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With so many different workflow management solutions available, figuring out which is right for you is tough. You know you want to enhance efficiency, reduce manual intervention, and ensure consistency in the execution of workflows, but need to figure out which tool is best. I've got you! In this post I'll help make your choice easy, using my personal experiences using dozens of different workflow tools with large teams and projects to pick the best workflow management software.

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We’ve been testing and reviewing workflow management software since 2012. As project managers ourselves, we know how critical and difficult it is to make the right decision when selecting software.

We invest in deep research to help our audience make better software purchasing decisions. We’ve tested more than 2,000 tools for different Project Management use cases and written over 1,000 comprehensive software reviews. Learn how we stay transparent & our workflow management software review methodology.

Summary Of The Best Workflow Management Software

Here’s a table summarizing basic info about the tools described in this article. View pricing as well as the availability of free trials to make a quick side-by-side comparison.

Tools Price
monday.com From $8/user/month (billed annually, min 3 seats)
Wrike From $9.80/user/month
Pneumatic Workflow From $99/month (unlimited users)
Process Street From $12.50/user/month
Qntrl $8/user/month
Jotform From $39/user/month
QuickBase From $35/user/month (billed annually)
beSlick From $10/user/month
SysAid $1,211 for 500 assets
Kissflow From $18/user/month
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How To Choose Workflow Management Software

With so many different workflow management software solutions available, it can be challenging to make decisions on what workflow management software is going to be the best fit for your needs.

As you're shortlisting, trialing and selecting workflow management software consider:

  • What you want to use it to do - Start by identifying the workflow management software feature gap you're trying to fill to clarify the features and functionality the workflow automation software needs to provide.
  • Who will need to use it - To evaluate cost and requirements, consider who will be using the software and how many licenses you'll need. You'll need to evaluate if it'll just be your team or the whole organization that will require access. When that's clear, it's worth considering if you're prioritizing ease of use for all, or speed for your workflow management software power users.
  • What other tools it needs to work with - Clarify what tools you're replacing, what tools are staying, and the tools you'll need to integrate with, such as accounting, CRM or HR software. You'll need to decide if the tools will need to integrate together, or alternatively, if you can replace multiple tools with one consolidated workflow management software.
  • What outcomes are important - Consider the result that the software needs to deliver to be considered a success. Consider what capability you want to gain, or what you want to improve, and how you will be measuring success. For example, an outcome could be the ability to get greater visibility into performance. You could compare workflow management software features until you’re blue in the face but if you aren’t thinking about the outcomes you want to drive, you could be wasting a lot of valuable time.
  • How it would work within your organization - Consider the software selection alongside your workflows and delivery methodology. Evaluate what's working well, and the areas that are causing issues that need to be addressed. Remember every business is different — don’t assume that because a tool is popular that it'll work in your organization.

Best Workflow Management Software Reviews

These are my overviews of the 10 best workflow management software that made it onto my shortlist. Find each tool’s best use case, standout features, integrations, and pricing information below. I also included a screenshot of the software’s user interface, and some pros and cons for each one!

Best for automating manual processes

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $8/user/month (billed annually, min 3 seats)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

monday.com is a project management software used across diverse industries, rapidly growing teams, and enterprise organizations. monday.com sits at the intersection of project management and workflow management software. It simplifies complex workflow processes by streamlining management to focus on structure and transparency.

Why I picked monday.com: you can create tasks on a board and then add the steps required to reach task completion. monday.com is highly customizable and easy to use right out of the box. I also find that it’s incredibly easy to import data from other workflow management software, and even spreadsheets!

Its workflow management software also offers various workflow views that can be arranged by list, geographical map, kanban board, or Gantt chart. These workflows can then be visualized in dashboards to create a bird’s-eye view of the progress and data workflow managers need to monitor. I find information especially useful for workflow managers that sit between their teams and the executive suite and need to communicate complex data sets through visual dashboards.

monday.com Standout Features & Integrations

Features include workflow templates inside of their workflow operating system (Work OS), with workflow automation, data visualization, robust workflow customization for task boards, managing task status, assignees, due dates, hours spent, and more.

