Work Management: A Beginner’s Guide

Workflows, task management, business processes…there’s a lot that goes into building a successful workplace these days. More and more, companies are realising the importance of adding tools, software, and platforms that go beyond task management and can coordinate team members' work and communication in real-time. Automation is at the forefront - with leaders seeking ways to do more, with less. In short, there’s a lot going on, and it might feel like these ideas are all disjointed parts of organising work. But actually, all of these concepts are aspects of strategic work management.

What is work management?
Work management is a systematic approach to orchestrating an organisation’s workflows - like projects, ongoing processes, or routine tasks - to provide the clarity teams and entire organisations need. It’s a form of collaborative intelligence that’s about coordinating people and work across all levels of an organisation, to ensure everyone has the information they need to accomplish the work that matters most.

Work management vs. project management
Although people sometimes conflate work management with project management, they’re actually different ideas. Work management is a broad system and way of getting work done, which includes projects, planning, and processes. This holistic way of working focuses on connecting the dots between teams, providing clarity, and streamlining cross-functional collaboration. For example, work management might involve creating a workflow structure where stakeholders can seamlessly pass the baton to different teams and ensure everyone is referencing the same system of record.

Project management, on the other hand, is more about the logistical steps of overseeing projects. Creating project timelines and to-do lists, coordinating dependencies, and planning for resource management are all aspects of project management. Therefore, project planning or management is a part of work management, but isn’t the whole thing.

In a nutshell: project management looks at the tree, while work management takes in the entire forest.

What is a work management platform?
A work management platform coordinates plans, projects, and processes across your entire organization. By creating a centralised hub for all work, you reduce silos and help teams to track progress and work towards your largest company initiatives.

Work management platforms and project management software are both collaboration tools. For example, you’ll often find reporting dashboards, Gantt charts, or Kanban boards in both types of software. But unlike project management software, a work management platform connects all work, teams, and goals back to one another. That means every individual who completes a project task knows exactly how that task supports the company’s largest goals and objectives.