Introduction
Managing a team or a business requires many skills, including communication, organization, management, and leadership. As a manager, you are responsible for communicating with your team and completing the project or task at hand.
Fortunately, there are different tools for managers that can help you streamline your workload, collaborate with your team, and make data-driven decisions.
In this article, we will explore the best tools for managers, and cover everything from project management software to communication platforms, CRM, time tracking, and analytics tools. These tools can help you take your management skills to the next level whether you’re an experienced manager or just getting started.
Best tools for managers you can turn to anytime
These tools belong to different categories of management and productivity tools. It is up to you whether you want to use one or multiple tools together according to your requirements.
Let’s have a look at them:
1. ProofHub – Project management software
The first name on this list is ProofHub – an all-in-one project management and team collaboration software that brings together all the essential tools you need to plan, collaborate, organize, and deliver projects successfully. It has powerful features to help managers take care of several projects and teams simultaneously.
With ProofHub, you can have a bird’s eye view of all your projects and teams. Its easy-to-use interface ensures that onboarding is easy so you can become familiar with its functionalities in no time. One of the best things about ProofHub is that teams of any size, any industry, and any department can use it. As a complete project management software, ProofHub brings you and your team to a single place where everyone stays up-to-date regarding project progress.
Notable features
- Custom roles
Every organization works in a hierarchy and when using a centralized project management system, it’s important to control who can access what. ProofHub allows you to create custom roles and define the access level for each role. It has three default roles, namely Owner, Admin, and Normal, just in case you don’t want to create custom roles.
- Flexible task management
Task management is a key responsibility of managers. With ProofHub, creating and assigning tasks to team members is a breeze. The software allows you to create tasks with deadlines, break them into smaller subtasks, add comments, attach files, and mark progress percentages for each task. Additionally, you can create custom workflows using the Kanban board and streamline your task management endeavors.
- Gantt Charts and project timeline
With the help of Gantt charts, you can visualize your projects in the timeline view. On top of that, you can set dependencies between tasks, identify critical paths, and change schedules by simply dragging and dropping tasks on the Gantt chart. The project timeline view comes in extremely handy when you need to finish complex projects on time.
- Online Proofing tool
Reviewing files and adding comments as feedback is essential for your team to deliver quality work. The online proofing tool in ProofHub allows you to proof files in real time and share feedback effortlessly. You can even use markup tools to ensure clear feedback and leave no room for confusion. It is also possible to upload new versions of files, which makes it easy to compare files and review the changes.
- Custom project reports
It is essential to keep the progress of a project in check, and this is where project reports come into the picture. ProofHub helps managers stay on top of their projects and resources with its detailed project reports. You can customize the parameters in reports according to your preferences, and plan your projects and resources more efficiently. Additionally, the burn-up charts will let you compare the work done against the total amount of work, which can prove to be of great help.
- Timer and Timesheets
Time tracking plays a vital role when you want to see how members of a team are devoting their time to different tasks and projects. ProofHub comes integrated with an automatic timer that allows you to record time for each task within a project. You can also add work hours manually. Furthermore, the timesheets store all the time data, which you can access easily at your convenience.
- Cloud-based file management
ProofHub offers a cloud storage space to upload, organize, and share files. You can easily access the files from different devices by logging into your ProofHub account. Also, the advanced search option saves a lot of time when you need to find certain files and documents among your uploads. In fact, with its third-party integration with apps like Google Drive, OneDrive, Box, and Dropbox, you can eventually bring all your data to one centralized location.
- Notes and Notebooks
Switching to ProofHub means that you no longer need a notebook and pen to jot down important information. The notes available within the project management software are practical and easy to use. Subscribe team members to notes and collaborate with them without even leaving your table. Set different colors to notes and organize them smartly in notebooks for better organization.
- In-built Chat tool
When working in a group to achieve common objectives, staying in touch with one another becomes vital. To help teams stay connected, ProofHub has a built-in chat app that allows you and your team to communicate instantly. Chat one-on-one with a team member or start a group chat by adding multiple participants. The chat interface also supports emojis and you can even share files in it.
- Forms
Managing work requests, tickets, etc. is quite difficult using emails. The request forms feature incorporated into ProofHub allows you to manage any kind of request with relative ease. Add request forms for different projects and add labels to differentiate them easily. Also, you can customize a request form by adding fields of your choice and get the information that you need to process a request.
Pricing
- 14-day free trial available (Without adding credit card)
- The Essential plan costs $45 per month when billed annually (No per-user fee, Flat pricing)
- The Ultimate Control plan costs $89 per month when billed annually (No per-user fee, Flat pricing)
A free trial is available for new users. For more details visit the pricing page.
