The 15 Best Resource Scheduling Software Tools Reviewed For 2024
15 Best Resource Scheduling Software Shortlist
Here's my pick of the 15 best software from the 26 tools reviewed.
Get free help from our project management software advisors to find your match.
You're looking for resource scheduling software to enhance your project efficiency by ensuring that the right resources are available at the right time. Fortunately, there are countless resource scheduling software solutions available; however, the abundance of options can make creating a shortlist of the best both time-consuming and frustrating.
In this post, I draw on my experience managing large, complex projects and using dozens of different PM tools to narrow down your options, shortlisting only the best resource scheduling software. I also highlight each tool's standout features and ideal use cases, making your search for the right fit quick and painless.
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Resource Scheduling Software Comparison Chart
This table summarizes some of the key features to help you make a decision.
| Tools | Price | |
|---|---|---|
| Kantata | Pricing upon request | Website |
| Parallax | Pricing upon request | Website |
| Productive | From $9/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Scoro | From $26/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Runn | From $10/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| eResource Scheduler | From $5/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| MRPeasy | From $49/user/month | Website |
| Accelo | Available upon request | Website |
| Silverbucket | From $9.50/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Resource Guru | From $4.16/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Hub Planner | From $7/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Bonsai Agency Software | From $9/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| Saviom | Pricing upon request | Website |
| Microsoft Project | From $10/user/month (billed annually) | Website |
| ActiveCollab | Starts from $11/month for up to 3 users | Website |
Compare Software Specs Side by Side
Use our comparison chart to review and evaluate software specs side-by-side.
Compare SoftwareHow To Choose Resource Scheduling Software
With so many different resource scheduling software solutions available, it can be challenging to make decisions on what resource scheduling software is going to be the best fit for your needs.
As you're shortlisting, trialing, and selecting resource scheduling software consider the following:
- What problem are you trying to solve - Start by identifying the resource scheduling software feature gap you're trying to fill to clarify the features and functionality the resource scheduling software needs to provide.
- Who will need to use it - To evaluate cost and requirements, consider who'll be using the software and how many licenses you'll need. You'll need to evaluate if it'll just be the project management professionals, or the whole organization that will require access. When that's clear, it's worth considering if you're prioritizing ease of use for all, or speed for your resource scheduling software power users.
- What other tools it needs to work with - Clarify what tools you're replacing, what tools are staying, and the tools you'll need to integrate with, such as accounting, CRM or HR software. You'll need to decide if the tools will need to integrate together, or alternatively, if you can replace multiple tools with one consolidated resource scheduling tool.
- What outcomes are important - Consider the result that the software needs to deliver to be considered a success. Consider what capability you want to gain, or what you want to improve, and how you will be measuring success. For example, an outcome could be the ability to get greater visibility into performance. You could compare resource scheduling software features until you’re blue in the face, but if you aren’t thinking about the outcomes you want to drive, you could be wasting a lot of valuable time.
- How it would work within your organization - Consider the software selection alongside your workflows and delivery methodology. Evaluate what's working well, and the areas that are causing issues that need to be addressed. Remember every business is different — don’t assume that because a tool is popular that it'll work in your organization.
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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 -
Miro
Visit WebsiteThis is an aggregated rating for this tool including ratings from Crozdesk users and ratings from other sites.4.8
Best Resource Scheduling Software Reviews
Here is each tool and its standout features along with information on what makes it great for resource scheduling.
Kantata is a well-rounded resource management & PSA software that bridges the core planning, execution, project accounting, and analysis systems in a single operating environment.
Why I picked Kantata: It has modules for project management, accounting, resource management, business intelligence, and team collaboration. On top of this, it offers a system of dashboards, live time and expense tracking features, and a great documenting system.
Besides the resource scheduling-specific features shown below, Kantata offers a ton of other tools for managing a business beyond resource scheduling, including built-in BI reports, trend analysis, data visualization, data integration with other systems, project costing, invoicing, and much more.
What’s more, the company leverages its professional services expertise as part of their offering, making available their Kantata BI Consultants who can build reports specifically for your business. As well, they provide some great training resources that can help mitigate the risks and costs of implementation.
Kantata Standout Features & Integrations
Features include resource forecasting, real-time utilization, capacity management, skills management, scenario planning, and role-based planning.
Integrations include pre-built connections with these tools: Expensify, G Suite, Xero, Salesforce, Netsuite, Jira, Hubspot, Slack, Concur, Dynamics 365, Qualtrics, Quickbooks, and Sage Intacct. They also provide an integration platform called M-Bridge that’s designed to simplify integration between Kantata and other business apps like CRM, HCM, and financial software.
Kantata offers plans to meet your needs. Choose from resource management to complete PSA with advanced BI. To receive accurate pricing information, contact Kantata directly.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Resourcing fully integrated with master planning
- Good reporting functionality for resource data
- Distinguish between soft and firm allocation
- Easy capacity management
Cons:
- Proofing solution is an add-on
- Custom Reports Can Be Difficult to create without training
Parallax is a cloud-based resource management and planning software that allows organizations to track resources including people, equipment, and tasks. The software uses automation to simplify scheduling and resource allocation across a large number of projects.