Integrations through Zapier include Slack, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Jira, GitHub, Trello, Dropbox, Typeform, and others.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Out-of-the-box workflow automation recipes
  • Lots of integrations to support 3rd party data
  • Work OS—A specifically designed workflow system for custom workflow apps
  • Large workflow template library to jumpstart planning

Cons:

  • Minimal multi-lang support
  • Limited export functionality for reports
  • Initial customization takes time

Best for reconnecting siloed teams

  • Free plan available
  • From $9.80/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.2/5

Wrike is an intuitive workflow management software suitable for teams of five or more, and offers an unlimited number of users. The software enables mangers to customize workflows, dashboards, reports, and request forms.

Why I picked Wrike: The software’s interface enables users to visualize priorities as Kanban boards, interactive Gantt charts, and traditional workload views. Wrike also features automation such as custom request forms that auto-assign tasks, push notifications, and deadline tracking.

Managers can access insightful data through KPI reports, resource management and allocation, and more. The workflow management software also offers a variety of different solutions depending on the type of team or organization, including marketing teams and professional service teams.

Wrike Standout Features & Integrations

Features include personalized app experience via AI Work Intelligence, user and team workload management functionality, account-wide work schedules, shareable dashboards, interactive workflow views, and more.

Integrations are offered natively for over 400 popular platforms including Microsoft, Google, Dropbox, Salesforce, and Marketo.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Comprehensive workflow modeling
  • Individuals and teams can track workloads
  • Easily visualize workflow performance
  • In-app chat to reduce switch cost for collaboration

Cons:

  • Not suitable for small organizations
  • High learning curve to fully utilize
  • Limited to 10 workflows per space

Best for process automation

  • 14-day free trial + free plan available
  • From $99/month (unlimited users)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

Pneumatic Workflow is a workflow management solution that helps teams identify, organize, and coordinate sets of tasks in your organization for one fixed price. You can use it to streamline your organization’s processes into workflows with automatic task assignments.

Why I picked Pneumatic Workflow: Their software helps teams effectively minimize routine errors, improve communication between teams, boost productivity, eliminate redundancy, and automate task management. Their workflows can be launched in four ways, namely running the workflow manually, sharing kick-off forms, using external SaaS systems, and using the Pneumatic public API.

Using Pneumatic Workflow, you can build assembly lines to pass the results of certain tasks along to the next team member quickly and efficiently. You can also select pre-built workflows from their free template library, or run unlimited workflows from one template. Their free template library includes all the popular workflows you'd expect, including employee onboarding, content development, purchase approval, customer retention, feature release, and more.

Pneumatic Workflow Standout Features & Integrations

Features include a workflow template builder, workflow variables & tools, a tasks interface, highlights, shareable kick-off forms, automations, activity highlights, urgent prioritization, video-based workflows, informative data dashboards, comments and mentions, and a WYSIWYG editor.

Integrations are available by connecting a paid Zapier account and you can build custom integration using its API.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Their freemium plan includes enough features to get small teams started
  • You can easily collaborate with guest (external) project stakeholders
  • They offer a 30-day money back guarantee if you are unsatisfied with their platform

Cons:

  • Not many built-in software integrations
  • Limited chat support window (9 am to 5 pm CST)

Best for process documentation

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $12.50/user/month
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Rating: 4.6/5

Process Street is a process-driven tool that adapts well to simple workflow strategies. While Process Street doesn’t offer as much as other workflow management software tools in terms of analytics and reporting, it’s a good fit for teams with document-driven workflows. The free plan welcomes an unlimited number of users, which is a nice trade-off for being feature lite in some areas.

