Sharon@WoS - Aug 18, 2010 04:30pm

Okay, this may be out there already, but I can’t find it and I’m confused.  Why is there only an “Add a TaskList” activity as opposed to just “Add a Task?“
Maybe I’m just not getting it, but it seems sort of clunky and like I have to go through several steps to finally add a task related to a Project, Contact or Company.  I guess it is perhaps so all Tasks stay together in the page/blog, and thus don’t get lost, but it is still a little confusing.  For example, I may have just one task I want to do for a contact.  Currently I’ll probably just put that over in ToodleDo instead of in Solve.  Don’t love that solution though because then I am tracking Tasks in two places and definitely more likely to lose something.

Speaking of ToodleDo, and chance that an integration will happen between ToodleDo & Solve360?  Any API developers that could do this for us???

It has been discussed and hopefully will be fixed. Its not the end of the world by any means but it would be nice to have a “quick task” key. Anyway, follow this link to one of the previous discussion threads on this subject. http://norada.com/forums/viewthread/931/

Here is my solution, which handles the issue of being able to easily generate a simple, single item task, along with the capability of the Solve Task List which enables multiple tasks grouped together

1) For any new contact or company, I have standard template that I insert, and in that template is a Task List called ‘General To do’s’ with no tasks in it as those can vary.  (Template also includes things such as a section header called Emails (hint!)). Therefore once I insert that template all I have to do is insert the first task by hitting the Add a task button - so this should solve (no pun intended) anyones desire for a ‘one click’ task item. This ‘To do’ list is used for all the day to day simple tasks for the company or contact

2) For more detailed tasks, you can then create a Task List, with multiple tasks. The reason you stated is exactly correct: so that tasks stay grouped together under one common topic. As your contact or project evolves over time you will probably have multiple Task Lists related to different things at different times in the project or contact life-cycle so if they weren’t grouped in the way Solve designed it then it would even more confusing, not less confusing.

Due dates and a timeline can also be applied to tasks and the task list, and can be viewed in a Gantt chart type view in the Activities window. If you only had one giant task list it wouldn’t work and wouldn’t make sense for teams working on projects together.

I’m sure you’ll find this feature a huge time saver (especially when implemented with Templates) and will more than offset the minor inconvenience of the single task issue (which can actually be solved with the template idea), and no APIs needed

Just my thoughts, hope that helps!

Thanks again Dave - very helpful.  I am just starting to play with the Templates feature, so I’m sure it will make more sense to me as I evolve that.  Would you be willing to share a screenshot or list of your initial new Contact/Company/Project blogs?  That would be helpful in getting me started with what I need to include in mine.  Of course, Solve360 is easy enough to work with it won’t take me long to play with it and tweak over time to get it right probably!  I’m all about learning from others and streamlining though.  Thanks!

Sharon@WoS - Aug 19, 2010 08:01am

Thanks again Dave - very helpful.  I am just starting to play with the Templates feature, so I’m sure it will make more sense to me as I evolve that.  Would you be willing to share a screenshot or list of your initial new Contact/Company/Project blogs?  That would be helpful in getting me started with what I need to include in mine.  Of course, Solve360 is easy enough to work with it won’t take me long to play with it and tweak over time to get it right probably!  I’m all about learning from others and streamlining though.  Thanks!

My first template is very simple:

Section header called: Intro
Task list called: Intro to do’s (then I will add specific things like: phone for intro, send intro email, send brochure etc)
Section header called: Emails
Email activity (which is already defaulted)

Then from there depending how the business goes, I have other templates that are related to our business:  doing a demo of our software, meetings, notes, opportunity and which product

Then if we win the deal, we have templates for the software installation, training etc.

Thank you!  You are very helpful.  I think your company looks interesting too - will keep you on file as a potential resource.

Sharon@WoS - Aug 18, 2010 04:30pm

Okay, this may be out there already, but I can’t find it and I’m confused.  Why is there only an “Add a TaskList” activity as opposed to just “Add a Task?“
Maybe I’m just not getting it, but it seems sort of clunky and like I have to go through several steps to finally add a task related to a Project, Contact or Company.  I guess it is perhaps so all Tasks stay together in the page/blog, and thus don’t get lost, but it is still a little confusing.  For example, I may have just one task I want to do for a contact.  Currently I’ll probably just put that over in ToodleDo instead of in Solve.  Don’t love that solution though because then I am tracking Tasks in two places and definitely more likely to lose something.

Speaking of ToodleDo, and chance that an integration will happen between ToodleDo & Solve360?  Any API developers that could do this for us???

Hi Sharon@WoS, Your right. Standalone tasks do get messy and soon turn into multiple tasks anyway. Tasklists make the “timeline” report in the activity dashboard much more organized as well. Nothing on the horizon for ToodleDo.

Engineering SpecialOps - Aug 19, 2010 08:14am

Nothing on the horizon for ToodleDo.

Bummer.  It is a powerful task manager, especially since I use the GTD methodology.  I love that it syncs so nice with Android as well.

Check out Steve’s post on a related topic at http://norada.com/forums/viewthread/1368/

Sharon@WoS - Aug 19, 2010 08:07am

Thank you!  You are very helpful.  I think your company looks interesting too - will keep you on file as a potential resource.

We aim to please ;)

i would say 90% of the “new user” questions can be answered on the forums. If you get really stuck somewhere or feel like you need a bigger helping hand, please do get in touch with us at contact AT vm-associates.com

cheers
Adrian

I’m a newbie trying to understand how to use the task/task list capabilities for what I do, but since I started using Google apps I have found the Google task list very helpful even tho it is not attached to a contact. I would like to be able to view it within Solve. I may differ from many in that as a solo professional I discovered with GoldMine that I could organize my entire personal and professional life with a single CRM. It’s looking like Solve will do the job very well.