom request forms
11. Quire
Quire enables you to organize, give importance to, and concentrate on the most significant tasks for a project. It permits you to depict your workflow visually and keep tabs on all tasks in an interactive way.
By using this tool, it becomes simpler to work together with your team and ensure everyone remains well-informed. It enables you to focus on even the minutest tasks of a project while still keeping sight of the overall objective.
Key Features:
- Streamline Workflow
- Integrated Kanban boards
- Detailed project summary and project stats
12. Ayoa (DropTask)
Ayoa is an online whiteboard and mind-mapping app that provides a fun environment for brainstorming ideas, collaborating with others, and accomplishing tasks. It offers various useful features to assist you and your team in task management and meeting deadlines.
You can use Ayoa, an easy-to-use tool, to share ideas and collaborate with your team effectively. It enables you to break tasks down into smaller details, assign individuals to each task, provide comments, and attach files.
Key Features:
- Whiteboards
- Mind Maps
- Task Boards
13. Monday.com
Monday.com is a highly interactive application that resembles a highly customizable spreadsheet and is considered one of the best task managers for teams and project management tools due to the inclusion of a ton of additional features.
Monday.com is considered one of the top task management tools in the market due to its emphasis on straightforward and visually appealing layouts, which aid in clearly organizing the order of tasks. This task management tool enables users to work together on tasks by uploading and attaching files, tagging members, and setting deadlines.
Key Features:
- Customizable templates
- Automation
- Real-time Dashboards
- Seamless integration with other apps
14. Smartsheet
Smartsheet, a web-based collaboration tool, provides a range of features for project management, task management, crowdsourcing, reporting, and more to organizations of all sizes. Resembling a spreadsheet-style task management tool, it includes essential functions such as task scheduling, subtasks, activities, and more.
By smartly combining the use of a spreadsheet with visual timeline management, automated workflow capabilities, and collaborative file sharing and discussions, Smartsheet is able to effectively handle various types of work, including projects, programs, and core business operations.
Key Features:
- Pre-built templates to jump-start your projects
- Team task list by priority
- Integrates with apps you already use
- Alerts and Automated actions
- Custom reports across projects
- Resource Management & Scheduling
15. Casual
Casual is a task and project management tool that provides the flexibility to arrange task blocks according to one’s preference. It is particularly suited for small and expanding project teams and employs visual charts to effectively plan project-related processes.
Casual can be employed in order to establish project milestones, outline the workflow, and determine the sequence in which these tasks should be accomplished. Additionally, it can monitor project paths and distribute tasks in various directions without recognizing dependencies.
Key features:
- Visual Project and Process Management
- Visual Task Manager
- Workflow Management Tool
16. Tasklog
Tasklog is an app for to-do lists that operates in the cloud and also monitors time and expenses. This tool is suitable for both freelancers and organizations. Some of the main features of Tasklog are a task manager, a time tracker, timesheets, team boards, and a Pomodoro timer, among others.
Tasklog’s Pomodoro technique involves breaking work into timed intervals, making it one of its most valuable features. Users can utilize this technique to monitor employee productivity, prioritize tasks, and assign projects to team members. In addition, the Tasklog dashboard enables users to track their progress and review reports.
Key features:
- Time tracker
- To-do list
- Dashboard
- Insights
17. Proggio
If you are seeking to handle your project portfolio or wish to monitor all project tasks, Proggio is an excellent tool to have at your disposal. Its inventive characteristics aid you in project planning and timely project delivery.
With Proggio’s task management features, you have the ability to fully control and oversee all tasks in your projects. There is no longer a need to request updates from your team members, as the software allows you to monitor all task activity in one central location.
Key features:
- Manage tasks effectively in the Kanban board view
- Customizable templates
- Create visual task roadmaps with built-in Gantt charts
18. Todoist
Todoist is an app known for its simple interface that helps you manage tasks for all of your projects. Its main purpose is to eliminate the need for manual tracking of task progress and set you free from the associated hassles.
In addition, the app enables you to rapidly include tasks and allocate them to members of your team. Furthermore, the task view grants you access to essential details regarding a task, such as its title, deadline, subtasks, and more.
Key features:
- Quick Add
- Task Organization and Prioritization
- Delegate Tasks
- Notifications
19. Hive
Hive is a productivity platform that enables you to effectively manage your projects through automated task management. All members of your team can utilize Hive to arrange and cooperate on tasks.