Process Street’s approach breaks up workflow management into three chunks: handling documentation (creating, exporting, and embedding procedure documents and templates), running trigger-based workflows (for random events initiated by a trigger, such as a client onboarding), and programming scheduled tasks that run on an automated schedule. Its drag-and-drop task manager makes it easy for anyone to use.

Why I picked Process Street: With many tools for process documentation and workflow automation, it’s a good choice for teams who want a streamlined process framework without a maze of features to get lost in.

Process Street Standout Features & Integrations

Features include workflow management, task scheduling/tracking, attendance tracking, data visualization, employee database, vacation & absence calendar, process reporting, status notifications, employee incentive management, and process modeling.

Integrations include 1000+ apps through Zapier. It also integrates with Formstack, opening up a world of additional templates.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Checklists utilize conditional logic
  • Automation for onboarding/training
  • Unlimited workflow checklists and templates
  • Great third-party integration options

Cons:

  • No drag-and-drop for checklist reordering
  • Missing field validation for phone numbers (emails only)

Best for workflow orchestration

  • 15-day free trial
  • $8/user/month

Formerly Orchestly, Qntrl is a low-code workflow orchestration software that brings visibility, control, and automation to processes by cutting down on manual work. The platform lets users control all incoming requests for a team through a centralized interface.

What users love: Qntrl comes with integrated tools to help workflow process managers design, deploy, and iterate workflows for almost any process. Workflow managers can leverage process automation mapping experience assists in creating custom forms to quickly fetch essential data. Users can escalate issues, assign tasks, approve/reject stages, and handle huge data transfers from spreadsheets present in different verticals.

Qntrl Standout Features & Integrations

Features include robust data management and visualization, workflow-centric collaboration functionality, process mapping, real-time workflow and task status updates, low-code automation, and more.

Integrations include other Zoho products and outside applications and third-party apps through built-in APIs.

Qntrl is completely free for companies with a maximum of 5 users.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Modest per-user price
  • Native integration with Zoho
  • Great workflow visualizations (“Blueprints”)
  • Webhooks can send notifications to third-party applications

Cons:

  • Field names have to be unique across flows
  • Complex feature set has a learning curve

Best for B2B-oriented enterprises

  • Free plan available
  • From $39/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.7/5

Jotform Enterprise is a a powerful, easy-to-use data collection process for businesses of all kinds who are looking to optimize their workflow management processes. With Jotform, businesses will have access to offline forms, surveys for product feedback and reviews, collaboration tools, approvals for automated workflows, and conditional logic for a personalized customer form experience. They specialize in B2B businesses but can be adapted to a wide range of customer markets and industries.

Why I Picked Jotform Enterprise: Jotform Enterprise offers companies an easy-to-use tool that makes closing deals, collaborating with coworkers, signing waivers, and collecting form responses a more seamless process. Jotform Enterprise provides you with a wide range of workflows, forms, reports, and automation tools that can be used to build custom applications tailored to your needs. It also allows you to create customized forms for collecting data from customers or employees and then create automated workflows based on this data.

Jotform workflows can automate everyday tasks such as customer onboarding, order processing, invoicing, approvals, reminders, notifications, and follow-ups, allowing businesses to save time by eliminating manual processes.You can set up automated form submissions so that all incoming data is automatically sent to the designated destination, like your customer database or email account.

Additional features include workflow automations, conditional logic, e-sign documents with automated signing orders, webhooks, API, and helpful ways to integrate feedback into your workflow. 

Jotform Enterprise Standout Features & Integrations

Features include form building tools, mobile responsiveness, payment integration, conditional logic, data collection and management, form branding, multi-language support, SSL encryption, and integration with third-party apps.

