7 Ways Project Management Tools Can Improve Employee Productivity

Project management tools improve employee productivity

Are you looking to improve your organization’s operations and boost your team’s productivity? Are you wondering how project management tools can improve employee productivity?

If you are, you’re in the right place! In today’s fast-paced and ever-changing business world, staying ahead of the curve is more important than ever. 

Project management is an excellent yet challenging area where businesses can gain a competitive edge. By adopting project management tools, businesses can streamline workflows, collaborate more effectively, and ultimately boost productivity. 

This article will dive deep into how project management tools can improve employee productivity. 

7 ways project management tools can improve employee productivity

From centralized task management to enhanced transparency and accountability, we’ll explore how these project management tools can improve productivity. So, let’s get started!

1. Centralized task management 

Let’s first look at how centralized task management can help your team stay organized and on top of their work. 

Imagine this scenario: you’re working on a project with multiple team members, and each person has their tasks to complete. With a centralized platform for communication and task management, it can be easier to keep track of who’s working on what, when tasks are due, and the project’s overall progress. Project management tools like Nifty come in here.

With Nifty, you can create task lists, assign tasks to team members, set deadlines, and even add notes and attachments to tasks. This setup provides a clear overview of the project and helps everyone stay on the same page:

Goals and Discussion in Nifty
A task in Nifty with a clearly defined goal and instruction

For example, let’s say you’re using Nifty for task management. You can create a task list for the project and assign tasks to team members with specific due dates. As team members complete their tasks, they can mark them as complete, which updates the project’s overall progress in real-time.

Milestones updated via automation
Milestones automatically getting updated in Nifty

If team members need to catch up on their tasks, they can receive reminders and notifications to keep them on track.

By providing a centralized platform for task management, Nifty helps keep everyone on the same page, streamline their workflows, and complete the project on time.

2. Enhanced project planning and execution

By using project management tools, organizations can plan and execute projects successfully. These tools can help employees break down complex projects into manageable tasks, set achievable deadlines, and prioritize work. This setup can lead to better project outcomes and increased productivity.

Nifty is particularly effective for project planning and execution. Nifty provides a range of features to help teams plan and execute projects, including customizable workflows, task dependencies, and project timelines. With Nifty, teams can set goals and milestones, track progress, and collaborate on real-time tasks.

For example, a marketing agency may use Nifty to plan and execute a campaign for a new product launch. The team can break down the project into tasks, assign responsibilities, and set deadlines using Nifty’s customizable workflows. 

Milestone view in Nifty
Milestone view in Nifty

The tool also allows team members to collaborate on tasks, share files and feedback, and track progress in real-time. As a result, the team can effectively manage the project from start to finish, ensuring that all tasks are completed on time and within budget.

3. Accurate time tracking and reporting 

Let’s examine how project management tools can provide accurate time tracking and reporting and why this is critical for improving employee productivity. Have you ever struggled to estimate how long a task will take or how much time you will spend on a particular project? Accurate time tracking and reporting can help with that. 

Suppose you’re using platforms like BambooHR or Onpay for your payroll needs. In that case, you’ll need project management tools like Nifty to allow employees to track their time spent on tasks in real time and generate reports that provide insights into their productivity. 

For example, Nifty offers a time-tracking feature that lets employees track their time spent on tasks and projects with a simple click. This feature accurately shows how much time they spend on each task and helps them stay focused and productive.

Time tracking feature in Nifty

By using Nifty for time management, teams can streamline their time-tracking process and gain valuable insights into their team’s productivity, which helps them optimize their workflows and improve their efficiency.

4. Facilitating collaboration and communication 

A 2023 Zippia study found employees are productive for 2 hours and 53 minutes per workday on average. But with smooth collaboration and communication, employee productivity will likely increase as these are critical to successful project management. 

Projects can quickly fall behind schedule without effective collaboration and communication, leading to team members’ frustration and disengagement. That’s where project management tools like Nifty come in.

Nifty is an all-in-one project management tool that provides a centralized platform for collaboration and communication. With Nifty, teams can create projects, assign tasks, and communicate with each other in real-time. 

The tool allows team members to share updates, files, and comments, which can help to keep everyone on the same page and ensure that projects are completed on time.

collaboration and communication in Nifty
Discussion section in a task

One successful use case of Nifty for facilitating collaboration and communication is the design agency Suits & Sandals. The company used Nifty to manage its design projects and found that it helped to streamline communication among its team members. 

By providing a centralized platform for collaboration, Nifty allowed Suits & Sandals to reduce the time spent on email and other forms of communication and instead focus on completing tasks and delivering projects on time.

5. Effective resource allocation and scheduling 

Did you know organizations waste 12% of their resources due to poor project management? This is why a well-organized schedule ensures that projects are completed efficiently and effectively. 