Supported platforms
Web, Android, iOS
2. Todoist – Task management app
Todoist is a great tool for managers that helps in task management. It is flexible enough to handle a diverse set of tasks related to all kinds of projects. As a manager, you will find this app to be extremely helpful in organizing tasks and delegating them to team members.
With Todoist you get a secure and easily accessible space for all your work-related tasks. You also get a clear overview of project tasks to stay aware of what is done and pending.
Notable features
- Create new tasks in an instant with the Quick Add option
- Leave comments on projects and tasks
- Visualize productivity using color-coded graphs
- Get real-time notifications whenever someone completes a task, post comments, etc.
- Add tasks via email
Pricing
- The individual plan is free
- The Pro plan costs $4/ user per month (billed annually)
- The Business plan costs $6/ user per month (billed annually)
Supported platforms
Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS
3. Nifty – Project management
Nifty is another great managerial tools that offer project management and collaboration. Fantastically powerful while shockingly easy to use, Nifty is accessible to everyone and can be used on projects of all types.
Nifty also offers scaled-up reporting to help you stay on top of all of the project timelines and individual Tasks across your team to ensure that nothing slips through the cracks.
Notable features
- Project Lists can be shared to a Roadmap as Milestones which automate their progress reporting as the Tasks within them are completed.
- Milestones can be tracked across projects at scale in Overviews to determine a project’s percentage of completion.
- Workloads and All Tasks help managers balance their resources across projects and make sure assignments are completed on time.
- My Work is the introductory screen of Nifty and compiles all of the Tasks assigned to you in a single place for an actionable start to every day.
Pricing
- Free plan to get started with limited projects and storage
- Starter plan billed $39 per month (Up to 10 members when billed annually)
- Pro plan costs $79 per month (Up to 20 members when billed annually)
- Unlimited plan costs $399 per month (Unlimited members when billed annually)
Supported platforms
Web, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
4. Bit.ai – Document collaboration platform
Imagine sharing, collaborating, and working together in one central location with your team. That’s exactly what Bit helps you do! A great managerial tool that helps you and your team manage all your documents and company knowledge in one place, removing barriers to work and in turn, making everyone more productive.
Bit provides a platform for you and your subordinates to collaborate on a smart document in real time simultaneously. Simply create different workspaces, add your team members, and start collaborating! This powerful tool helps you manage projects, assign tasks, chat with co-workers, store media assets, create client-facing material, brainstorm, share meeting agendas, and most importantly, share knowledge.
Notable features
- Interactive documents with rich media integrations
- Collaborate with co-workers in real-time
- Robust search
- Real-Time Notifications
- Built-in document tracking
- Smart workspaces
Pricing
- Free for up to 5 members.
- The Standard plan costs $12/member/month
- The Business plan costs $20/member/month
Supported platform
Available on Web
5. Chanty – Team chat app
Chanty is a simple AI-powered team chat app that will help your team to stay connected. It is a great tool and application for managers to collaborate with their team and use communication to their advantage. The interface of this app is intuitive and makes team onboarding a seamless experience.
Whether you want to communicate with your teammates effectively over text, voice calls, or video calls, Chanty is there to help you out. Also, the chat app allows you to send files and links to people in your team.
Notable features
- Pin messages to access them quickly
- Send voice messages
- Developer-friendly formatting allows you to share lines of code
- Organize conversations, pinned messages, and shared files using Teambook
- Set roles to choose who can post and see other participants in a conversation
Pricing
- Free for teams of up to 5 users with limited features
- Business plan costs $3 per user per month when billed annually
Supported platforms
Available on the Web, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Microsoft store
6. Time Doctor – Time tracking & employee monitoring app
Time Doctor simplifies the responsibility of monitoring large teams and teams that are working remotely. It is one of the best tools for management and managers to stay fully aware of the activities of individual team members. No matter the location and the number of people in your team, you will always have a clear idea of how they spend their work time.
Time Doctor allows you to track the productive time spent working on tasks as well as the time wasted by team members. With Time Doctor, you can get screenshots of employees’ monitors at regular intervals to see what they are doing throughout the work hours.
