17 Types of Workflow Management Software and Why To Use Them

Updated June 24, 2022

If you want to improve your productivity and efficiency while working or you work for an organization with a project-based work structure, you might be familiar with workflow management software. It's often used by staff members who want to automate some of their job duties and supervisors who want to reduce the time and money their teams spend finishing projects. By reading about workflow management software, you can learn more about what software features you value and decide which workflow solution is best for you.

In this article, we define what workflow management software is, explain some of its key features and provide a list of 17 workflow management software options for you to consider.

What is workflow management software?

Workflow management software helps businesses of all sizes improve productivity, reduce the risk of human error and automate work place operations. It documents progress on various projects, organizes plans for project completion and prompts staff members to perform tasks, which saves time for supervisors who usually have these responsibilities. Depending on the needs of your business, you can integrate software that improves a specific team's workflow or customize a single software program to adapt to the business' changing needs.

Key features for workflow management software

Different workflow management software applications offer unique functions to improve your workflow, but they often have some similarities. Here are some key features that these applications typically share:

The ability to visualize workflow without writing code
Support for all types of devices, including mobile ones
Flexible pricing policies based on business needs
Real-time editing and responsive feedback tools
Chat functions, discussions boards and comment tools
Customizable notifications and alerts
The ability to generate, assign and monitor tasks to various team members
Automatic PDF generation
Integration of third-party applications
Data encryption
Cloud-based storage
Workflow analysis tools and optimization suggestions
Pre-built forms and template options

17 workflow management software options

Here's a list of 17 workflow management software options that might help you improve your workflow:

1. ProWorkflow

ProWorkflow is a tool that enables more effective project management by allowing you to create a personalized project timeline and giving you overviews of your team's current and completed projects. Some of its features include free training to help you learn the software, an open API that allows you to integrate most types of applications into the software and messaging tools to update team members about project changes. You might benefit from using ProWorkflow if you work from multiple types of devices, since it's compatible with most operating systems.

2. Trello

Trello is a software solution you can use to make your collaboration process easier and more efficient. It gives you instant notifications when you get a new project or receive changes on a current project, and it shows you the edits that people make on your documents in real-time. It has many helpful features, including the ability to use the application on mobile devices, backup and retrieve files and organize files into categories. Consider using Trello if you want a workflow management software application that's easy to use and allows you to quickly add new team members to projects.

3. GoodDay

GoodDay is a universal workflow management platform for visualizing your workload, setting project priorities and collaborating with other team members. Some of its main features include analytics monitoring tools, a drag-and-drop interface and task tracking tools. The dashboard is designed to be easy to navigate, and you can get help from GoodDay's customer support team at almost any time of the day. Since GoodDay has most of the applications you need built into the software, you might consider using it if you want to save time switching between apps while you work.

4. ProProfs Project

ProProfs Project is a project management application used by many sales, marketing and development teams across a range of industries. You can use it to create and fill out time sheets, assign tasks to team members and store large amounts of files. It also has tools to help you converse with team members about projects, organize large projects into smaller sets of tasks and create project status reports in a few clicks. If you work in a career that requires a lot of collaboration, or your team members have little experience using project management software, ProProfs Project might be the solution for you.

5. ProcessMaker

ProcessMaker is a software solution that's designed to help you automatically create and assign workflow forms. Its main features include a user portal and cases inbox, measurements of key performance indicators and a responsive form designer. You might consider using ProcessMaker in your work if you want an easy way to generate many types of digital forms and personalize your project dashboard.

6. Backlog

Backlog is a software application that helps code-writing professionals manage web development projects and improve productivity. You can use it to collaborate with others during your code writing process, set project milestones and track debugging operations. One of the main benefits of Backlog is that it's easy for professionals to use if they're unfamiliar with code writing, but it allows web development experts to customize their workflow by using its most advanced features. If you work in web development or want software that checks for bugs in code, you might benefit from integrating Backlog into your workflow.