Why I picked Parallax: This tool uses algorithms to optimize the scheduling process, taking factors like cost-effectiveness, availability, capacity, and deadlines into account. These algorithms help maximize efficiency and minimize costs by allocating the most appropriate resources to tasks and projects. The platform also allows for customization to make sure it suits the realities and needs of the user.
For marketing agencies and software development environments, this software is particularly beneficial. The analytics tools gather insights on resource usage over time and offer predictive insights to help businesses anticipate future resource demand based on past trends. For fast-paced, high-volume use cases, the algorithmic functions of the platform can support efficiency and reduce redundancy.
Parallex Standout Features & Integrations
Features include billable capacity tracking, resource forecasting, project health tracking, and cross-team visibility.
Integrations include Asana, Harvest, Hubspot, Jira, Microsoft Teams, Oracle NetSuite, Salesforce, and Tempo.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Support team readily available to help with onboarding and troubleshooting
- Friendly user interface makes the tool easy to use
- Automation features help increase efficiency over time
Cons:
- Data needs to be collected before predictive insights become reliable
- The software is relatively new and is regularly updated for improved usability
Productive is a scalable agency management system with powerful functionalities for supporting in-depth data and monitoring business profitability.
Why I picked Productive: The tool has the features to support your projects from prospect to payment. Getting a deal, sending a proposal, scheduling your team, tracking hours, and ultimately getting paid should come with a clear and transparent track record. With a focus on profitability, Productive gives you the power to understand your margins in real time, as well as forecasting budget spend in the future.
Productive Standout Features & Integrations
Features include placeholders for contractors, task tracking, scheduling, timesheets, budgeting, invoicing, and reporting.
Integrations include Jira, Xero, Exact, Slack, Quickbooks, Microsoft Outlook, Fortnox, Personio, and Zapier. It also has an open API available for custom integrations.
Productive supports your project planning and resource scheduling through its platform and mobile phone apps. Be careful with the pricing, though, as it can quickly get expensive.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Built-in time management can bill multiple business entities
- Plenty of custom tags to choose from
- Quite easy to set up collaborative tasks
Cons:
- Invoicing and quotation features are limited
- Roles/user rights are not as granular
Scoro is an all-in-one business management software designed to enhance work processes and productivity. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools that cater to various business needs, from project management and billing to CRM and reporting.
Why I picked Scoro: One of the standout aspects of Scoro is its ability to provide a real-time overview of team availability and workload. This feature allows managers to allocate resources effectively, ensuring that no team member is overbooked or underutilized. Additionally, Scoro's resource scheduling capabilities are integrated with project timelines, which means that any changes in project schedules are automatically reflected in resource allocations.
Another reason Scoro stands out in resource scheduling is its intuitive and customizable calendar views. These views allow users to easily see who is working on what and when. The drag-and-drop interface further enhances the user experience, enabling quick adjustments without the need for complicated processes. Furthermore, Scoro's resource booking feature supports advanced filters and tags, allowing users to find the best fit for tasks based on skills, availability, and other criteria.
Scoro Standout Features & Integrations
Features include project management, task management, time tracking, billing, financial management, customer relationship management (CRM), reporting, dashboards, quoting, invoicing, expense tracking, collaboration tools, document management, and customizable templates.
Integrations include Google Calendar, Xero, QuickBooks, Sage Intacct, Exact Online, Expensify, Stripe, Jira, HubSpot, Salesforce, Google Drive, Dropbox, Okta, Azure AD, and Zapier.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Real-time project tracking
- Robust utilization reports
- Good invoicing and financial management features
Cons:
- Mobile app is less robust than web version
- Its many customization options can feel overwhelming
Runn is a real-time resource, demand, and capacity planning tool with integrated time tracking and powerful forecasting capabilities. With Runn, you can collaborate with co-workers to stay up-to-date and on the same page with remote teams.
Why I picked Runn: Its drag-and-drop interface helps quickly create project phases and allocations, and you can flick between monthly, quarterly and half-yearly views to plan for the short and long term.
Runn makes resource management dynamic and visual. If you don’t have the right person at the right time, you can use placeholders until you have the right people. Also, the charts and reports update as you plan out your work, and you can see visualizations of capacity, workload, availability, and billable and non-billable utilization. Drilling into different roles, teams and tags lets you compare trends and understand which groups are overbooked.
Finally, the software lets you track projects, view forecasts, and get relevant metrics. You’ll have up-to-date data in one place to keep tabs on insights like utilization, project variance, and overall financial performance. You can also use its built-in timesheets to understand how much time was worked compared to what was planned.
Runn Standout Features & Integrations
Features include workload capacity, real-time charts and graphs, resource placeholders, in-depth people reports, budget planned vs actuals, milestones, a pipeline view of projects, and business-wide financial reports.
Integrations include Harvest, WorkflowMax, and Clockify for importing project, client, and people data and syncing time entries. With Runn’s API, you can build your own integration to send data across your favorite tools.