Integrations include Google Drive, Google Sheets, Slack, Dropbox, PayPal, Stripe, Salesforce, Mailchimp, and Airtable. It also can integrate with Zapier to automate workflows and connect JotForm with over 1,000 other apps and services but this requires a Zapier account and may incur additional costs.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Wide range of workflow templates
  • Mobile-responsive forms & surveys
  • Cost-effective, even for Enterprise plans

Cons:

  • Required Zapier for most integrations
  • Data visualization options are limited

Best for dynamic work management

  • 30-day free trial
  • From $35/user/month (billed annually)
Visit Website
Rating: 4.4/5

QuickBase offers a platform designed for dynamic work management, providing a robust solution for businesses to manage complex projects and processes. It distinguishes itself as a leading choice for dynamic work management by offering a no-code application platform that empowers teams to create, connect, and control their workflows with ease and efficiency.

Why I picked QuickBase: I chose QuickBase for workflow management because it offers a highly customizable platform that caters to a variety of project types and industries, including construction, manufacturing, property management, education, government, and legal. You can use their software to set up workflows for numerous business needs, including project management, process improvements, field services, supply chain monitoring, training, and customer relations.

What sets QuickBase apart is its emphasis on enabling users to create, connect, and customize applications without the need to replace existing systems. This flexibility is particularly valuable for dynamic work environments where adaptability is key.

QuickBase Standout Features & Integrations

Features include project management, resource management and scheduling, budget and financial management, portfolio management, subcontractor management, contract management, and work order management.

Integrations include Salesforce, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Google Calendar, Gmail, Outlook, Dropbox, and Box. QuickBase also supports industry-specific integrations and custom connections through RESTful APIs.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Robust notifications and reminders
  • Simple no-code platform is easy for non-tech people to learn
  • Workflows are easy to set up and customize

Cons:

  • Project management integrations are limited
  • Team plan requires a minimum of 20 users

Best to identify and improve work processes

  • 14-day free trial
  • From $10/user/month
Visit Website
Rating: 4.6/5

beSlick is a workflow management software for small to mid-sized businesses. The software has an excellent workflow builder that supports decision branching, loops, and dependent due dates within a familiar process flowchart view.

Why I picked beSlick: Creating workflows is as easy as selecting the workflow builder, choosing from their robust template library, and assigning task owners and due dates. Teams can set different owners for each step in a task, as well as customize notifications for owners. Tasks can also be automatically scheduled as recurring to ensure they’re not missed.

My favorite aspect of beSlick is the built-in workflow process management reporting. By serving up process quality analytics, feedback, and when steps can’t be completed, managers can measure and improve workflows.

beSlick Standout Features & Integrations

Features include workflow performance insights, guest access to tasks and projects, group and individual task management, and task process tracking.

Integrations include common platforms available through Zapier.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Powerful workflow builder
  • Ability to identify workflow improvement opportunities
  • Discounts available for yearly subscribers and Good Causes
  • Workflow implementation and support

Cons:

  • Can't batch export workflow data
  • Workflow time tracking not native
  • No public API (is on the roadmap)

Best for internal service departments

  • 30-day free trial
  • $1,211 for 500 assets
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Rating: 4.4/5

SysAid is an IT service desk solution with workflow management and automation capabilities. It combines the functionalities of help desk and asset management tools to facilitate internal service management.

Why I picked SysAid: Users can build no-code, automated workflows with the software's drag-and-drop interface. It has the power to incorporate service orchestration capabilities that allow specific aspects of the workflow to be optimized and automated. This approach can help eliminate unwanted human errors and delays, minimize costs, and deliver high-value service to end users.

The platform has ticket automation, task automation, and self-service automation features in addition to its workflow automation capabilities. Ticket, task, and issue management keep agent workloads prioritized. A self-service help desk can also be set up to support internal teams seeking services from other teams like IT, HR, legal, or procurement.

SysAid Standout Features & Integrations

Features include task automation, ticket automation, incident management, self-service portal, knowledge base, password reset, digital automated workflows, no-code workflow builder, service orchestration, and data management.

