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Task Management Software

All projects are made up of tasks. Some tasks are more important than others. It’s prioritising those tasks, and then formulating a schedule for their completion that can have vast benefits for your business—or even your everyday life. Task management software presents an easy way to both enact task management and, well, manage it.

What is Task Management?

Task management involves taking a big project and dividing it into small steps, or tasks. This can not only improve efficiency and just make things run smoother in general, but it also:

  • Makes it easier to track project progress, and keep various departments in the loop.
  • Centralises all your data and project components creating better ease of use.
  • Allows you to set realistic deadlines and ensure the project is on-target throughout completion.
  • Lets you better enforce employee accountability.
  • Boosts employee satisfaction as ‘mini-goals’ are met, and fosters a team environment.
  • Can help you spot time-saving opportunities, such as when two tasks contain similar processes.

Task management handled correctly ensures that your business will have all its projects delegated and completed on your time schedule.

Task Planning for Small Business

Task management involves five major phases, some of which are done in a progressive manner, and others take place through the entire management process.

Creation is the first step in the task management process where tasks are created. This is when your team brainstorms and goes over options to organise the project at hand. The goal of this phase is to lay-out what needs to be done, and how it will be done.

Next, you move on to the functional phase. This is the project phase where you choose your timeframe, estimate costs, and decide who will complete which tasks, how fast they should complete them, and how much that should cost. These tasks are then assigned and put into a task scheduling area of the management system.

With everything ready to go, the real work begins in the project phase. Team members will start their tasks, and documents, project components, and data begin to accumulate.

Running congruent with the project phase is the service phase and the performance phase. The service phase deals with employee relations and document management. Its goal is to make sure that the task management system is running effectively. For example, are all files being uploaded and adequately maintained?

The performance phase, on the other hand, ensures the plans laid out in earlier steps are completed—and on time.

Finally, the presentation phase is when your team reports back with task results, quality control is done, and the project is completed.
When you have a small business, it’s essential to have all your ideas and steps in one place so that you and your employees can easily access them. This avoids possible confusion, lost emails, and coordination setbacks.

If your business has the tools it needs to hold everything about your projects and goals in one place, you will be a lot more organised than if you had your information and tasks spread out through miscellaneous files and emails. Additionally, a centralised task management system also encourages teamwork.

When your employees have access to the task management system, they will increase in productivity by collaborating with their peers and their ideas. You can set priorities in the task planning so that your employees will know which tasks are to be worked on first. It would help you and your employees manage their time and meetings.

If you have task management software, you can access it anywhere an Internet connection is available at any time.

Task Management Tips

  • The most important tip for task management is to prioritise realistically. You need a full list of all necessary tasks and their completion deadlines. You can then rank that list by time constraints and importance, but realistic expectations are vital. You can’t place a high priority on everything that crosses your desk.
  • Another great way to maximise the effectiveness of task management tools is to use your team. The task management process offers more benefits if all members are included working as a team.
  • You also want to be sure that you are delegating tasks evenly. If you have an employee that does excellent work, you may not realise that you’re sending that person more tasks than anyone else. To avoid the risk of burnout, get to know the strengths and weaknesses of everyone on your team, and then assign tasks by skills rather than having a single go-to person—including yourself.

Task Management Software

Task management is far less useful if the task management system chosen is in itself a task. Luckily, today’s task management software is a far cry from paper tracking and file cabinets of the past.

Task management software can provide a secure, streamlined option for small business task management. It provides an organised place for all your information while providing the added benefits of:

  • Consolidating user accounts:
    Since all of your employees are using the same system, and that system has multiple functions, task management software reduces the need for multiple accounts and passwords.
  • Improving communication between teams: Rather than having to share information between teams or departments manually, task management software can grant everyone access to all aspects of a project while likewise providing a quick and easy communication venue.
    It also cuts down on misunderstandings that may arise as employees can look back at what was said. They can ask questions and identify problems that they are having before they become failed projects. You have the ability to talk to any of your employees at any time through the centralised communication system.
  • Monitoring employee activity:
    Task management software allows you to keep tabs on your employees’ work on their tasks to see if they’re meeting their goals and can monitor inquiries to make sure they’re being handled properly and on time.
    One of the best things about task management software, though, is it allows you to see how long each employee works on a task. This way you will know if there are struggles or someone who is excelling. This is good for praising great employees or supporting weaker employees and gives you a good look at your team in case additional members may be needed.
    You can also track the time that the employees are taking to finish their tasks and price them, so you know what to charge clients.
  • Universal access:
    While secure, task management software can be used anywhere and that gives employees a choice to work from home. This eliminates the overhead of needing office space and increases employee satisfaction.
    You can also save all your work in the cloud, and it can be accessed at any time or anywhere with Internet access. Your information is safe in task management software. In fact, you don’t have to share everything with everybody. You can set the software to only share certain things with certain employees or clients. Additionally, it has security features that guard against cyber-attacks.
    You can also export and import lists, get custom views, print lists, filter lists, and manage hundreds of tasks with just a few mouse clicks.
  • Full customisation:
    Task management software is completely versatile in its settings. You can alter your software to suit the needs of your company.
  • Easy financial monitoring.
    You can track your financials on task management software as well, so you know where your money is going and coming in from. This way you can see and stop problems before they get worse. Financial management is easier with task management systems.
  • Additional management tools.
    You can make minutes of your meetings and even remind employees of what you discussed by adding it to their task. This way they won’t forget.

    You can monitor who gets done quickly with their tasks and who doesn’t. In this way, you can assign more tasks to those employees who are faster and more productive than others. You can also see where your employees need help and call a meeting to help them with their task to make sure it makes the deadline.

    You can add links, files, and even audio files to your employees’ tasks. Tasks that are past deadline will be emphasised, so you will see that immediately. That way you can talk to your team and see if the date needs to be changed or your team needs to seriously concentrate on this task to get it done.

    You will also see percentages that show how far your tasks are completed. This will help you watch your productivity level each day. You’ll have a calendar to keep you going daily with meetings, new tasks, and deadlines. It will sync with your smartphone, so you’ll always have it on you.

How can Stratplan help you with task management

Your business will thrive with ease with the help of task management software. It keeps you up to date and on top of all your tasks, employees, and their work. Task management software is a great investment for any small business.