[Discussion] What other parts of your process could be automated?

[abstr]

Hi All

Because I'm always looking for interesting projects to work on I thought I would ask you to briefly highlight aspects of your workload (other than the specific tasks themselves) which remain manual but which might benefit from some level of automation?

Example 1: In my workplace we have 3-weekly progress meetings for which my team leader must prepare a web page summarising everything that the team has achieved over the previous 3 weeks.

Example 2: Every month we also have to record 4 minute presentations for any features we've completed so that other teams/managers can be alerted to new functionality.

So I'm not asking for feature requests, I just want to get an idea of which of your activities you wish could be more streamlined.

There's no right or wrong answer and one-line replies are perfectly acceptable - I can always ask for clarification later.

Thanks

[keithc]

A few thoughts. I tried to focus on outcomes not features but haven't really succeeded.

• I receive emails which explicitly or implicitly drive the creation of tasks.
• When choosing the next task to do, I don't want to get distracted by tasks that cannot be done yet. (Possible Feature: hide dependent tasks until the precedent task is completed)
• Some tasks only become important as their deadline approaches and just clutter the list before that.
• Not having tasks low in the hierarchy outranking those near the top in terms of priority. (Possible feature: Set priorities relative to parent task not absolute.)

For the last two, something like this: https://groups.google.com/g/mylifeorgan ... qCUs?pli=1. I used to use LifeBalance until it was no longer supported and it did an excellent job of this.

[abstr]

Many thanks @keithc

I tried to focus on outcomes not features but haven't really succeeded

What about at the tail-end of completing tasks. Is there any reconciliation process required? Month-end reports?

Possible Feature: hide dependent tasks until the precedent task is completed

This is actually already possible if you create a custom filter via 'Edit > Find Tasks' and create a rule using the 'Dependency' field...

For the last two

I'll read through that link and see if anything looks doable...

[keithc]

Thanks for the quick response.

What about at the tail-end of completing tasks. Is there any reconciliation process required? Month-end reports?

Not an issue for me, but it would have been useful when I worked full-time for other people, now I work part-time for myself and most of my todo list is personal interest not really work. However, I can see this being very useful for many people. What would it need? Probably Completed tasks, their due dates and completion dates, uncompleted tasks with % complete and due dates? Automatically created on a certain day (number or Nth day name?)? I could see this needing to be highly configurable.

Possible Feature: hide dependent tasks until the precedent task is completed

This is actually already possible if you create a custom filter via 'Edit > Find Tasks' and create a rule using the 'Dependency' field...

Thanks, I'll have a play with that.

I'll read through that link and see if anything looks doable...

I suspect it would require quite a bit of refactoring, as essentially, it would make Priority a non-integer calculated field.

[JuandeArriba]

For me the most important thing is to automate the determination of "what's next", calling the parameter "Next Action Value" XAV.

A first approximation would be the following calculation system:

Calculation of the Weight of each WAV Action.

- Absolute Priority of each Action: calculation based on multiplication of priorities per level, it would only consider the "Project" level and the "Action" level.
- Remaining Workload for each action.
- Urgency of each action (perhaps automatable in terms of days to due date).

Example Project (1) Action (3) Charge (3) Urgency (3) WAV = 1x3x3x3x3 = 9

The WAV can be done with "Calculation", although it is a bit cumbersome.

To calculate the XAV what I propose to implement (and I know it is difficult) is to consider the WAV of the preceding/succeding Actions:

- If the action is blocked its NXV would be zero, it is not actionable.
- If an action is blocking other succeding actions then its NXV is its own WAV plus the sum of all blocked WAVs.

[abstr]

Possible Feature: hide dependent tasks until the precedent task is completed

My bad. In 9.0 this is now available directly in the 'Filter Bar > Options' droplist:

[abstr]

The WAV can be done with "Calculation", although it is a bit cumbersome.

Yes, unfortunately the calculation system is only as sophisticated as my brain allows!

Given the restrictions of the calculation system how do you currently manage to determine your next best tasks?

[keithc]

Possible Feature: hide dependent tasks until the precedent task is completed

My bad. In 9.0 this is now available directly in the 'Filter Bar > Options' droplist:

I've not moved to 9.0 yet - and I usually grab whatever betas are available, I like living dangerously! Will get to that "soon"