Paymo Logo
Blog Home

Jump to section

Report Key Findings:
Product Updates
Last modified date

Nov 29, 2022

Time Tracking and Task Management Top Requested Project Management Features

author image

Laurențiu Bancu

Blog average read time

3 min

Last modified date

November 29, 2022


A recent report released by research and reviews firm Software Advice has revealed some interesting facts about small companies and their needs for project management software.

Report Key Findings:

  • A majority of prospective software buyers (58%) use a single method for project management.
  • 70% of prospective buyers (in the sample) currently use manual methods for their project management needs.
  • Time tracking and task management are the top-requested software capabilities, each mentioned by 60% of buyers.
  • 64% of prospective buyers mentioned the need to improve organization and workflow efficiency as motivation for seeking Web-based PM software.
  • Many more project managers (64%) than owners and executives (38%) want scheduling and deadline functionality.

Due to the fact that telecommuting is fast on the rise, it’s not a surprise that the majority of small business PM software buyers prefer a Web-based solution and not an on-premise one. The study refers exclusively to those small-business buyers with a Web-based deployment preference.

More than Two-Thirds of Buyers Still Use Manual Methods

The percentage of those who are still using manual methods is pretty high: 70%. Kelly Bedrich, director of information technology (IT) and a certified project management professional, says that these results are not surprising.

“The bottom line is, project managers have to work at a base level,” he says. “Most people will whip out the Excel spreadsheet, and then likely transfer [it] into a project management software tool once things become more formalized.” By “base level,” Bedrich is referring to project managers’ involvement in projects at the inception or ideation phase. At this point in the life cycle of a project, the simplest, most familiar tools are often used to capture ideas.

Project Management Methods

If things are more simple at the beginning, when pen&paper, spreadsheets, and email can be good enough, as the situation becomes more complex, these basic methods need to be supplemented by project management software.

60% Want Time Tracking and Task Management Functionality

When speaking about functionality, the top three requirements are Time Tracking, Task Management, and Project tracking/status. These seem pretty obvious, as they are at the core of every project (they help you understand how well a project is progressing and how profitable it is).

Project Management Features Requirements

Note: If you are looking for a task management tool for your team that’s easy and professional, check this list of remote task management tools. If you want to know how to transition into a project management role but have little to no experience, check out how to become a project manager in tech.

Managers Seek Task Management, Scheduling, and Deadline Functionality

When analyzing the results, there are some differences between the functionality that project managers are seeking compared to what owners/executives are looking for.

While owners/executives and project managers tend to agree on most of the functionality they seek, a much higher percentage of project managers (64%) than owner/executives (38%) want scheduling and deadline capabilities. In fact, this is the top-requested functionality among project managers, along with task management (also sought by 64 percent).

By contrast, owners/executives cite time tracking as their top-requested capability (61%). Softwares have followed suit, now offering time tracking capabilities that are easy to adapt by employees, such as Pomodoro timers.

NOTE: For the best Pomodoro apps, including our native Pomodoro timer, be sure to read the list on software that breaks work into 25 minutes intervals.

Despite this, 55% of project managers also request time-tracking functionality, a greater percentage overall seek task management and scheduling and deadline capabilities.

NOTE: If you’re looking for easy software development time tracking, check out this list of time-tracking tools for projects.

Job Role preferences

These discrepancies can be explained by the fact that project managers are more involved with managing the day-to-day operations and requirements of projects, in which deadlines affect dependencies. If certain milestones are not hit, other parts of a project may stagnate. Owners, by contrast, appear to be more concerned with cost efficiency, for which time-tracking can provide insightful data.

Conclusion

For buyers considering web-based project management software, time-tracking and task management functionality are top priorities. For project managers specifically, scheduling and deadlines and task management functionality are the most necessary.

Plus, what’s essential now in 2022 is the ability to turn those finished projects and tasks into a bill or invoice with the help of web-based or mobile invoicing software, that is free and automatic. Another free option is using an invoice generator for small business operations, which looks a lot like a printable custom field document.

Other prospective buyers seeking this software should note that the difference between efficiency and most desired capabilities, regardless of job title, all involve managing time and tasks. After all, these tools represent the unique advantages of web-based PM systems— they allow users to manage complex interactions more easily and seamlessly collaborate on projects from anywhere in the world.

Laurențiu Bancu

Author

Laurențiu started his marketing journey over 18 years ago and now leads a marketing team. He has extensive experience in work and project management, and content strategy. When not working, he’s probably playing board games or binge-watching mini-series.

Read More

January 25, 2024

Read time clock

12 min

100% FREE Invoicing Software

Author: Andrei Țiț

Andrei Țiț

March 27, 2024

Read time clock

10 min

20 Best Project Management Software & Tools for 2024

Author: Andrei Țiț

Andrei Țiț

January 6, 2023

Read time clock

13 min

21+ Surprising Remote Work Statistics for 2022 — a Global Perspective

Author: Alexandra Martin

Alexandra Martin

Paymo
HomeComplete Feature ListPricingFree AccountAbout Us

‾‾‾‾‾

Contact SalesOnboarding

‾‾‾‾‾

CustomersTestimonialsSpread the WordAffiliates

Paymo Logo

Copyright © 2024 Paymo LLC

By signing up, you're agreeing with the Paymo Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Cookies help us deliver our services. By continuing to use the website, you consent to the use of cookies.

Learn more about the cookies in Our Privacy Policy.