ProWorkflow Pro Tip:
How to make Optimal Use of the Task Management System?
When it comes to Task Management Systems and ProWorkflow, there is a lot to be said. Depending on how you run your business , you have lots of options to manage Tasks in ProWorkflow. That’s because different businesses have different needs and what works for you doesn’t necessarily work for the business down the road. The more efficient you can manage Tasks, the more the business can take on, and the happier your wallet will be.
There are quite a few places in ProWorkflow from where to manage Tasks (I mean A LOT). The handy part of this is that you never have to click away from the page you are in when the need to add a Task presents itself. But also, the different places from where to manage offer slightly different options in how to view your Task overview. It all boils down to finding the perfect way for you.
So let’s do some Task Management exploration.
Starting off with the basics.
Chances are you are in the middle of a ProWorkflow Trial and you already spent some time adding Tasks.
If that is the case, you probably know that the most obvious place to set-up or change Tasks efficiently is in the Add/Edit Task menu on the Projects Page. If you haven’t made it that far in your Trial, here’s how you do it:
- Open the Project and click ‘Add Task’. Select ‘Add a Blank Task’.
- Name the Task, enter the start and due date.
- The drop-down will allow you to enter the details of the Task. This includes the hourly rate, the description, the time you have allocated, and who is assigned to the Task. You can also determine whether the hours are billable or non-billable and how high a priority the Task is. On top of that, you can collaborate with others using messaging and also add any files related to the Task to keep all relevant information available at a click of a button.
- When finished, click ‘Done’.
It’s equally easy to Edit a Task by clicking on the green Edit Task icon that will appear to the right-most portion of an individual Task field when you hover over it.
But as we mentioned earlier, adding a Tasks from the Projects page is only one of the many options. Really, any page will do. The way you do it is largely the same anywhere. Simply click the green ‘+’ icon that you can find in the top left corner of each page.
Some handy tips and tricks you may not know of
But what we really would like to share with you are few time-hacks and handy tips and tricks in the Add/Edit Tasks window you may not know about
If you had a good run with ProWorkflow, you probably think you know all the ins and outs of Task management in ProWorkflow. But did you know about some of these handy time-savers?
- Did you know that you can Drag and Drop Tasks to other areas in the Edit/Add window?
- Have you noticed how you can check available staff at just a click of the button?
- Also, are you aware that you can mass-assign people to specific Tasks?
- Or that you can mass-assign service rates?
- Or how about the ultimate time shortcut: the template? The set-up of a template is probably a topic for a separate blog, but when it comes to the use of it, it should definitely not be left out in this list!
- Talking about Templates, how about the fact that you can pre-configure to change dates dynamically for templates based on the start date?
- And finally, you can set up a weekly or monthly Recurring Task (e.g. a weekly on-sit meeting). The recurring task tool will create a task each week until the end of that project. These tasks will appear on the task list and calendar of any user assigned.
Other places that allow you to manage Tasks slightly differently
But as we mentioned, there are several other places where you can manage Tasks.
When it comes to getting the work done, The Tasks Page is the place to be.
You still have the same detail available that was set -up in the Projects page. But there are a few handy extra’s here that may be rather convenient.
- Did you know that in the Tasks Page, it’s very easy to group Tasks by due date, start date, priority or project with the drop down. A popular client favorite is to group by ‘upcoming Tasks’. This creates a very handy To-Do list for the day ahead.
- Within each Task on the Tasks page, on top of the detail that was entered during the set-up of the Tasks, you can also start tracking time on a task or add a manual time entry.
- It doesn’t matter on what page you are in the Proworkflow system, you can mark the Task off as ‘complete’. Once a Task is marked as complete, it will disappear from the Tasks Page. It will still be visible in the Projects page and the Calendar page, though.
- Did you know that you can create a General Task that is not assigned to a Project (e.g. cleaning up your desk at the end of the week)?
And finally, did you know that some people also like to work Tasks from the Calendar Page for a calendar style overview of their Tasks?