What is a Task Tracker: Benefits & Tips for Tracking Employee Tasks

Manually keeping track of projects wastes time and adds unnecessary work for managers and team members.

A task tracker is a smarter way to manage all the tasks on your plate. Think of it as a digital to-do list that helps you assign tasks, prioritize them, and track progress.

Some examples of popular task trackers you’ve likely heard of are Asana, monday.com, and Trello. But standalone tools can only take you so far. When you find a task tracking solution with time tracking, you unlock a whole new level of efficiency and tangible data for better project planning.

The right task tracker helps streamline processes, eliminate wasted time, provide real-time insights into project spending, and produce more deliverables faster.

A task tracker simplifies project management by helping you manage your workload more effectively with customizable views, workflow automation, and enterprise-grade communication.

Managers can define, prioritize, and adjust task assignments as work progresses — cutting down on time wasted checking in.

These tools also improve communication and collaboration by keeping everyone aligned. Team members can see task dependencies, due dates, and who’s responsible for what.

Many task trackers allow team members to track time to specific tasks and projects. This provides data for estimating future costs and identifying roadblocks. If a task takes longer than expected, managers can step in to optimize the process or reassign work to other team members.

The right software integrates with different tools your team already uses to streamline the flow of information. This ensures that tasks, updates, and progress are easily accessible across platforms, improving team productivity.

Task tracking tools streamline how teams manage tasks to improve efficiency and ensure better project progress.

Here are its main benefits:

• Better team alignment. Everyone knows what they need to do and how their work supports the bigger picture.

• Increased productivity. Teams spend less time on admin tasks and more time completing meaningful work.

• Fewer missed deadlines. Automated reminders and clear priorities help teams get tasks done on time.

• Improved morale. Balanced workloads and reduced confusion create a less stressful work environment.

• Faster project delivery. Efficient workflows and better collaboration lead to quicker turnarounds on deliverables.

With these tools, team members always know what to prioritize and how their work fits into larger company goals.

A good task tracker tool includes various functionalities. If you’re in the market for a task tracker, there are some features that you should keep in mind.

Project management views

Task management software offers multiple ways to monitor task progress and gain a clear overview of your team’s work.

Sprints, Timelines, and Kanban views

Tools like Gantt charts, Kanban boards, and timeline views help project managers adapt to different project management methodologies and keep projects on track. Real-time progress notifications and milestone alerts ensure everyone stays aligned.

• Timeline views. Timelines enable users to visually map out deadlines and milestones to help teams stay focused on key deliverables so nothing gets overlooked.
  

• Kanban boards. Kanban boards offer a dynamic way to track task progress. Tasks move seamlessly between stages, and project managers can automatically prioritize and assign tasks as projects advance.
  

• Sprint views. Drag and drop tasks into Agile Sprints to manage weekly, biweekly, or monthly workloads. Great for Agile project management.

Time tracking and billing

Time tracking simplifies logging hours, automating payroll, and generating invoices.

Team members can easily “clock in” and “clock out” for tasks, giving managers visibility into attendance, workloads, and real-time project spending. 

This feature reduces manual admin work while helping you optimize resource allocation for existing and future projects.

Mobile apps for remote work

Mobile-friendly task trackers are essential for hybrid and remote teams.

Apps for Android, iOS, and desktop platforms allow team members to update their task lists, log hours, and check task statuses from anywhere. This flexibility is particularly useful for field teams working on-site at multiple locations. 

Task dependencies

The ability to easily break large projects into smaller tasks helps teams focus and stay productive.

Robust task management software allows managers to prioritize tasks and define clear dependencies, preventing incomplete tasks from holding up entire projects. Using templates for dependency setup can further streamline planning.

Integrations

Integrating task tracking tools with other platforms can significantly reduce manual work while keeping everything in sync.

Instead of juggling multiple apps for time tracking, communication, and creative work, integrations consolidate workflows into one seamless process.

For example, connecting your task tracking software with Slack can trigger notifications when tasks reach key milestones. This helps managers identify bottlenecks faster and improve productivity. 

Popular integrations include Google Docs for collaborative editing, Trello for Kanban workflows, and Salesforce for managing client relationships.

To get the most out of your daily task tracker and ensure project success, it’s important to set your team up to succeed from the start. Here are some practical tips for implementing a task tracker effectively:

• Train employees on how to use the tool. Provide hands-on training to help everyone fully understand how to manage tasks and navigate the software.

• Set clear guidelines for task updates. Specify how and when team members should update new tasks, report progress, and clearly articulate completed tasks. 

• Regularly review task progress and reports. Use the tool's progress monitoring features to check task completion rates and adjust budgeting and plans to stay on schedule.

• Prioritize impactful tasks. Guide the team in identifying and focusing on essential tasks that move the needle.

• Discuss tasks during team meetings. Use the task tracker to facilitate updates and keep communication clear. Regularly discuss tasks that need attention or adjustments — even asynchronously with automated Stand-ups. 

• Leverage automation for recurring tasks. Automate repetitive updates or reminders to ensure nothing is missed, and team members can focus on meaningful work.

When used correctly, a daily task tracker can transform workflows and boost your team’s ability to achieve project success.

Using the right tools can help your team work smarter, manage complex projects, and meet deadlines efficiently. Task tracker apps like Hubstaff offer advanced features that go beyond basic tracking, such as:

• Timesheet management

• Project budgeting

• Reporting

• Payroll management

• Invoicing

• Workforce analytics

With Hubstaff’s integration with Hubstaff Tasks, you can seamlessly allocate resources and manage tasks, from daily updates to long-term planning for complex projects.

If you're looking to optimize workflows and make deadline management effortless, it starts with better time tracking. Try Hubstaff for increased flexibility, automation, and integration to help your team achieve consistent project success.