If you run a trade business or manage one in a similar role, you’ve probably heard other professionals discuss work management solutions before. Some call it job management software, others call it work management software, but the function they fill is relatively similar, so we’ll use the term work management software to discuss the topic from now on.
As for the question of what a work management system is, it’s a digital tool that allows you to plan, track, organise and review trade business work and the tasks that go into seeing that work completed.
The key benefits of implementing a work management system
The primary benefit of a work management system is that it allows trade business owners to create more complex workflows without increasing the time and resources it takes to manage these workflows.
The availability of quality data that can help refine business practices is another benefit of implementing a work management system into your business. By tracking everything from average job completion time to the number of hours each employee works to complete a job, you’ll get a much better idea of how your business runs day-to-day and how you can add efficiency to the process over time.
Work management vs. Project management
Any conversation about work management software or work management systems, in general, will often have trade business owners scratching their heads trying to figure out what the difference between work management and project management is.
Where project management concerns itself with every detail within a project, work management solutions are more concerned with how work is completed at a business level, not just a project level.
Work breakdown structure in project management
Work management and project management meet in creating a work breakdown structure in project management systems. A work breakdown structure is a key piece of trade business infrastructure that breaks down larger projects into smaller chunks that are progressed step by step.
Having a tool like a work breakdown structure in project management lets trade professionals closely monitor costs and deliverables throughout each project stage by creating smaller projects within the larger one.
A project management work breakdown structure also assists in many other areas of project management best practice, such as helping trade business owners narrow their focus where needed and assisting in creating essential infrastructures like a work health and safety management system or resource delivery structures.
The best work management solutions
AroFlo
Although we call it job management software, AroFlo is our answer to the modern issues that trade businesses face when searching for a work management solution that completely fits their needs. Being cloud-based and feature-complete, AroFlo has everything a project manager needs to build a work management system that they and their team can depend on.
Scoro
If collaboration between project teams is what you desire from a work management system, then look no further than Scoro. The software aims to increase project streamlining by opening communication between the many parts of your trade business.
Scoro also boasts a large array of features and tools for standardising the quality of your service provision, meaning you can quickly adapt your service to meet client needs and win bigger projects without increasing your staffing or operational costs.
ClickUp
ClickUp is for trade businesses that need strategy, reporting and planning more than anything else. People run projects, but transparency is necessary to keep everyone in your trade business on track, and ClickUp provides for these needs with its many and varied people management features.
Infinity
If your trade business struggles with organisation throughout a project, then Infinity may be worth checking out. It’s a highly customisable work management system that helps you organise teams of any size, making it great for businesses that handle various projects at once, each with different staffing requirements.
Avaza
Businesses who use a project management work breakdown structure can often find that their various teams struggle to maintain connectivity and communication when everyone is working on something different. Avaza aims to account for this with a suite of tools centred around creating unity between your teams and transparency in their interactions.
Zoho Workplace
Zoho Workplace may assist if you need a jack of all trades work management software. It contains everything you could need for project management in a trade business: word processing, wikis, web conferencing, customer relationship management and more. Zoho Workplace is also a great pick if you need a work health and safety management system.
Odoo
Odoo is an option for trade businesses that need a work management solution and a warehouse management solution. Odoo’s inventory management tools make it a great choice for trade businesses that store and handle their materials ahead of a project. It can create great efficiencies even with the most basic use of its tools.
Wrike
Finally, Wrike may suit those who operate a trade business and have all but mastered project management and just need a work management solution with basic features they can build on internally.
Wrike’s biggest strength is customisation, and it can fill virtually any role you need within your businesses’ work management infrastructure.
Summary
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