Notable features
- Track an employee’s real-time location using GPS
- Supports attendance tracking
- Display pop-up alerts when employees sit idle for too long or visit non-work websites
- Track breaks and time wasted
- Generate detailed time reports to identify the areas that act as productivity weaknesses
Pricing
- The Basic plan costs $5.9 per user/month (billed annually or $7 per month)
- The Standard plan costs $8.4 per user/month (billed annually or $10 per month)
- The Premium plan costs $16.7 per user/month (billed annually or $20 per month)
Supported platforms
Web, Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iOS
7. TryShift – Email management
Tired of switching between accounts, and logging in and out? Think of Shift as an aggregator. Shift offers a clean, one-stop app for all your work-related needs. With all your emails, apps, and workspaces all integrated into one space.
It is a logical & beautiful managerial tool for managing everything better. Customize Shift with all of your email accounts, apps (1500+), and tools to jumpstart your productivity.
Notable features
- Unified search: The quickest way to find what you’re looking for, across any of your Mail, Calendar, or Drive accounts.
- Google Apps: Add all your Google accounts, from Gmail, Calendar & Drive to Slides, Sheets, Adwords, and all the rest.
- Workspaces: Create and share focused Workspaces with mission-critical tabs, bookmarks, and apps for you, or your team.
“Manage all your apps, tools, and email in one beautiful desktop app…. 1000’s of apps. Multi-account access. Streamline workflows.”
You can take the full tour directly at the Shift App website!
Pricing
- The Basic plan is free with limited features and up to 2 accounts
- The Advanced plan costs $149 per year with unlimited accounts (With few features excluded)
- The Teams plan costs $149 per user/annually with unlimited app accounts
Supported platforms
Windows, Mac
8. Google Drive – Cloud storage service
Cloud storage service is a must to manage and access all your project files and documents from a single space. Google Drive has become the preferred tool and application for managers to store and share files.
Being a cloud storage service, you can access files that you have uploaded from literally anywhere using any device. Upload photos, documents, videos, audio files, PDFs, etc., and open them to view on Google Drive itself.
Notable features
- Create folders to organize the uploaded files
- Quick access to recent files
- Share folders and files directly with your team
- Give access to view, edit, or comment on the shared items
Pricing
- Google One offers a 15 GB free storage plan
- The Basic plan offers 100 GB storage for $1.99 per month
- The Standard plan offers 200 GB storage for $2.99 per month
- The Premium plan offers 2TB storage for $9.99 per month
- Additionally, you can contact the Google team to get more custom storage plans.
Supported platforms
Web, Windows, Mac, Android, iOS
9. Boomerang for Gmail – Email management app
Managing all your emails on Gmail becomes convenient and effective with the Boomerang for Gmail app. With this app, managers can control and decide when you send and receive email messages.
Boomerang for Gmail is the best tool for managers that allows managers to declutter inboxes by archiving all the email messages that they do not need for the time being. You can restore the same email messages in your Gmail inbox with a single click whenever you need them.
Notable features
- Get reminders for your emails that haven’t gotten a response within a specific time frame
- Write perfect emails with the help of an AI-powered assistant
- Communicate easily with people in different time zones
Pricing
- The Basic plan is free, you will get 10 free message credits
- The Personal plan costs $4.98 per month when billed annually (unlimited message credits)
- The Pro plan costs $14.98 per month when billed annually (unlimited message credits)
- The Personal plan costs $49.98 per month when billed annually (unlimited message credits)
Supported platform
Web
10. Salesmate – Sales CRM software
Salesmate is a great organization tool for managers, the CRM (customer relationship management) software helps you streamline your sales process. It employs modern sales techniques to help your business attract more prospects, win more deals, and enhance customer satisfaction.
This CRM software has an intuitive and insightful sales pipeline view. You can easily track, filter, and see the progress of all your deals. The drag-and-drop interface makes it simple to move deals from one stage to another.
Notable features
- The sales activity tracker allows you to track your team’s activities
- Notification alerts whenever a prospect opens your email
- The integrated virtual phone system allows you to call and send text messages to contacts
Pricing
- The Basic plan costs $23 per user/month (when billed annually)
- The Pro plan costs $39 per user/month (when billed annually)
- The Basic plan costs $63 per user/month (when billed annually)
Supported platforms
Web, Android, iOS
11. Zoom – Audio and video conferencing
Zoom is perhaps the most popular video conferencing platform in the world right now. When you want to connect with your team seamlessly over voice and video conference calls all you have to do is switch to Zoom. And, you can collaborate with your team easily and coordinate effectively to achieve your team goals.
Besides video conferencing, Zoom also offers a chat interface that allows you to send messages and even share files with your teammates. Also, you need not be tech-savvy to start video meetings with your colleagues using this app.
