12 Best Workflow Management Software For Faster Work in 2024

Introduction

With digital transformation accelerating, teams need efficient tools to map, automate, and optimize their workflows. Choosing the right workflow management system is important to boost team productivity.

This comprehensive guide will walk you through 12 of the top-rated workflow management tools to consider in 2024 based on key features like workflow automation, integrations, team collaboration tools, analytics and reporting, and more.

Key Components of Effective Workflow Management Software

Workflow management software is a necessity for simplifying business operations, improving efficiency, and reducing manual workloads. But not all tools are created equal.

Here are the key components you should look for when evaluating workflow management systems:

• Repeatable Processes: Easily map standardized workflows for consistent execution across teams.
• Macro-level Views: Dashboards and reporting tools that give high-level visibility into workflow progress.
• App Integrations: Integrate with other tools via APIs or pre-built connectors for best workflows.
• Analytics and Reporting: Track KPIs like cycle times to continuously improve workflows.
• Real-time Notifications and Template Libraries: Get instant alerts and process templates to accelerate implementation.
• User-friendly Interface and Security Protocols: Intuitive interface with robust security protects sensitive data.

Top 12 Workflow Management Tools

Now let's look at the best workflow management tools in 2024.

1. ClickUp

ClickUp is a highly flexible, all-in-one project management platform great for workflow optimization. It provides robust task management, collaboration, documentation, goal monitoring, and more on a centralized platform.

ClickUp makes it easy to build custom workflows aligned to your teams' unique needs using conditional logic, reminders, checklists, and approvals. The intuitive drag-and-drop builder allows anyone to map out workflows visually for smooth management.

Key Features:

• Visual workflow builder with drag-and-drop simplicity
• Conditional rules and logic to customize workflows
• Assignable checklists for workload balancing
• Real-time notifications and instant messaging
• Gantt charts, calendars, and Kanban boards to visualize workflows
• Custom fields and tags for easy workflow categorization
• Dependency mapping between tasks
• Workflow tracker and due dates
• Customizable reports and dashboards
• 1000+ integrations with essential productivity tools

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: All teams - marketing, software, creative, etc.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: Quick onboarding with in-app walkthroughs. Intuitive interface but a slight learning curve to master advanced features.

Scalability: Scales from small to large enterprise teams. Supports unlimited users and workflows.

Customer Support: 24/7 live chat and email support. Active community forums.

Mobile Access: Full-featured iOS and Android apps.

Pricing/Value: Free plan. Paid plans start at $7/month per user with generous limits. Premium support additional.

Third-Party Recognition: Leader in G2 Crowd for Project Management and Workflow Management System. High user satisfaction ratings on Capterra.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.7/5 Capterra Rating: 4.7/5

Why Choose ClickUp?

ClickUp provides a highly flexible and intuitive way for teams to build automated, customizable workflows aligned to their specific needs. The easy drag-and-drop workflow builder makes it simple for anyone to map out processes visually without coding.

Conditional logic, reminders, and other automation features simplify complex workflows and help teams manage dependencies and recurring tasks. Comprehensive analytics give real-time insight into workflow productivity and bottlenecks. ClickUp scales reliably from small teams to large enterprises while maintaining an intuitive user experience.

2. Monday.com

Monday.com is a visual work OS great for workflow mapping and management. It makes it easy to create workflow templates and diagrams without coding through the straightforward builder.

Key Features:

• Visual workflow builder with swimlanes to map processes
• Templates for consistent documentation of workflows
• Automation to reduce repetitive manual tasks
• Customizable dashboard views of workflows
• Progress bars and timeline visualizations
• File sharing, comments, and polls for real-time collaboration
• Zapier integration with 1000+ workplace apps
• Usage statistics for data-driven insights
• Integration apps from Dropbox, Slack, Gmail, and more

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: Marketing, sales, creative teams.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: Very easy to onboard and start automating workflows quickly. Intuitive drag-and-drop builder needs minimal training.

Scalability: Scales to large enterprises. Custom pricing for 1000+ users available.

Customer Support: 24/7 customer support via live chat and phone.

Mobile Access: Full-featured iOS and Android apps.

Pricing/Value: Free. $9/month per user Basic plan. Enterprise tier custom pricing.

Third-Party Recognition: Leader in G2 Crowd for Project Management Software and Workflow Management Software.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.7/5 Capterra Rating: 4.6/5

Why Choose Monday.com?

