10 Efficient Workload Management Tools to Pave the Way From Chaos to Control

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One of the key factors that help optimize work processes, organize resources, and boost team collaboration is efficient workload management. Project teams have a chance to make this process better by applying appropriate workload management tools.

These tools are pivotal in the modern fast-paced work environment. They serve as the background for businesses that strive to improve their workflows and accelerate productivity. 

Let’s explore the main features of such platforms and consider the best solutions from the range of popular team workload management tools.

Contents:

• What is a workload management tool?
• Common features that typical workload management tools come with.
• GanttPRO – best Gantt chart-based tool for managing workload.
• ProofHub – best for maintaining an effective work-life balance.
• Asana – best solution for quick workload rebalancing.
• Teamhood – best tool with the advanced analytics of team performance.
• Zoho Projects – best for budget management and analyzing project spending.
• Nifty – best for managing workloads remotely.
• nTask – best for small teams and freelancers.
• Teamwork – best for daily collaboration.
• ProjectManager – best solution with a handy real-time dashboard.
• Run – best tool for workload forecasting and capacity management.

Workload management is not always a chore for project managers. It can also be a common reason for stress.

According to the survey held within the Workplace Health Report (2023), workload is the most common cause of stress that greatly outranks lack of support and lack of control.

Here’s how Charles Alberts, the global head of wellbeing and people experience at Clifford Chance, the international law firm, comments on the results of these findings in that report:

Professional workload management tools help avoid stress and improve team engagement. They facilitate the efficient distribution of work among team members, ensuring optimal asset utilization and assisting in deadline and progress tracking. 

Many of these software solutions include fundamental PM features for work planning, task assignment, collaboration, and integration with other online systems. They are widely used in IT, construction, healthcare, manufacturing, and other fields for streamlining workflows and enhancing productivity.

After all, these tools assist in minimizing team burnout and optimizing workload balance. 

When thinking about the things and actions that drive burnout, Christina Maslach, a social psychologist and researcher from the University of California, has revealed the critical ingredients that influence burnout and illuminate pathways to resilience:

• Workload balance.
• Social support.
• Autonomy and control.
• Fairness and equity.
• Meaningful work.

As you see, the author put workload balance first, and this deserves special attention. It should be taken into account when choosing an appropriate tool.

With these general definitions and thoughts on workload management and the role of related tools in place, let’s move on to listing the specific features that such platforms typically provide.

Common features that typical workload management tools come with

By providing a centralized online system, modern workload management tools for employees from various industries enable a seamless collaboration experience and ensure that everyone is on the same page. It becomes even more crucial in the environment when remote work and diverse team structures become more prevalent.

The functionality of typical team workload management tools extends beyond mere task organization. These platforms incorporate various features for addressing many aspects of project management and resource allocation. 

Below you can see some common features and capabilities of typical resource management tools with workload control functionality.

• Advanced scheduling and prioritization. This feature allows for identifying critical tasks (like, for example, powerful critical path software allows users to do) and essential resources as well as scheduling them appropriately. By understanding the urgency and task dependencies, managers use workload management tools to allocate assets where they are needed the most. It ensures that high-priority tasks are completed on time.

• Proper resource allocation. Any resource management plan should contain a strategy of smooth asset allocation. Modern workload management tools provide insights into the skills and availability of individuals facilitating optimal task assignment. A well-prepared resource calendar will ensure that workloads are balanced and that no teammate is overburdened.
• Real-time progress tracking. Another important feature that should be provided by such tools is the capability to track progress in real time. It is about transparency that enables executives to identify possible bottlenecks and resource constraints early, make informed decisions, and keep projects on track.
• Empowered collaboration. These platforms often come with integrated communication and collaboration features, such as file sharing, chats, and comment sections. The feature fosters a collaborative environment where employees can discuss ideas, easily share information, and provide feedback.
• Detailed reporting & data analysis. PM tools with workload planning functionality usually offer advanced reporting that enables teams to analyze performance data, assess project health, and make data-driven decisions. An effective workload analysis approach is the right way to succeed in your future projects.
• Customizable workflows. Online workload management tools accommodate the fact that every team and project is unique by offering customizable workflows. Individuals can set up processes that align with their preferences and specific requirements, ensuring a more comfortable working experience.
• Integration with other online solutions. To provide seamless work processes, workload control platforms often integrate with other tools such as email tools, document management systems, and more. This integration streamlines processes and reduces the need to switch between different software solutions.

