1. Project management tools
The main tools that will help you increase productivity of your MICE company are project management tools. They allow you to plan project delivery and to plan and control the execution of projects. Normally, project management software use visual representation of projects such as Kanban boards and Gantt Charts. Most project management tools have task management tools and time management tools integrated in the software that are be very beneficial for management of MICE projects. That is why we are reviewing task management tools as a part of project management tools.
#1 Wrike
Ranked as the best project manager software of 2019 by FinancesOnline, the software Wrike is a software that was designed to assist in management of up to 20 projects. Its advantages are freemium option for up to 5 users, real-time editing, time and budget tracking, scalability of software, Gantt chart representation. Among the disadvantages of the software are lack of user interface customization, lack of some important integration and no built-in chat app.
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#2 Monday.com
A simple but intuitive software, Monday.com is offering its solutions to companies of all sizes. It offers task management, visual project management and tracking, centralized communication and document management, analytics and reporting, and various integrations.
Image source: Monday.com
#3 Zoho Projects
Editor’s choice by PC Magazine, the software Zoho Projects helps users to plan and execute projects, communicate with employees and clients; manage documents, track the status of the tasks of the projects. It offers Gantt charts visualisation of the schedule and progress of tasks and integrations with various apps – both Zoho and of partners.
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2. Team communication tools
Communication is the pillar of any company. By assuring a seamless flow of communication, a healthy dialog between employees, departments, contractors and clients you will be able to create a strong foundation for your company. Productivity of your MICE company heavily depends on communication. Here are some team communication tools highlighted by Forbes.
#4 Slack
Being one of the most known communication and collaboration tools for teams, Slack is a uniform hub for messaging, tools and files. You can manage brainstorm sessions, different files and images, event announcements and more. You can also organize conversations by team, project or client, share projects and converse across different devices.
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#5 Skype for Business
Known for its HD videoconferences, Skype for Business offers various communication functions such as scheduling meeting with one click, annotate PowerPoint to collaborate in real-time, create editable whiteboards and polls. Skype software is known for its functionality, and Skype for Business is keeping the high standards of communication.
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#6 Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is the chat-based workspace in Office 365 that offers customizable chat windows with available app integration, joined interactive drawing boards, GIF icons for more casual conversations and much more. The best advantage of Microsoft Teams is its integrated search capabilities and built-in access to SharePoint, OneNote and Planner.
Image source: Products.office.com
The employees of your MICE company are the key stakeholders that affect productivity of the efforts of the whole team. Performance management software are designed to help human resources to optimize the employee performance management processes. Employee performance management tools allow tracking and evaluating performance, providing tools to help create strategies for improvement of productivity of the team. Here are the three best performance management software by PC Magazine.
#7 BambooHR
Best used for Human Resources Management System (HRMS), BambooHR promises to let HR managers to focus on people, not on process. It is a cloud-based software that provides all necessary tools for managing such processes as hiring (applicant tracking system), onboarding, compensation, corporate culture, people data & analytics. It is best suited for small and midsize businesses.
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#8 SAP SuccessFactors
SAP SuccessFactors has been an industry leader in HR management software for a long time. It offers Human Capital Management solutions within its HCM Suite that includes recruiting software, talent management software to track productivity, workforce analytics and reports, and more. Among its advantages are intuitive set up and video tutorials and outstanding performance tracking features.
Image source: Successfactors.com
#9 Deputy
Deputy software is strongest in employee scheduling and shift planning. Its advantages are mobile-first approach, friendly user interface, customer support, ability to customize dashboard and pricing policy. The main disadvantage of Deputy software is that it is much more suited to be a shift scheduling app rather than a comprehensive HR management tool.
Image source: Deputy.com
4. Time management tools
Time management is the key to being productive, and you can improve the productivity of your MICE company and its employees by using the right time management tools. These tools are designed to improve the focus, plan your to-do lists and minimize the distractions. With strict deadlines that are habitual for MICE projects, time management is essential for the effective and efficient preparation and execution of the projects. Here are some of best time management tools recommended by The Guardian.
#10 Todoist
Todoist is a task management tool and a powerful to-do list platform. It allows users to create and manage tasks, assign priority labels and deadlines, share and communicate with colleagues create events. The tool supports various platforms and can be easily managed from desktop of phone.
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#11 Trello
Trello is a well-known time and task management tool that is appreciated for its features of tracking and visualizing progress on a cardboard-like dashboard. Among its top features are a well-equipped free edition where you can create unlimited task lists, invite unlimited number of users to participate, share files and images, organize lists by date and priority, comment and collaborate with your colleagues. Paid-for plans bring enhanced security and larger attachment sizes.
Image source: Trello.com
#12 FocusList
With its functionalities stretching further then just creating to-do lists, FocusList allows users plan their day by creating a series of timed tasks. It helps increase productivity by suggesting 25-min working sessions with 5-min breaks in between. A countdown timer is set to encourage following this “Pomodoro Technique”.
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5. Event management tools
Event management is one of the main activities of MICE companies, along with Travel planning management. Event management software offer solutions that help MICE companies to automate the process of event management, such as planning, marketing, organizing, managing guest lists and venues, executing and analysing the outcomes of events. Here are some of the most popular event management tools by Finances Online.
#13 Cvent
Ranked with the highest user score, Cvent is all-in-one event management platform that is designed for companies of different sizes. Among its top features are event registration, payment processing, budget management, reporting, onsite solutions, email marketing and contact management, event calendars and more.
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#14 Bizzabo
Bizzabo is an advanced event management software that is designed to manage event registration and ticketing, listing design, fundraising, promotion and payments in a single tool. Its best features are sponsorship, client and vendor management, sales insights, social media sharing, event website, real time digital agenda for event and more.
Image source: Bizzabo.com
#15 Eventbrite
With the best score of Finances Online, Eventbrite is a self-service fully customizable event planning software that is highlighted by its intuitive tools. Its main features are registration and ticketing, speaker profiles, custom venue maps, fundraising and crowdfunding, mobile event app, online payments, reporting and analytics and more.
Image source: Eventbrite.com