Hive utilizes a collection of separate tools to simplify the process of planning, executing, and finishing tasks. Generate task cards and choose team members to assign them to. Additionally, you have the ability to include communication with your colleagues directly on task cards by inserting comments.
Key Features:
- Kanban boards let you manage tasks in stages
- Real-time analytics for measuring project progress
- Upload, organize, and attach files with tasks
20. Asana
If your main focus is to effectively organize tasks and meet deadlines, then Asana can be a suitable choice. This platform allows you to remain concentrated on your project tasks and prioritize them, informing your team about the tasks that need to be completed first.
Asana, which has been on the market for quite some time, is one of the top task managers for teams. In addition to List view, Boards view, and Timeline view, the tool also offers the option to view your tasks in different ways.
Key Features:
- Prioritize tasks and set deadlines
- View project status in real-time
- Automation
- Timeline
- Portfolios
21. Teamwork
Following that is TeamWork, a tool used for managing project tasks and allocating work. It offers numerous helpful features for task management, making it an ideal choice if you aim to meet deadlines and enhance your team’s performance.
This tool is equipped with project templates intended to reduce the amount of manual work needed to streamline your project tasks. With its board view, you can track the progress of all project tasks and activities. Each task on the board view is displayed as a card, and you can create columns for each specific process that the task cards will go through.
Key Features:
- Get an instant overview of team capacity using Workload
- Keep every project and its tasks in clear sight with Portfolio
- Gantt chart allows planning of project timeline
- Meet deadlines by prioritizing tasks
Top features to look for in task management software
When evaluating task management systems, it is important to consider the following key features:
1. Create and Assign Tasks
To ensure a strong task management system, it should provide the capability to effortlessly generate and allocate tasks to individuals or teams. Seek out user-friendly interfaces that enable you to specify task particulars like title, description, due dates, and assignees. The inclusion of task assignments guarantees transparent ownership and responsibility, which ultimately promotes productivity and effective task completion.
2. Subtasks
In order to manage complex projects or tasks that involve multiple steps, it is necessary to include subtasks. Subtasks enable the division of larger tasks into smaller, more manageable parts, allowing for a detailed assessment of progress and enhancing coordination among team members.
3. Recurring Tasks
Many workflows involve recurring tasks which can be set up to repeat at specific intervals, like daily, weekly, or monthly. This feature saves time and effort by automating repetitive work and preventing any tasks from being overlooked. When choosing a system, it’s important to look for one that supports recurring tasks.
4. Workflows
Team task management systems rely on workflows, which are necessary for building and customizing processes that meet specific requirements. Workflows offer the flexibility to define the stages and steps required to complete tasks or projects. This creates a clear path for task progression, ensuring consistent and efficient follow-through. Customizing workflows enables alignment with unique team processes and methodologies.
5. Multiple Views
Different team members may have their own preferences when it comes to visualizing tasks. It is important to find a task management system that offers various options, such as table view, kanban board, gantt view, or calendar view. These different views allow for flexibility in organizing and reviewing tasks, catering to different work styles and project needs.
6. Task Tracking
In order to ensure accountability and monitor progress, it is essential to have task-tracking features. It is important to find a system that enables you to track the status of tasks, establish priority levels, and keep track of deadlines. Moreover, progress indicators, time tracking, and notifications are valuable tools that help stay on schedule and ensure prompt completion of tasks.
5. Task Reporting
To effectively manage tasks, it is important to have an understanding of team performance and project progress. A comprehensive task management system should include reporting features that provide useful metrics and analytics. These features should allow you to create reports on completion rates, team workload, and project milestones. These reports are beneficial for making informed decisions and improving processes.
6. Communication on Tasks
In order to effectively manage tasks, it is crucial to have collaboration and communication. It is important to find a system that enables team members to directly communicate within specific tasks. Included features such as comments, file attachments, and @mentions help facilitate smooth collaboration, maintain clarity, and prevent miscommunication.
7. Assign Tasks to Multiple Team Members
When dealing with complex projects, it is common for tasks to necessitate collaboration among several team members. Seek out a system that permits assigning tasks to multiple individuals. This attribute fosters collective accountability, fosters collaboration, and guarantees that all pertinent team members remain informed and involved.
