Best Resource Management Software Solutions for Businesses in 2024: Compared

As remote working becomes more commonplace, using dependable resource management software to organize your workforce can give you an advantage over your competition.

It gives you a clear overview of available resources, how they’re being used, and what you need to do to get the best out of them.

However, finding the right platform is a time-consuming task. You need to shortlist, test, and read reviews of hundreds of platforms until you (hopefully) stumble across the right one.

Here’s a quick overview:

Best Resource Management Software & Tools 2024

Table of Contents Table of Contents

1. Best Resource Management Software & Tools 2024
2. Parallax — Best For Software Development Teams
3. Saviom — Best For Enterprises and Large Teams
4. Resource Guru — Best For Managing Freelancers and Contractors
5. Microsoft Project — Best For Microsoft OS Users
6. Paymo — Best For Small-to Medium-Sized Businesses
7. The Best Resource Planning Systems Compared
8. What is Resource Management Software?
9. Benefits of Resource Management Software
10. Why Do Businesses Need a Resource Planning Solution?
11. Features of Resource Management Software
12. Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Resource Management Tool
13. Our Other Project Management Guides
14. Resource Planning Software FAQs

Show Full Guide

Table of Contents

1. Best Resource Management Software & Tools 2024
2. Parallax — Best For Software Development Teams
3. Saviom — Best For Enterprises and Large Teams
Show Full Guide
4. Resource Guru — Best For Managing Freelancers and Contractors
5. Microsoft Project — Best For Microsoft OS Users
6. Paymo — Best For Small-to Medium-Sized Businesses
7. The Best Resource Planning Systems Compared
8. What is Resource Management Software?
9. Benefits of Resource Management Software
10. Why Do Businesses Need a Resource Planning Solution?
11. Features of Resource Management Software
12. Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Resource Management Tool
13. Our Other Project Management Guides
14. Resource Planning Software FAQs

Parallax — Best For Software Development Teams

Parallax is an easy-to-use resource forecasting software with predictive analytics and auto-generated resource plans for faster resource allocation.

Teams can track and manage resource usage in real-time so you can quickly allocate free resources to current and future projects. Depending on requirements, they can review and update plans to meet changing goals, skill sets, or projects.

The same data is also used to answer valuable questions about the project, such as whether it is over budget, whether it has crossed end dates, and whether there are any unassigned roles.

It also offers a comparative analysis with your original project plan to check if you’re on track to meet your financial goals. The historical data can also be used to accurately forecast demand and optimize team performance in future projects.

But with advanced features, also comes a steep learning curve.

New users will find the data-rich dashboards and analytics intimidating at first. But over time, they’ll come to appreciate the in-depth insights Parallax offers to efficiently utilize resources.

Parallax is best suited for software development teams looking for a platform with reliable forecasting tools to manage resources, improve revenue, and increase margins.

Parallax pricing

Parallax offers custom pricing plans based on your requirements.

However, it does have a neat lead qualifying process which starts with collecting information like the number of employees and so on.

This way sales teams are well-versed on your requirements before getting on the call. Moreover, they can come prepared with an accurate cost estimate before the call begins.

Saviom — Best For Enterprises and Large Teams

Saviom offers what it calls a multi-dimensional approach to resource planning and scheduling.

It considers multiple factors, such as cost, availability, location, and skill set, to determine where resources are required. Then, it distributes available resources across each business vertical, such as your domain, region, team, and department.

This offers your team greater visibility across the board. It also helps in making more informed decisions without limiting any other business function. For example, you’ll not pull a resource away from a development project while looking for an alternative.

Saviom also offers an in-built business intelligence platform. It lets you build analytics reports by tracking essential resource management metrics like resource utilization, billable demand, availability, etc. Your findings are accessible via custom portals where stakeholders can view and analyze resource performance.

However, we were mostly impressed with Saviom’s simulation feature. It lets you simulate project outcomes based on available resources. It even offers “What-if” scenarios for identifying workarounds for resource constraints.

However, Saviom’s user interface is outdated compared to others on the list. Which may turn off some users from the platform. However, seasoned resource managers will prefer its highly functional dashboards and data visualization options.

Saviom’s multidimensional approach to resource planning makes it perfect for enterprises and large teams with a complex structure.

Saviom pricing

Saviom follows a per-user pricing model but doesn’t reveal the prices online. You’ll need to contact the sales team, who will give you a custom price based on your requirements.

