5 issue tracking software solutions to boost your team’s productivity instantly

Issue tracking software helps SMBs identify, manage and resolve problems efficiently – from software bugs to customer complaints.

Without the right system, problems can slip through the cracks. You waste time switching between emails, chats and spreadsheets to track one issue.

In this article, you’ll learn how issue tracking software solves those challenges. You’ll also discover five tools that help SMBs manage issues better and learn what to look for when picking the right software for your business.

What is issue tracking software?

Issue tracking software identifies, manages and monitors problems throughout a project’s lifecycle or within the organization. Issues can range from software bugs and feature requests to customer complaints.

Using the software, teams can:

• Log new problems in the issue backlog

• Assign them to the right people

• Set priorities

• Add comments or attachments

• Track progress from creation to completion

The exact functionality varies depending on the platform you use.

Issue tracking system software vs. bug tracking software vs. project management tools

Bug tracking software and project management tools are similar to issue tracking software, but they’re not the same. Understanding the differences helps you choose the right solution for your business.

Choosing the right tool depends on whether your main goal is fixing issues fast, managing bugs or overseeing full project timelines.

5 best issue tracking software tools for SMBs

The right issue tracking software helps SMBs track and manage problems efficiently. The software should be easy to use, help you respond to problems quickly and keep projects moving forward.

Here are some of the best issue management software solutions on the market:

1. Pipedrive

Pipedrive is a sales CRM that helps SMBs track and manage leads throughout the customer lifecycle. The software gives sales teams an overview of every stage in the sales process, making it easier to organize leads, nurture them effectively and close more deals.

In addition to its lead management features, Pipedrive works well for issue tracking, especially for SMBs that want to manage customer issues without switching tools.

You can build custom pipelines to track support tickets, service requests or internal tasks, all from where you manage deals. Your team doesn’t have to juggle multiple tools to manage sales and support.

Say an existing customer submits a support request. Using Pipedrive, your team can track that issue in the pipeline next to their sales history.

As a result, reps can respond quickly and deliver a more personalized experience.

The interface is also user-friendly. Team members can drag and drop issues between stages, set deadlines and assign tasks without training.

Here’s a look at Pipedrive’s issue tracking features in more detail:

Customizable pipelines

Set up a dedicated pipeline for issue tracking through the pipeline management tool. These pipelines help you log, track and prioritize issues before assigning them to the relevant person.

Go to “Pipedrive > Settings > Pipelines” and create a new pipeline. Then, customize the pipeline stages to match your process. An example workflow might look like this:

Here’s an overview of how this workflow might look in Pipedrive:

Add-ons and integrations

Pipedrive offers add-ons and integrations such as SupportBee (an email ticketing system) and Re:amaze (a multi-channel messaging platform). These integrations turn customer messages into tickets and link them to the right deal.

The image below shows how SupportBee pulls contacts into Pipedrive:

By linking messages directly to the right contact, your team gets the full context at a glance.

For example, if a customer emails about a billing issue, your team can see past interactions. Your sales reps can reply faster and skip repeated questions, making support more helpful and personal.

Pipedrive also provides an open API (application programming interface), allowing users to build custom integrations and plugins to fit their specific workflows.

Automations

Use Pipedrive’s built-in automations to streamline issue management. Assign tickets to the right people, send follow-up email reminders or move issues to the next stage in the pipeline when tasks are complete.

Automations keep issues moving, letting your team focus on what matters most: solving problems.

Here’s a breakdown of how Pipedrive’s automations work:

With the right automations, you can reduce manual work, respond faster and ensure nothing slips through the cracks.

2. DoneDone

DoneDone is a straightforward issue and bug tracking tool for non-technical teams. Users can create and assign tickets, track progress and communicate about each issue.

Here are some of DoneDone’s key features:

• Manage tickets easily. Users can create tickets by filling out a simple form, assigning them to team members and setting priority levels. Each ticket’s status updates as it moves through stages (“Open”, “In Progress” and “Closed”, for example) so everyone stays on the same page.

• Respond to customers with email Integration. When a customer emails your support team, DoneDone creates a support ticket from the message. Your team replies on the platform and customers get responses by email, keeping the process smooth and efficient.

• Collaborate within tickets. Team members can add internal comments, tag colleagues and attach files within each ticket. You keep all related communication in one place, making it easy to follow the thread and avoid missed status updates.

For teams without technical expertise, DoneDone is a practical choice. Its simple interface makes it easy to manage issues without a steep learning curve or complex setup.