If you wish to try out this software's features, there is a free version you can immediately access through its website.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Native integrations & API available
- Free version available for 5 users
- Clean UI that’s easy to use & navigate
Cons:
- Time tracking requires a Google Chrome extension
- Colors are not customisable
eResource Scheduler offers both Cloud and On-Premise versions with configurability & ease of use at core of its design. It’s been used by organizations of all sizes since 2011.
This resource scheduling tool’s features include a dashboard that highlights important information on single screen, along with multiple types of user-defined fields that allow capturing complete information (roles, skills, qualifications, certificates, team, office, etc.) about your projects.
The resource scheduling chart offers resources, projects and role views, and users can create their own scheduling views on the fly. Filters identify qualified resources as per project requirements. Meanwhile, features like drag and drop, availability and overload indicator, extend-shorten, precise split, copy-paste make scheduling efficient and quick. They also offer the option to schedule at both project and task levels. You’ll find multiple calendars with different timings, holidays, exceptions, and personal leaves (visible on scheduling chart) to ensure correct resource capacity for different types of employees (Full, Part-Time, Casual, etc.) Their reports show real-time utilization at different levels and their reporting offers several different views/filters which make the reports informative and useful.
To integrate their tool with your other business tools, you can use their Open REST API, and you can also take advantage of easy imports/exports.
And finally, their timesheets feature and financial module (complete with cost and billing rates and a forecasting report) make eResource Scheduler complete resource management package. eResource Scheduler costs $5/resource/month and provides annual billing discounts (14-day free trial).
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Robust resource dashboard
- Change control records for resource data
- Ease of use and functionality
- Resource notification emails
Cons:
- Convoluted pricing structure
- No invoicing module
MRPeasy is a comprehensive manufacturing resource planning (MRP) software, specifically tailored for the manufacturing sector. It integrates seamlessly into the industry's processes, offering real-time visibility into production scheduling, inventory management, and operational efficiency.
Why I picked MRPeasy: MRPeasy offers an intuitive interface that simplifies the intricate process of resource scheduling. Manufacturers can easily plan and adjust their production schedules in real-time using the calendar or Gantt chart function, ensuring maximum efficiency and responsiveness to changes. This keeps timelines organized and allows for clear visibility of different operations.
MRPeasy also has a wide range of integration capabilities, connecting various aspects of manufacturing operations from inventory management to customer relationship management (CRM). This interconnectedness ensures that all departments are synchronized, enhancing communication and collaboration across the organization. For instance, the software's real-time inventory tracking feature enables manufacturers to minimize stockouts and excess inventory, while planning ahead for future production schedules.
MRPeasy Standout Features & Integrations
Features include production, workstation, and employee calendars, routings, automated inventory transactions, tools for estimating costs and lead times, real-time reporting, sales tracking, quotations and invoices, and more.
Integrations include Amazon, Xero, WooCommerce, BigCommerce, Crossfire, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, HubSpot, QuickBooks, ShipStation, Salesforce, Shopify, Zapier, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Comprehensive view of resource scheduling
- Automated production planning
- Simple, easy-to-use interface
Cons:
- Limited customizations
- Lack of advanced features due to a simple platform
Accelo is an end-to-end professional services work management software designed to help track, manage, and optimize your business. Whether you're running projects, managing client communications, or tracking billable time, Accelo covers a wide range of operational needs.
Why I picked Accelo: Accelo’s resource scheduling tools let you balance your team's workload efficiently. With its real-time scheduling feature, you can allocate resources based on capacity, ensuring nobody's overbooked or underutilized. The dynamic scheduling feature adjusts to changing priorities and project timelines, making sure that last-minute shifts in workload are handled smoothly. You can also view team availability and task assignments in one place.
Another reason Accelo works well for resource scheduling is its utilization tracking. You can easily monitor how your team's time is being spent and quickly spot areas where resources are being over- or under-allocated. It also integrates with time tracking, allowing you to convert your schedule into timesheets without extra manual work.
Accelo Standout Features & Integrations
Features include resource forecasting, project templates, team dashboards, custom workflows, recurring task automation, client portals, client invoicing, retainer management, billing approvals, timesheet locking, and contract management.
Integrations include Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Exchange & Microsoft Outlook, Xero, QuickBooks Online, HubSpot, Mailchimp, Salesforce, Zapier, Stripe, PayPal, Jira, Continuum, Zendesk, Microsoft Power BI, Expensify, Gusto, HubSpot Partner Portal, Practice Ignition, Google Analytics, and others.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Time tracking functionality
- Live financial forecasting capabilities
- Comprehensive client work management
Cons:
- Limited customization options in reports
- Mobile app is limited compared to desktop version
Silverbucket is a project resource planning software that helps businesses manage their project allocations effectively.
Why I picked Silverbucket: Silverbucket's resource planning capabilities aid in scheduling projects, managing timelines, and delegating tasks to the right team members. The software provides a transparent view of your company’s resource allocations, highlighting conflicts, workloads, and capacity levels. Its Gantt chart feature simplifies the planning and visualization of project timelines, while skill management tools help identify the appropriate competencies for your project team.