Once you choose your plan, you’ll only pay for the chosen licenses based on permission level:

• Power is for admins who need to edit schedules, generate reports, and assign permissions.
• Lite is for users who need view-only access to reports, schedules, etc.
• Non-user is for users who don’t need direct access to the system.

Resource Guru — Best For Managing Freelancers and Contractors

Resource Guru’s cloud-based platform acts like a resource Rolodex of not just people but also equipment, meeting rooms, and other physical resources.

Each manager gets a personalized dashboard displaying team workloads and schedules. It offers a quick overview of who’s overworked, who’s underutilized, and which projects are under-serviced. Using this data, managers can rebalance workloads quickly using the drag-and-drop scheduler.

Its streamlined resource booking experience prevents overbooking by accounting for booking overlaps, leaves, and wait lists. It also has a “tentative booking feature” where managers can block time for future workloads, letting employees know in advance about upcoming projects.

Its powerful reporting feature lets managers track important resource utilization and productivity metrics like utilization rates, overtime, billable hours, and more—perfect for measuring freelancer productivity. It’s also useful when planning future resource allotment and seeing if any client is being overserviced.

To streamline operations even further, it offers integrations with over 1,500+ other apps, such as Slack, Google Calendar, Gmail, Salesforce, etc. It also supports Zapier integrations for added automation capabilities.

Its integration resource-first approach makes Resource Guru a great resource management platform for businesses that enlist the help of freelancers on a regular basis.

Resource Guru pricing

Resource Guru is one of the few resource management platforms offering a transparent, three-tier pricing plan:

• Grasshopper starts at $5/month/person for unlimited projects, clients, calendar sync, and more.
• Blackbelt, starting at $8/month/person, includes everything in the Grasshopper plan plus some more reporting capabilities.
• Master starting at $12/month/person includes everything in the Blackbelt plan, plus approval workflows and data imports.

Microsoft Project — Best For Microsoft OS Users

Microsoft (MS) Projects is a veteran of project resource management software. It offers advanced project management capabilities that specifically target development teams using waterfall and agile methodologies.

Its resource management features start with a simple automated scheduling feature to plan and schedule tasks. Just add your new timelines and MS Projects will adjust times and dates with other projects in the pipeline.

MS Projects is also popular for its highly customizable reporting feature, which lets you analyze and refine resource management processes. You can choose various visualization options (like charts, graphs, tables, etc.) so relevant stakeholders can access information in an easy-to-understand format.

But what sets MS Projects apart is its Project portfolio feature. It is a great way to categorize projects into specific buckets. Each portfolio bucket can have standardized processes for managers to quickly review projects and create an action plan.

Portfolios give leaders the information to make strategic decisions based on previous working experiences. Moreover, standardized steps allow managers to leverage proven contingencies in case of any problems or delays.

MS Projects is a great tool for large enterprises and corporations with many moving parts and compliance requirements.

However, it only integrates with other Microsoft 365 products. But this shouldn’t be a problem since most businesses with complex portfolios usually prefer working with the customizable Microsoft OS.

Microsoft Projects pricing

Microsoft Projects is an optional add-on that you can purchase individually or with your Microsoft 365 plan. It has two pricing plans:

• Cloud-based solution starting at $10/month/user.
• On-premise solution starting at $679.99/month/user.

Paymo — Best For Small-to Medium-Sized Businesses

Paymo is primarily known for its time-tracking features, but its resource forecasting is no joke. You can set up projects using templates or create your own custom ones with milestones to keep your team on track.

Once set up, you can easily find available resources and add them to the project. Paymo’s calendar offers a real-time view of which resource is available, on leave, or out for the holidays. To avoid overbooking, you can use the auto-scheduling feature to adjust task dates and deadlines.

It also helps you identify available resources using the Ghost bookings feature. As you add tasks to a project, it’ll temporarily assign them to available resources. All you need to do is click on the task to assign it to a particular resource.

They’re displayed as a Gantt chart so you can easily check if the suggestion makes sense. It provides a more visual way of booking a resource while avoiding overbooking and overutilization.

You can see this information using the reporting feature. It shows you how well your resources are performing by project and client. Its simple visualization options mean anybody can read the report. The same data can be used to run invoices and payroll as well.

Paymo is perfect for small- to medium-sized teams looking for an easy-to-use resource management platform with auto-scheduling, time tracking, and straightforward reporting.

