10 Best Resource Management Software For Agencies In 2024
10 Best Agency Resource Management Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 10 best software from the 20 tools reviewed.
With so many different agency resource management solutions available, figuring out which is right for you is tough. You know you want to organize and manage agency resources like staff and budgets effectively, but you need to figure out which tool is best. I've got you! In this post I'll help make your choice easy, sharing my personal experiences using dozens of different resourcing tools with various agencies, with my picks of the best agency resource management software.
What is Agency Resource Management Software?
Agency resource management software is a tool that helps agencies efficiently manage their internal resources. This includes organizing staff assignments, tracking time and budgets, overseeing project progress, and facilitating better team collaboration. Essentially, it's a comprehensive solution for agencies to optimize their operations, from resource allocation to project delivery, ensuring that every aspect of the agency's work is effectively managed and coordinated.
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ClickUp
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.7 -
Wrike
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.2 -
Hub Planner
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.2
Overviews of the 10 Best Agency Resource Management Software
Here’s a brief description of each agency resource management software that showcases each tool’s best use case and their noteworthy features. I’ve also included screenshots to give you a snapshot of their user interface too.
Kantata
Best agency resource management software for comprehensive all-in-one coverage
Kantata is an agency resource management software that blends project accounting, analysis, planning, and execution together in a single platform.
Why I picked Kantata: If you’re looking for a tool that can do it all, look no further than Kantata. The platform has modules for project management, business intelligence, team collaboration, accounting, and resource management, bringing them all together into a system of dashboards. Users can view real-time utilization at both the task and project levels, and can track time and expenses as well.
Kantata offers clients access to their BI consultants, who can provide further data by building custom reports and providing onboarding training to your team. The platform features resource forecasting, scenario planning, role-based planning, skills management, and capacity management.
Kantata Standout Features & Integrations
Features include resource forecasting and capacity management, custom reporting and trends analysis, built-in reports, real-time utilization, project costing, invoicing, and budget management.
Integrations include Expensify, G Suite, Netsuite, Jira, HubSpot, Xero, Salesforce, Slack, Concur, Qualtrics, Dynamics 365, and Quickbooks. Custom integrations can be created via M-Bridge.
Best for international agencies with complex scheduling needs
Resource Guru is an agency resource management software with a simple UI and powerful, customizable features.
Why I picked Resource Guru: It provides you with a lot of control over how you interact with the scheduling features. With resource availability, you can set default and normal availability patterns, and exceptions for special circumstances. When booking clashes arise, you can place a booking on a waitlist. Additionally, custom fields let you categorize users in any way you prefer.
In settings, you can choose custom filters to focus on the resources you’d like to see. Resource Guru also includes a leave management system, making it easy for managers to approve requests with an understanding of upcoming workloads.
Resource Guru Standout Features & Integrations
Features include resource scheduling, resource management, leave management, project scheduling, equipment management, meeting room booking, capacity planning, and project forecasting reports.
Integrations are available by connecting a paid Zapier account.
Scoro is an all-in-one work management software designed for professional services, offering a wide range of features to manage processes and improve productivity.
Why I picked Scoro: One of the key features that makes Scoro ideal for agencies is its all-in-one platform, which eliminates the need for multiple separate tools. This integration ensures that all aspects of agency operations, from project management and time tracking to financial reporting, are seamlessly connected. The software provides detailed insights into project progress, resource allocation, and financial health, all accessible from a single dashboard in real time.
I also like Scoro's robust project management capabilities, which are specifically tailored to the needs of agencies requiring precise control over their projects and resources. The software enables managers to assign tasks, track time, and monitor deadlines and budgets in real time, providing a comprehensive overview of ongoing projects.
Scoro Standout Features & Integrations
Features include utilization tools, project management, quoting and budgeting, sales & CRM, resource planning, retainers, time tracking, reports, and dashboards.
Integrations include Google Calendar, Microsoft Exchange, Xero, QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Expensify, Stripe, Jira, Slack, Asana, Dropbox, PayPal, and more.
Best for marketing agencies that deal with frequent changes of scope
Productive is an agency resource management software that provides real-time capacity insights.
Why I picked Productive: Marketing agencies are accustomed to changes of scope. Sadly, trial by committee dilutes and diverts creative strategy, and changes often need to be made quickly, at the eleventh hour. Productive makes it easy to view available resources and create an environment of team collaboration to complete the project.
Filters enable you to zoom in on specific views by team member, teams, and budgets. Heat maps and capacity indicators help you see when anyone is overbooked. And Productive’s “insights library” gives you a micro and macro overview of current and future utilization for capacity planning.
Productive Standout Features & Integrations
Features include billable utilization by person, capacity insights, booking insights, scheduling, placeholders, vacation requests, and operations analytics.
Integrations include Quickbooks, Jira, Xero, Exact, Slack, Harvest Import, Fortnox, and Personio. More integrations are available by connecting a paid Zapier account.