8. Alerts and Notifications
To ensure timely actions and prevent delays, it is important to stay on track with task deadlines and updates by utilizing alerts and notifications. A task management system should provide the option to customize these alerts and notifications according to individual preferences. They can be sent through various channels such as email, push notifications, or in-app notifications. This feature ensures that team members are notified about any changes to tasks, upcoming deadlines, and new assignments, enabling them to promptly take necessary actions.
9. Task Dependencies
When dealing with complex projects, it is common for tasks to have dependencies, meaning that one task needs to be finished before another can begin. Therefore, it is important to find a system that can accommodate task dependencies so that you can establish and visually represent these connections. By utilizing this feature, you can guarantee that tasks are carried out in the appropriate sequence, thus avoiding any obstacles or delays.
10. Customization and Flexibility
When considering a task management system, it is important to remember that every team and project has different needs. It is beneficial to find a system that can be customized to meet these specific requirements. Some features to look for include the ability to personalize task fields, project templates, and user permissions. This adaptability will guarantee that the system fits seamlessly into your team’s established workflow, ultimately improving productivity.
It is important to always keep in mind that a task management system that is well-equipped serves as a central hub for activities related to tasks, ensuring that everyone stays on track, promoting effective collaboration, and enabling successful project outcomes.
What are the benefits of task management tools?
The main purpose of a task management tool is to simplify the process for managers in handling tasks related to various projects and their respective teams. Nonetheless, task management tools can also be utilized by individuals to increase productivity within shorter timeframes.
Using a task management tool is an effective method to stay organized and enhance productivity. Below are the advantages of utilizing such a tool:
1. Increased productivity
The use of task management tools aids in staying organized and focused, thus resulting in enhanced productivity levels.
2. Improved communication
By thinking in a systematic manner, rephrase the given text while retaining the same meaning. Avoid adding new information and ensure no information is removed: Task management tools aid in enhancing collaboration and facilitating the effortless sharing of information with others.
3. Reduced stress
The use of task management tools can aid in the management of your workload and prevent feeling overwhelmed.
4. Improved decision-making
By thinking sequentially, rephrase the given text without changing or omitting any information: Task management tools aid in monitoring your progress and recognizing any possible obstacles, which, in turn, can assist you in making more informed decisions regarding your work.
Workflow Optimization: Techniques, Best Practices, and Examples
The utilization of strategies and tactics to enhance efficiency of administrative, industrial, and other processes within an organization is known as workflow optimization. It results in reduced costs, occurrence of errors, and time consumed for task completion when done successfully.
As organizations expand, workflows become increasingly intricate and abundant, serving as a series of steps that break down various recurring processes. In order to prevent wastage and inefficiency, it is crucial to ensure simplicity in maintaining workflows.
Incremental fixes are more common and less disruptive compared to completely overhauling workflows all at once.
According to Dr. Lisa Lang, President of Science of Business, Inc. and Velocity Scheduling System, workflow optimization is a way to ensure that businesses focus on important tasks and maximize their resources and activities. The key to achieving success is to eliminate unnecessary work and prioritize essential tasks.
Benefits of Workflow Optimization
To maintain competitiveness and long-term success in business, it is crucial to optimize workflows. By reducing the time spent on fixing errors or carrying out unnecessary tasks, an organization can allocate more resources towards enhancing customer satisfaction and improving its products and services.
David Singletary, Founder and CEO of DJS Digital consultancy, states that technology is causing changes in business, the workplace, and the workforce. He stresses the need for businesses to minimize waste in order to meet the increasing demand for quick results and adapt to customer requirements. While customer satisfaction has always been the ultimate objective, Singletary emphasizes the importance of managing time as a valuable resource in this rapidly advancing business environment.
Some of the benefits of optimizing specific workflows are:
- Improved Customer Relationships: Customers appreciate consistent and timely responses to inquiries and concerns. By eliminating workflow problems, you open up time to focus on increasing customer satisfaction.
- Reduced Bottlenecks: A bottleneck is a congestion point in a workflow. Bottlenecks slow down production; waste time, effort, and resources; and impact profitability. Workflow optimization helps to eliminate bottlenecks.
- Decreased Waste: Activities that can be removed from a workstream without negative impacts on productivity are wasteful. Workflow optimization aims to identify and eliminate waste.
- Increased Productivity: When organizations remove bottlenecks, team members can accomplish tasks more quickly. For manufacturers, a higher level of productivity results in lower inventory and higher profitability.
