What about project MATERIALS - physical items, not computer files?

[PNWAudioCrafter]

Because I'm an inveterate DIYer and the bulk of my for-profit activities involve designing and building something (whether a one-off prototype or a production quantity), there's a lot of actual inventory to keep track of.

GTD has helped me do better at identifying the temporal proximity of a project. This may be too fine-grained to really be GTD, and I admit to having yet to really understand contexts, but here is my set of sub-divisions for projects, and the computer filename prefixes I use...I've created some sample projects

Proj.Active.ReplaceCarHeadlightAssy
Proj.Active.BuildWoodshedForWife
Proj.Active.BlogPostMicrophonePreamps
Proj.Bprio.CellphoneHandsFreeAdapter
Proj.Bprio.CommissionArduinos
Incubate.InstallSecurityCamera
Incubate.CrowdfundDemoModule

I'm using alphebetizing to make the files in "proj" easier to see..so, while I would prefer to use "Proj.Next", I used "Proj.Bprio" to indicate the few projects that come after the "Proj.Active" list. I mentally try to constrain myself to a maximum of three "active" projects, but household stuff always throws new ones at me. I try to dismantle these "urgent but only moderately important" projects into mere task lists, and I star them in Toodledo to indicate that my expection is that I will "simply bang them out today". Usually works.

I use Folders in Toodledo with the same names, and therein go the individual tasks. I have folders on my computer with those names, so it's easy to associate the computer files with the tasklist folders.

But...for that first project, I have these two HUGE car parts. The box is 2 X 2 X 3 feet (the house is tiny, there is no garage and no workshop, so they're under my office desk). And for the second project? Pressure-treated lumber is lying out in the back yard. The third project? A prototype circuit that I built sits on the worktable, the test equipment ready to test it. The next several projects all have boxes of hardware.

For the moment, I'm mainly sticking materials into same-size USPS Priority Mail boxes (USPS P Mail boxes because they're plentiful, free, and come in a greater variety of sizes than U-Haul moving boxes). So, to the side of my desk is a stack of such boxes, and a printed label on each with a matching name, e.g. "Proj.Active.ReplaceCarHeadlightAssy".

But my list of "Incubate" (one of the words David used for "Someday/Maybe", which I really prefer because it directly states what you're doing - letting the concept incubate...random thoughts come to mind about how to make it work, so I add a note to the Incubate file..) is HUGE.

I guess I'm sort of OK with doing it this way - having physical boxes with labels that match the computer files and projects list...but it sure does take up space.

Any alternative ideas out there?

 

[Oogiem]

I also have physical action support materials. I tend to put mine into the locations where it will be used, so the ram breeding harness is in the hay barn next to the ram pen. The scale and weigh crate is in the shop next to the sheep sweep. For smaller projects, like quilts or knitting projects I have plastic boxes and shelves in the fiber shop where I collect all the materials for various fiber crafts. I use clear plastic boxes I got from the Container store so I can see what's in there and I label them all with the project name. For my scrapbooks I have scrapbook boxes from Creative memories that contain all the photos, memorabilia etc for specific scrapbooks. They are stacked on top of my file cabinets in my office. My someday/maybe or incubate projects with physical materials are stored the same way but typically on higher shelves until I make the project active. I try not to get physical stuff for someday projects if I can help it. So for example, a pattern for a quilt that I may make won't have it's own separate box but will instead be stored in a box of quilt patterns.

So my only real suggestion is try not to collect physical action support for your incubate projects or store all incubate project materials in larger boxes labeled well.

 

[JohnV474]

Keeping track of projects that require large amounts of physical supplies and materials presents some special challenges. Among them:

- you want project support _information_ to be readily available when you need to review in depth, file a receipt, or brainstorm ideas
- the physical supplies for the project could be in use by several projects (especially in the case of tools, adhesives, hardware, paints, etc.)
- You don't want to have these piles of supplies and materials all over your desk

Here's an approach that takes into consideration those factors while being simple and robust enough:

Wherever you store your Project Support _information_, whether paper or digital, include a dedicated document for a Materials Map. For example, staple a piece of paper to the inside front of the file folder, label it Materials Map, and include the columns Description, Quantity, Location. It need not be a graphical map, but it is the overview of your supplies and inventory for that project.

If your files are digital, then a text file or spreadsheet in that Project Support folder can serve a similar function.

Now, in many cases everything you need will easily fit in a shoebox, so filling out every row and column will be unnecessary. "Box below TV" may work well enough. In other cases, the materials may be in several locations.

This gives you a specific place to look for this type of information, as well as a place to park new details about changes to locations or quantities (if needed, such as if someone else is in charge of monitoring and ordering duct tape before you run out).

Stapling it to the inside front of the file folder keeps it in a quickly-reviewable location. Inside back of the file folder could work, too, if you keep project plans already in the front of the file folder.

If digital, I might consider making it easier to locate that file among others, such as putting that filename in ALL CAPS, or a prefix that sorts first.

This assumes you have an individual file folder for each project's support. Most projects don't require a file folder. On your Projects List, you could put a special symbol, or highlight to remind you that it has a file folder. In practice, however, you usually won't need such a reminder if you do a weekly review once in a while. Only if you don't review would this be needed for when you are stressed, can't think straight, and mind goes blank when trying to remember. Sounds silly, but it happens.

An added perk is that this Materials Map can be a place to keep track of inventory levels and lists of "Someday/Maybe use" materials that are separate from the regular materials (e.g. SDMB - leftover corduroy from school play - 3 yards approx - hall closet).

Yet another perk is that this approach reinforces putting materials back into their designated spots if doing so takes less than 2 minutes, because you would otherwise (in theory) need to capture that change so you could update the file folder. For any of us who have a workshop this concept of actually putting everything away may be very far from current realities... but if, for example, we were all on a team working shifts around the clock to finish building a Formula One vehicle, then such elevated responsibility would become an operational imperative. "Where the ---- did someone put the rivets?!"

Oh, I just invented the phrase Materials Map, so if it doesn't sound familiar from reading Allen's books, that is why. (I imagined someone out there worrying that they missed something along the way).

Hope this helps!
-JV47s