Now let’s move on to our compilation of the leading workload management tools.

List of 10 workload management tools for improving team productivity

The essence of modern workload management tools generally lies in their ability to simplify complex projects, track progress, and keep work under control.

The last point is rather critical, as only 20% of the 500 people surveyed in the time management research (2022) feel that their work is under control every day.

By relying on professional resource scheduling tools with workload control functionality, it’s possible to bring such numbers and percentages into order.

The following set of the top tools to manage workload will help you pick up the right software for your business.

1. GanttPRO – best Gantt chart-based tool for managing workload

Project managers who strive to get the secret to sustainable workload management choose various software including platforms based on a Gantt chart. This online tool assists them in managing tasks, allocating resources, and streamlining workload processes with ease.

One of the most reliable solutions with an online Gantt chart is GanttPRO.

The software helps project managers create stunning timelines, place and delegate tasks, distribute resources, and balance workload across projects of any complexity. It is also widely applied for resource scheduling and deadline control.

In addition to a convenient Gantt chart with resource allocation, the platform equips its users with advanced project management capabilities and features for exceptional performance across a variety of fields such as IT, creative events, construction, healthcare, manufacturing, and more.

What makes GanttPRO a good tool for workload management?

We had no hesitations while identifying GanttPRO as a great tool for workload management. But before planning team workloads, it’s worth mentioning some essential steps.

Project managers initially need to divide their projects into manageable tasks and subtasks. GanttPRO provides a handy WBS work breakdown structure for this aim. It allows for visualizing task dependencies and placing milestones on a timeline. 

You can easily invite your colleagues and specify their roles, as well as set costs and personal calendars for them. Creating virtual resources (people, materials, tools, etc.) is also available in GanttPRO. 

Then you can assign certain teammates or resources to tasks. It can be one or several assets to each task.

Once all the above steps are completed successfully, you can start organizing and optimizing your workload.

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With GanttPRO, you can track workloads in a centralized way. Using the drag-and-drop feature, you may schedule work and professionally manage assets. The tool simplifies task tracking and enables timely resource allocation adjustments to minimize chances for overloading or underutilization.

Charlie Jopling, a manager at Goldfinch, the furniture manufacturer (UK), names GanttPRO a “great product for managing the workload of a small team”. Here are his thoughts:

Overall, the workload management feature in GanttPRO brings the following benefits:

• Helps to track assignees’ availability. You can find the workload window placed under a GanttPRO timeline. It lets you keep an eye on the daily working hours or number of tasks allocated to every worker.
• Allows for task reassignment. If needed, it’s easy to redistribute tasks swiftly. All overburdened employees will be indicated by a red human icon.
• Assists in customizing personal calendars. You can use these calendars to stay on top of key dates and events like vacations, days offs, holidays, and more.

Essential features:

• Streamlined workload management.
• Task management.
• Resource planning and allocation.
• Time management.
• Budget control.
• Deadline management.
• Progress tracking.
• Detailed reporting.
• Export to PNG, PDF, XML, or Excel formats.
• Import from Excel, MS Project, and JIRA Cloud.
• Collaboration tools.
• Ready-made templates.

Rating as of Q2 2024:

• Capterra – 4.8/5.
• G2 – 4.8/5.
• GetApp – 4.8/5.

Quick review:

2. ProofHub – best for maintaining an effective work-life balance

ProofHub is an all-in-one project management and team collaboration tool designed to make your team’s work life easier and more productive. By centralizing all tasks, files, and communication in one place, ProofHub eliminates chaos and streamlines workflows. 

With this powerful online platform, you can plan your tasks efficiently, collaborate in real time, manage projects effectively, and deliver on time. Users all over the world have transformed their work processes with ProofHub, where every project is a success story waiting to happen.

While there are several cheaper ProofHub alternatives, this tool stands out by addressing complex project management challenges efficiently, ensuring quality solutions without straining your budget.

What makes ProofHub a good tool for workload management?

We add ProofHub to our overview of the powerful workload management tools as it has recommended itself as a reliable solution for organizing project management resources and optimizing team workload.

This PM tool covers the most essential workload management aspects from easy task and resource allocation to deadline control and burnout prevention.

Whether you present a small business or a large enterprise, it helps you maintain an effective balance between the work and personal life of employees. You get the advanced reminder and notification features to never miss any deadline. It’s possible to assign roles and determine who can access various features there.

