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Last modified date

Mar 18, 2024

10 Best Resource Management Software & Scheduling Tools

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Andrei Țiț

Blog average read time

16 min

Last modified date

March 18, 2024


Resource management software and resource scheduling software have come a long way from colored spreadsheets, prone to human errors. That’s why I’ve decided to do a detailed review of the best resource management and scheduling tools to help you match your current project demand with the available resources.

You’ll get an overview of each tool, screenshots, key takeaways, and a comparison chart at the end to help you make a more rational decision. Plus, there’s a rundown on a bit of theory. There’s also work software for your daily activities and client work, but I’ve narrowed them down to those great at resource management and scheduling.

So, without further ado, let’s take a look at the best agency resource management software out there:

  1. Paymo – best team scheduling tool with advanced PM features
  2. Runn – best for resource utilization and forecasting
  3. TogglPlan – best for team timeline visualization
  4. GanttPro – best for Gantt-like resource scheduling
  5. ProjectManager – best resource management for enterprise needs
  6. ClickUp – best for employee insights and dashboards
  7. Forecast – best for resource allocation with automation
  8. Float – best for team schedules and capacity planning
  9. Resource Guru – best for human and non-human resource scheduling
  10. Teamdeck – best for affordable team scheduling

Resource Management Software

1. Paymo

best resource management software with advanced PM features

Pricing: Average

88

of 100

Pros
pros-image

advanced resource management

pros-image

capacity planner

pros-image

vacation and leave management

pros-image

employee performance widgets

Cons
cons-image

resource management is available on the more expensive plan

2. Runn

best for resource utilization and forecasting

Pricing: Average

87

of 100

Pros
pros-image

resource scheduling

pros-image

team capacity forecasting with insights

pros-image

tracks financial metrics

Cons
cons-image

lacks advanced project management features

3. Toggl Plan

best for team timeline visualization

Pricing: Average

85

of 100

Pros
pros-image

timeline-first project view

pros-image

team capacity and team scheduling

pros-image

leave management

pros-image

strong reporting feature

Cons
cons-image

lacks advanced project management features

cons-image

combines with Toggl Track for time tracking

4. GanttPRO

best for Gantt-like resource scheduling

Pricing: Average

84

of 100

Pros
pros-image

offers light project management features

pros-image

workload management and calculations

pros-image

people and virtual resources

Cons
cons-image

steep learning curve for new users

cons-image

no capacity forecasting

5. ProjectManager

best resource management for enterprise needs

Pricing: High

82

of 100

Pros
pros-image

offers project management features

pros-image

Gantt-like scheduling tool

pros-image

people and virtual resource allocation

pros-image

team capacity planner

Cons
cons-image

steep learning curve

cons-image

expensive tool in contrast to competitors

cons-image

can be overwhelming for first-time users

6. ClickUp

best for employee insights and dashboards

Pricing: Average

81

of 100

Pros
pros-image

flexible project management tool

pros-image

fit for Agile and Scrum

pros-image

dashboards and widgets for employees

Cons
cons-image

not a dedicated resource management tool

cons-image

capacity planning is not as straightforward

cons-image

no leave management

7. Forecast

best for resource allocation with automation

Pricing: Very High

80

of 100

Pros
pros-image

light PM features, like tasks and priorities

pros-image

workforce utilization insights

pros-image

forecasting and predictions thanks to automation

pros-image

risk warnings

Cons
cons-image

very expensive compared to its offering

cons-image

needs to be integrated with PM tools

cons-image

suitable for enterprise needs

cons-image

minimum 20 seats, opaque pricing tiers

Resource Scheduling Software

8. Float

best for team schedules and capacity planning

Pricing: Average

79

of 100

Pros
pros-image

capacity management and planning

pros-image

resource scheduling

pros-image

predicts capacity and budget spending

pros-image

new facelift in design

Cons
cons-image

lacks advanced PM features

cons-image

suitable for large teams

cons-image

time tracking included in more expensive plans

9. Resource Guru

best for human and non-human resource scheduling

Pricing: Average

77

of 100

Pros
pros-image

human and non-human resource management

pros-image

leave management

pros-image

resource utilization charts and insights

pros-image

booking systems for room and equipment

Cons
cons-image

lacks advanced PM features

cons-image

particular use cases; not suitable for all teams

10. Teamdeck

best for affordable team scheduling

Pricing: Very Low

75

of 100

Pros
pros-image

bookings

pros-image

schedules and timelines

pros-image

vacation management with approval

Cons
cons-image

lacks advanced PM features

cons-image

on the basic plan, only the manager can fill out timesheets

cons-image

no access to the Teamdeck app unless on the more expensive plan

Comparison chart — top 8 resource management and resource scheduling software

So what’s the best software for resource allocation, you may ask, after so many reviews? I’ve compiled a comparison chart below for all the online tools to make your life easier.

