Task planning and compliance with instructions are important issues for managers, supervisors and directors. They help manage productivity, efficiency and the quality of work performed. Numerous tools exist to manage your teams’ tasks. In this article, we’ll introduce you to an easy-to-implement tool that will enable you to create a checklist of automated tasks. This can also include automations to free your teams from non-value-added tasks.
As well as making you more efficient, this tool will make it easier for managers to track the progress of tasks. What’s more, it will enhance the working comfort of your teams. In fact, this software will create a guided experience and automate the most tedious tasks (by connecting your existing software). The time saved will enable you to improve the quality of your operations.
What is a task checklist?
A task list is what we call a “process”.
In a company, everything is a process! In fact, a process is simply a sequence of tasks designed to achieve a specific operational objective.
These steps can be consecutive or parallel, individual or collaborative, subject to conditions that modify the sequence of tasks. For example, if the amount of the estimate is over €5000, it must be validated by the manager, otherwise it will be sent directly to the customer.
In the example opposite, we can see a 5-task process with 3 different actors and a condition that leads to different paths.
A task checklist is the tangible, operational representation of this process.
A task checklist is a tool that enables teams to monitor the process in different contexts and conditions. With this kind of solution, teams can simply follow the process and concentrate on quality.
This task checklist can be “passive” or “live”:
Checklist of “passive” tasks
By “Passive”, we mean a simple paper document, pdf template, Word note or Excel spreadsheet on a computer. This is efficient in itself, but as soon as it’s used by several people, or there’s an update to be made, it quickly becomes complex to manage the different versions. What’s more, teams tend to think they know them by heart, so they stop using them. It’s at this point that oversights or errors occur, degrading operations.
Live” task checklist
By “lively”, we mean operational. Software is available to create a guided experience based on your task lists. Your teams follow the steps easily and comfortably. Assignments are automated, multiple entries are eliminated, and information retrieval is effortless. At the same time, the manager can monitor and control the progress of the task list. What’s more, these procedures are live, i.e. they update automatically.
There are several types of task or process checklists
We’ve already looked at the first type in the previous paragraph, and we’re now going to introduce you to the digitized and automated task checklists. Both types are supported by software solutions known as workflow software or Business Process Management (BPM) software. For many years, such software was the preserve of large corporations. In recent years, however, solutions for small and medium-sized businesses have emerged, offering accessible, no-code tools. In other words, they can be parameterized without the need for technical skills in IT development.)
These digital or automated processes have the advantage of always being up to date for your teams, and of distributing the right task, to the right people, at the right time, without unnecessary clicks.
Digitized task list
These software packages enable you to build a checklist of desired tasks, brick by brick. They provide functionalities for designing information entry forms (with the possibility of automatically transferring data from one step to another, to avoid multiple entries), choosing actors, roles and responsibilities, and creating validation and approval circuits. Once the process has been built, simply share the guided experience with your teams at the click of a button.
When used by employees, a manager can monitor and control the progress of tasks thanks to automated tracking and reporting on the software.
List of automated tasks
Some of the steps on a task or process checklist can simply be automated with this new generation of software. For example, retrieving an invoice from an e-mail, storing and renaming a document, calculating the amount for an estimate, updating software such as CRM, ERP, HRIS…
Workflow or process management software connects your existing software and frees your teams from tedious, non-value-added tasks.
You can even display data from one of your software applications directly in the guided, digitized experience. No more time-consuming, complex searches for information
How to make a automated task checklist in 30 minutes?
Introduction
In just a few steps, we’ll show you how to build a task checklist with Lapala, our free software for managing specialized tasks and processes.
For the demonstration, we’ll take the example of a generic task list for “Responding to a customer request”. For your information, it’s 100% customizable according to your context or use: purchasing management, HR management, production processes, invoicing…
We can break down the “Request answer” process into this list of tasks:
- Assistant task – Collect customer request
- Manager task – Qualification of request
- Assistant task – Confirmation of acceptance or refusal of acceptance => Step can be automated
- Manager task – Assign the request to an employee
- Employee task – Investigate and find solutions => Automatic display of customer history
- If required, Employee task – Arrange meeting with customer
- Then Employee task – Making the appointment
- Assistant task – Close request
- Assistant task – Send satisfaction questionnaire => Step can be automated
Step 1 – 5 minutes: Create steps in Lapala
Step 1.1 – In the Lapala software process designer, rename the first step “Request answer” then click on the “+” button and “Create a step on Default path”.