Integrations include Azure, Google Workspace, Jira Software, Microsoft Teams, Office 365, Onelogin, Oomnitza, PowerBI Extract, and Slack. A Zapier integration is also available, which can unlock additional integrations.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • All internal service departments can use the same platform
  • Facilitates workflow management and help desk in one place
  • Video knowledge base available for users

Cons:

  • Not ideal for external-facing help desks
  • Functionality goes beyond workflow management, which may not be what some users are looking for

Best enterprise workflow management software

  • Free demo available
  • From $18/user/month

Kissflow is a low-code workflow management software solution that combines projects, cases, and collaboration within its core functionality. This solution is ideal for teams or projects whose makeup, processes, or framework require flexibility.

Why I picked Kissflow: The platform is highly intuitive, requiring little to no effort to utilize. Users can either build on top of existing app categories like HR, Finance, or Procurement, or build one from scratch. The visual interface lets users drag and drop elements to create any number of apps with low-code or no coding required.

The customizable workflows and dynamic routing let users adapt when requirements change or as teams scale. Users can prioritize work and easily delegate work to team members. Users get instant notifications when an item is complete or requires action.

Kissflow Features & Integrations

Features include workflow process reporting, task flow tracking, trigger-based workflow automation, and custom reporting like KPI dashboards and ad-hoc reports configuration.

Integrations are offered natively or through Zapier include Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, MailChimp, Slack, Microsoft Outlook, and others.

Kissflow Plans & Pricing

Kissflow pricing begins at $360 for up to 30 users a month and offers a free demo. No free plan is available.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Built-in, holistic workflow modeling
  • Loads of configurable workflow design features
  • Community feedback voting for roadmap features

Cons:

  • Not tailored for small organizations
  • Requires longer time to implement and onboard

Other Workflow Management Software

Here are a few more tools that did not make it to the top, but are still worth your consideration.

  1. Quixy

    Best no-code workflow management software

  2. Pipefy

    Best to build shareable forms, portals, and actions

  3. Forecast

    Best for managing your projects, resources, and finances in one

  4. Cflow

    Best workflow management software for growing organizations

  5. DocuWare

    Best for document management & e-signatures

  6. Avaza

    Best iPhone, iPad, and Android friendly workflow app

  7. Asana

    Best workflow management software that’s free and easy to use

  8. Camunda Platform

    Best for automating processes across diverse endpoints

  9. Planview Clarizen

    Best workflow app for PMOs and professional services

  10. ProcessMaker

    Best low-code iBPMS for enterprise-level processes

  11. ProWorkflow

    Best integration-friendly collaborative workflow platform

  12. Next Matter

    Best for handling complex, cross-functional workflows

  13. Admation

    Best workflow management software for marketing-specific projects

  14. WorkflowGen

    Create integrated, adaptive workflows for digital ecosystems

  15. Metatask

    Simple way to manage repeatable business workflows

  16. TeamGantt

    Easy drag-and-drop creation of Gantt charts

  17. Formstack

    Workflow template library with over 200 pre-built forms

Selection Criteria For Workflow Management Software

When selecting workflow management software, it's essential to focus on functionality and how well the software meets specific use cases crucial for streamlining project activities. Based on my personal experience with trying and researching these tools, here are the criteria I use to evaluate them, incorporating features that address common and unique project management challenges.

Core Workflow Management Software Functionality (25% of final scoring):
Common features for workflow management software typically include automation, collaboration tools, real-time notifications, customizable workflows, reporting and analytics, integration capabilities, task tracking, and security measures. To be considered for inclusion on my list of the best workflow management software, the solution had to support the ability to fulfill common use cases:

  • Task and project tracking
  • Collaboration and document sharing
  • Workflow automation
  • Integration with other business tools
  • Reporting and analytics for decision-making

Additional Standout Features (25% of final scoring): Identifying unique features such as AI-driven capabilities, advanced resource planning, and predictive analytics that are not offered by the competition.

