In this short article I’d like to explain the differences between project management software, task management software, and ticketing systems — because these terms are often used imprecisely by software vendors.
Project Management
Project management tools stand out from task management software and ticketing software through the following characteristics:
- Tasks can be structured hierarchically and are not limited to simple sub-tasks.
- Projects can be structured hierarchically to any depth.
- Tasks can depend on one another, and these dependencies can be visualized accordingly (Gantt chart view).
- There is the option to distinguish between a baseline plan and a current plan.
- There is resource planning.
Project management software is generally more complex than issue tracking software and therefore requires more time to get up to speed. Good project management software should offer a superset of the functionality found in task management software.
Task Management Software
Task management software can do much of what project management software offers. Task management software, task management applications, and issue tracking systems are not clearly separated in terminology. The second term is used primarily in software development. Modern issue tracking systems typically support the Scrum methodology of project management, which is popular in the software development world. This approach does not require project and task hierarchies, and the planning aspect is largely dispensed with through the time-boxed process and short release cycles.
Task management software differs from project management software primarily in the following ways:
- Often better support for software development processes
- Easier to use
- Little support for project planning
- Poor support for large, hybrid (agile/classic) projects
- No logic for handling dependencies
Ticketing Software
Ticketing software is often used in the helpdesk area and is then referred to as helpdesk software or service desk software. The focus is on processing queues into which customers have submitted tickets. The following features are useful for this purpose:
- Distinction between agents and clients
- Automatic assignment of tickets to queues
- Support for workflows with escalations and SLAs
- Reports on process metrics such as average response time
- Creation of tickets by email, web application, and phone
Conclusion: Project Management, Task Management, and Ticketing Systems
In short: project management software offers far more capabilities for classic project management than task management software does. Issue tracking systems are especially popular in software development. Simple ticketing systems such as Freshdesk are not suitable for project management purposes.
Further Topics in Task Management
Further recommended topics in the area of task management include, for example, the 4 most important task management methods.
CEO Alltena GmbH
Christoph Friedrich is a computer scientist and certified Project Management Professional. He has extensive experience in the introduction and integration of project management tools as well as the analysis and definition of processes in project and service management.
