speeding up / optimizing task creation
To meet the GTD principle of emptying you mental RAM on the go, it is important to be be able to create tasks/activities very quickly, i/e in one/two clicks max. It would mean in ZohoCRM having available a "quick task create " function widely available on the site.
What we are currently doing outside of Zoho CRM to manage the process of fast tasks data entry :
In a nutshell, we use the tasks subject field to integrate key variables. Those variables are akin to tags or labels "on the fly" and to the extent that that we keep them consistent across the board in relation to a project, function, context, we are then able to subsequently filter tasks based on those variables.
Let us take some examples, keeping in mind that anyone can create his/her own set of tags on the fly and combine them within a given task subject line
Ex : a tag labeled " PROS" indicates something related to prospection.
EX : LEG ---- > legal matter
EX : WD ----- > Writing a communication.
EX : RTC ---- > return a telephone call
EX : VML : means I have left a voice message
EX: VMR means I have received a voice message
The two last tags ( VML and VMR ) are proving very effective in managing the flow of voice messages as we seem to be living more and more in a telephone tag society. We use the company or contact name associated with the task in the subject itself, which spares us from performing additional clicks ( such as those that would link the tasks to a contact. lead account etc.. ) - Let us keep in mind that the name of the game here is pure speed. . In order to efficiently manage the flow of voice messages, we can create a rule within Zoho , to list the tasks created between such and such dates and that contains the VML or VMR labels. This allows us to monitor the flow of unadressed voice messages.
The points here here are that :
1) Creating a task on the fly is essential ( and even critical when operating in a mobile environment ) and ZohoCRM should give it the same importance as creating an account on the fly.
2) By using "labels on the fly in the subject area of the tasks, we save on the number of clicks and therefore we save time. ( Potentially Zoho could offer some smart translation/ interpretation of tags - we have seen that in some calendaring applications ( 30 Boxes is one example ) - which would then Re- create all relevant fields of the ad hoc task.