I explore and test for innovative functionalities like ClickUp's use of mind maps for brainstorming and project planning or how Zoho Projects incorporates issue tracking and sprint planning for agile teams.

Usability (10% of final scoring): Evaluating the balance between powerful features and user-friendly design. Workflow management software should offer intuitive navigation and a clean interface. Important aspects include drag-and-drop scheduling tools, easy-to-use task filtering, and tagging interfaces for efficient project organization.

Onboarding (10% of final scoring): Assessing the ease of onboarding with resources like Asana's interactive product tours and extensive template library for quick project setup is crucial to flattening learning curves.

The availability of comprehensive training materials, such as video tutorials, webinars, and a knowledge base helps teams to quickly migrate and start realizing value from the platform.

Customer Support (10% of final scoring): Looking for responsive and accessible support channels, including live chat, email support, and community forums. Effective customer support ensures users can resolve issues swiftly.

Value For Money (10% of final scoring): Comparing pricing plans against features offered to determine the overall value. This includes examining tiered pricing models, free plan limitations, and scalability for growing teams. Wrike's flexible pricing and feature set offer significant value for diverse team sizes and needs.

Customer Reviews (10% of final scoring): Analyzing feedback from users across various industries to gauge satisfaction levels, ease of use, and how well the software meets their project management needs. Positive reviews can highlight strengths such as Notion's versatility in handling notes and tasks within the same platform, while negative reviews may point out areas for improvement.

Through these criteria, I aim to provide a balanced and detailed evaluation of workflow management software, focusing on how well each tool supports essential project management functions and delivers value to its users.

In 2024, workflow management software continues to evolve rapidly, driven by the need to streamline work, enhance productivity, and reduce inefficiencies and errors in project processes. This evolution is characterized by several key trends and features that I outline next.

  1. Customization and Flexibility: A significant emphasis on customization and flexibility to allow users to tailor the software to their specific project needs. Tools like Kintone and monday.com offer extensive customization options, from creating custom workflow apps to utilizing a wide array of templates for various project types, highlighting the importance of adaptability in workflow management software​​​​.
  2. Integration and Automation: Since it is very difficult to create a tool that does everything well, vendors are investing in enhanced integration capabilities and automation features, enabling seamless connection with other tools and the automation of repetitive tasks. Software solutions like Pneumatic Workflow and Flokzu provide robust integration options and the ability to automate workflows, demonstrating the push toward making workflow management more efficient and less prone to error​​​​.
  3. Enhanced Security Measures: As society leans more into data privacy and security, there will be a heightened focus on security measures within workflow management software, especially for industries with strict regulatory requirements and data privacy laws like GDPR.

These trends reflect the broader shift in project management towards more agile, responsive, and data-driven approaches.

What Is Workflow Management Software?

Workflow management software is a digital tool designed to automate, streamline, and optimize the various processes and tasks within an organization. This software facilitates the creation, execution, and monitoring of workflows by providing a centralized platform where you can define, manage, and track the sequence of activities involved in a particular business process.

Workflow management software is instrumental in coordinating and overseeing the diverse set of tasks and processes inherent in project execution. This tool allows you to design, implement, and automate workflows related to project activities, ensuring that tasks are completed in a systematic and timely manner.

Features of Workflow Management Software

Selecting the right workflow management software is crucial for delivering projects on time, within budget, and without costly errors. The best tools not only streamline project workflows but also ensure that every task progresses smoothly toward completion.

Here, I outline the most important features to look for in workflow management software that can help achieve these goals.

1. Automation of Repetitive Tasks: Simplifies routine activities, reducing manual errors and freeing up team members to focus on more complex tasks. Automation ensures consistency in task execution, critical for maintaining project quality and reducing rework.

2. Real-time Collaboration: Facilitates instant communication and document sharing among team members. This feature ensures continuous improvement through feedback loops and helps in delivering error-free outputs by incorporating stakeholder feedback effectively.

