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Good task management can mean the difference between meeting deadlines and disappointing customers. Apps can help, which is something that new research from EE bears out. It found that 37 per cent of SME employees say they would be more productive if provided with apps tailored to their role.

Task management apps provide people with a powerful tool to organise, prioritise and share work. But, says Mike Tomlinson, director of small business at EE, the problem is the sheer quantity of apps out there. "It's become too difficult for small businesses to identify the best ones to use."

To help cut through the fog, here are five apps to help SME employees make better use of the working day.

Todoist en.todoist.com

Todoist is a virtual to-do list with which you can categorise tasks, set completion dates and share progress. Files can be linked to specific tasks and the app can be accessed from anywhere. Other apps do many of the same things, but few are so directly targeted at SMEs.

"For me, collaboration is key to a successful task management app, and Todoist offers support for popular cloud-based collaboration platforms such as Google Drive or Dropbox," says Matthew Hunt, business development manager at Manchester-based mobile app developer Apadmi.

Any.Do www.any.do

Any.Do helps staff manage daily tasks, whether at their desk, on the train or at lunch. It's less business focused than Todoist but its clean, easy interface makes adding new tasks and keeping on top of them easy. It's also free.

"Any.Do allows individuals and team members to focus on the tasks that need to get done, arrange them into projects or categories and then mark them off as and when they're completed," says Paul Andrews, an expert in the use of free and open source software for business.

Zoho CRM www.zoho.com/crm

Tasks involved in keeping on top of customer relations are time consuming, endlessly recurring and easy to forget. Zoho CRM helps businesses automate routine tasks, track sales, and keep in touch with customers. It can be updated away from the office particularly handy for a travelling sales team.

Zoho's features are designed with SMEs in mind. The Opportunity Tracking tool, for instance, shows SMEs where every customer is in the sales cycle, their deal size and contact information, while flagging up inactive leads.

Yes Workforce www.yesworkforce.co.uk

Yes Workforce is a task management app designed to make the management of a mobile workforce such as plumbers, electricians and delivery drivers easier. Yes Workforce can re-allocate jobs based on where employees are and how long a current task is taking. Staff can exchange information and images, upload customer signatures, and file progress reports in real time, allowing admin staff to assign tasks efficiently.

Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/business/sme-home/business-tips/11092152/best-task-managment-apps.html