I also like that the drag-and-drop functionality facilitates the simultaneous allocation of multiple people and roles, allowing you to plan projects based on available resources and skill levels. The max function helps avoid overbooking by reserving a person's capacity in advance. Additionally, employees can log their hours in the system, offering a clearer understanding of how time is spent on projects.
Silverbucket Standout Features & Integrations
Features include utilization and optimization, heatmap, absence management, time tracking, resourcing request, soft bookings, filtering and search options, Gantt chart management, tasks, risk and conflict management, skills mapping, and forecasting and reporting tools.
Integrations include sync imports for .xlsx and .csv data, SSO options with Google oauth2 and Active Directory. Additionally, you can build custom integrations using its custom API.
Time tracking has an extra cost and licenses get cheaper as you increase the number of people in the system.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Skills hierarchy system to help plot resources
- Soft booking system for tentative allocations
- Easily compare planned to actual hours
Cons:
- No ability to create "What if" scenarios
- No mobile app
Resource Guru is a dedicated resource scheduling software tool that focuses on simplicity within resource management. But don't think for a second that it means they've sacrificed features for it.
Why I picked Resource Guru: The tool has all the features you would expect from a resource scheduler, presented in a clean and simple interface. With a great visual calendar-style interface, it shows what everyone’s working on and clearly displays availability so you can maximize utilization. The tool allows you to make bookings simultaneously with no chance of stepping on each other’s toes, thanks to its clash management notifications.
Additionally, its clash management feature helps you from having over-allocated resources that will affect your project delivery. Bookings can be added to a waiting list and used for capacity planning later. Finally, each staff member gets their own resource dashboard to know exactly what they should be working on, and powerful reports to monitor the utilization of your team and help with capacity planning.
Resource Guru Standout Features & Integrations
Features include multi-resource bookings, tentative and repeat bookings, absence management, a vacation tracker, clash management, personalized dashboards, and reporting.
Integrations include Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar. It also has an integration with Zapier that lets you connect with 1500+ additional apps.
Resource Guru is a user-friendly and easy-to-use option for companies that are new to resource scheduling while offering scalable features to support bigger operations.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Affordable per-user rate
- Daily resource summary emails
- Availability bar for capacity planning
Cons:
- No copy-paste of resource tasks
- Lacks zooming options in the calendar view
Hub Planner is a resource scheduling software with a full suite of scheduling, time entry, and reporting features. The core feature is the simple and usable Scheduler, which allows for project and resource planning and visualization.
Why I picked Hub Planner: Users can drag and drop to plan projects and schedule resources. The tool also offers a multi-function menu, powerful filtering, reporting with 70+ pre-formatted templates, and a dynamic team capacity bar. Multiple view modes allow for both high-level birds-eye views and granular views of projects.
Hub Planner also has a number of inline workflows for timesheets, requesting vacation time, and a slick resource requesting & approval option. Their Unassigned Work feature is great for scheduling and forecasting ahead of the pipeline, and you can create custom fields at the resource or project level. You can also customize schedule notifications and reminders.
Hub Planner Standout Features & Integrations
Features include a resource scheduler, timesheets, approvals, vacation & leave management, skills matching, resource requesting, dashboards, and reports.
Integrations include Basecamp, Slack, iCal, and Zapier, which lets you connect to thousands of apps. A REst API is also available for custom-built integrations.
Hub Planner is the resource scheduling software of preference by companies like Pfizer, AON, Mercedes-Benz, and Motorola.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Good overview of staff task/time allocations and availability
- Easily track several projects and generate reports
- Filter planning & forecasting data by project, resource, group or skill set
Cons:
- 24/7 support starts in the Premium plan
- To customize views and schedule layout you need to edit settings
Best for agency resource scheduling and forecasting
Bonsai is a business management platform that provides an array of tools for client management, project management, and financial management, aiming to enhance productivity for agencies, consultancies, and professional services.
Why I picked Bonsai: I like that the platform has an intuitive interface that allows for easy scheduling and tracking of multiple projects and resources. The resource management dashboard allows you to set daily capacity, schedule your team's work across multiple projects, and log time off.
You can also view workload charts in real-time to see who is under or over-capacity and how you can optimize your team's time. Additionally, Bonsai allows you to track utilization and efficiency with its robust reporting and analytics. With this feature, you can get a comprehensive view of your business's resourcing and utilization and even forecast capacity for future projects.
Bonsai also stands out for its comprehensive approach to business management beyond just scheduling. The software includes features like contract management, invoicing, and payment processing, which are integrated seamlessly with the scheduling tools.
Bonsai Standout Features & Integrations
Features include CRM, proposals, retainers, a client portal, templates, automation of routine tasks, time tracking, task management, project budgets, profit and loss visibility, collaboration tools, and more.
Integrations include Gmail, Google Calendar, Zapier, Slack, QuickBooks Online, Calendly, ClickUp, Trello, Google Drive, Google Sheets, Xero, HubSpot, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- All-in-one solution with invoicing, time tracking, and accounting
- Automation features that streamline workflow and manage time
- Professional templates for contracts, proposals, and invoices
Cons:
- Limitations with scalability
- Lacks advanced features
Saviom is a resource management and professional services automation software that helps you reduce resource costs.