Step 1.2 -Construct the Manager step of “Request qualification”, the “Confirmation of acceptance” automation. Then click on “+” then “Create branch” to create the “Request accepted” or “Request refused” condition.
Step 1.3 – Finalize the various steps in the workflow designer.
In this example, we can see the different tasks described and the different actors (one color represents one actor). In addition, we’ve taken the liberty of setting automation parameters (in green) to free the assistant from tasks with no added value, such as sending e-mails.
Step 2 – 20 minutes: Build the content of each task to guide the collaborator
Step 2.1 – Build the input form for the first step.
- Click on the first step, then click on “Field +” and choose the type of input field. For example “Text” (other possibilities: Number, File, Yes No, multiple choice…)
- In place of “New field”, enter the name of the first piece of information you want the wizard to enter. For example, “First name”.
And so on for all the data you want to enter: Phone, Address, Request, Request description ….
Lapala super feature alert: It is also possible, if the customer already exists in one of your existing software programs or databases, to display this data directly in Lapala. This facilitates information retrieval and eliminates the need for multiple data entries. In the example below, we display customer data from our CRM. The employee can then select the desired customer and retrieve all his data with a single click.
Step 2.2 – Create the experience for each step (example for step 2: qualification of the request by the manager)
Lapala super-feature alert: In Lapala, you can reuse data entered in a previous step from one step to the next! This prevents data entry errors.
Re-display of data in the “introduction” area
Above you can see information highlighted in blue, representing what we call “Variables” (because they vary from one request to another). To insert them, simply click directly on the variable you wish to display.
Or redisplay in an input field
You can then create qualification and prioritization fields using drop-down lists, and finally a field for “Accept or Refuse the request”.
Continue to build task-by-task, input fields and relevant data collection.
If you need help, our subscriptions include hours of start-up assistance to help you build your first scenario and train you in the tool.
Step 3 – 5 minutes: Set the conditions for the various paths
In our example, we decided to make a first condition:
- If the request is accepted by the manager
- If the request is refused by the manager
Setting it up is very simple! In the previous step, we created an “Accept or decline request” field, which we’re going to reuse in the conditions (see screenshots below).
For the “Request accepted” path, simply configure the “Enter your formula here” field. To create the condition: “Accepted request field = Yes”, simply select the “Accepted request” variable! If you wanted to create the condition “Field Accepted request = No”, simply select the “Accepted request” variable and write “= false”.
And that’s it! It’s over in less than 30 minutes! Now all you have to do is share the guided experience with your teams.
Once you’ve set up your task checklist, all you have to do is click on the “Publish this version” button in the top right-hand corner and invite your colleagues to join Lapala (unlimited user invitation).
You can easily test the to-do list you’ve created from the Lapala navigation area by clicking on “Start” (see image below).
The benefits of a automated task checklist
No more methodological oversights
Thanks to the guided experience and automatic assignment of tasks to the right people, at the right times, without unnecessary clicks, your instructions will simply be followed.
Greater comfort for teams
With a task checklist, employees will be freed from non-value-added and tedious tasks. And thanks to the guides, training will be kept to a minimum.
Improving lead times and quality
Automation and ease of use will save you time, boost productivity and help you improve your business.
Better monitoring
Task checklist software such as Lapala includes measurement and progress tracking features that enable managers to monitor progress more effectively.
Data centralization
These BPM software packages offer a simple solution for collecting and analyzing the quality data you need to make informed decisions.
Customer satisfaction
Indirectly, this new organization will rub off on your customers, who will be delighted by the improvement in lead times and/or quality.
Find out more in our article on process automation
You know all about setting up a task checklist. Now it’s your turn!
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