Wrike - My Robust Best Friend
Updated April 06, 2023
Wrike - My Robust Best Friend
Score 10 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Wrike
We use Wrike to track all projects and asset requests that move through the Creative Department. We created request forms to manage the multitude of marketing asset requests that we create every week. We also track huge, year-long Product Development schedules from concept through shipping. Because all departments use our request forms, we have standardized input so our data is easily combined in helpful ways when reporting status and outputs. I love the way I can pull data points together for different reports and dashboards.
- The Wrike Approvals process is the primary reason we initially looked at Wrike. This feature is extremely robust and customizable.
- Dashboards share our progress with stakeholders, making our meetings much more effective as the time is spent less on status updates and more on decision making.
- The level of customization is amazing. The only problem is deciding how you want to use it! Tasks, Subtasks, checklists and projects can be combined and shared out exactly as you need to.
- There is a steep learning curve. This is potentially even steeper when you work with a Wrike system that was built by someone else. This is just a minor downside since it is a result of the phenomenal customizable nature of Wrike. They have created an entire curriculum of 15-minute videos to help learn any aspect of the program. Some are even very funny.
- Approvals process with the ability to pinpoint your comment directly on the art. Very nice feature.
- Assigning tasks to individuals or teams, and communicating direction and changes directly in the task.
- The user education features. Very helpful to get all our users speaking the same language.
- I have to work hard to be sure that I am demonstrating the value of Wrike every day so my boss and her boss know the ROI is worth the money AND the time.
Wrike is extremely robust. It takes all the best features and combines them into one collaboration system. It isn't as pretty or funny or fun as some of the other products I have used to track work, but it literally does it all.
Do you think Wrike delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with Wrike's feature set?
Yes
Did Wrike live up to sales and marketing promises?
I wasn't involved with the selection/purchase process
Did implementation of Wrike go as expected?
I wasn't involved with the implementation phase
Would you buy Wrike again?
Yes
Wrike Feature Ratings
Using Wrike
35 - Product Development, Creative Department, Marketing, Special Products, and Sales.
5 - We have multiple Spaces - one for each department in our business unit and one for other business units we work directly with. Each Space has an Admin who supports the users on that team.
We also have trainers and SMEs who can answer most questions, or find an answer in Wrike's help feature.
We also have trainers and SMEs who can answer most questions, or find an answer in Wrike's help feature.
- New Product Development
- Marketing Asset Creation
- Sales support
- Catalog Design
- Process Across all Departments
- We have been able to collaborate with departments in other Business Units in an asynchronous and fully transparent manner since all users see the same information.
- I hope to encourage other departments to interact more fully with Wrike. We are focused on data-driven results and I believe there is valuable information about how we all work together.
Evaluating Wrike and Competitors
Yes - Smartsheet and Basecamp
We needed an asynchronous proofing feature that would allow us to automatically move production to the next phase. We had used hardcopy proofs in folders for years, then moved to task management systems like Basecamp. It still required a person (at that time) to manually change the status and assignments of each task in our projects. Smartsheet was much more automated and helpful, but not user-friendly. We have a wide range of tech skill sets within our organization, so we needed something a little more automated, but still navigable by everyone.
We needed an asynchronous proofing feature that would allow us to automatically move production to the next phase. We had used hardcopy proofs in folders for years, then moved to task management systems like Basecamp. It still required a person (at that time) to manually change the status and assignments of each task in our projects. Smartsheet was much more automated and helpful, but not user-friendly. We have a wide range of tech skill sets within our organization, so we needed something a little more automated, but still navigable by everyone.
- Product Features
- Product Usability
The proofing / approvals feature is key to our success. We need to be able to put a file into review and have it alert the proofreader, the design manager, any safety/QC people, and often our director. We can set the date, assign the approvers and easily check the approval progress with a couple of clicks for any task. With 100s of tasks a month, it was a game changer.
I recently reviewed a couple of other project management systems and we decided to stay with Wrike.
Some highlights:
The continual updating of project/task features, and most recently of the UI.
The approval process feature.
The involvement of the Wrike user community and the attention of the Wrike CS and Development groups.
The astounding level of customizability (is that a word?) and robust functionality of the platform.
Responsiveness of our CS team and User Success rep.
Some highlights:
The continual updating of project/task features, and most recently of the UI.
The approval process feature.
The involvement of the Wrike user community and the attention of the Wrike CS and Development groups.
The astounding level of customizability (is that a word?) and robust functionality of the platform.
Responsiveness of our CS team and User Success rep.