An Introduction to Wrike’s Core Features, Use Cases, and PM Benefits
In today’s fast-paced, collaboration-driven business environment, project managers are expected to keep teams aligned, stakeholders informed, and projects on track—often across multiple departments and time zones. This requires more than spreadsheets and email chains. It requires a system designed to support the complexity of real project work. That’s where Wrike comes in.
Wrike is a cloud-based collaborative work management platform used by teams of all sizes to plan, manage, and track projects in real time. Its flexibility, depth, and scalability make it a popular choice for both startups and enterprises looking for a powerful yet intuitive solution to manage projects and portfolios.
Let’s take a closer look at what Wrike is, what it does, and why project managers are increasingly turning to it as their go-to tool.
What Is Wrike?
Wrike is a versatile project management platform that combines task management, collaboration, time tracking, workflow automation, and reporting—all within a customizable workspace.
Unlike simpler tools built solely around task lists or Kanban boards, Wrike offers layered functionality that supports both traditional (Waterfall) and Agile methodologies, making it suitable for a broad range of industries and project types.
Key Features Project Managers Love
1. Folder-Based Hierarchy
Wrike uses a folder and space structure to organize work. Think of each Space as a department or team, with folders and projects nested inside to house specific initiatives. This structure gives you the flexibility to organize your workspace in a way that mirrors how your team actually works—whether by client, function, product line, or phase.
2. Task and Subtask Management
Each task in Wrike can have:
- A due date and assignee
- Subtasks and dependencies
- Custom fields for priority, budget, or effort
- Rich descriptions, comments, and file attachments
Tasks can live in multiple folders simultaneously—allowing cross-functional teams to share ownership without duplicating work.
3. Multiple Work Views
Wrike gives project managers the ability to switch between different views:
- List View – A structured table of tasks
- Board View – Kanban-style columns for status tracking
- Gantt Chart – Visual timeline with drag-and-drop dependencies
- Calendar View – For deadline-driven planning
- Table View – Spreadsheet-style view for data-rich management
You’re not limited to one format—each team member can use the view that suits them best.
4. Real-Time Collaboration
Every task in Wrike is a living space for communication. You can @mention teammates, upload documents, tag stakeholders, and maintain a full history of updates—all in one place.
This reduces email overload and ensures that key information stays connected to the work.
5. Custom Workflows
Project managers can define custom workflows that reflect their real process—for example:
- Draft → Review → Approved → Published
- To Do → In Progress → QA → Done
You can set up automated actions based on status changes, making it easier to enforce consistency and reduce manual oversight.
How Project Managers Use Wrike
Project Planning
You can use Wrike to build detailed project plans with tasks, milestones, durations, dependencies, and critical paths. Gantt charts provide a clear timeline, while dashboards highlight upcoming deadlines and at-risk items.
Team Collaboration
Wrike replaces disconnected emails and spreadsheets with a shared platform where everyone sees the same version of the truth. Each team member has a personalized dashboard and “My To-Do” list, so they always know what’s next.
Resource Management
Project managers can monitor team capacity and workload, reassign tasks, and avoid burnout using Wrike’s Workload View (available on Business plans and up). This is especially valuable for teams juggling multiple projects.
Reporting & Visibility
Wrike makes it easy to share progress with stakeholders using:
- Dashboards – Real-time visual summaries
- Reports – Custom, scheduled status reports
- Project status indicators – “Green / Yellow / Red” flags with comments
No need to create reports manually—Wrike keeps everything up to date.
Use Cases Across Industries
Wrike is used by a wide range of teams:
- Marketing teams use it to manage content calendars and campaign launches
- Product teams coordinate Agile sprints, releases, and backlogs
- Operations teams track strategic initiatives and cross-departmental efforts
- Professional services teams manage client projects, deliverables, and SLAs
Because it’s modular, Wrike can be as light or as powerful as you need it to be.
Pricing and Plans
Wrike offers multiple pricing tiers:
- Free Plan – Limited to basic task management for small teams
- Team Plan – Adds shared dashboards and integrations
- Business Plan – Introduces time tracking, workload view, and custom fields
- Enterprise – Includes advanced security, permissions, and scalability
- Pinnacle – Designed for complex work with advanced analytics and budgeting
Most project managers will want at least the Business plan to unlock automation, reporting, and full project visibility.
Final Thoughts
Wrike is more than just a project tracker—it’s a full-scale work management platform. For project managers, it provides the structure, visibility, and tools needed to plan, execute, and monitor projects with confidence.
Whether you’re managing marketing campaigns, software development, or enterprise-wide initiatives, Wrike gives you the control and flexibility to keep everything moving—on time and on budget.