Best agency resource management software with real-time automation
Screendragon is a comprehensive work management software designed to simplify project management for marketing and agency teams.
Why I picked Screendragon: Its workload and resource management capabilities automate scheduling and resource allocation. This feature provides real-time updates and capacity planning heatmaps, allowing agencies to optimize their resource utilization effectively.
The real-time resource calendar also offers visibility into resource allocation across projects, ensuring that managers can make informed decisions quickly. Additionally, the drag-and-drop scheduling feature simplifies adjustments to schedules, with notifications for conflicts, making it easier to manage dynamic project requirements.
Screendragon Standout Features & Integrations
Features include budget tracking, forecasting, filtering by skills and capacity, proofing and collaboration tools, workflow management, custom workflows, real-time project insights, customizable dashboards, and KPIs.
Integrations include Google Drive, Slack, Trello, Microsoft 365, Jira, OneDrive, Zapier, Box, Oracle PeopleSoft, Egnyte, Dynamics 365 Business Central, SAP Sales Cloud, MS Power BI, and MS Teams.
Best for marketing agencies with simple capacity planning needs
Monday.com is an agency resource management software with a creative management tool built specifically for marketers.
Why I picked Monday.com: Monday.com is a flexible platform that makes it easy for marketing agencies to see projected timelines, outstanding projects, and available resources. The simple, well-designed interface is easy to learn, meaning that teams can get started planning and tracking right away. The handy workload view allows you to see team capacity and make any necessary adjustments to ownership or timeline.
Monday Marketer provides marketing-specific features built to suit industry needs. You can collect and manage creative requests, monitor projects, review briefs, and even upload digital assets. The tool also speeds up the approval process by allowing you to annotate images and videos.
Monday.com Standout Features & Integrations
Features include Gantt charts, dashboards, real-time collaboration, file management, resource management, and real-time scheduling.
Integrations include Slack, Jira, GitHub, Excel, Dropbox, Gmail, Google Calendar, and Typeform. Further integrations are available by connecting a paid Zapier account.
Best for optimizing team capacity, utilization, and agency profitability
Bonsai is an all-in-one business management platform designed to streamline business workflows, with features especially useful for digital and creative agencies, consultancies, and professional service providers.
Why I picked Bonsai: As an agency resource management software, Bonsai's platform allows you to manage your projects and related operations from beginning to end. You can plan project tasks around your team's capacity using the platform's workload chart, which offers a real-time view of availability.
The software also has robust reporting and analytics capabilities that allow you to optimize your resources more effectively. For example, through its time tracking feature, Bonsai can provide insights into actual time spent on tasks compared to time planned, which provides a better overview of utilization and overall profitability. These reports are also useful for forecasting future resource needs.
Bonsai Standout Features & Integrations
Features include Kanban boards, file sharing, capacity limits, invoicing, contracts, proposals, CRM, tax management, client portals, automation, and analytics for various metrics.
Integrations include QuickBooks Online, Calendly, ClickUp, Trello, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Calendar, Zapier, Slack, Google Sheets, Xero, HubSpot, and more.
Best for agencies that want to manage resources, projects, and budgets in one place
Hub Planner is a cloud-based resource and project management software with scheduling, time tracking, leave management, and skills matching features.
Why I picked Hub Planner: Agencies can use the software to allocate their resources based on availability, skills, and expertise. The software can auto-assign projects and tasks to various team members, and fill in the gaps of necessary resources. Capacity management gives users an overview of their team's capacity and allocate tasks accordingly. Time can be tracked in both billable and non-billable hours, and time tracking works both online and offline.
Users can track resource utilization and generate reports based on individual projects or an entire portfolio. Reports can be customized to include only the information relevant to the user, and exported in various formats, making it easy to share them with stakeholders. The software also has a budgeting tool that provides real-time project costs, so agencies can track expenses as they progress and avoid overspending.
Hub Planner Standout Features & Integrations
Features include PTO planning, timesheets, reporting, skills matching, task management, templates, drag and drop scheduler, project budgets, approval flow, smart scheduler, and third-party integrations/add-ons.
Integrations can be configured via their Hub Planner API, or with a paid Zapier account.
ActiveCollab is an agency resource management software that uses a simple interface to help you allocate resources.
Why I picked ActiveCollab: ActiveCollab has in-depth planning features, helpful financial estimate features, and detailed resource planning dashboards. You can manage teams across projects, track time on tasks, and issue invoices according to billable hours.
The interface is simple and straightforward while still providing ample functionality. New users will find it easy to learn the platform and establish a system that works for their team. You can quickly begin to maximize utilization without the risk of burnout, remaining on time and on budget too.
ActiveCollab Standout Features & Integrations
Features include work management, team collaboration, time management, resource management, business profitability, and multiple task views.
Integrations include DropBox, Trello, Basecamp, Asana, Wrike, Slack, Hubstaff, TimeCamp, Quickbooks, Xero, Braintree, Stripe, and PayPal.
