How To Choose The Best Task Management Software

Keeping your in-office, field-service, and remote teams focused and working efficiently is a complicated task. There are so many things to do and so many variables to contend with. Thankfully, there is a simple solution: task management software.

But will just any app do? Absolutely not. Some software is little more than a simple calendar that is only good for organizing one person’s daily itinerary. That won’t do for a business with multiple employees.

In this article, we discuss what to look for in task management software so you can choose the best option for your team and your business.

What To Look For In Task Management Software

1) Task Management

Of course, the most important feature to look for in task management software is the ability to assign and manage tasks.

As we mentioned moments ago, it’s not enough that you’re able to manage the tasks of one employee. You need the power to manage the tasks of two, five, 10, or even 20+ employees.

When it comes down to it, you need an app that accommodates your needs, not the other way around.

It doesn’t matter if your employees are part of a team that works on site, in the field, or in their own homes, assigning tasks and making sure that they get done promptly and on time is crucial for their success and the success of your business.

The best software makes the whole process simpler and easier to execute — whether the right team member for the job is just down the hall or all the way across town.

2) Mobility

Another essential feature to look for in task management software is mobility.

You never know where you are going to be — or where someone on your team is going to be — when you need to access task information. This is especially true if you manage multiple locations or if your team has an on-site, remote, and mobile component.

In those cases, even the best app is all but useless if your team can’t use it anywhere, anytime.

The best way to overcome these hurdles is to choose an app that operates in the cloud. As long as your employees have access to a WiFi or cellular signal, they can get the information they need to do their job right — wherever they may be.

3) Flexibility

Similarly, flexibility is important if you’re going to get the most out of your task management software. And, no, we’re not talking about using the app for something other than what it was built for.

We’re talking about the flexibility to use the software on any device.

Again, you never know where you and your team members are going to be — or what device and operating system you’ll have on hand — when you need to check, edit, or delete the task list.

With the right task management software, it doesn’t matter. You and your team will be able to use the tools on any smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop, whether they’re running Windows, Android, macOS, or iOS.

Combined with the mobility we mentioned earlier, device and operating-system flexibility serve as the foundation of modern task management apps.

4) Time Tracking

Time tracking is another essential feature of good task management software that no manager should be without.

The time tracking features in modern apps, like Inch, make it easy to track everyone’s full workday and an individual employee’s time on task.

In addition to total work hours and time-on-task, the most advanced software suites give you the power to:

• Allow employees to clock in and clock out from anywhere
• Reduce time theft
• Turn any phone, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer into a time clock
• Prevent early clock-ins and forgotten clock-outs
• Export timesheets for simplified payroll processing
• And much more…

Whatever type of team you manage and wherever they may work, a robust software suite can help you simplify and streamline time tracking for all involved.

5) Communication

Communication is vital for keeping your team organized, focused, and productive in today’s fast-paced business climate.

Priorities can change in the blink of an eye, and you need to be able to relay this information to your employees as quickly as possible — whether they’re in the office, across town, or across the country.

Of course, you can talk to each employee individually (e.g., face to face, on the phone, or on a video conference), but that takes time.

With apps like Inch, you can distribute information quickly and easily to all of your employees via SMS and push notifications.

You also get more refined controls with which you can send messages to your whole team, user-defined groups of people, or individuals. Such advanced features make it simpler to communicate with employees within groups, locations, or specific positions.

You can even share files, photos, videos, and links for faster and more complete communication so that everyone is on the same page.

6) Geofencing

Geofencing is a feature that most managers don’t even realize they need.

This powerful tool allows you to create a virtual geographic boundary (a geofence) around a certain area. You can then set the app to react in certain ways if an employee is within those boundaries or if they stray outside.

For example, you might set a geofence of a few hundred feet around all of the work locations (e.g., appointments or house calls) for a single employee. You can then prevent the employee from clocking in until they’re within the radius you’ve defined.

Similarly, you can set the app to stop tracking time if the employee exceeds the distance you’ve set.

Another example of using geofencing in your business would be to set boundaries to keep employees out of a certain area (perhaps another employee’s territory). If someone crosses into a space that’s off-limits, you can set the software to notify both you and the employee.

Geofencing is a great way to keep team members where they should be, prevent time theft, and reduce operating costs all in one fell swoop.

7) Integration

While task management software gives you laser-focused control over every aspect of your team’s daily activities, it can’t do everything.

Most task management apps aren’t designed to serve as long-term scheduling tools or payroll calculators. But the best ones integrate with other programs to make these jobs easier.

Inch, for example, integrates nicely with its sister app, Sling, to give you a wider view of your team’s schedule (e.g., employee A works Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the next two months) and more control over payday processes, such as total hours worked and overtime.

With integrations like this, you don’t have to spend time struggling with task management software that doesn’t work well with the programs you need to get your job done quickly and efficiently.

8) Free Trial

The best task management software lets you try before you buy. Some even offer basic features, such as workforce management, communication, reporting, and a built-in time clock for free.

However, if you need more advanced tools, you can often unlock them for just a few dollars per month.

Task Management Software For The 21st Century

If you’re looking for the best way to bring your remote and on-site workforce into the 21st century, Inch is the task management software for your business.

We designed Inch to make it easier for managers and employees to get aligned on their to-do’s, communicate with one another, and ensure that all tasks get completed on time.

Remote and on-site team members can perform a wide variety of tasks right from their tablet or phone, including:

• Getting clarity on work that needs to get done
• Completing work assigned to them
• Receiving voice-assisted reminder notifications
• Communicating with managers and each other
• Working from a shared task list
• Clocking in and out of tasks at different locations

And the easy-to-use voice-operated interface — coupled with WiFi and cellular connectivity — means that your employees don’t have to touch the screen to get things done nor report back to the office to receive their next assignment.

For you, the manager, our task management software makes it easy to distribute tasks manually across individuals and groups or populate tasks automatically based on conditions you set.

Using this unique feature ensures that you cover all necessary work and keeps employees accountable and clear on their specific responsibilities, expected outcomes, and deadlines.

You can also assign work to the employees that are closest to the jobsite, generate tasks automatically as the need arises (e.g., automated assignments), and follow work progress and task completion in real time.

With these powerful features, Inch helps eliminate frustration for employees, headaches for managers, and inefficiencies for the business.

That’s task management for the 21st century.

For more free resources to help you manage your business better, organize and schedule your team, and track and calculate labor costs, visit TryInch.com today.