Stackfield Alternative

Task Management Software with Project Management Capabilities

Stackfield is an easy-to-use software for general task management in teams. With Stackfield, tasks can be structured, assigned, and tracked. Stackfield offers basic project management functionality but is not a true project management tool in terms of feature scope.

Pros and Cons

General Functionality

Operation

Stackfield can be operated on your own server (on premises) or used as Software as a Service (SaaS) in the vendor’s cloud. The vendor guarantees compliance with European data protection standards. Data is stored exclusively within the EU.

Projects and Project Types

In Stackfield, tasks are managed in groups that belong to a workspace. Any number of workspaces and groups can be created. Workspaces do not have types, so central settings cannot be applied across all workspaces of a given type.

Templates for projects or workspaces can be created in Stackfield.

Items and Item Types

In task and project management, almost everything revolves around “items.” In Stackfield, item types are fixed and cannot be supplemented or modified.

Custom item types can also be created.

Item types can have their own workflows and different attributes. For example, an action item optionally has a due date, while a task requires both a start and end date.

Item Hierarchies

Stackfield offers exactly one hierarchy level. These “sub-tasks” are partially treated and displayed differently from “real” items. A hierarchical structuring of work packages cannot be achieved with this.

The type of subordinate items cannot be restricted depending on the type of the parent item. This means, for example, it cannot be prevented that an item of type “car” is subordinated to an item of type “engine.”

Notifications

Stackfield has a simple, configurable notification system.

Access Permissions

Custom roles with corresponding permissions can be defined.

Attributes

In Stackfield, customer-specific attributes can be configured via the web interface without programming.

A few simple attribute types are available, such as labels and date fields. The behavior of standard attributes is predefined and not configurable.

For example, you can create a selection list field that offers all users belonging to a specific group.

Different default settings for attributes can be configured for different projects.

Input Forms

In Stackfield, no custom input forms can be defined.

Dependencies

In project management and task management, items are often related to each other. For example, a task cannot be started before another one is completed. Or an item cannot be closed before a dependent item has been completed.

In Stackfield, there is simple support for defining dependencies or links.

Dashboards

The system offers its users an overview page (cockpit, dashboard).

Reporting

In Stackfield, there are no report templates.

Reports can be created in Stackfield in Excel and PDF formats.

User Management

To manage users, Stackfield can be connected to an LDAP system. Users and groups can be synchronized with an LDAP server manually or automatically.

Multiple directory servers can also be connected.

Stackfield does not offer integration with common single sign-on systems.

The system supports two-factor authentication.

User Interface and Usability

The software offers a beautiful, well-organized, and modern-looking user interface. Regular users can get started relatively quickly even without training. Context-sensitive help provides support when something is not immediately obvious.

For configuration, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of Stackfield. Training material is available in the form of tutorials, videos, slide sets, and user manuals. Training sessions are also offered.

The user interface can be adapted to user requirements. For each user or user group, the available menu items can be individually configured.

Interfaces and Extensibility

Stackfield cannot be extended by the user; there are no suitable interfaces for this.

Task Management

Delegation

The software supports delegation of items including follow-up. The delegator maintains the relationship to the item, and the follow-up date is their personal one. The delegator has an overview of items they have delegated.

Substitute Function

In Stackfield, it is not possible to assign substitutes to users.

Recurring Tasks

Some tasks and appointments repeat cyclically, e.g., every first Monday of the month. Handling such item series can be very helpful and time-saving in task management.

Stackfield allows the creation of recurring items just as you would expect from good calendar applications.

Time Tracking

Stackfield allows tracking effort (time and cost) for each item and assigning them to accounts. Accounts can be grouped into cost centers and released for projects.

There is the option to use timers in the application to automatically log time spent. Reports provide an overview of who was occupied with which activities during any past time period.

Getting Things Done Method Support

The Getting Things Done method is a proven approach to personal work organization. It allows personal categorization of items such as personal follow-up dates or personal marking of items as favorites.

Stackfield unfortunately does not support the GTD method, meaning personal tags or follow-up dates are not possible.

RACI Matrix Support

For task management and project management, the RACI method defines four item-specific roles through which project stakeholders can be related to a task. Normally, roles are assigned for a project, not for an item. For example, there is a project manager or a Scrum Master for the entire project. RACI, on the other hand, allows roles to be assigned on a per-item basis (see https://en/task-management/raci-matrix.html).

Stackfield unfortunately does not offer the ability to model a RACI matrix.

Workflows

Workflows are typically represented in two forms in task management systems. The first method always refers to the workflow of an item that passes through various stages. The second method consists of defining sets of tasks and then working through them.

Stackfield supports the first variant with a somewhat difficult-to-use table editor. There is no easy way to copy task sets and then customize them.

Project Management

Programs and Portfolios

In many organizations, projects run within the framework of programs, portfolios, or product areas. Here, groups of projects must be able to be consolidated to maintain an overview.

A basic prerequisite for program or portfolio management is the ability to group and hierarchically arrange projects.

Stackfield allows workspaces to be arranged hierarchically to any depth, thus supporting simple, pragmatic program and portfolio management.

Sub-Projects

Larger project initiatives with many items cannot be sufficiently structured solely through item hierarchies but must be split into sub-projects. Sub-projects may require different processes, e.g., for hardware and software development.

Multi-Project Reports

All queries and reports can span multiple projects and sub-projects, which can be freely defined through corresponding filters.

Work Breakdown Structure

Before a project plan can be created, the activities to be performed or the work products to be created must be structured. To represent such a product structure or Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), items must be able to be arranged hierarchically to any depth.

Stackfield only supports one hierarchy level with sub-tasks. This means WBS or project plans cannot be created.

Interactive Gantt Chart

Gantt charts allow you to define and display the timeline of project activities as well as predecessor-successor relationships. Stackfield offers a simple, interactive Gantt component. It is not possible to display the critical path. There are also no project progress bars, and you cannot compare the current plan with a baseline plan.

Resource Planning

Resources of different types can be managed and assigned to items. There is a view in which resource utilization over time is displayed, making overload or underload immediately visible. Resources can be organized by project or department affiliation.

Employee Availability

There is no way to map employee availability in the system and take it into account during resource planning.

Project Progress

In Stackfield, it is possible to measure project progress through the ratio of completed tasks to total tasks. Additionally, for still open tasks, it is possible to specify the estimated remaining effort to completion.

This means Stackfield offers a rudimentary, low-effort form of progress monitoring, which is, however, insufficient for more demanding project management.

Agile Project Management

For software developers, integrations with source code management systems such as Git and Subversion, as well as with CI/CD servers such as GitLab and Jenkins, are missing.

Further Information

If you are interested in reading more about Trello, you can do so here. In this article, you can find an overview of ticket systems.