Why I picked Saviom: Saviom’s multidimensional resource scheduler goes beyond basic allocations and helps build an optimized workforce. Additionally, its Gantt chart view of resources with easy drag and drop facilitates real-time scheduling to meet dynamically changing needs.
This solution provides 360-degree visibility and advanced filters to select the most suitable resources across multiple dimensions, such as skills, role, cost, team, project type, and location, before allocating them to various projects. Besides, you can analyze availability, utilization, etc., and prevent overbooking of resources, thus maintaining a healthy resource index.
Businesses can use the tool’s bulk booking feature to reshuffle resource schedules or implement real-time bulk changes. In addition, the user-friendly interface enables you to split and reassign resources to projects in just a few clicks.
Moreover, it also allows you to create generic bookings to streamline pipeline project management with timely allocations. Forecasting and capacity planning helps identify resource excesses and shortages ahead of time, ensuring an optimized talent pool. Using the leave management portal, you can effectively schedule resources by considering planned and unplanned time-offs. Automated workflow streamlines the resource requisition process and eliminates scheduling conflicts.
The tool’s what-is analysis helps overcome resource constraints to arrive at the most viable resource plan. Besides, the tool’s open seat feature empowers resources to show interest in suitable opportunities which can be considered during allocations for better engagement and quality of deliverables.
Saviom Standout Features & Integrations
Features include an interactive resource scheduler, 360-degree visibility, resource utilization forecasting, capacity vs demand analysis, resource bench, skill database, and dynamic dashboards.
Integrations include ERP, ERM, Project planning tools, PPM, and HR management systems. Further, it will effortlessly align with your calendars, emails, MS Project, Excel, and other applications. This helps maintain a single source of truth across the organization and eliminates the chances of double data entry.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Multidimensional forecasting and capacity planning
- Advanced filters for competent allocation and scheduling
- Multidimensional view of enterprise schedule
- Split, Reassign, or perform bulk booking with just a few clicks
Cons:
- Pricing is available only on request
- Mostly suited for medium to large enterprises requiring complex scheduling
- Interfaces display a lot of information at once
Microsoft Project can be clunky (which is why many people search for MS Project alternatives), but MS Project is still a standard, well-supported, and widely adopted tool.
Why I picked Microsoft Project: It includes familiar scheduling tools to assign project tasks to team members and use different views like Grid, Board, and Timeline (Gantt chart) to oversee the schedule. Users can view and compare how resources are used across projects to optimize assignments.
If you are familiar with other Microsoft programs, in particular Excel, then the interface and navigation will be familiar to you. This can help teams on a Usability level, as familiar software makes for easier training; thus, they evaluated well in Usability in this regard.
Microsoft Project Standout Features & Integrations
Features include resource requests, visual heatmaps to identify over-allocation, resource analytics, task management, and portfolio management.
Integrations include other Microsoft software, like Outlook, Excel, Skype, and more.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Integration with other Microsoft software
- Driver prioritization module for ranking strategies/objectives
- Helpful project template descriptions for guidance
- Can generate a Gantt chart from a spreadsheet
Cons:
- Few customization options
- Higher learning curve
- Limitations on collaboration tools
ActiveCollab is a project and resource management software that helps users manage their teams across projects, track time on tasks, and issue invoices for billable hours.
Why I picked ActiveCollab: This tool includes resource-relevant solutions like timesheets, profitability reports, internal hourly rates, and non-billable expense tracking.
ActiveCollab has rich planning features, great resource-tracking dashboards, timesheet tools, and financial estimates. These functions are all essential to any project manager in need of resource scheduling and planning help.
Per our evaluation, the software’s Usability would benefit from the ability to filter tasks by their completion status, rather than having completed tasks in the same list with open tasks. This could make progress clearly visible to you, your team, and your clients.
ActiveCollab Standout Features & Integrations
Features include resource scheduling and allocation, workload planner, time-off management, daily capacity, overtime indicators, and a drag-and-drop interface that will help you assign and reassign tasks in seconds.
Integrations include Google Drive, Dropbox, Trello, Basecamp, Asana, Wrike, Slack, Hubstaff, TimeCamp, Quickbooks, Xero, Authorize.Net, Braintree, PayPal, Stripe, and hundreds of other third-party apps using Zapier.
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Great organization of task overview
- Fully customizable API
- People/roll management
- Easy to invite collaborators
Cons:
- No Kanban cards/tasks
- No integration with GitHub
- Can’t duplicate task lists
Other Resource Scheduling Software
Below is a list of additional tools for resource scheduling that didn’t make the top list:
Related Resource Scheduling Software Reviews
If you still haven't found what you're looking for here, check out these other related tools that we've tested and evaluated:
- Project Management Software
- Resource Management Software
- Workflow Automation Software
- Time Tracking Software
- Productivity Tools
- Project Scheduling Software
Selection Criteria For Resource Scheduling Software
Selecting resource scheduling software requires a deep understanding of each tool's functionality and how it addresses specific use cases that are crucial for efficient resource allocation and management. Having personally trialed and researched various solutions, I've developed a set of weighted criteria that closely align with the various needs and objectives of software buyers in the resource management space.
