Task templates – tools to manage repetitive tasks and processes

Usually business processes and tasks are repetitive – this means that such processes are typical enough to be standardized, and they, including their typical steps and order, may be performed periodically or casually. In order to facilitate dealing with recurring workflows, we can use special task templates. There are different formats of task templates, including electronic and paper-based, but all of them are created to automate setting and managing standardized tasks. Actually project task template is a kind of framework that helps in statement and systematizing working tasks, saving a lot of time and energy on task performance and supervising. There are several kinds of task templates – for example, descriptive type (fill-in-the-blank), to-do list, and time-oriented (calendar task template).  

All kinds of task templates are widely used in project and daily work management – fill-in-the-blanks can be used for specifying, describing and assigning particular tasks, defining their work scopes and important characteristics, to-do lists are used to outline sequence of tasks, while calendar task templates show timeline of activities – what and when should be started and completed. Also, there are different kinds of calendar task templates, depending on considered time period and necessity of "zooming" into details – for example daily task template, weekly task template and monthly task template. Besides this, project task templates of to-do list type can be also composed in time-specific manner.  

There are different programs designed to manage task templates. For example, project task template can be composed with a help of well-known Microsoft products like – MS Word task template,MS Excel task template, or MS Outlook task template. All these programs have certain disadvantages, preventing them to be really effective. For example, task template Excel file is a powerful multi-functional spreadsheet that can work well for one person, but when it comes to sharing task templates among several users concurrently – it is not the best solution, because of outdated file sharing technology causing certain errors, up to losing of data, also high price per license and complex interface. Task template Word based solution is not effective at all, because there is no any task management functions, moreover one file cannot be viewed by several persons concurennlty. Task template Outlook is the most effective solution, because of special and powerful functionality of this product, but it yet needs additional paid Microsoft software to establish collaboration.

Let's consider special software that combines simplicity in use and installation, along with all capabilities necessary for effective working with tasks. VIP Task Manager is well-featured software that enables multiple team members to share task templates of different types through real-time task management functionality of Task List, Task Tree, and Calendar task template (withregimes of daily task template, weekly task template and monthly task template. This software enables all team members to use common database and switch between different viewing modes in order toplan, assign, schedule, review and report tasks.

Read also a new article about process management - project management client-server software for Windows