3. Marker.io

Marker.io is a website feedback and bug reporting tool that streamlines communication between less-technical users and development teams. It boosts teamwork by letting users report issues from your website with screenshots and details.

This functionality means non-technical stakeholders can provide clear, detailed feedback without explaining complex issues. This easy feedback prevents misunderstandings between issue reporters and developers.

Here’s an overview of Marker.io’s key features:

• Capture bugs directly from the browser. Users take screenshots, add annotations and highlight issues without leaving the webpage, making feedback clear and visual.

• Collect technical details automatically. Marker.io gathers information like browser type, URLs and console logs with every report. The software then gives users the context they need to fix problems quickly.

• Collaborate within the platform. Team members can add comments, reply to feedback and discuss issues within Marker.io, keeping communication clear and centralized.

Marker.io is useful for SMBs that want to simplify feedback and issue reporting between clients, designers and developers.

4. Userback

Userback is a feedback and issue tracking tool that helps teams collect, understand and act on product feedback. End users can submit feedback directly on websites or applications using visual annotations, such as screenshots and screen recordings.

Letting users submit feedback directly on your website makes it faster to report issues. Developers and product teams can quickly understand the problem, fix it faster and reduce downtime.

For SMBs with limited resources, this efficiency is powerful. You can quickly improve the user experience and build a more polished product, ultimately leading to happier customers and more sales.

Here’s a breakdown of some of Userback’s core features:

• Collect feedback in real time. Capture user feedback the moment it happens. Your team can identify and respond to issues early, improving product quality without delay.

• Categorize and prioritize issues. Use tags and filters to group feedback by urgency, topic or product area. These labels help small teams focus their efforts where it counts most.

• Customize the widgets for your brand. Tailor the feedback widget to match your brand positioning and target specific use cases. Adjust location, colors, fonts and language to fit seamlessly into your website or app without disrupting the customer journey.

Userback offers a reliable solution for SMBs looking for a straightforward, visual way to collect actionable feedback directly from end users.

5. BugHerd

BugHerd is an issue tracker designed for teams that build and manage websites, especially marketing and web development agencies. The software makes it easy to share websites, gather feedback and make quick fixes to produce a seamless user experience.

Here’s a closer look at BugHerd’s key features:

• Pin feedback directly on the page. Users click anywhere on your website to report issues. Each comment is turned into a task with a visual cue so developers know exactly where to look.

• Capture technical context automatically. BugHerd logs essential technical information with every piece of feedback. For example, it captures browser type, operating system and screen resolution. This information helps developers resolve issues quickly without asking users for extra details.

• Track progress with a built-in Kanban board. Feedback and bug reports are sent to BugHerd’s built-in task board, which uses a Kanban layout. Teams can view tasks by status, assigning them to the right person and manage website updates in one place.

Although BugHerd is typically used by marketing and development teams, it’s useful for any SMB that wants a simple way to collect website feedback, streamline communication and speed up issue resolution without technical complexity.

How issue tracking software helps SMBs

Issue tracking software helps SMBs centralize problem management and hold teams accountable while offering prompt issue visibility. The tools enable teams to deliver speedy fixes and boost customer satisfaction, increasing the chances of closing deals.

Here’s how issue tracking software drives these benefits for SMBs:

Centralizes issue reporting

Issue tracking software gives SMBs a single place to log problems, feedback or bugs – whether from customers, internal teams or external partners.

Centralizing this information prevents issue reports from being scattered across platforms or a software issue tracking Excel template.

For example, a support rep can view all customer complaints in one central location instead of digging through separate emails and chat messages. With this insight, the rep can quickly identify recurring issues, prioritize urgent problems and coordinate fixes faster.

Improves accountability

Issue tracking systems allow you to assign issues to specific team members with clear ownership and deadlines. Allocating issues creates accountability, prevents tasks from being overlooked and helps managers track project progress without follow-ups.

Say that a website bug is assigned to a developer with a clear deadline. With this task in place, the developer knows exactly what to fix and by when.

This clarity reduces delays and lets developers complete their work without needing constant check-ins from management.

Speeds up response times

By organizing issues by priority, category or due date, SMBs can tackle the most important problems first. Team members spend less time figuring out what needs attention and more time resolving issues, which leads to faster turnaround and better outcomes.

Imagine a customer support team sorts tickets by urgency and product area. The team quickly fixes critical bugs by prioritizing issues before addressing minor requests.

The process speeds up resolutions and keeps customers happy.

Enhance customer satisfaction

Timely issue resolution makes customers feel heard and valued. When SMBs can track and respond to complaints or requests quickly, it builds trust and improves the overall customer experience.