Core Resource Scheduling Software Functionality (25% of total weighting score): To be considered for inclusion on my list of the best resource scheduling solutions, the solution had to support the ability to fulfill common use cases:
- Efficient allocation of resources across multiple projects
- Real-time tracking of resource availability and utilization
- Scalability to accommodate growth and changes in resource demand
- Conflict resolution mechanisms for overlapping bookings
- Detailed reporting for resource usage and project progress
Additional Standout Features (25% of total weighting score): Beyond the basics, this criterion identifies platforms that distinguish themselves through innovative features. It zeroes in on unique capabilities, like AI forecasting and skill tracking, that can significantly enhance resource allocation and project planning. For this aspect of the evaluation, I focus on:
- Identifying platforms that offer predictive analytics for better resource planning
- Evaluating tools that include skill and competency tracking to match tasks with the best-suited resources
- Looking for unique integrations that enhance workflow and data sharing between departments and external tools
Usability (10% of total weighting score): Usability testing is a crucial part of the evaluation, as it determines how easily users can navigate and utilize the platform's features to their full potential. This evaluation seeks to identify platforms that offer a balance between sophisticated functionalities and a user-friendly interface, facilitating a seamless user experience.
- Platforms should offer a clean, easy-to-navigate interface that simplifies complex scheduling tasks
- The design should facilitate quick access to frequently used features, enhancing user efficiency
Onboarding (10% of total weighting score): Effective onboarding is key to ensuring quick adoption and realization of the platform's value. We look at the availability and quality of training materials, interactive tours, and support resources that help new users become proficient with the software. This includes:
- Preference for platforms that provide comprehensive onboarding materials, including step-by-step guides and live support options
- Evaluation of the platform's knowledge base and community forums for additional support
Customer Support (10% of total weighting score): Quality customer support is essential for resolving issues and facilitating smooth operations. This criterion evaluates the responsiveness, availability, and effectiveness of the support team, ensuring that users have access to timely and helpful assistance.
- Platforms must offer multiple channels for support, including live chat, email, and phone, ensuring timely help
- The effectiveness and speed of the support team in resolving issues play a significant role in this evaluation
Value For Money (10% of total weighting score): This assessment focuses on the cost-benefit analysis of each platform. I'm looking for platforms that offer a compelling set of features at a price point that delivers value for money, considering both the immediate and long-term benefits for users. This part of the assessment focuses on:
- Analysis of pricing relative to the comprehensive feature set, scalability options, and customization capabilities offered
- Examination of the platform's flexibility in terms of pricing plans to accommodate businesses of various sizes
Customer Reviews (10% of total weighting score): Customer reviews provide insights into the real-world performance and user satisfaction with the platform. This evaluation looks at feedback across various use cases to gauge overall reliability, effectiveness, and user experience, ensuring recommendations are grounded in actual user experiences. This involves:
- Gathering insights from a broad spectrum of users to understand common themes in feedback, such as ease of use, customer service quality, and overall satisfaction
- Paying attention to feedback on specific features that align with the core functionalities and additional standout features identified as critical
By meticulously evaluating each of these criteria, I ensure that the resource scheduling solutions that I recommend both meet the high standards required for effective and efficient resource management and address the diverse needs and challenges faced by businesses today.
Trends In Resource Scheduling Software For 2024
Resource scheduling software is rapidly evolving in 2024, driven by the growing demand for efficiency, flexibility, and innovation in the resource management space. Here, I have identified several trends that I believe address emerging needs within project management and reflect broader technological advancements and shifts in work practices, both now and in the future.
Emerging Trends in Resource Scheduling
- Sustainability and Green Scheduling: An increasing number of tools are introducing features aimed at enhancing sustainability through optimized scheduling. This includes minimizing resource waste, optimizing travel or logistics to reduce carbon footprints, and promoting the use of renewable resources. This trend aligns with the growing global emphasis on environmental responsibility within project and resource management.
- Mobile-First Design: As remote and hybrid work models become the norm, there's a noticeable shift towards mobile-first design in resource scheduling software. This ensures that project managers and team members can access critical scheduling information, make updates, and collaborate from anywhere, directly from their mobile devices.
- Enhanced Customization and Personalization: Customization options are becoming more sophisticated, allowing organizations to tailor the software to their specific processes and workflows. This includes customizable fields, templates, and interfaces, enabling a more personalized user experience that caters to unique project requirements and preferences.
- Integration with Virtual and Augmented Reality: Some forward-thinking resource scheduling tools are beginning to explore integrations with virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) technologies. This could revolutionize training, onboarding, and spatial resource planning, offering immersive experiences that enhance understanding and engagement.
