Using RefTracker for workflow and project management

There are four tools to consider when thinking about using RefTracker to manage tasks, workflows, or projects.

QuickText: If you are looking to ensure that your end users get a consistent quality of correspondence, think about QuickText.  A comprehensive library of standard clauses that your staff can pick and choose from, to create the correspondence they need for specific workflows will ensure end users get consistent, quality, answers from your staff.

New>Internal task:  If the task you want to manage is not directly for an end user, you will want the statistics for that task to be recorded as an Internal task, not as a Service for an end user.  To indicate this task is not for an end user, record it using one of the forms under New>Internal tasks. 

Actions>Create sub task:  If you have workflows that involve several staff, Create sub task provides a way that staff can be asked to contribute (concurrently or sequentially) to that workflow in a way that will ensure they respond on time, so that the next step can be started, or the answer delivered.  Ask your RefTracker support person for assistance to set up Request forms for use as sub tasks, that will ensure that the appropriate instructions are provided, data collected, an appropriate Target date set, and the task monitored for on time completion.  For more information about sub tasks click here.

The Change screen: If a task or project has a number of steps, and data to be collected along the way, A Primary question request form with hidden fields that are updated through the Change screen is a very effective way to manage that task.  Ask your RefTracker support person for assistance to set up a Request form that provides the appropriate instructions, and collects the appropriate data, for the task/workflow/project that you envisage can be monitored using this process.

Here’s an example of a form set up to work in this way – for a digitisation workflow.  Here is what the client has to complete.  Note the two “Internal use only” blocks at the bottom:

Here’s what a question submitted using that form looks like in the Change screen.  Notice the hidden fields in the Internal use blocks.

The way this is used is that initially the question is allocated to the staff member who will do the copyright clearance and obtain payment for the digitisation, if clearance is provided.   They record heir progress on these tasks using the fields in the “OM only” internal use block.

When payment is received, the question is allocated to the person who will do the digitisation, and they record their progress in the fields provided in the “Digitisation only” block.

When the digitisation is complete the question is allocated back to the staff member who did the clearance as, for this system, that is who will deliver the digitised item to the client.