- Greater Agility: Clunky, inefficient workflows make it difficult to adapt to change. Streamlined workflows better position an organization to adapt when opportunities and challenges present themselves.
- Increased Consistency: Optimized workflows provide clarity and enable all employees, including new hires, to meet a consistent standard of efficiency and quality.
- Improved Multitasking Capabilities: As a company grows and processes become more numerous and complex, optimization helps multiple workflows operate simultaneously. Workflows, from hiring to social media to product manufacturing, are easier to manage when managers streamline processes.
- Enhanced Work Culture: When all processes are well-documented and streamlined, employees spend less time correcting errors and completing nonessential tasks and more time managing and completing successful projects. In this way, workflow optimization creates a more positive work culture.
- Reinforced Compliance: Standardized processes help organizations control internal policies and meet government-mandated compliance regulations.
How to Prepare for Workflow Optimization
To optimize workflows, it is crucial to identify the aspects that are effective and ineffective in a process. Utilize all available information and data to assess which components of the process require enhancement.
To effectively prepare for optimizing your workflows, follow these four crucial steps.
- Review Your Goals: Why are you considering changing or refining workflows? Having clarity about your end goals will help you identify and prioritize the most essential components of your workflows.
- Conduct a Thorough Review of Your Current Workflow: What parts of your workflows produce the most errors or inefficiencies? Work through current processes, or interview the team members who are most familiar with them, and organize all of the steps into a comprehensive, chronological list.
- Determine Constraints: What’s holding you back? Consult team members and review processes to determine the most common limitations in current processes.
- Identify Bottlenecks: Where is the congestion in your current workflows? Once you’ve identified bottlenecks, you can strategize with managers and team members to eliminate waste and ease congestion.
Document Your Workflows
By correctly documenting workflows, you can enhance visibility for the entire team, which in turn facilitates the identification of areas where improvements can be made.
According to Singletary, the importance of documentation lies in the fact that individuals often overlook it and thus avoid making commitments, resulting in the development of unofficial procedures. Moreover, the absence of documentation and established workflows tends to lead to the formation of separate divisions that hinder productivity. Singletary further emphasizes that documentation aids in assessing forthcoming workflows and promoting employee training.
How to Document a Workflow
Start by thoroughly reviewing your current processes before beginning workflow documentation. Having a detailed map makes it easier to identify areas that can be refined, replaced, moved, or deleted.
When documenting a workflow, it is important to consider the following factors:
- Never Lose Sight of the Goal: Each step in a workflow should lead to a clear goal.
- Know Your Scope: One workflow might be confined to a single team, while another might be cross-functional or company-wide. Understand which team members or resources are relevant to a specific workflow.
- List the Workflow Steps: Work through or interview team members familiar with the process. Compile all steps into a single, comprehensive list.
- Audit Your Workflow: Review each step, determine if each step is relevant to the project, note any repetitive tasks, and work to streamline and refine the overall process for maximum efficiency.
- Map Your Workflow: Workflow maps are helpful visual tools that clarify what is or isn’t working in a given process. Include directional arrows that indicate how a workflow should progress when creating your map. Learn how to develop your process visually with our guide to workflow mapping.
- Workflow Analysis: The process of breaking down workflow performance and identifying trends is called workflow analysis. By studying workflow at the task level, you can hone techniques for more effective and efficient execution. For more tips, see our guide to workflow analysis.
- Consider Variables: Customize your workflow by incorporating input from team members and key stakeholders.
- Estimate Time Frames: Estimate how much time each process, decision, or review round will take.
- Determine Roles and Responsibilities: Add the names of team members responsible for each task in the workflow.
- Refine and Finalize: Review the document with your team and acquire necessary approvals to implement your new documenting process.
To effectively manage any organization, it is crucial to comprehend and enhance workflows. For additional understanding, specific information, and assistance, refer to our comprehensive guide on documenting workflows.
Workflow Optimization Best Practices
When companies optimize their workflow effectively, they become more competitive and increase their chances of building positive, long-term relationships with customers. Managers can reduce the risks of errors, unnecessary expenses, and bottlenecks by comprehending and implementing best practices.
In order to enhance the effectiveness of workflow optimization efforts, it is recommended to adopt the following practices.
- Learn the Five Focusing Steps: According to the Theory of Constraints, any complex system of linked processes will have areas where bottlenecks are more common. By following the Five Focusing Steps laid out in the graphic below, managers can identify inefficiencies and improve processes incrementally.