Monday.com enables teams to create standardized workflow templates with its easy-to-use visual builder. Swimlanes provide clarity into responsibilities across workflow stages. Teams can reduce manual work by setting up automations triggered by certain conditions.

The customizable dashboard provides transparency into workflow processes enterprise-wide. Monday.com makes it easy for organizations to scale consistent workflows across departments and teams with minimal IT support required.

3. Asana

Asana is a leading work management solution designed to enhance workflow coordination across teams. It provides powerful features to visualize, schedule, and automate collaborative workflows.

Key Features:

• Custom workflows with task assignments, due dates, and automation
• Project roadmaps and calendars to schedule workflows
• Dashboard with timeline and calendar views for real-time visibility
• Conversations and automatic updates to align distributed teams
• Rules, reminders, and schedules to manage recurring workflows
• Workload management using milestones and goal progress
• 100+ app integrations via Zapier and API

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: Marketing, creative, product, and technology teams.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: Easy onboarding to start managing workflows in minutes. Simple and intuitive interface.

Scalability: Scales from small teams to large enterprises. Custom pricing available.

Customer Support: 24/7 email support and live chat. Active community forums.

Mobile Access: iOS and Android apps available.

Pricing/Value: Free for up to 10 users. Starter plan starts at $10.99 per user/month billed annually.

Third-Party Recognition: Leader in G2 Crowd for Project Management Software and Workflow Management Software.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.3/5 Capterra Rating: 4.5/5

Why Choose Asana?

Asana gives teams unmatched visibility into workflow processes with timeline views, reminders, and calendars. This keeps everyone on the same page when managing cross-functional workflows with shared deliverables and dependencies. Teams can reduce redundant communication by setting up rules and automations for recurring workflows. Asana scales flexibly with organizations providing IT-grade security and controls suitable for complex enterprise deployments.

4. Zoho Projects

Zoho Projects is an excellent choice for those looking to manage multiple workflows and methodologies within one platform. With Zoho Projects, you can create flexible workflows customized to your team's processes using custom fields, forms, and automation rules.

Key Features:

• Multi-view options: Kanban boards, Gantt, Calendar, etc.
• Visual dependency mapping between tasks
• Custom forms to standardize processes and data collection
• Workflow tracking with schedules, time estimates, and deadlines
• Automatic task allocation using assignment rules
• Portfolio dashboards for cross-project reporting
• 500+ app integrations and API access
• Role-based access controls for security

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: Enterprise teams across IT, marketing, sales, HR, etc.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: Quick onboarding with in-app walkthroughs. Simple interface and navigation.

Scalability: Highly scalable. Supports unlimited users and workflows.

Customer Support: 24/5 email and live chat support. Phone support available.

Mobile Access: iOS and Android apps provided.

Pricing/Value: Free. $4/user/month Premium plan. $9/user/month Enterprise plan.

Third-Party Recognition: High ratings on Capterra, Software Advice, and other review sites.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.3/5 Capterra Rating: 4.4/5

Why Choose Zoho Projects?

Zoho Projects enables deep customization of workflows within projects using custom fields, forms, and rules. It empowers organizations to customize automated workflows aligned with each team's working style.

The multi-view options like Kanban, Gantt, and Calendar provide flexibility for diverse teams to visualize workflows their way. Robust access controls, portfolio dashboards, and 500+ integrations provide scalability to manage workflows consistently across large enterprises.

5. Trello

Trello's intuitive Kanban-style boards make it easy for teams to visualize workflows and collaborate on projects of any size.

Key Features:

• Customizable Kanban boards with lists, cards, and columns
• Intuitive drag-and-drop movement of cards across workflow stages
• Attachments, labels, comments, and members on cards for collaboration
• Butler automation for workflow triggers and reminders
• Voting, checkpoints, and due dates for workflow steps
• Calendar view and timeline of due dates for scheduling
• Easy integration with 1000+ apps via Power-Ups

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: Marketing, creative, agile software teams.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: Very quick and easy onboarding. Intuitive Kanban interface requires minimal training.

Scalability: Scales for small to mid-size business teams. Enterprise support available.

Customer Support: 24/7 email and chat support. Active community forums.

Mobile Access: Full-featured iOS and Android apps.

Pricing/Value: Free. Standard Plan $5/user/month, Enterprise pricing custom.

Third-Party Recognition: High ratings on Capterra, Software Advice, and other review platforms.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.4/5 Capterra Rating: 4.6/5

Why Choose Trello?