3. Integration Capabilities: Seamlessly connects with other tools used by your team, such as email, calendars, or CRM systems. Integration streamlines processes, ensuring that information flows smoothly between different platforms and reducing the risk of errors.

4. Visual Workflow Builders: Allows teams to tailor the software to fit their specific project needs. Customization is key to adapting the tool to your project's unique requirements, thereby enhancing efficiency and reducing the likelihood of mistakes.

5. Task Prioritization and Management: Helps teams understand what needs to be done and by when. Effective task management ensures that critical path items are completed on time, directly impacting the project's overall timeline and success.

7. Security Measures: Protects sensitive project information, a must-have for compliance and data protection. Robust security features prevent unauthorized access and data breaches, safeguarding project integrity.

8. Data Analytics and Reporting: Offers insights into project performance and bottlenecks. Analytics help in making informed decisions quickly, identifying areas for improvement, and ensuring projects stay on track.

Choosing workflow management software equipped with these features can significantly impact a project's success. By automating routine tasks, enhancing collaboration, and providing critical insights into project performance, teams can work more efficiently, make informed decisions faster, and ultimately meet project deadlines with fewer errors and less need for costly rework. The right tool not only streamlines the workflow but also becomes a catalyst for delivering superior project outcomes.

Benefits of Workflow Management Software

Workflow management software has become an indispensable tool for project managers and organizations aiming to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve project outcomes. By streamlining processes and automating routine tasks, these tools offer a range of benefits that can transform how projects are managed.

Here are five primary advantages of using workflow management software:

1. Enhanced Efficiency: Automates and streamlines routine processes. This benefit allows users to focus on more critical aspects of their projects, significantly reducing the time spent on manual tasks and speeding up project delivery.

2. Improved Collaboration: Centralizes communication and project documentation. Teams can work together more effectively, with all members having access to the latest updates and documents, which ensures that everyone is on the same page and reduces misunderstandings or errors.

3. Greater Visibility: Offers real-time insights into project progress and performance. This visibility enables project managers to make informed decisions, anticipate potential bottlenecks, and adjust resources or timelines as necessary to stay on track.

4. Increased Accountability: Tracks tasks and responsibilities clearly. By defining who is responsible for each task and monitoring progress, workflow management software helps ensure that all team members are accountable for their contributions, leading to more consistent project outcomes.

5. Scalability: Adapts to the needs of projects of any size. Whether managing a small team project or overseeing multiple large-scale initiatives, workflow management software can scale to accommodate the complexity and scope of any project, making it a versatile tool for organizations of all sizes.

Adopting workflow management software can lead to significant improvements in project execution and outcomes. These tools not only facilitate a more organized and efficient approach to project management but also empower teams to deliver their best work through enhanced collaboration, visibility, and accountability.

Costs & Pricing For Workflow Management Software

Workflow management tools offer different tiers to cater to the varying needs of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises. Each plan typically includes a core set of features with additional capabilities provided in higher tiers to support more complex project management needs.

Below is a table summarizing common plan options, their average pricing, and the features included in each.

Plan Comparison Table For Workflow Management Software

Plan TypeAverage PriceCommon Features Included
Free$0Task management, basic reporting, limited integrations, team collaboration tools
Basic$5-10 per user/monthEnhanced task management, additional integrations, more storage, support via email
Standard$10-20 per user/monthFull project management suite, advanced reporting, unlimited integrations, priority support
Premium$20-30 per user/monthResource management, time tracking, advanced security options, personalized onboarding
EnterpriseCustom pricingCustom features and integrations, dedicated support, enterprise-grade security, data analytics

The Free option is a great starting point for small teams or individuals looking to get acquainted with workflow management basics without financial commitment. As needs grow, moving to a Basic or Standard plan can unlock more productivity and collaboration tools. Premium plans offer comprehensive features for complex project management needs, while Enterprise plans provide customizable solutions for large organizations with specific requirements.