- Blockchain for Enhanced Security and Transparency: Blockchain technology is being explored for its potential to enhance security, transparency, and trust in resource scheduling. By securely recording transactions and allocations, blockchain could provide immutable audit trails, reduce fraud, and ensure that all changes are transparent and accountable.
These trends showcase the industry's commitment to innovation, user-centric design, and sustainability. As resource scheduling software continues to evolve, these trends indicate a future where efficiency, flexibility, and collaboration are enhanced by cutting-edge technologies, offering powerful solutions to contemporary project management challenges.
What Is Resource Scheduling Software?
Resource scheduling software is a specialized tool designed to help you efficiently manage and coordinate the allocation of various resources, including personnel, equipment, and facilities. This type of software allows you to create schedules and allocate resources based on availability, skills, and project requirements.
The software prevents you from overcommitting or double-booking resources and reduces the risk of bottlenecks and delays. With real-time visibility into resource schedules, you can make informed decisions about resource allocation, track project progress, and adjust schedules as needed.
Features of Resource Scheduling Software
Resource scheduling software plays a crucial role in the efficient allocation and management of resources within an organization. It enables teams to maximize productivity, reduce downtime, and ensure that every project has the necessary resources to proceed smoothly. Understanding these features is key to ensuring that you choose a tool that meets your specific needs. Here, I'll outline the most important features to look for when selecting resource scheduling software.
- Real-time Visibility: This feature allows you to see the availability and allocation of resources at a glance. It is essential for making informed decisions quickly and avoiding overbooking or underutilization of resources.
- Integration Capabilities: The ability to integrate with other tools and systems ensures that all data is synchronized and up-to-date. This feature reduces manual data entry errors and saves time.
- Flexible Scheduling Options: Flexible scheduling accommodates changes and adjustments without disrupting the entire project plan. It allows for dynamic allocation of resources based on changing needs and priorities.
- Resource Forecasting: This feature helps predict resource needs based on upcoming projects or demand. Accurate forecasting ensures that you have the right resources at the right time, preventing bottlenecks.
- Skill Tracking: Keeping track of the skills and competencies of your resources ensures that the right people are assigned to the right tasks. It improves project outcomes and employee satisfaction.
- Time Tracking and Reporting: This feature provides insights into how resources are being utilized. It helps identify areas for improvement and ensures that resources are allocated efficiently.
- Conflict Resolution Tools: These tools help manage and resolve scheduling conflicts quickly. They are crucial for maintaining project timelines and resource satisfaction.
- Accessibility: Being able to access the software from anywhere, at any time, increases flexibility and responsiveness. This feature is particularly important for teams that work remotely or across different time zones.
- User-friendly Interface: An intuitive interface reduces the learning curve and helps users adopt the system quickly. It ensures that all team members can efficiently use the software.
- Customization and Scalability: The ability to customize and scale the software according to your organization's needs ensures that it remains useful as your business grows. This feature allows for the addition of new resources, projects, and users without compromising performance.
Selecting the right resource scheduling software requires careful consideration of these features. By choosing software that offers these capabilities, organizations can ensure that they are well-equipped to meet their project needs, adapt to changes, and achieve their objectives.
Benefits of Resource Scheduling Software
By efficiently managing resources, these resource scheduling systems offer significant advantages that can lead to better project outcomes and improved organizational health. Here are five primary benefits that potential buyers should consider when evaluating resource scheduling software:
- Improved Resource Utilization: This software ensures that all resources are used to their fullest potential, reducing downtime and idle periods. For users and businesses, this means maximizing the value derived from every resource, leading to cost savings and increased efficiency.
- Enhanced Visibility and Transparency: With comprehensive oversight of resource allocation and availability, stakeholders can make informed decisions quickly. This benefit fosters a culture of transparency within the organization, ensuring that all team members are aligned and aware of resource distributions and their roles in projects.
- Increased Productivity: By automating the scheduling process, the software minimizes the time spent on manual planning and adjustments. This efficiency not only speeds up project timelines but also allows teams to focus on core tasks, boosting overall productivity.
- Scalability: Resource scheduling software can grow with your business, accommodating new projects, resources, and changes in demand seamlessly. This scalability ensures that businesses can adjust their resource management strategies without the need for constant system upgrades or replacements.
- Better Forecasting and Planning: Advanced analytics and forecasting tools within the software enable businesses to predict resource needs accurately. This capability allows for proactive planning, reducing the likelihood of resource shortages or overcommitments and ensuring smoother project execution.
For organizations looking to optimize their project management processes and resource allocation, resource scheduling software offers a range of benefits that can lead to significant improvements in efficiency, productivity, and project success. By choosing a solution that aligns with their needs, potential buyers can unlock these advantages and position their teams for better performance and growth.
Costs & Pricing for Resource Scheduling Software
For many, pricing is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting resource scheduling software. Typically, providers offer a range of plans, each designed to meet different needs, from small teams just starting out to large organizations requiring advanced features and integrations.
While it might seem that the only relevant prices are those attached to your chosen software, it's still a good idea to understand pricing trends across the market. This can help ensure you don't pay for features you don't need or overpay for common features.