- Reduce the Number of Simultaneous Processes: Productivity tends to decline when too many processes are happening simultaneously. Dr. Lang suggests reducing the amount of work in progress and allowing constraints, or bottlenecks, to set the pace of production.
- Identify Which Industries Can Benefit from Lean: Dr. Lang notes that although Lean is very popular as an improvement strategy in machine shops, it is not the answer in that environment for on-time delivery. That’s because Lean relies on process, products, and workload remaining stable for long periods. That may work in the automobile or aerospace industry, where change is costly and occurs slowly, but businesses such as machine shops need to adjust daily to meet customer needs.
- Minimize Multitasking: Productivity tends to increase when team members focus on one task at a time. Workflows that encourage a focused, step-by-step approach to task completion will be more efficient and manageable.
- Regularly Reassess Priorities: Repeatedly assess your competitive situation, task sequences, staffing, and goals to keep apprised of current priorities. Doing so will help you streamline operations and avoid wasting resources addressing problems that are no longer relevant.
- Commit to Constant Improvement: Lang maintains that workflow optimization is not a one-and-done situation. Workflow optimization requires refinement and iteration over time. Learn more about the incremental process of improving workflows with our guide to workflow management.
“Review workflows at least once a year,” Singletary recommends, “but quarterly may make sense for companies in fast-moving industries or organizations that need the flexibility to remain competitive.”
- Seek Fresh Perspectives: Familiarity can encourage complacency and resistance to change. Bringing in someone from a different division or group to offer insight might help you identify new areas for improvement and find novel solutions to inefficiencies in your workflows.
- Exercise Patience: Avoid proposing a solution too early in the optimization process. Prioritize collecting information at first. Doing so will ensure that the solutions you eventually design are based on evidence rather than intuition.
- Delegate: Micromanagement discourages efficiency and creative problem-solving. “Higher-level managers need to relinquish control,” recommends Singletary. “Delegate and empower decision-making. Team members who take ownership are more likely to help sell new optimization concepts. A lot of blocks exist because top management won’t let go.”
- Hire a Consultant: If a project feels overwhelming, bringing in consultants may help bring issues into focus and save time and money in the long run.
- Have Workflow, Rollout, and Communication Plans: Create a document that details your forthcoming process changes. Include a rollout plan that details the steps and time it will take to achieve your optimized workflow. Ensure that you communicate these details before implementing any change, so your team is sufficiently prepared.
- Consider Visual Aids: Workflow designs that visually depict process steps from start to finish will help teams stay on track. If you’re new to visualizing work processes, check out our guide to designing workflows.
Workflow Optimization Tips
Consider seeking advice from experts when implementing workflow optimization techniques. We conducted interviews with experienced professionals and gathered their key recommendations for optimizing workflows.
- Prioritize Customers: High rates of customer satisfaction makes an organization competitive and profitable. “Manage and design so the process serves the customer,” suggests Singletary. “That’s what the whole project is about.”
- Make Efficient Use of Time: Time is the most valuable asset in workflows. Managers should make project priorities clear and minimize distractions. Encouraging team members to mindfully plan their schedules and avoid excessive multitasking will reduce stress and ensure that they each make the most efficient use of their time.
- Avoid Unnecessary Meetings: While meetings can be an effective way to brainstorm solutions, get team members on the same page, and boost morale, too many meetings or meetings that are unproductive will cause more problems than they solve. According to Doodle’s State of Meetings report, disorganized or pointless meetings cost U.S. businesses $399 billion in 2019. To avoid this pitfall, cut the number and duration of meetings, and never have a meeting without a set agenda. “Chop meetings down to the bone,” recommends Singletary. “If you’re meeting, you’re not working.”
- Use Visual Representations: Visual representations, such as flowcharts and workflows, simplify complex processes and make them easier to grasp. “Everyone takes in information differently,” advises Singletary. “When you’re refining workflows, whether you are in the initial stages of revamping or at the final stages, having visual representations makes it easier to bring everyone on board.”
- Collaborate: Collaboration is a key component of successful workflow optimization. As you prepare to optimize workflows, consult all team members and encourage feedback and suggestions.
- Digitize Workflows: Managers can automate some steps of their workflows. Workflow optimization software tracks digital workflows at all stages of their lifecycle and routes updates to specific departments and individuals. Learn more about workflow automation in our guide to digital workflows.