Another aspect that we appreciate about ProofHub is that it helps get vital project data obtained from reporting. The tool allows for tracking workloads via detailed reports. You can select a certain resource to get the info about its tasks. This feature helps identify where your time is being spent and whether it is productive. 

In general, ProofHub covers the main needs of teams related to workload management and makes it possible to balance work processes and personal matters in one place.

This fact is appreciated by Vira S., a relations manager, who believes that ProofHub has made her workload more manageable. Here’s what she says:

Essential features:

• Workload management.
• Task management.
• Planning and scheduling.
• Prioritization.
• Time tracking.
• Deadline management.
• Budget management.
• Billing and invoicing.
• Calendar management.
• Document storage.
• File sharing.
• Customizable reports.
• Version control.

Rating as of Q2 2024:

• Capterra – 4.6/5.
• G2 – 4.5/5.
• GetApp – 4.6/5.

Quick review:

3. Asana – best solution for quick workload rebalancing

Another reliable platform that deserves to be present in the list of top workload management tools is Asana. 

This flexible project management software comes with multiple ways to visualize work, plan tasks and resources, and organize team workload. You can plan your processes, activities, and events using the timeline view and the calendar view or collaborate with the help of handy boards and simple to-do lists.

Asana has a straightforward interface and a short learning curve. It is a frequent choice among small businesses and large enterprises.

Many new tools and established Asana alternatives aspire to be like this product as it has set a high bar in the quality of features provided and flawless performance.

What makes Asana a good tool for workload management?

Asana packs a ton of workload management benefits. One of them is the capability to quickly rebalance workload when a team is extremely busy.

The workload feature in Asana helps managers to be sure that their team members aren’t overwhelmed or underworked and that projects are properly staffed. Their teams get a complete picture of everyone’s capacity at a glance.

Asana simplifies work rebalancing without heavy lifting. You just need to drag and drop tasks to reschedule and reassign them. It prevents burnout and ensures your team gets the right work done at the right time.

The role and power of Asana in workload management are highlighted by many experts and users. One of them is Dylan C., a software developer, who characterizes this tool as follows:

Essential features:

• Workload management.
• Workload rebalancing.
• To-do lists.
• Board view.
• Calendar view.
• Task planning.
• Task dependencies and milestones.
• Automated critical actions.
• Segmenting tasks into categories.
• Customized project dashboards.
• Reporting.
• Templates.

Rating as of Q2 2024:

• Capterra – 4.5/5.
• G2 – 4.3/5.
• GetApp – 4.5/5.

Quick review:

4. Teamhood – best tool with the advanced analytics of team performance

Teamhood is one of the platforms that successfully combines project management on a Kanban board and an online Gantt chart. However, the platform not only merges functionalities of Gantt chart vs. Kanban but also provides other views to visualize and control tasks and resources.

The tool looks appropriate for daily task monitoring and scheduling long-term and complex activities. Its intuitive design and speed benefit various teams seeking agility and effective workload capacity management.

Teamhood provides a flexible structure to large teams that rely on it due to its powerful time tracking, dependency management, and budget control.

If you need to improve asset management and apply different resource allocation methods, Teamhood will also be a good solution for these aims.

The power of Teamhood is evaluated by Elvyra M., a sustainability manager:

What makes Teamhood a good tool for workload management?

Workload management efforts should be well-analyzed.

We place Teamhood in this list of the best workload management tools because of its advanced analytics. The platform provides robust reporting with real-time snapshots of team performance and workload distribution.

Besides, you get powerful resource allocation functionality. Teamhood comes with balanced task assignment features to ensure users their work assets are well-optimized.

Essential features:

• Workflow organization.
• Gantt chart planning.
• Kanban boards.
• Time tracking.
• Document management.
• Cost management.
• File sharing.
• Project templates.
• Detailed analytics.
• Reporting.

Rating as of Q2 2024:

• Capterra – 4.5/5.
• G2 – 4.3/5.
• GetApp – 4.5/5.

Quick review:

5. Zoho Projects – best for budget management and analyzing project spending

Zoho Projects is the next tool that we advise you to pay attention to.

The software is known as a significant player in the market of online project management tools with professional workload control functionality. It allows users to streamline their operations and complete projects that stand the test of time.

With Zoho Projects, managers can easily create tasks, assign them to responsible employees, allocate resources, estimate costs, and follow up on in-progress activities.