Trello's intuitive Kanban-style boards make workflow visualization simple for teams. Anyone can quickly map out workflow stages as lists and tasks as cards using Trello's flexible board interface.

Features like due dates, checklists, and Butler automation provide structure for managing complex workflows and recurring tasks without extensive training. Trello reduces unnecessary meetings by enabling collaboration with instant updates on mobile.

6. Wrike

Wrike provides stellar proofing, review, and approval workflows customized to marketing and creative teams' needs. Customizable features like status indications, color coding, and asset sharing facilitate collaboration.

Key Features:

• Interactive Gantt charts to map out creative workflow stages
• Custom statuses, color coding, and assignments
• Digital asset proofing and version control
• @mentions and comments for timely feedback
• Custom fields to capture campaign-specific metadata
• Dashboards displaying user workload and productivity
• 150+ integrations with Adobe Creative Cloud, Dropbox, Gmail

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: Marketing, creative, digital asset teams.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: Easy onboarding with in-product walkthroughs. Intuitive interface and navigation.

Scalability: Scales to large enterprises. Custom pricing available.

Customer Support: 24/7 live chat and phone support.

Mobile Access: iOS and Android apps provided.

Pricing/Value: Free. Team $9.80/user/month. Business $24.80/user/month. Enterprise custom pricing.

Third-Party Recognition: Leader in G2 Crowd for Marketing Resource Management software. High ratings on Capterra.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.2/5 Capterra Rating: 4.3/5

Why Choose Wrike?

Wrike delivers tailored proofing and review workflows for creative and marketing teams managing digital assets. Custom statuses, color coding, and advanced asset management simplify asset review/approvals.

Real-time updates reduce email chains and keep stakeholders aligned. Robust analytics provide visibility into creative team productivity, workloads, and cycle times across campaigns. Wrike integrates securely with essential tools like Adobe CC, Dropbox, and Gmail.

7. Notion

Notion is a flexible workspace for creating completely customized workflows using databases, wikis, documents, and other tools.

Key Features:

• Custom database builder to manage tasks, projects, clients, etc.
• Interactive Kanban boards to visualize workflow processes
• Inbuilt messaging for real-time collaboration
• Shared team workspaces with customizable permissions
• Template library includes calendars, editorial workflows, etc.
• Easy integration with 1000+ workplace apps

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: Startups, marketing, sales, engineering teams.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: Extremely easy onboarding with template library. Intuitive workspace interface.

Scalability: Scales from individuals to large teams and enterprises.

Customer Support: Email and in-app messaging support. Active community forums.

Mobile Access: iOS and Android mobile apps available.

Pricing/Value: Free personal plan. Plus plan $16/month per member. Enterprise custom pricing.

Third-Party Recognition: High user satisfaction across Capterra, G2Crowd, and other software review platforms.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.7/5 Capterra Rating: 4.8/5

Why Choose Notion?

Notion provides endless options for creating automated, customized workflows with its flexible database builder. It makes it simple for non-technical users to build custom shareable workflows from scratch.

The library of pre-built templates helps teams get started instantly with workflows for projects, editorial, sales, and more. Notion scales intuitively with growing teams while providing enterprise-grade security and access controls.

8. Kissflow

Kissflow is a cloud-based BPM platform used by big brands like Amazon, Disney, and more. It makes it simple to map and optimize workflows with its intuitive, visual interface.

Key Features:

• Centralized dashboard for tracking workflows throughout the enterprise.
• Customizable forms and fields for data collection
• Audit trail and versioning for compliance
• Intelligent rules engine to automate multi-step workflows
• Customizable role-based access controls
• Real-time workflow analysis and insights
• Over 400 app integrations including MS Office 365, G-Suite, Slack, and more

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: Enterprise teams, IT teams, operations teams.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: Role-based training resources for easy onboarding. Intuitive interface.

Scalability: Highly scalable. Supports unlimited users and complex workflows.

Customer Support: 24/7 live chat, email, and phone support.

Mobile Access: Native iOS and Android apps provided.

Pricing/Value: Basic plan starts at $1,500/month. Contact for enterprise pricing. Per-user pricing not offered.

Third-Party Recognition: Leader in G2 Crowd for Business Process Management Software.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.3/5 Capterra Rating: 4.1/5

Why Choose Kissflow?

Kissflow provides powerful enterprise-grade capabilities for managing workflows consistently across global organizations. Advanced features like access controls, compliance tools, in-depth analytics, and robust automation ensure security and visibility over workflows at scale.