Here's a breakdown of common plan types, their average pricing, and the features you can expect with each:
Plan Comparison Table for Resource Scheduling Software
| Plan Type | Average Price | Common Features |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Basic scheduling, limited resources, standard reports, community support |
| Basic | $10-20/user/month | Enhanced scheduling capabilities, additional resources, basic integrations, email support |
| Professional | $20-40/user/month | Advanced scheduling options, unlimited resources, full suite of reports, priority email support |
| Enterprise | $40+/user/month | Custom integrations, advanced security options, dedicated support, onboarding and training services |
When considering a plan, it is important to evaluate your current needs while also considering future growth. The right plan should not only fit your budget, but also scale with your organization, offering the flexibility and features necessary for efficient resource management.
For example, a free option is a great choice for those looking to explore basic functionalities without a financial commitment. As your organization scales, upgrading to a Basic plan can provide more productivity and collaboration tools. Professional plans offer comprehensive features for complex project management needs, while Enterprise plans deliver customizable solutions for large organizations with specific requirements.
Common stages where your company may want to upgrade its pricing plan include:
- Growth in Team Size: More employees or new departments may require an upgrade to acquire advanced scheduling capabilities necessary for managing a larger workforce effectively.
- Expansion of Projects: As the number and complexity of projects grow, the company may require more sophisticated scheduling tools provided by higher pricing tiers.
- Increased Client Base: A growing client base often necessitates upgrading to a plan that offers more efficient resource scheduling with more customization, integrations, and improved client management features.
- Demand for Advanced Features: Over time, the company may need more advanced features like real-time collaboration, detailed analytics, automation, and integration with other enterprise systems.
- Geographical Expansion: When a company expands its operations to multiple locations or regions, managing resources across different time zones and locations necessitates adding features that support multi-location resource scheduling.
By evaluating factors such as pricing tiers, associated features, and scalability options, you can make an informed decision and choose a plan that best aligns with your requirements and budget.
Resource Scheduling Software Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to the most common questions about this topic.
What are resources?
In an organization, resources can include anything that contributes to the finished product.
Resources include people (skills and human resources, including your team members and freelancers), financial resources, inventory, equipment and supplies (offices, meeting rooms), and IT resources.
What is resource scheduling?
Having a resource management plan is crucial for project planning and starting new projects, as it impacts the project schedule and timeline. As such, resource scheduling is a key step in project management. It is the process used to assign an organization’s resources to projects or tasks according to resource availability. There are many different methods you can use to schedule resources, using a variety of resource scheduling solutions.
Resource scheduling involves these common resource management tasks:
- Listing tasks
- Estimating their duration
- Identifying constraints
- Setting deadlines
- Identifying resource demand and resource capacity
- Forecasting the future availability of resources
- Identifying potential resource bottlenecks
You can then use all of this information to efficiently match the appropriate resources with tasks or jobs, and you can keep track of your resource allocation, especially your allocation of workers, using a resource calendar or other resource applications.
What can resource scheduling software help with?
Resource scheduling software can help plan, organize, and manage your projects as well as your agency resources—whether they’re people, rooms, or phone lines. It is used in resource planning to create resource plans and resource requirement forecasts.
Larger software suits often include additional modules for budget management, project management, task management, and document storage.
Resource scheduling software is known by a lot of other names, including resource allocation software, resource management software, and workload management software.
What features should I look for when selecting the best resource scheduling software?
These are the features I look for in any resource scheduling software.
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- Gantt charts: Tools should allow you to schedule resources in a Gantt chart with easy drag-and-drop editing.
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- Toggle views: I tried to find tools that also provide easy visual switching between Gantt chart views, calendar views, etc, as that is becoming more of a standard feature in today’s software.
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- Automation: At a minimum, automatic resource scheduling features should include auto-adjusting according to dependencies when you make changes. More advanced tools offer workflow automation features.
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- Real-time scheduling: Real-time visibility into workloads lets you monitor progress, see resource utilization, and make adjustments more accurately.
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- Custom alerts and notifications: A good resource scheduler lets you customize the type of notifications and alerts that each user receives (email, desktop, etc).
- Resourse planning: Identifying and allocating the necessary resources, such as personnel, equipment, and materials.
What are the benefits of resource scheduling software?
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- Save time manually moving resources around
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- Make fewer mistakes overbooking your team members
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- Gain a clear understanding of the team’s capacity and utilization
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- Deploy the limited resources that you have more effectively and efficiently
As agencies and studios grow, the systems for resource scheduling that may have worked for a small agency—such as using a simple resource allocation spreadsheet—often struggle to scale.
Excel and Google Docs are effectively free resource scheduling tools, but resource scheduling software can help you work faster and smarter, access real-time project data, help you to assign people to projects, and allow you to schedule projects more effectively.
What other resource management software can I use?
If resource scheduling software isn’t the right fit for your needs, there is plenty of other resource management software out there that might suit you better. Check out some of our other resource management software reviews:
What's Next?
Now that you have an idea of the tools that can handle scheduling, you can learn about 5 resource-leveling techniques that work or what is resource loading.
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