Top 10 Batch Scheduling Software in 2023: Vendor Benchmark

According to automation stats, IT departments lose time on

• Basic tasks by 30%
• Repetitive computer tasks by 10-25%.

One way to overcome this challenge is to automate managing these basic and repetitive tasks with enterprise batch scheduling software. However, an academic study on scheduling performance in big data applications showed that 35% of the tasks were not successfully executed, implying the importance of choosing the most fitting solution ¹ . 

Selecting the right batch scheduling software can be tricky since 

• solutions in various categories such as workload automation (WLA), job scheduling software, and batch scheduling tools, can schedule batch tasks
• each category includes tens of vendors
• there are numerous batch-scheduling use cases against which vendors can be evaluated
• migrating current batches needs to be considered since most companies already have batch scheduling systems in place.

Therefore, we recommend buyers focus on a few market-leading tools and perform a detailed due diligence. In this article, we evaluate the common and distinct features of 8 solutions for easy and data-driven decision-making.

Batch scheduling software screening

Batch scheduling tools providers include workload automation tools, job scheduling software, and vendors specifically focusing on batch scheduling solutions. Such variety in the market makes it challenging to review all answers according to their capabilities. 

Therefore, we shortlist the following vendors based on 2 parameters:

1. The number of employees on LinkedIn: We included vendors with 100+ on Linkedin since higher numbers indicate a good-performing company and greater knowledge to support their products.  
2. Focus:  We ensured that all vendors offer specifically batch scheduling solutions, since comprehensive tools may schedule batch tasks although their platforms do not include batch scheduling software. 

Selecting market leaders

Market leadership

Market leaders are the top vendors with the most comprehensive tools. Besides, these tools often have more B2B reviews, which are great sources for deciding on a tool. Therefore, we selected vendors with the highest reviews and scores. 

Each of the below-listed tools has its strengths and weaknesses so it is best if you evaluate them by considering your business needs. However, you should consider adding ActiveBatch and Redwood RunMyJobs to your shortlist since these tools perform well in terms of key capabilities and specific feature sets. 

The total number of B2B reviews and average scores of all vendors in most B2B review platforms (i.e. G2, Trustradius, Capterra, Gartner Peer Insights) for batch scheduling software are provided below:

5 Key capabilities for batch scheduling software benchmarking

Below we listed core and additional features for leading companies. Businesses must evaluate these 5 key features according to their workload, objectives, and company goals. The table below provides a brief comparison of batch scheduling software for general features:

Vendors	Integrations	Deployment Environment
Redwood RunMyJobs	API integration ERP integration	On-premise Cloud
ActiveBatch by Redwood	ERP integration API integration Other system integrations	On-premise Cloud
BMC Software Control-M	ERP integration API integration Integrations to AWS, Azure and Google cloud	On-premise Cloud
Stonebranch Universal Automation Center	ERP integration API integration Cloud integration	On-premise Cloud
AWS Batch	EC2 integration	Cloud
Azure Batch	ERP integration Windows integration	Cloud
Tidal by Redwood	ERP integration API integration Cloud integration	On-premise Cloud
CA Technologies AutoSys by Broadcom	ERP integration Other tools integration	On-premise
Fortra JAMS Enterprise Job Scheduler by HelpSystems	ERP integration	On-premise Cloud
Visualcron	ERP integration	On-premise

Organizations can assess other capabilities regarding functionality, integrations, and usability by reviewing our detailed explanations below.

1- Functionality

Event-based scheduling

Event-based scheduling, also known as event triggering, is the capability to initiate batch jobs by specific conditions automatically. These events can result from software applications, databases, or other IT systems. 

For example, batch scheduling tools can perform file processing once a certain file is dropped into a particular directory. 

Event triggering capability can improve efficiency and effectiveness by: 

• Reducing manual intervention
• Saving time for higher-value tasks 
• Minimizing errors resulting from manual interventions 
• Responding to changing business conditions in time. 

Constraints-based scheduling

Constraints are requirements that batch scheduling software must consider to schedule and execute batch processes. The main constraints include: 

1. Resource availability: This constraint ensures that the software schedules manual tasks when the necessary resources are available. For instance, servers must be available to run errands. 
2. Job and task dependencies: This constraint ensures that batch scheduling software executes the subsequent task if the primary task is completed so that it satisfies dependencies and follows the correct order. It is an essential aspect of batch scheduling software as 50% of batch tasks are found to be dependent. ²  
3. Time windows: This constraint imposes specific time restrictions for scheduling. For example, with such automated time entries, batch scheduling tools can run a task during off-peak hours and in a certain period. 
4. Data dependencies: This constraint leads batch scheduling software to work when the required specific data or files are available. 
5. Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Batch scheduling tools are expected to meet task requirements subject to specific SLAs.

Date/time scheduling

Date/time scheduling is the feature allowing users to set time-related details for executing tasks. With this capability, users can specify the start and end date, frequency, and time allocated for the processing. Also, the date and time scheduling feature can include features such as daylight saving time and setting different time zones.  

This feature ensures consistency and increases operational efficiency by providing an automated and predictable task execution. 