Consider a SaaS company using issue tracking software to manage billing queries.

The company builds stronger client relationships and reduces churn by responding promptly and resolving billing issues efficiently.

Key features to look for in issue tracking software

To choose the right issue tracking software, focus on tools that simplify communication, enable customization and provide clear visibility into progress.

Here are the key features to look for when selecting issue tracking software:

A simple user interface

Choose software that’s easy to use with minimal training. The easier it is to navigate, the faster your team can get it up and running effectively.

Look for a clean layout, clear navigation and simple controls. Drag-and-drop tasks, customizable views and filtering options all enhance usability.

Take Pipedrive as an example. The CRM offers a drag-and-drop pipeline, visual progress stages and easy task assignment, helping teams get started quickly without technical training.

Here’s an example of how easy it is to move tasks in one Pipedrive:

This simplicity reduces the learning curve. Your team can focus on solving issues instead of struggling with complicated software.

Customizable processes

Every business has its own way of managing issues. The best tools let you customize statuses, priorities and workflows to match your team’s process.

Here are some customizations to look for:

• Custom status labels to reflect your workflow stages

• Adjustable priority levels to highlight urgent tasks

• Flexible workflow steps that match how your team operates

• Multiple pipelines for different issue types

• Custom fields for capturing specific information relevant to your business

• Options to automate task movement based on status changes or deadlines

Pipedrive lets you build pipelines with stages and priority levels that reflect your custom workflow. You can create tailored pipelines for sales, support tickets or any other process, keeping everything organized and aligned with how your team works best.

Here’s a visual of how to create your own pipeline stages in Pipedrive:

If your team needs total customization (without using an existing platform as a base), you may prefer an open-source issue tracker. An open-source tool offers more customizations as you build the software from scratch, but requires more technical knowledge.

Assignment and ownership tracking

It should be easy to assign issues to specific team members, set deadlines and monitor who’s responsible for certain issues. Assigning issues ensures accountability, which motivates individuals to move the timeline forward, hit key milestones and work toward resolution.

When evaluating assignment and ownership tracking features, look for:

• Clear visibility of who owns each issue and its deadlines

• Ability to reassign tasks easily if workloads shift

• Automated reminders for overdue or upcoming tasks

• Dashboards or reports showing individual and team progress to help managers track accountability

Use a sales CRM like Pipedrive to simplify accountability management. Pipedrive lets you assign tasks directly within custom pipelines, set deadlines and easily reassign issues as priorities change.

The image below shows a team member being assigned a new task:

Pipedrive’s automated notifications and visual dashboards make it easy to monitor ownership and ensure a timely issue resolution process.

Reporting and analytics

Built-in reporting helps you track metrics such as resolution time, issue volume and recurring problems. Analyzing these insights enables you to identify and resolve bottlenecks as quickly as possible.

It also shows you which issues occur most frequently and measures how quickly your team resolves them.

All this data helps you make informed decisions about where to allocate resources, improve processes and address challenges before they escalate.

For example, if reports show that customer inquiries about shipping delays spike during certain times, you can allocate more staff or streamline communication during those periods. You improve response times, and customer satisfaction increases.

Here are some key reporting and analytics features to look for:

• Customizable dashboards that highlight your most important metrics

• Trend analysis to spot recurring issues over time

• Filters to drill down by issue type, priority or team member

• Visual charts and graphs for easy data interpretation

Pipedrive’s custom dashboards highlight the metrics that matter most to your team.

Here’s an example of a Pipedrive dashboard:

You can customize the view to choose which data you’ll see and quickly spot areas needing attention.

Integration with other tools

Many SMBs already use tools like CRMs, helpdesks or project management tools. Choose issue trackers that work with your existing tech stack to make your work easier.

For example, if you use Pipedrive’s CRM to nurture leads and prospects, you might use the following integrations for issue tracking:

• Zendesk for managing customer support tickets alongside your sales data

• Trello to organize and track tasks and bugs with a visual project board

• Slack to receive real-time issue alerts and collaborate instantly with your team

These integrations connect issue tracking with your sales, support and team communication channels, helping you resolve problems faster.

Final thoughts

When choosing an issue tracking system, look for easy-to-use tools with customizable workflows, clear task ownership and helpful reports.

Use Pipedrive’s CRM to align issue management with your sales pipeline. Centralizing these activities lets you solve problems quickly and ensure customers receive the support they need at every step of the buying journey.

Sign up for a free 14-day trial to see how Pipedrive tracks issues alongside deals and provides real-time insights that keep your team focused and customers satisfied.