Project management tools offer a range of features that help organizations optimize their resource allocation and scheduling. By using free project management tools, organizations can avoid overloading employees with work and ensure that tasks are completed on time.

Managing resources and schedules effectively is crucial for any organization, regardless of size or industry. Project management tools can help businesses streamline these processes, increasing employee productivity.

Try Now Facing dependency constraints?
Use Nifty for effective resource allocation.

One successful use case for Nifty is its ability to allocate resources efficiently. For example, a marketing team may have several ongoing projects with overlapping deadlines. Nifty allows the team to see who is available to work on each project and assign tasks accordingly, ensuring that no one is overburdened with work. This feature helps reduce burnout and improve employee morale, leading to better productivity.

Another tool that excels in scheduling is LiquidPlanner. Its dynamic scheduling feature allows teams to adjust schedules, ensuring tasks are completed on time. For instance, a software development team can use LiquidPlanner to plan sprints, assign tasks, and monitor progress in real-time.

Technology vendors and organizations can improve their resource allocation and scheduling by adopting project management tools for software development like LiquidPlanner. This strategy leads to more efficient workflows and ultimately increases employee productivity.

6. Automation and integrations

Finally, project management tools can automate routine tasks and integrate them with other tools to improve employee productivity. Examples of popular project management tools for automation and integrations include Zapier and IFTTT. 

These tools allow employees to automate repetitive tasks like sending reminders or updating spreadsheets, which can help them save time and focus on more high-value work. By integrating with other tools like calendars or email, project management tools can streamline workflows and reduce distractions.

First, let’s consider the use of Zapier for automation. A successful use case of this tool is in the onboarding process for new employees. When a new employee joins the company, many tasks must be completed, such as setting up their email, granting access to various tools and systems, and adding them to the company directory.

With Zapier, companies can create workflows that automatically handle many tasks, freeing time for HR and IT teams to focus on other important activities.

For example, a workflow that automatically creates a new email account and adds the new employee to the company directory can be created when added to the HR software.

Second, let’s consider the use of IFTTT for integrations. A successful use case of this tool is integrating project management tools with other tools like calendars and email. For example, a project manager can create a rule that sends them an email notification when a task is due.

Alternatively, they can create a rule that automatically adds a task to their calendar when assigned. By integrating project management tools like Nifty with other tools, employees can stay on top of their tasks without switching between multiple applications, improving productivity.

But when it comes to project management automation and integration, Nifty is considered second to none by many organizations. This robust PM platform offers many automation features to help teams save time and streamline their workflows. 

Do you know you can integrate Zapier with Nifty to push tasks automatically!

For example, the tool can automatically create tasks based on certain triggers, such as when a new lead is added to the CRM or a new bug is reported. This method ensures tasks are created and assigned on time without manual input.

One successful use case of Nifty for automation and integration is managing social media campaigns. Social media managers must juggle multiple campaigns across different platforms, which can be time-consuming and overwhelming. 

With Nifty, teams can automate tasks like scheduling posts, tracking engagement, and analyzing metrics, which can help them focus on creating great content and engaging with their audience. 

By integrating with tools like Hootsuite and Buffer, Nifty can provide a centralized platform for managing social media campaigns, saving time, and improving productivity.

7. Improved transparency and accountability

Project management tools provide employees with a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and the project’s progress. This transparency can increase accountability and motivation among team members, as they clearly understand their contributions and their work’s impact.

PM tools also provide visibility into the other team members’ work, which helps foster collaboration and prevents duplication of effort. This transparency can also help identify potential bottlenecks or areas of improvement, allowing teams to take proactive measures to ensure project success.

With agile project management tools, team members can see what their colleagues are working on, who is responsible for each task, and how it fits into the larger project. This increased transparency fosters accountability and ensures everyone works towards the same goals.

Start boosting employee productivity using pm tools

In summary, project management tools can significantly impact employee productivity. These tools can streamline workflows, provide clear task management, facilitate collaboration and communication, provide accurate time tracking and reporting, allocate resources more effectively, and automate routine tasks. 

By adopting project management tools, businesses can reduce distractions, optimize workflows, and inspire employee productivity.

However, it’s important to remember that project management tools are just one piece of the puzzle. It’s essential to have a strong company culture that supports productivity and ensures employees have the necessary skills and training to use these tools effectively. 

Additionally, businesses should regularly evaluate their workflows and processes to optimize their operations to the fullest extent.

In conclusion, project management tools have the potential to make a significant impact on employee productivity. Businesses can optimize their workflows and improve their operations by providing a centralized platform for task management, facilitating collaboration and communication, providing accurate time tracking and reporting, allocating resources more effectively, and automating routine tasks. 

As more and more organizations adopt distributed work environments, project management tools will become increasingly important in ensuring that employees can work together effectively and efficiently.

Sign up now for Nifty. And see for yourself how we can improve your employee productivity