Load balancing

This feature allows batch scheduling software to distribute large volumes of batch jobs and data across different servers based on how busy they are. As a result, load balancing capability can improve performance and efficiency by:

• Optimizing resource utilization 
• Increasing processing speed
• Improving scalability. 

2. Usability

Monitoring batch tasks

Best batch scheduling tools offer real-time monitoring capabilities to increase visibility over batch processing of tasks and enable employees to identify issues when they occur. This way, businesses can reduce downtime and any other errors. 

Real-time monitoring for batch scheduling software typically includes features such as:

• Task status tracking: This feature shows the status of each task, whether it is running, completed, or failed.
• Performance monitoring: With this feature, administrators can evaluate the performance of the batching process. For instance, they can estimate how long they take to complete and how many system resources they consume.
• Alerts and notifications: Some tools offer real-time monitoring systems that alert relevant parties if they encounter an error. 

Resource management

Resource management allows batch scheduling software to manage and allocate resources such as storage and applications to optimize effective and efficient task execution.  

Resource management can be achieved through these steps:

1. Monitoring by monitoring resource usage and performance metrics. 
2. Allocation by assigning specific resources based on constraints such as requirements or resource availability.
3. Optimization by monitoring resource utilization, identifying bottlenecks, and dynamically adjusting resource allocation. 
4. Balancing by constantly assigning resource usage across the system. 

3. Integrations

ERP Integrations

Organizations heavily rely on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems to manage their business processes, such as accounting, human resources or inventory management. Batch scheduling software must integrate with ERP systems to access the recorded data, such as customer orders, and use this data to schedule and execute tasks in batches. 

For example, batch scheduling software integrated into ERP can generate a purchase order if inventory levels fall under a certain threshold set by users. With such integration, batch scheduling tools ensure accurate and consistent data exchange, reduced risks for errors, and improved efficiency and scalability due to automation. 

API integration

API integration allows batch-scheduling software to integrate with other software systems, databases, and applications through Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). For example, batch scheduling software can extract data from a database, process this data, and then load it back into the database by using APIs.

API integration capability automates data and service exchange between different software, which can: 

• Reduce manual efforts and errors  
• Ensure consistency and accuracy. 

4. Deployment environment options

There are generally three main deployment environment options provided by vendors to install and use batch scheduling software:

• On-premises environments: The batch scheduling software is installed and runs on servers and hardware within the organization’s data center. 
  • Examples: ActiveBatch WLA or Batch Patch
• Cloud environments: With this option, the batch scheduling software is hosted and run in a cloud environment.
  • Examples: AWS Batch or Alibaba Batch Compute
• Hybrid environments: This option combines both on-premises and cloud deployments. 
  • Examples: Redwood RunMyJobs or Control-M

Learn more details about deployment options for automation tools, such as multi-cloud vs. hybrid-cloud. 

5. Low-code capability

Low-code capability enables batch-scheduling software users to perform tasks with minimal programming skills. A low-code tool offers a visual drag-and-drop feature, user friendly workflow interface, pre-built components, and other easy-to-use tools to design and customize batch-scheduling software. The market leaders we listed at the top offer low-code batch scheduling solutions. 

What are other capabilities batch scheduling tools offer?

Market leaders stand out by offering other capabilities that reduce human intervention to batch scheduling activities, such as: 

Custom alerts

Custom alerts capacity to configure and notify users about specific incidents and conditions. Doing so improves system performance and reduces the risk of potential issues. Some of the incidents or conditions custom alerts can be applied includes: 

1. Job-status changes: Users can configure alerts to notify them when a job status changes, such as when a job is submitted, starts or completes processing, or fails.
2. Job failures: Users can receive alerts when a job fails to complete successfully, allowing them to take immediate action to resolve the issue.
3. Resource availability: Alerts can be configured to monitor resource availability, such as when a server or database becomes unavailable or reaches capacity limits.
4. Job delays: Users can receive alerts when a task is delayed or takes longer than expected, allowing them to take corrective action to minimize the impact on other assignments or processes.
5. System performance: Alerts can be configured to monitor system performance metrics such as CPU and memory usage, disk I/O, or network latency, allowing users to identify potential issues and optimize system performance.

Auto-remediation

Auto-remediation is the software’s ability to identify and resolve issues by implementing corrective actions and verifying the resolution. Auto-remediation reduces manual intervention and ensures system availability. This capability can be achieved if batch scheduling software can: 

• Constantly monitor to detect issues
• Send notifications to relevant users 
• Analyze the problems to understand the root cause behind them.

Transparency statement

AIMultiple serves numerous technology vendors, including Redwood which provides Active Batch, RunMyJobs, and Tidal.

Further reading

Learn more on batch processing and batch automation:

1. Ardagna, D., & Squillante, M. S. (2015). “Special issue on performance and resource management in big data applications.” SIGMETRICS Perform. Evaluation Rev., 42(4), 2. Revisited May 8, 2023.
2. Gu, Z., Tang, S., Jiang, B., Huang, S., Guan, Q., & Fu, S. (2021, June). “Characterizing job-task dependency in cloud workloads using graph learning.” In 2021 IEEE international parallel and distributed processing symposium workshops (IPDPSW) (pp. 288-297). IEEE. Revisited May 8, 2023.