Kissflow is trusted by leading enterprises like Amazon, Airbnb, and Nielsen to optimize complex workflows and mission-critical processes.

9. Airtable

Airtable empowers growing teams with its flexible workflow builder layered on a spreadsheet database interface.

Key Features:

• Spreadsheet view provides an intuitive workflow interface
• Fields and bases to structure workflows as databases
• Views like calendars, timelines, and maps provide scheduling visualizations
• Links and relational views connect related workflows
• Automations can trigger actions for multi-step workflows
• Activity view and version history for real-time tracking
• 750+ integrations with apps like Slack, Jira, and AWS via Zapier

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: Startups, SMBs, marketing teams, creative teams.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: Quick and intuitive onboarding with template library. Easy for beginners.

Scalability: Scales up to 1,200 users. Enterprise support available.

Customer Support: 24/7 live chat and email support.

Mobile Access: iOS and Android apps with full functionality.

Pricing/Value: Free for up to 1,000 records. Team $20/user/month. Enterprise custom pricing.

Third-Party Recognition: Highly rated on Capterra, G2Crowd, and other software review sites.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.6/5 Capterra Rating: 4.7/5

Why Choose Airtable?

Airtable combines spreadsheet flexibility with structured database functionality for customizable workflow management. Intuitive calendar, timeline, and map views provide clarity into workflow schedules and task interdependencies.

Formula fields, links, and conditional formatting enable automation for streamlined workflows. Airtable provides enterprise-grade security while scaling with organizations from startups to large teams.

10. Process Street

Process Street is a SaaS workflow management platform built around checklists. It lets you create standardized checklists for your recurring processes and collaborate on them with your team.

Key Features:

• Build interactive standard operating procedures and workflows as checklists
• Conditional logic creates dynamic checklists
• Role-based permissions for controlled access
• Scheduled and automated workflows to drive consistency
• Audit logs and analytics provide insights into workflows
• Zapier integration with 750+ apps like G Suite, Jira, Slack

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: Operations and production teams. IT and DevOps teams.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: Very easy onboarding with in-app walkthroughs. Intuitive drag and drop builder.

Scalability: Scales to large enterprises with complex workflows.

Customer Support: 24/7 email support. Active community forums.

Mobile Access: Android and iOS mobile apps available.

Pricing/Value: Free plan $0/month for 1 workflow. Startup plans $100/month. Pro plan $1500/month when billed annually. Enterprise custom pricing.

Third-Party Recognition: High customer satisfaction per reviews on Capterra, G2Crowd, and GetApp.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.6/5 Capterra Rating: 4.7/5

Why Choose Process Street?

Process Street uses interactive checklists to standardize workflows and drive consistency across organizations. Anyone can quickly build structured workflows with conditional logic automation.

Checklist workflows make processes easy to follow for staff across departments. Process Street reduces redundant work and errors by maintaining version-controlled, templatized workflows in a centralized workspace.

11. Pipefy

Pipefy is a cloud-based process management software built for lean teams. It enables you to create no-code workflows called pipes with customizable forms, rules-based automation, and configurable views.

Key Features:

• Build automated workflows and standard operating procedures visually
• Custom forms and fields to standardize data collection
• Configurable rules-based workflow automation
• Multi-view options: Kanban boards, Gantt, calendar, etc.
• Customizable permissions and access controls
• Team workload management using pipelines
• Real-time analysis of workflow metrics like cycle time
• Integrations with Jira, Asana, Slack, GitHub, and more

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: Operations, finance, HR, claims processing teams.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: Quick to get started and automate workflows with forms and templates. Intuitive builder.

Scalability: Scales to large enterprises. Custom enterprise pricing offered.

Customer Support: 24/7 live chat and email support.

Mobile Access: iOS and Android mobile apps provided.

Pricing/Value: Free version for 10 users. $20/user/month Business plan. Enterprise custom pricing.

Third-Party Recognition: High user satisfaction per Capterra, G2Crowd, and other software review sites.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.6/5 Capterra Rating: 4.6/5

Why Choose Pipefy?

Pipefy empowers teams to optimize workflows by mapping processes out visually as pipelines. Custom forms standardize data collection from workflows while configurable rules drive automation.

Real-time analysis provides team productivity metrics and insights to continuously improve workflows. Pipefy scales from small teams to complex enterprise deployments with its secure cloud infrastructure.

12. Smartsheet

Smartsheet is a leading worksheet-centric workflow management platform empowering teams to manage workflows collaboratively.

