As a business specializing in process, we like to call out trends that may cause more harm to your workflow than you realize. 📉
A big example of this is using multiple project management softwares. Juggling too many tools can lead to…
❌ Excessive costs
❌ Duplicate data
❌ Unreliable analytics
❌ Inconsistent project timelines
And a whole lot more! And all of this undermines the purpose of a management system, which is to create a centralized hub for your team.
☂ Think of it like an umbrella for your business, covering everything from collaboration through SOPs to project planning and long-term objectives.
Streamlining your business is much more complicated when you have a task list in Asana, your client management in ClickUp, and sales and operations elsewhere.
While there are so, so many reasons to use one central project management software, here are six crucial points to convince you (and your team!) to make the move.
Watch the video, or keep reading for the recap! 👇
This post may include affiliate links, meaning we might earn a commission. For more details, check out our terms.
Reason #1: Cost(s) of Management Tools
Most software has a price tag. Whether you’re paying for a monthly subscription or per team member, the more tools you employ, the higher the costs. 💸
Quick note: A management system can be a beneficial investment, but you can overextend your budget on tools you may not require.
Let’s take a closer look at the per user, per month numbers:
💵 ClickUp: $7 for small teams, $12 for mid-sized teams
💵 Asana: $10.99 for growing companies, $24.99 for large corporations
💵 Jira: $8.15 for standard package, $16 for premium users
💵 SmartSuite: $10 for smaller teams, $25 for medium to large businesses
If you have ten people on your crew and use two (or more) programs, you’re doubling the costs to provide access to them.
But that’s not the only scenario that can affect your budget. Providing sub-par training or underutilizing your tool can also be costly for your business.
The math ain’t mathing, so whenever possible, consider investing in one program management software to house your entire team.
Reason #2: Duplicate Data Entry
More tools + more documented process = carbon copy data and headaches
Say you want to create a new landing page for your business. You share this intention with your team and they’re ready to dive in. Only issue? Every department is working with a different system, so you end up with a dire situation like this:
- The design team creates a task on Todoist.
- The development team adds a project to Jira.
- The marketing team inputs an action item into ClickUp.
Before you know it, you have clones upon clones of your project. Which timelines and dates are accurate? Who’s doing what? What system do you trust?
Take it one step further, and imagine if your go-to employee is out of the office and you can’t confirm any timeframes. Now, you have to hit the breaks on your landing page to figure out what’s going on. 🛑
This digital clutter creates unnecessary work mistakes, increased storage expenses, and confusion among your team and clients.
If only there were an answer to solve this issue… Oh wait. 🤭
Reason #3: Silos On the Horizon
From the time a customer sees an ad for your product to when they are leaving a 5-star review after they’ve happily purchased, they’ve experienced your business across all departments.
Your work management tool should reflect that.
💡 Consider building your own Process Org Chart™ after watching our free Blueprint webinar.
When your systems are too spread out, it’s like building a brick wall between your departments. This barrier can make your business look and feel disorganized to your customers.
Instead, we recommend focusing on the collaborative nature of your work and the necessity of bringing everyone together.
Beyond using the same software, customize it to support each department’s needs. Employing one great tool and adding automations to fill in the gaps can make all the difference in optimizing your workflow and client experience.
Thinking about dipping your toe in a new system? Check out our ClickUp and SmartSuite courses to learn the essentials. 💻
Reason #4: Streamline Admin Processes
Onboarding, offboarding, training, and workflows–oh my!
Every project management software has a method to its madness, like prioritizing tasks and assigning projects. But if you’re relying on several tools, prepare to teach your team how to navigate each program.
If your team is spread across multiple tools, they will still need to learn the intricacies of each software, with separate standard operating procedures (SOPS), aka duplicate data entry! 🚫
In addition, teaching those extra tools to every team member becomes its own separate part-time job! Streamlining your process under one umbrella is a much better use of that time. ☔
Reason #5: Unreliable Analytics
Most project management software have reporting features to measure everything, from assignees and work capacity to potential workloads. This data is valuable for:
- Ensuring no one drowns in projects
- Reducing overlap in tasks
- Gaining clarity on everyone’s performance
- Defining responsibilities and expectations
- Identifying problems early and resolving them
But with multiple tools tracking performance, there’s no true standardization of data. For instance, if you want a general report to see who’s ahead, who’s behind, who’s overwhelmed with tasks, and where you need to make adjustments, you wouldn’t be able to make an effective game plan because the figures are skewed. 🙈
With one central hub, you can better use reporting features to your advantage and utilize it to maximize your team’s productivity.
📜 Want to learn more about reporting analytics? Enroll in ProcessDriven Foundations™ to gain insight about this feature, how to build business processes, and SO much more, all with a great community and ProcessDriven support to lean on.
Reason #6: Lack of Management Visibility
When it comes to remote work, sometimes collaboration and oversight are left in the dust. Sure, you can use a task management tool to get a sense of your team’s progress, but the truth is the less access you have to your crew, the less visibility you have for management. 🔎
When everyone uses a different software, notebook, or personal checklist, you can’t effectively guide your team.
And before you know it, something goes wrong–an email is sent to your audience prematurely or a project falls behind schedule but not everyone sees it. 😨
Even with checking Asana and ClickUp daily, something is bound to fall through the cracks–and that’s not your fault!
🔑 One software can ensure everyone is aligned. It also opens the door to collaboration and innovative (yet standardized) solutions.
Enjoy a Streamlined Business Under One Project Management Software
Ready to convince your team to make the switch, but looking for support along the way?
- Consider one of our actionable, bite-sized courses for you and your team to learn their way around either ClickUp or Smartsuite.
- For a way more in-depth training that goes well beyond the software basics (although one of the above courses is included or refunded when you upgrade ✅), consider our signature ProcessDriven Foundations™ program.
Let us help turn chaos into process!
ProcessDriven helps small teams turn chaos into process. The ProcessDriven Approach™️ combines software expertise with practical process-first strategies that have helped 1,800+ teams build a scalable foundation of business systems.