Ganttic is an agency resource management software that allows users to allocate resources from multiple locations and time zones.
Why I picked Ganttic: For agencies with teams spread out across the globe, Ganttic makes it easy to create schedules that include collaboration across time zones. You can filter availability results based on locations and departments, client and project requirements, team member certifications and skill sets, time zones, budgets and salaries.
Scheduling changes in Ganttic are sent out as an automatic alert, and push notifications make sure the team is aware. Reports can be automated so that as soon as a project wraps, you’ll be ready to analyze and use the data to plan more accurately for the future.
Ganttic Standout Features & Integrations
Features include drag-and-drop scheduling, automated reporting, CSV import, customizable views, capacity planning, and equipment management.
Integrations can be accessed through the custom API, or by connecting a paid Zapier account.
The 10 Best Agency Resource Management Software Summary
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Kantata | Pricing upon request | Website |
| Resource Guru | From $4.16/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Scoro | From $26/user/month (min 5 seats) | Website |
| Productive | From $9/user/month | Website |
| Screendragon | From $20/user/month | Website |
| monday.com | From $8/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Bonsai Agency Software | From $10/user/month | Website |
| Hub Planner | From $7/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| ActiveCollab | Starts from $11/month for up to 3 users | Website |
| Ganttic | From $25 month/20 resources/unlimited users | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareOther Options
Here are a few more worthwhile options that didn’t make the best agency resource management software list:
How I Selected the Best Agency Resource Management Software
Curious how I chose my list of the best agency resource management software? I began by comparing a wide range of tools with positive user ratings. I asked myself how they stacked up against one another, and what stood out about each individual platform.
After choosing my long list, I narrowed it down using the selection criteria below. The agency resource management software platforms that met each of the criteria made it to my shortlist.
Selection Criteria
Here’s a short summary of the main selection and evaluation criteria I used to develop my list of the best resource management software for this article:
- User Interface: I selected software that had simple, intuitive interfaces. These tools shouldn’t require specialized knowledge to get set up, or be overly fussy or complicated in any way. The onboarding process needs to be straightforward and relatively quick so you can begin planning as soon as possible.
- Depth of Data: When I compiled this list I tried to include tools that covered the spectrum, from more straightforward options to in-depth platforms. Some go a step beyond to also offer industry-specific functionality, extra reporting capabilities, or additional project management features.
- Integrations: I chose agency resource management software platforms that integrate with a variety of other tools. These include those that assist with accounting, communication, project management, and client relations. Many of the tools offer integrations that are native within the platform, while some offer integrations through a third party account like Zapier, or a custom API.
- Pricing: I picked tools that achieve a balance between cost effectiveness and value. Many of them also offer freemium plans, and free demos and trial periods.
Agency Resource Management Software FAQs
When choosing the best agency resource management software for your team, it’s helpful to understand the primary benefits and use cases. Let’s take a look at a few of the most frequently asked questions about resource management software.
Why do agencies need resource management software?
Having an understanding of how resources like people, money, and technology are currently and prospectively being utilized within your organization allows you to accurately forecast future opportunities. When you land a new account or project, resource management software can help you understand your resource capacity and work within project budgets and the project schedule to deliver the work in a manner that maximizes profitability.
What are the key features of resource management software for agencies?
The most common features of resource management software include:
- Time tracking and timesheets
- Workflow creation
- Custom dashboards
- Drag-and-drop scheduling
- Integrations with other communication, accounting, and project management tools
- Automated approvals
- Custom kanban boards, Gantt charts, and other visual elements
- Milestone tracking
- Notifications at key points in the project life cycle
What are the benefits of using resource management in agencies?
Within an agency, effective resource planning can contribute to so many positive outcomes:
- Mitigates the risk of team burnout (and keeps employees happy!)
- Keeps an eye on expenses to ensure you stay on budget
- Helps manage scope creep and maintain profitability in the face of change
- Equips your team to take on new opportunities for growth without sacrificing work/life balance
How do you humanize project resourcing to boost an agency’s culture?
Resource allocation isn’t just about the numbers. When we interviewed Morgan Meganetty for The Digital Project Manager Podcast, she told us:
“For me, the most interesting part of it is keeping people from burning out. Pairing skills to tasks. Understanding what people… need to do to… keep themselves interested in their career.”
To hear more about how to humanize the resource scheduling process, listen to the full episode by clicking here.
How do I select resource management software?
You can select resource management software by asking yourself certain questions, like:
- Do I need a dedicated software?
- Do I want it to be a cloud-based or on-premise solution?
- Does it have the integrations I need to make the most out of the software I currently use?
- Is the price worth the features that I will get for it?
We have all the answers to those questions in our resource management buyer’s guide.
Learn More About Agency Resource Management
To learn more about agency resource management, you can start by learning the elements that go into a resource management plan. Then, go through the list of 6 techniques to master resource management tasks.
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