Key Features:

• Familiar spreadsheet interface to create and customize workflows
• Gantt chart, calendar, card view for scheduling workflows
• Automated workflows triggered by rules to optimize processes
• Custom forms/fields to standardize workflow data inputs
• @mentions, group chat enables real-time collaboration
• Interactive dashboard to monitor workflow processes
• 150+ integrations with tools like Jira, Salesforce, Microsoft 365

Key Considerations for Evaluation:

Ideal User Base: Marketing, engineering, operations, and sales teams.

Onboarding/Ease of Use: An intuitive spreadsheet-like interface enables rapid adoption across teams, but has a steeper learning curve for advanced features.

Scalability: Enterprise-ready. Scales from small businesses to large enterprises.

Customer Support: 24/7 phone and web support.

Mobile Access: Full-featured iOS and Android mobile apps.

Pricing/Value: Free for up to 2 editors. Pro - $7/user/month. Business - $25/user/month. Enterprise custom pricing.

Third-Party Recognition: Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Collaborative Work Management Tools. Leader in G2Crowd for Project Management and Workflow Management software.

Ratings: G2 Rating: 4.4/5 Capterra Rating: 4.5/5

Why Choose Smartsheet?

Smartsheet enables collaboration on workflows in real-time with its familiar spreadsheet interface. Teams can customize workflows flexibly using templates, forms, and views like Gantt and Calendar.

Work automation based on rules and reminders provides a structure for managing complex workflows. Interactive dashboards let managers monitor workflows globally across departments or projects. Smartsheet scales securely from small businesses to large regulated enterprises.

How to Choose the Right Tool

With so many workflow management tools available, it can be challenging to determine which one is the best fit for your requirements. When evaluating workflow software, there are several key factors to consider:

Ease of Use: The user interface and overall ease of use are critical. You want software that has an intuitive design that doesn't require extensive training. Platforms like Trello and Airtable are known for their simple, visual interfaces that allow users to quickly create workflows and manage tasks. On the other hand, tools like Smartsheet have steeper learning curves.

Customization: Look for customizable features that allow you to tailor workflows, forms, dashboards, and other elements to your team's specific needs. ClickUp stands out with its unmatched customizability - you can customize everything from statuses to views. Asana and Wrike also enable some customization.

Integration Capabilities: Your workflow software should integrate smoothly with the other tools you use like email, docs, spreadsheets, etc. ClickUp has hundreds of native integrations.

Collaboration: Effective collaboration features like task comments, @mentions, and team workload visibility are essential. Monday.com facilitates smooth team collaboration with chat, timelines, updates, and more. Asana also enables easy project collaboration.

Reporting & Analytics: Robust reporting and analytics allow you to monitor progress and identify issues or bottlenecks in your workflows. Smartsheet and Pipefy have powerful reporting features, while Trello offers more basic analytics.

Pricing: Pricing can vary widely, so factor in your budget and team size. Trello and Airtable offer free versions, while ClickUp and Asana have low-cost starter plans. Choose a solution that aligns with your requirements and resources.

Use Case Fit: Consider your specific use cases, whether it's project management, HR workflows, creative workflows, etc., and choose software tailored to your needs. For example, Notion is great for creating structured wikis while Process Street focuses on business process checklists.

Carefully evaluating these key criteria will ensure you select workflow software that enables your team to work more efficiently in 2024 and beyond. Opting for highly flexible tools like ClickUp will provide long-term value as your needs evolve.

Conclusion

With the right workflow management system, teams can optimize processes, accelerate results, and scale collaboration in 2024 and beyond. When evaluating workflow software, be sure to look for platforms that offer:

• Flexibility to manage workflows across multiple projects and departments
• Customization to tailor workflows to your team's unique processes
• Intuitive interfaces that enhance transparency and foster adoption
• Robust collaboration features to engage cross-functional teams
• Integration capabilities to unify workflows across your existing stack

The right workflow management system will empower your organization to execute repetitive processes efficiently, manage workloads effectively, and optimize workflows to accelerate business outcomes. With solutions like ClickUp, Monday.com, Asana, and more, teams can turn complex work into well-defined workflows that improve productivity, transparency, and results.

UpSys Support for ClickUp

At UpSys, we specialize in helping teams optimize their project management processes using ClickUp. Whether you are considering adopting ClickUp or looking to maximize its potential for your team, our expertise in setup, consulting, coaching, and training will ensure you get the most out of this versatile tool.

Contact us to learn how we can tailor ClickUp to fit your team's unique needs and propel your project management to new heights.

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