When selecting a plan, consider the size of your team, the complexity of your projects, and the level of support you might need. Each plan is designed to meet different needs, ensuring there's a fit for every type of user.

Workflow Management Software FAQs

Find answers to common questions other people ask about this topic.

What problems does workflow management software solve?

Workflow management software helps to solve several problems often encountered in project management. These include:

  • Lack of Transparency and Visibility: The software offers a visual representation of the workflow, ensuring that everyone knows their respective roles and the progress of each task.
  • Inefficiency and Delays: It helps to streamline and automate repetitive tasks, reducing the time taken to complete processes and increasing productivity.
  • Error Prone Manual Processes: By automating workflows, the chances of errors that are common in manual processes are significantly reduced.
  • Inconsistency in Workflows: It aids in standardizing workflows, ensuring tasks are carried out in a consistent manner irrespective of the team member handling them. 

What does workflow software do?

It varies by tool, but most workflow tools are made to help you perform these functions:

  • List tasks and organize them (hierarchically, by temporal order, by project, by tag, etc)
  • Map dependencies between tasks
  • Set deadlines for tasks and monitor them over time
  • Create diagrams that show the sequence of tasks in a drag-and-drop interface

A lot of tools that offer a free version include those basic functions.

More advanced tools are focused around helping you automate the workflows you’ve set up. These use triggers and rules to automatically route tasks, files, and notifications to the right people, according to the trigger and rule.

What is the best workflow management platform?

Some workflow management software—like workflow diagram software or flowchart software—specialize in managing the workflow itself (e.g., assigning tasks, creating dependencies, tracking deadlines, etc.). Others offer a more robust suite of workflow management features as part of broader resource management or project management software (think: creating process forms, handling invoices and payments, modeling data, managing a project portfolio, and more).

The best and most useful workflow management software, though, is the one that matches your needs and budget.

Which are the two primary ways to coordinate project workflows?

Use case 1: Coordinating people-centric workflows

This use case focuses on organizing people by bringing their tasks, files, status updates, and comms into one place, with a clear structure to the flow of work.

This is often the case in businesses including:

  • Digital agencies, development agencies, creative agencies, etcetera
  • Project and product teams or departments within companies
  • Professional services companies

If you’re among these users, the type of workflow software that’s most useful for you will usually be focused on:

You also will want all these features in a no-code environment that simply organizes your business processes in a central place. Most of the products in my list here fall into this category.

Use case 2: Coordinating system-centric workflows

This use case focuses more on connecting business processes or systems together, integrating their functions and tech systems to create a unified workflow.

This is more common in enterprise companies, as well as in sectors including:

If you’re among these users, the type of workflow software that is most useful is often an enterprise-grade solution. At the very least, you need access to a REST API and SLA manager to help you orchestrate across multiple systems.

At this level, though, many companies may go beyond a workflow SaaS product and use an Integration Platform As-A-Service (iPaaS) such as Make (formerly known as Integromat) offering connectors to unify their business process systems.

What's Next?

Tools aside, as a project manager you can quickly align teams and find bottlenecks by scheduling a workflow diagramming session. Our complete guide to workflow diagrams has an example of how one of those sessions helped a team, and all the workflow diagram basics you need (+ templates!).

Other related reads:

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By Ben Aston

I’m Ben Aston, a digital project manager and founder of thedpm.com. I've been in the industry for more than 20 years working in the UK at London’s top digital agencies including Dare, Wunderman, Lowe and DDB. I’ve delivered everything from film to CMS', games to advertising and eCRM to eCommerce sites. I’ve been fortunate enough to work across a wide range of great clients; automotive brands including Land Rover, Volkswagen and Honda; Utility brands including BT, British Gas and Exxon, FMCG brands such as Unilever, and consumer electronics brands including Sony. I'm a Certified Scrum Master, PRINCE2 Practitioner and productivity nut!