The tool suits organizations of all sizes. It offers detailed analytics so its users can timely assess projects and make required improvements.

What makes Zoho Projects a good tool for workload management?

We’ve highlighted Zoho Projects among the bright workload management tools examples as it provides the most essential workload management capabilities and resource organization.

Integrated budgeting and spending analysis deserve special attention. With their help, project managers can set project budgets, control quotes, and track actual expenses. A handy resource utilization chart ensures that workload is distributed correctly among individuals. 

Useful alerts assist in case you exceed your planned costs, along with a comparison of planned versus actual finances.

Here’s how Andrew Haines, a project manager at ESN Group, the IT security company, values this tool:

Essential features:

• Task management.
• Budget control.
• Resource planning.
• Document management.
• Calendar view.
• Task prioritization.
• To-do lists.
• Kanban boards.
• Timesheet module and issue tracker.
• Reporting.

Rating as of Q2 2024: 

• Capterra – 4.4/5.
• G2 – 4.3/5.
• GetApp – 4.4/5.

Quick review:

6. Nifty – best for managing workload remotely

If you prefer simple PM solutions with fundamental capabilities, then Nifty is a suitable choice.

The software comes with task management, roadmapping, and reporting features. It also provides time tracking and supports seamless collaboration to make its users productive and high-performing.

Nifty consolidates everything modern project teams need into one spot and keeps individuals aligned on what’s important.

Here’s what Sajwal P., who works as a marketer, thinks about the capabilities of Nifty:

What makes Nifty a good tool for workload management?

Despite being a relatively new market entrant, this software has already gained a reputation as a trustworthy solution for workload management and other affairs.

In addition to its project and workload management features, Nifty has convenient live chat and file sharing to help teams collaborate remotely from any location. Users can track their time in the system while getting an accurate picture of how much time goes into different activities and projects. They can also create detailed reports to better understand the entire team’s performance.

Essential features:

• Team collaboration.
• Multiple project views.
• Task management.
• Built-in time tracking.
• Portfolio management.
• Deadline management.
• Budget control.
• Data storage.
• Chat and video conferencing.
• Сustomizable reports.

Rating as of Q2 2024: 

• Capterra – 4.7/5.
• G2 – 4.7/5.
• GetApp – 4.6/5.

Quick review:

7. nTask – best for small teams and freelancers

Another powerful solution that stands out among the available free workload management tools is nTask. 

This software is well-suited for companies, individuals, and freelancers that strive to handle their tasks and resources correctly. It provides a complete overview of how project processes are performed by team members. 

Carlos P., an administrative consultant, describes his experience with nTask as follows:

nTask also helps spot many opportunities to optimize daily routines. It assists in controlling virtual events, organizational hierarchy, real-life activities, and meetings with important agendas. You can apply it when initiating resource planning for multiple projects. Cost management, detailed analytics, and handy reports are also available there.

What makes nTask a good tool for workload management?

We placed nTask in this list because this PM tool helps many businesses manage their workloads, allowing employees to share tasks and assign them to other users without effort.

The software provides advanced real-time tracking of employee productivity and work progress. It allows managers to see how much work each worker completes at any given time.

This information assists in making better decisions about which activities to assign and how to allocate resources in project management more effectively. All this makes nTask a proper choice for small businesses, distributed teams, and freelancers.

Essential features: 

• Task management.
• Activity tracking.
• Calendar management.
• Time tracking.
• Deadline management.
• Timeline and Kanban views.
• Billing & invoicing
• Document storage.
• File sharing.
• Prioritization.
• Progress tracking.
• Risk management.
• Reporting.
• Video conferencing.

Rating as of Q2 2024: 

• Capterra – 4.1/5.
• G2 – 4.4/5.
• GetApp – 4.2/5.

Quick review:

8. Teamwork – best for daily collaboration

Teamwork is multifunctional project management software that also helps teams organize workloads through the creation and allocation of tasks and work assets. It professionally assists in planning and managing the entire project lifecycle from start to finish.

In-office teams and agencies often choose this platform to improve visibility, accountability, and collaboration. 

Teamwork comes with a range of features for boosting and improving task management and resource allocation in project management.

What makes Teamwork a good tool for workload management?

Teamwork is widely used among many organizations that want to improve internal and external communication. So, we add this solution to our set of best workload management tools as we realize how important streamlined communication for work is. 