Notable features
- Supports screen sharing allows your team to deliver presentations
- Make HD voice and HD video calls
- Admin dashboard provides important information such as live in-meeting data
Pricing
- Zoom offers a Basic plan that can have up to 100 participants per meeting
- The Pro plan is priced at $12.49 per user/month/billed annually
- The Business plan is priced at $18.32 per user/month/billed annually
- The Business plus and Enterprise plans are available by contacting the sales
Supported platforms
Web, Android
12. Evernote – Note-taking app
If you want to take notes of everything important to a project and focus on things that matter the most, Evernote is a great choice. You can use this note-taking app to capture ideas and inspiration in the form of text and voice recordings.
You and your team members can use Evernote to upload, access, edit, and share notes from any device. Also, it is easy to organize all the notes by adding tags to them and grouping them into notebooks.
Notable features
- Organize everything easily in a common space
- Easy-to-install note templates that you can also customize according to your requirements
- Web Clipper allows you to save web pages, articles, and PDFs
- Annotate screenshots of web pages
Pricing
- Evernote offers a free plan to get started
- The Personal plan cost $14.99 per user when billed annually
- The Professional plan costs $17.99 per user when billed annually
- The Teams plan cost $24.99 per user when billed annually
Supported platforms
Web, Windows, Android, iOS
Read more: Evernote alternatives: 12 Note-taking apps you should be using today
13. Teamdeck – Resource planning software
Teamdeck is cloud-based project resource management software developed in Poland. The main features are resource scheduling, capacity and leave management and time tracking.
This SaaS solution is selected by companies from the creative and IT industries. Hill-Knowlton, Wunderman Thompson, NTT Data, Stormind Games – they’ve chosen Polish software to manage international projects.
Notable features
- Functionalities in 1 tool: time tracking and timesheets, work schedule, leave management, and resource scheduling.
- Custom organization working time and availability.
- Ability to assign custom fields to people and projects, i.e tags job titles with skills, technologies, etc
- Excel-like custom reporting.
- The leave management acceptance process takes into account employee holidays.
- Automatic bank holidays for multiple localisations
Pricing
Teamdeck has 2 plans
- The Light Member plan costs $1.8 per month when billed annually
- The Full Member plan costs $5.40 per month when billed annually
Supported platforms
Web + Mobile
14. Avoma – Meeting assistant tool
Avoma is an AI-powered meeting lifecycle assistant that records, transcribes, and analyzes your calls and meetings to offer actionable insights, thus making your remote meetings actionable and collaborative. Avoma is quite popular for its capabilities across the stages of the meeting lifecycle, namely before, during, and after the meeting.
There are many integration options available with other apps too, which include all major CRMs, conferencing tools, and dialers. To emphasize Avoma’s organization, the name is an acronym for ‘A Very Organized Meeting Assistant’, short and sweet, making work life a whole lot more efficient.
Notable features
- Avoma helps you accelerate your meeting preparation by offering scalable agenda templates.
- Avoma allows you to make playlists of key conversations and helps capture information and share it among teams in the form of snippets.
- Automatically takes notes during your meetings and syncs them to the CRM.
Pricing
- The Basic plan is free to get started with limited features
- The Starter plan costs $19 per user/month when billed annually
- The Plus plan costs $49 per user/month when billed annually
- The Business plan costs $79 per user/month when billed annually
- The Enterprise plan costs $129 per user/month when billed annually
Supported platforms
All browsers, iOS, Android
15. TeuxDeux – Task lists
TeuxDeux is a to-do list app that you can use to create checklists for your daily tasks. It has a simple interface that makes creating to-do lists a child’s play. You can easily strike through tasks on a to-do list to mark them as completed.
One of the things about TeuxDeux that you will find interesting is that it automatically rolls over any tasks that remain unfinished at the end of the day.
Notable features
- Add links to text and make words bold for better visibility
- Create and add recurring tasks to a to-do list
- Organize tasks for the week or the month using the built-in calendar
Pricing
- Teuxdeux offers a single plan costing $4 per month or $36 when billed annually
Supported platforms
Web, iOS
One tool to replace all, manage projects, tasks, collaborate, Proof files and chat on ProofHub – Try for free
Conclusion
Choosing the right tools can make all the difference. By utilizing suitable tools in your daily use, you can unlock new levels of productivity, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making. The right tools will not just make your life easier as a manager, they will help you achieve your goals and manage your resources effectively.
ProofHub provides all the essential functionalities you need to manage projects efficiently from start to finish. To experience the benefits firsthand, you can sign up and try ProofHub free for 14 days
