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How We Chose and Evaluated Products
Testing products is a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it. Luckily, I didn’t have to go in blind.
First, our analysts conducted in-depth research to understand the market. They then recommended the 5 best products based on a range of criteria: topic alignment, feature comprehensiveness, product popularity, user reviews and ratings, SelectHub in-house data, hands-on experience, market analysts’ reports, thought leaders’ opinions and information available in the public domain.
Products with better user reviews were given preference, provided they adequately met the other criteria listed.
While all the products on our list are project management tools, they offer impressive features for creating and managing workflows.
Armed with those insights from our team of analysts and free trials for each product, I was ready to put my grading cap on. To ensure an objective evaluation, here’s the criteria I used to test the products after our analysts gave us the final list:
Ease of Use: I didn’t expect to pick each tool up immediately, but I wanted each one to be intuitive and user-friendly to master for team members without Python as a soft skill.
Customization: Workflows aren’t exactly one-size-fits-all. I looked at how the tools could be customized to fit user-specific workflows.
For example, Cache Merill, Founder and CEO of Zibtek uses a set process for his company that requires in-depth customization.
We use workflows the most between design phases and development. So we have clear stories and tasks in design and devs can’t start until those designs are approved. We build a workflow around that, then once the approval is done it can automatically be placed in the dev queue. Some tools can be overly complex for non-technical teams, and setting up workflows often requires more customization and time.
Integration: No software is an island. I tested how well the products integrated with important solutions like email, third-party integration applications, CRM, ERP and project management software.
Scalability: It’s the second decade of the millennia and growth is a priority. Ipso facto, companies may not be fans of changing tools every time they scale (or downsize). I looked for the ability to, for example, increase users without a massive price hike or easily scale to an enterprise package.
Affordability: As much as we’d like it to be otherwise, pricing models matter. All the products included have affordable pricing models for small and mid-sized businesses and offer a monthly payment option.
Learn more about our research methodology and editorial standards.
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