Projects with recurring task lists

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RedlineBrett

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I'm sorry if this has been answered before, I tried searching but didn't find what I was after.

I use the outlook add-in as my primary organizational system. I am now in the process of getting all of my staff on board with it as well.

Each time my company sells something there are a series of items that must be completed before we can close the file and move on. The account manager is responsible for making sure that all items are completed, but will have to delegate some, wait for some, do some him or herself etc.

I would really like to have a pre-populated task list that shows up each time a project is started. Kind of like a checklist. Once the project is started all of these tasks should show up which the account manager would have to work through.

Is there a way to do this? I really don't want to create each action item each time a new project (sale) is started. I see there is an 'import' feature.

Any suggestions?

TIA
 
If you don't get an answer on this forum, (perhaps in a few days,) you might try the other forum on this site ("Discuss Gear & Software for GTD"). You could also try doing a Google search for the particular add-in you're using and perhaps including a few words describing the problem you're trying to solve or the type of solution you're looking for, e.g. the word "import"; maybe someone else somewhere on the Internet has asked the same question and gotten an answer! You could also see whether the add-in itself has some sort of documentation or whether there's a way to ask the people who wrote it. For example, maybe there's a description of the import feature in a help function. Possibly the add-in (or Outlook itself) might also have some sort of duplicating or cloning feature which would do the trick. I've heard of Outlook, but I doubt there's only one add-in for it; you may need a more specific name to do web searches for it.

At the worst, maybe there's someone being paid less than you to whom you can delegate the task of creating all those tasks every time, and then if I were you I'd check regularly to see whether it was being done. You might also be able to delegate the task of finding a software solution (whether in Outlook or some other system).
 
cwoodgold;101909 said:
At the worst, maybe there's someone being paid less than you to whom you can delegate the task of creating all those tasks every time, and then if I were you I'd check regularly to see whether it was being done. You might also be able to delegate the task of finding a software solution (whether in Outlook or some other system).
Click to expand...

Thank you for the reply. I'll give it a few days here then post in the other forum as you suggest. I've got to believe that there is a GTD product or something somewhere that does this, as I would think such a process (each new sale = a new project which has the same list of tasks created each time) would be very common.

I looked within the netcentrics add-in sold by david's company and you can't even copy projects and change names... I dunno if it's outlook or the netcentrics add in
 
I'm an Outlook user but I don't use the GTD Add-In. To really answer your question I'd need to know more about this checklist but it sounds to me like all that's needed is a reference checklist and due diligence for tracking status.

I do have an interesting way of tracking recurring items that I want to have added to my list at specific intervals. First, I create a new Tasks folder called Temp in Outlook and build a list of Tasks that I want to add to my action lists for a specific interval (monthly, for sake of example). Then I export that list to a CSV file and give it a name like "Monthly.csv". I then delete everything in Temp.

When the time comes to add those items to the list I import that CSV file back into Temp, give it a quick look and make any necessary adjustments then I move the tasks into the Tasks list.

You might be able to do something like that if you need to add a bunch of tasks to the list quickly - maybe make a checklist in Temp, export it to CSV and import when you have one of these new projects.
 
There is an option to create a template file that can be used. Of course if your company has an IT group they may be required - lockdown of templates that can be shared etc. Does not require an addon to enable just user rights.
 
wouldn't you just use a basic checklist, each of the people who need to see this checklist can have access to it.

and you would save it in a reference file.

Then you just train them, that ok, as soon as a sale is made, you pull out this check list, and follow it step by step.

This checklist can be paper based and saved in an operations manual. Or it can be digital and saved on the desktop of each computer.

Or are you wanting to track this in outlook for a specific reason?

I don't use outlook personally but does it have a section or area where you can keep checklists? And if so then couldn't you just have it in there?
 
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