Paymo pricing

Paymo offers four different pricing plans, starting at $5.9/user/month. However, its resource allocation features are only available with its Business plan, which starts at $23.9/user/month.

The Best Resource Planning Systems Compared

What is Resource Management Software?

Resource management software is a vital tool for managing projects that require multiple resources. The software ensures that each project has access to the resources it needs to progress, even when those resources are being used by other projects simultaneously. This involves a comprehensive approach to managing resources, including planning, allocating, and scheduling.

Types of Project Resources

Resources can encompass a wide range of things, and in most cases, they refer to people or employees. However, they can also include more abstract concepts like time. When project managers discuss project resources, they generally mean anything necessary for the successful completion of a project.

The most common types of resources within project resource management planning are:

1. Labor – The employees completing the work, including project managers and individual contributors
2. Material – The resources required, for example, building materials for a construction company
3. Equipment – The tools needed to carry out the work, for example, a computer for software development
4. Space – Storage, offices, and all other areas that the project needs
5. Services – The outsourced vendors who support the project, such as a freelance writer
6. Money – The budget for the project which often includes salaries
7. Time – The time that is allocated for the completion of the project

Benefits of Resource Management Software

One of the main benefits of resource management software is that it allows you to create a high-performing team. This is achieved by ensuring that the right people are assigned to the right tasks, based on their skills and experience. Additionally, it enables you to track the progress of each team member and ensure that they complete their tasks on time. Other benefits include:

• Improved Project Management – Resource management tools allow project managers to identify the right person for each task at the right time.
• Streamlined Workflows – Resource management solutions can free up time for all team members, allowing them to focus on task completion and boosting overall productivity.
• Reduced Operational Costs – The software can reduce expenses by identifying periods of underused time and removing any overlaps.
• Adaptability in Real-Time – Teams can operate more efficiently with real-time data to allocate resources where needed.
• Accountability and Transparency – Resource management systems foster a transparent culture where each person is accountable for their task and time.
• Improved Forecasting – Businesses can now use data tools to make informed decisions and plan strategically with accurate information.

Why Do Businesses Need a Resource Planning Solution?

If businesses want to achieve their desired growth and success, they need to have an effective resource-planning solution. Here are several reasons why:

• Streamlines Operations — These tools let businesses easily coordinate and manage resources, like employee availability, based on your needs to streamline operational efficiency and ensure tasks are completed with minimal issues and within the timeframe and budget.
• Enhances Productivity — Dedicated resource management software like Monday.com let businesses mitigate the common risks of using spreadsheets for planning and statistical analysis — like the lack of automation, data entry errors, and inaccurate data.
• Improves Collaboration — These cloud-based project planning tools also improve collaboration between teams, departments, and even external partners. They offer a centralized platform to store documents, share information, and discuss ideas in real-time for better decision-making and smooth operations.
• Minimizes Risks — They help minimize risks as they let you plan and track allocated and non-allocated resources, such as time and money spent on specific projects, which aids in identifying any potential issues before they become problems that cause costly errors or delays.
• Enhances Customer Service — By having the means to streamline processes such as order fulfillment, you can ensure enough resources are dedicated to your customers to ensure timely assistance that bolsters your brand image and customer experience.

Features of Resource Management Software

Here are the key features of project resource management tools which are shared by all the best solutions.

• Capacity Planning – Resource management software provides visibility into the status of your resources. Project managers need to know team member availability, skills, future demand, and resource shortages. Poor visibility can lead to project delays and failure. Clear views help stakeholders understand project status.
• Collaboration – Your team members can use the resource management software to check their schedules for the day or week and see what tasks they need to work on. Stakeholders from other departments can also access the software to check the available capacity of resources before requesting new work.
• Reporting – As a project manager, you need to have visibility into your projects’ performance, including resource utilization, progress tracking, and identifying areas of improvement. These reports not only help you make informed decisions but also allow you to optimize your team’s resources and maintain successful project delivery.

Factors to Consider When Choosing the Best Resource Management Tool

As businesses continue to grow, the need for efficient resource management tools becomes more essential. A great tool can help maximize productivity, reduce costs, and increase profits.

However, with so many options available, it can be difficult to know which one is best suited for your particular needs. Here are some factors to consider when selecting a resource management tool:

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Resource Planning Software FAQs