The platform allows for getting feedback in context with the ability to mention teammates on comments within project activities. Users can easily communicate with each other and group their messages into appropriate categories.They can add due dates and other important info like priority, description, supporting docs, or tags. 

There’s also a handy big-picture view of capacity in Teamwork, which also highlights the platform in the row of popular Teamwork alternatives. 

Jill Duffy and Khamosh Pathak, the authors of pcmag.com, claim in their Teamwork review:

Essential features:

• Workflow management.
• Advanced collaboration features.
• Task and resource planning.
• Capacity management.
• Budget management.
• Invoice management.
• Time tracking.
• Calendar management.
• Deadline management.
• Customizable reports.
• Analytics.

Rating as of Q2 2024:

• Capterra – 4.5/5.
• G2 – 4.4/5.
• GetApp – 4.5/5.

Quick review:

9. ProjectManager – best solution with a handy real-time dashboard

ProjectManager also deserves a place in our set of personal workload management tools. This multifunctional PM solution provides professional features for task organization, resource scheduling, capacity planning, and workload management. 

Its interactive timelines and handy Kanban boards help with efficient task organization and teamwork control. The tool is also known for its reliable collaboration feature which is valuable for managers and team members who travel frequently. It enables them to stay informed about their project progress at any time.

ProjectManager lets users generate comprehensive reports that facilitate easy information sharing with all stakeholders involved.

What makes ProjectManager a good tool for workload management?

We’ve added ProjectManager to this overview because it provides advanced time management and tracking for easy timesheet creation. We also appreciate the capability to use a real-time dashboard to track how much time your team members spend on their tasks.

You get an overview of current stats to prepare for invoicing or payroll. This info is displayed on graphs and charts that show progress, workload, and more. It’s easy to balance workloads from the color-coded workload page. It’ll allow you to always know where you are in a project and have the tools to stay on track.

Managers worldwide value the capability of ProjectManager to balance workload and provide transparency across their processes. One of them is Anze Vidic, a project manager at Hypex, the supplier of innovative linear motion products (Slovenia). He admits:

Essential features: 

• Workload management.
• Task and resource management.
• Time tracking.
• Activity dashboard.
• Timeline view.
• Kanban view.
• Milestone tracking.
• Collaboration tools.
• Expense tracking.
• Reporting.

Rating as of Q2 2024:

• Capterra – 4.1/5.
• G2 – 4.4/5.
• GetApp – 4.1/5.

Quick review:

10. Runn – best for workload forecasting and capacity management

Our set of trustworthy workload management tools examples ends up with Runn. This project management platform enables teams from all over the world to organize tasks, automate workflows, optimize resource allocation, and improve their team’s operational performance.

The platform allows for tracking projects of various complexity and different resources. It also streamlines teamwork and gets all project people on the same page.

Runn is known for a simple interface and numerous features enabled by drag-and-drop editing. Managers appreciate its capability to provide an overview of what employees do and what their capacity looks like.

What makes Runn a good tool for workload management?

We decided to mention Run in this overview because this new-wave resource and capacity management tool helps PMs optimize their team’s workload following their business needs.

The software professionally assists in forecasting workload and capacity so you can schedule your projects without extra effort. Its handy calendar allows for accessing work assets and seeing the involvement of every team member.

Ideal for businesses seeking a sophisticated tool for managing project resources, Runn excels in providing real-time insights into resource allocation, financial accounting, and business intelligence. It makes it a perfect match for organizations aiming for efficiency and informed decision-making.

Andrejs J., involved in marketing and advertising, shares his thoughts about Runn:

Essential features:

• Workload management.
• Task organization.
• Resource allocation.
• Forecasting capacity.
• Multi-project timelines.
• Planning and scheduling.
• Timesheet management.
• Budget control.
• Handy templates.
• Reporting.

Rating as of Q2 2024:

• Capterra – 4.8/5.
• G2 – 4.5/5.
• GetApp – 4.8/5.

Quick review:

High time to optimize your work with reliable workload management tools

Workload management tools are a vital part of many businesses. They simplify work, boost team productivity, as well as save time and money in the long run.

Knowing which platforms exist to organize your workload is the first step in taking control of your time and project resources. 

Perhaps, there is no perfect solution for everyone. However, you may try and test various personal workload management tools or multipurpose solutions to find one that will fit your specific needs and business requirements. 

Invest time in selecting the right one and get quick and positive project outcomes.