Item: ClickUp
Rating: 10
Author: Melissa Packham

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

ClickUp acts as the central hub for everything in our boutique consulting business . We use it as a CRM, content planning and management, project management, documentation like policies and SOPs right through to day-to-day task management. With everything in one place, we're spending less time switching between tools and are able to quickly link elements together (for example: brainstorm on a whiteboard and link it to a project).

Pros and Cons

Range of tools and views for different project / task types
Integrations and automations to make work smarter, not harder
Templates for a wide range of project types and use cases
Flexibility to work with businesses large and small

With loads of options it can sometimes be overwhelming
Importing from other tools like Trello and Asana is great in theory, but not necessarily in practice
New features often have a few bugs, but that's to be expected

Return on Investment

Saves us at least 3 hours a week
Helps us more effectively manage projects through improved collaboration & productivity
Keeps us focussed on our goals and the tasks associated with achieving them

Collaboration

We continually collaborate and use ClickUp for everything from brainstorming through to delegating tasks among the team and running monthly management meetings. Having everything in one place means nobody gets lost trying to find where things are saved. Brainstorming can happen together in person and then continue later as individuals, so we're not missing a beat on when ideas happen - we're able to capture them straight away on desktop or mobile.

All-in-One Productivity Platform

We've reduced the number of tools we use by around 70%. This has helped us simplify immensely and be more discerning about what tools we introduce into the mix (and only if ClickUp can't provide an alternative solution). For example, we now capture client testimonials using Forms in ClickUp, and have set up automations to create tasks to then use those testimonials in our marketing. Before, they were getting lost in our previous CRM and therefore, a wasted opportunity. By having multiple views available - from Board to List to GANTT, we're able to set up projects as we need to see them, without introducing (gasp!) spreadsheets or other tools and trying to link them together.

Alternatives Considered

Trello, Asana and Dubsado

ClickUp combines all the good bits of each tool and combines into one, creating incremental value to each on its own. Task and project management are more easily linked together, and processes and SOPs, using task templates, checklist and documents are being more effectively managed within one tool.

Key Insights

Do you think ClickUp delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with ClickUp's feature set?

Yes

Did ClickUp live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of ClickUp go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy ClickUp again?

Yes

Other Software Used

Xero, Calendly, Google Workspace

Likelihood to Recommend

There's so much flexibility and possibility with the tool, and we find that the suite of existing templates available are a great starting point, giving us lots of ideas for how to continue to get the most out of ClickUp. We create dashboards for client projects so that they have access to key project tasks and resources associated with their project. We also use dashboards for keeping an eye on metrics important to us, such as sales process related tasks. Because ClickUp integrates with Google Calendar, we have visibility of our schedule within the tool itself, and use automation tools like Zapier to connect other tools (such as Calendly). ClickUp also has a great range of internal automations, so we're able to quickly set up new projects using templates, once certain actions are completed. All of this saves us time and allows us to focus on what's really important - delivering for our clients. I would not recommend ClickUp for those just getting started with project/task management tools as it can feel daunting. The real magic is in using it as a cohesive system for your business, so giving some thought to what you need first, then setting up the tool accordingly is best.

We're mildly obsessed with ClickUp for our consulting business - can you tell?

Overall Satisfaction with ClickUp