Where the rest of the work goes
Shifts run on schedules, but a business also runs on the things that don't fit on a schedule. The walk-in needs fixing. The new store opens in six weeks. Somebody has to order uniforms. Those things tend to live in someone's head or in a chat, until they're forgotten.
A board is one place for all of it. Each task has an owner, a status, a due date and a priority. Colors tell you the state of things at a glance.
Four ways to look at the same work
Table. Your tasks in rows, with cells you can click to change. Good for going through everything.
Kanban. Cards in columns by status. Drag a task from "To do" to "Doing" to "Done."
Calendar. Tasks on their due dates, for seeing what's coming up this week.
Timeline. Each task as a bar from start date to due date. Drag a bar to move it, or its right edge to change the end. Handy for something like a store opening, where one job depends on another finishing.
My work: one list for each person
Everyone has a list of what's assigned to them, across every board, with overdue tasks first and in red. It's on the dashboard and in the app. People don't need to learn your whole board system to know what they've got to do today.
On a phone, a board becomes a list of cards. Tap the status, owner, due date or priority right on the card.
Rules that keep it moving
Board admins can add simple rules, such as:
- When Status changes to Done, move the task to Completed
- When a task is created, assign it to a set person
The people assigned get notified. Open a task to see every field and post updates, so the discussion stays with the work it's about.
A dashboard at the top of Boards charts each board's status, each person's workload and upcoming deadlines. It's a quick way to see who's overloaded before you hand them something else.
Boards or quick tasks?
There are two tools here because there are two kinds of work.
Quick tasks are for one-off jobs you hand out in a few seconds: "Clean the patio before Friday." Assign them to a person or group, add sub-tasks if needed, and see who's finished what.
Boards are for bigger things that have several steps, several people or a longer timeline.
And if it's the same list of steps every day, such as opening up, that's a checklist.
Ideas to start with
- Store opening. Permits, equipment, hiring, training, launch.
- Repairs and maintenance. Log it when it breaks, assign it, track it to done.
- Seasonal plans. Everything that has to happen before the holidays.
- Shared to-dos for managers. What each of you has promised to do this week.
Pick a template or start with a blank board. There's no need to plan it all first. Add a few tasks and see what you need.
What it costs
Boards and quick tasks are in the Operations hub on every plan, including Free for up to 10 people. Basic costs $14.50 a month billed yearly for your first 30 people.