Job scheduling software solution is a program that allows an organization to plan, schedule, monitor and report tasks and jobs (which are elementary units of work) created in both electronic and paper formats. Modern solutions vary from complex and integrated systems to simple and flexible job scheduler tools . The idea of this quick review is to show you differences between systems and tools for job scheduling and to help you choose the best solution that fits your needs.

Job scheduler tools
It is a simple solution for planning, organizing and monitoring tasks and jobs assigned to employees. A typical job scheduler tool (ex.: Oracle tool) can be characterized by several major features that allow doing the following:

• Planning: you can plan work units (tasks and jobs) by such parameters as due date, priority and assignment. Each task may have a due date and priority, and employees know how to perform assigned tasks in accordance with these parameters.
• Organizing: you can create to-do lists and organize tasks and jobs into categorized task lists. Each task can be placed in a category, so you can design a categorized hierarchy of tasks.
• Monitoring: Each work unit in todo lists can be tracked and monitored, so you can control teamwork and review status of tasks and jobs.
• Reporting: at the end of each day/week/month you can create reports on tasks and jobs to estimate job performance and analyze the work done.

Job scheduler systems
It is an advanced task management solution that offers features to manage, control, and analyze tasks and activities assigned to employees. Job scheduler systems are rather more powerful solutions than those tools. In addition to the features of job scheduler tools , such systems contain functionality to do the following:

• Exporting and importing data: you can export information about tasks and jobs from the system to external applications (ex.: to Excel spreadsheets), as well as to import information from external applications (ex.: from MS Outlook) to job scheduler system .
• Advanced user collaboration: job scheduler system supports real-time collaboration and communication between users, so they can exchange information immediately.
• Advanced features for project management: you can create tree-like structures and multi-level hierarchies for projects and subprojects.
• Database management: in case the system is based on client-server technologies, it has a built-in tool to manage databases, including editing, registering and deleting databases.

At the end of the given review there are good examples of both job scheduler tools and systems .

• VIP Team To Do List is a job scheduler tool that supports Filters Bar and Categories Bar to allow you to plan, organize, monitor and report teamwork (group tasks and jobs). The tool supports email collaboration, so users can send tasks by email and publish to-do lists on website through FTP.
• VIP Task Manager is a multi-user, client-server task management and job scheduler system that supports real-time user collaboration. The system allows using local network and Internet to access and manage information (tasks, schedules, documents, files, etc.) located in a single database.