 

Best Resource Management & Resource Scheduling Software

Resource management vs. resource scheduling

To better understand the difference between those two, let’s analyze what a resource is.

In traditional project management, a resource can be any asset required to complete a project – be it human, physical, or technical equipment. For good reasons, the more modern approach leans towards naming human resources as people, but it doesn’t exclude the rest.

Resource management refers to planning, monitoring, and optimizing resources. As a project manager, you must first identify the number and types of resources required.

If they’re people, this is usually done after a specific role or skill set that fits the project at hand. Only then can you do a proper resource distribution, a.k.a. balance out resources per their allocations – either via resource-leveling or resource smoothing – and forecast future ones.

Resource scheduling is part of resource management and optimization and allocating the right people for the appropriate tasks. This involves evaluating the current workload of each team member, checking their future availability, and prioritizing tasks accordingly so there are no project delays.

To summarize, resource management involves planning and identifying resource demand. In contrast, resource scheduling involves allocating the existing resource capacity to delay the project.

How does this work out in a software context, though?

Criteria for resource management software

In my experience, resource management software entails some planning, so don’t be surprised if you see Gantt Charts or timelines with task dependencies included in their suite. They’re more encompassing in this sense, leaning toward the project management software end.

Apart from this, consider the following feature criteria for resource planning software:

  • Planning tools: Is creating a clear project breakdown easy with assigned users, deadlines, and dependencies? Look for calendars, timelines, Gantt Charts, or any planning feature that allows you to schedule project phases.
  • Skills management: Can I filter after specific skill sets? You should create detailed profiles of team members with skills, location, and belonging teams and filter after different parameters such as custom tags or clients.
  • Resource forecasting: Can I forecast demand for future projects? Ideally, the resource management system will be your trusted adviser and calculate future demand based on the previously forecasted projects.
  • Analytics: How easily can I gauge project and user capacity to the current resource utilization? The more granular you can be, the better.

Criteria for resource scheduling software

On the other hand, resource scheduling software is more oriented towards scheduling resources per se. This means you’ll want a clear overview of the whole team’s capacity, both at a macro and micro level, so you know where to make trade-offs and when.

Here are the feature criteria that we took into account for the best resource-scheduling software:

  • Bird’s eye view of resource schedule: Can I see the entire resource schedule for the whole team, including current workloads, remaining availability, and unscheduled work?
  • Automatic scheduling: Does the resource planning tool make suggestions based on the existing data? Preferably, some mechanism or automation either allocates resources on your behalf or speeds up the process altogether.
  • Visual alerts: Are any available burndown graphs or visual indicators that work for me, not against me? You want tools that signal the resource utilization status or progress both at a user and project level.
  • Leave planner: Will I know whom to rely on? Although often overlooked, a built-in leave planner can save you time when it comes to allocating the right amount of work to the right people without overburdening them.

Benefits of resource management & resource scheduling software

Of course, some of the features listed above might overlap or come in pairs. For example, planning might accompany an overview of the project schedule. Real-time analytics might be part of a dense user profile with different metrics, requiring more experience. Moreover, resource scheduling software combined with project management and time tracking serves many industries and is tailored to consultants and knowledge workers, teams of all sizes, and creatives.

However, both resource management software and resource scheduling software come with a set of advantages:

Increased visibility. Effective project planning is deemed to help deliver projects on time and within budget. But this is just half the story. You must also know which resources are available, their current workload, and future availability.

Resource management and resource scheduling software give you a visual overview of your team’s schedule. This way, you can match the available people with the right tasks based on their efforts. Plus, avoid resource clashes and resource shortages.

Closer ties with clients. If you think about it, a resource management solution or a resource scheduling software is, in fact, a communication tool. Project managers can monitor the correct deployment of resources against the initial resource forecast. Similarly, product managers ensure the correct deployment of resources, but against product goals and outcomes. If you are curious about which is better in pm, read this article on project manager vs. product manager responsibilities.

At the same time, stakeholders and clients can follow the project progress straightforwardly — a clear project schedule instead of a long and painful meeting.

A healthier work environment. Having simple resource management software and resource capacity planning software in place can boost overall team accountability. It might sound too good to be accurate, but knowing whom to report to and what’s on your plate at any given moment brings reassurance.

Your colleagues can finally productively organize their efforts without burning out. This will also increase the quality of the delivered work, as everyone can contribute to the full extent of their skills and not scramble their efforts on low-impact tasks.

Note: if a career in project management interests you, read our guide concerning project manager education that outlines the skills you need, along with advice and resources.

Andrei Țiț

Author

Andrei Țiț is a product marketer at Ahrefs. He has been involved in product marketing at various SaaS companies for over six years, specializing in content marketing and short-form video. In his free time, he enjoys cooking and traveling.

Alexandra Martin

Editor

Drawing from a background in cognitive linguistics and armed with 10+ years of content writing experience, Alexandra Martin combines her expertise with a newfound interest in productivity and project management. In her spare time, she dabbles in all things creative.

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