Getting in Done^(R) Software Review

GTD Basics that Software Needs to Support

Getting things done methodology incorporates a number of simple, but profoundly effective, techniques which can be directly supported by software.  Below you’ll find a review of various software programs that support David Allen’s GTD^(R) process.  But first, just in case you are new to GTD^(R), let’s review the basics.  To improve personal productivity, GTD^(R) teaches you to collect your stuff in one place, process through one of several actions, and do weekly reviews.   

 

What do you need to know to make sure you're getting the right software?

Many software tools claim to be GTD^(R) compliant, each focusing on personal productivity geared towards Allen's GTD^(R) methodology.  Priacta suggests they have researched 165 applications, and list a cursory review of 23 applications.  But what if a cursory review isn't that helpful, especially when it comes down to actually using GTD software in a business environment day to day? 

And when it comes to applying GTD to teams and organizations, what if personal organization, personal productivity isn’t enough?  What if you are in a management position, and can’t do it all by yourself, no matter how productive or organized or GTD certified you are?  With that question in mind, we've pulled together a detailed comparative guide to give you a better feel for capabilities of available packages on both the individual and multi-person team and organization level.

Yes

GTD Methodology	Thinking Rock	Things for the Mac	OmniFocus for the Mac	Effexis Achieve Planner	MProLite	ManagePro
Collect: Store “stuff” as records in a GTD inbox /task management list	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Drag & Drop Outlook email into GTD inbox	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Save and search on documents attached to stuff filed and projects	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Deal with It: Search on records in inbox	Yes	Yes	Yes	Filter only	Yes	Yes
Save and search on tasks completed	Yes	No	No	Filter only	Yes	Yes
Support creating multiple step projects	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Categorize projects	Uses topics, but can only be assigned to one	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Prioritize Projects and Project sub-steps	Yes	Only if added to a priority context	Only if added to a priority context	Yes	Yes	Yes
Assign tasks and projects to others	Email out only	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Email out assign tasks and projects to others	Yes	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Review: View completed and uncompleted projects	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
View inbox and project progress of team members	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Scorecard Dashboard of results on goals and projects	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Enterprise Ready Business & Project Management Tools
Goal Planning	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Outlook Drag and Drop + Synchronization	No	No	No	No Drag & Drop, Yes on sync	Yes	Yes
Recurring Events to Review Regularly	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Gantt Chart	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Map View	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Resource Allocation	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Capacity Planning	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Issue Tracking	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Sales Forecasting	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Custom Dashboards	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Performance Management	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Scorecards	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Calendar Sharing	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Mobile Phone Access	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Strategic Alignment	No	No	No	No	Yes	Yes
Document Management	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Web-based/No local install	No	No	No	No	Yes	No
Price / Monthly Subscription	No	No	No	No	$20/month	$35/month
Price of License	$40	$49.95	$79.95	$99.94	$255	$525

 

Summary of Comparisons Based upon Typical Business Environment Requirements

Based upon our research, you will find that a GTD^(R) compatible software package that doesn’t support broader management functions for the whole team (as viewed in the review above) is severely limited.  So what do you do, if you need to incorporate the Getting Things Done^(R) methodology into your work process, your team, and/or the entire organization?  What if work is an environment where coordination of effort and information, becomes as important in reaching deliverables as your personal organization and productivity? What if in the work environment, most things get done through the collaboration of others? 

Our research suggests, that most individuals interested in applying GTD^(R)  realistically need software that is “enterprise” ready, given all the projects and tasks most managers and executives have to manage.  They, and this might be you, benefit much more from the simple power of Getting Things Done^(R),  when the software technology supports a broader collaborative orientation.  Perhaps the new paradigm should be "Getting Things Done Through People". 

ManagePro and MProLite both harness the simplicity of GTD^(R) while making available extensive management tools when you need them. 

Next Steps:

1.  Click the image below to watch an introductory video:

 

2. Click here to demo ManagePro

 

Order online More about ManagePro & MProLite

 

 

 

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