7. Nifty

Nifty is a software application that makes it easier for professionals from all industries to collaborate remotely. Some of its features are discussion boards that enable collaboration with team members, tools that organize larger tasks into sets of subtasks and visualization tools to help you understand project progress. If you work in a career that involves sharing a lot of files, and you want the ability to look at a complete overview of your team's progress, consider using Nifty.

8. nTask

nTask helps with project management by enabling project planning, monitoring and collaboration across all types of operating systems. It has many features, including the ability to visualize stakeholders during the project development process, track project progress and analyze potential risks. nTask might be the right project management software for you if you want to create budgets more easily and create easy-to-understand visualizations for project challenges.

9. ProofHub

ProofHub is mainly used for managing project deadlines and assigning tasks to team members, all while working within the cloud. You can use it to create to-do lists, set custom roles for each team member and create a custom domain SSL. One of the main benefits of ProofHub is that its cloud-based sharing allows team members to access assignments from anywhere. If you want a workflow management software policy that scales according to your needs and allows you to integrate data from third-party apps, you might consider creating an account with ProofHub.

10. Hive

Hive is a cloud-based project management software that focuses on automating work operations for professionals in a wide variety of industries. Some of Hive's main features include the ability to quickly adapt parts of projects, view analytics from past campaigns and customize predictive alerts. You might consider integrating Hive into your project management process if you want a software application that has a built-in chat feature and the ability to immediately update users when you make project changes.

11. Shift

Shift is mainly used by professionals who do the majority of their work online, and it offers features that save you time that you might spend switching between a lot of third-party applications. It has features like the ability to automate your businesses operations, generate document templates and create effective presentations quickly. If you use multiple email accounts to complete your work, or you struggle to focus on your work because you constantly switch between programs, you might benefit from using Shift.

12. Automate.io

Automate.io is a software that sales and marketing teams often use to automate business operations and connect to cloud-based services. You can use it to import data from various types of accounting software, integrate third-party applications and create customizable workflow filters. If you work in a career that uses data from multiple types of applications, and you want consistent customer support while learning how to use new software, consider starting an account with Automate.io.

13. Intervals

Intervals is a web-based application that you can use to track project tasks, provide feedback to team members and create detailed reports. Some of its key features are the ability to create real-time graphs for each project, import data from Intervals to another application and create detailed invoices quickly. You might enjoy using Intervals if you work in an industry that requires a lot of time tracking and reporting, like web development, marketing, public relations, accounting or consulting.

14. Nintex

Nintex is a software application you can use if you want to access your work from any device and automate some of the tasks you perform while collaborating with other professionals. Its features include data lookup control, authenticated tasks and workflow testing. Since you can set your price by asking for a quote and communicating with their sales teams, Nintex might be the right option for you if you want a workflow management software policy that's flexible and offers options that match with your budget.

15. Gravity Flow

Gravity Flow is a web-based application that automates a lot of the processes you might repeat in your work, and it's used by companies of most sizes. Some of its features include the ability to create project branches, integrate third-party apps due to an open source API and set granular permissions for all team members. If you work in an industry that requires internal or external audits, you might benefit from using Gravity Flow because it keeps detailed reports of every user's activities.

16. Zapier

Zapier is a web-based application that removes a lot of the steps involved when you work with multiple types of third-party applications and automates the tasks that you often repeat in your work. It has many features, such as an easy-to-use dashboard that allows you to integrate third-party applications, the ability to track your task history and tools that enable you to replicate tasks you've already completed. Consider creating an account with Zapier if you desire a flexible pricing plan that's based on your business need and want to use a dashboard that you can customize with your most used apps.

17. Process Street

Process Street is a software that improves workflow by making it easier for users to manage documents and simplifying complex processes like generating leads for new clients and training new staff members. Some of Process Street's most important features include the ability to create regular workflow schedules, create insights by gathering data from third-party apps and create accelerated reports for your current assignments. You might benefit from creating a Process Street account if you have a career that involves quickly generating documents like reference guides, employee handbooks, project reports, corporate policies and weekly newsletters.

Please note that none of the companies or products mentioned in this article are affiliated with Indeed.