The Perils of CRIMPing

Posted by Ken
Jun 6, 2015 at 04:49 PM

Dr Andus wrote:
Hi Ken,
> >That sounds like a pretty good IT department you have there… Regarding
>the infection, maybe that’s one more argument for using a web-based task
>management tool.
> >If you don’t mind me saying so, it seems to me that your search for a
>solution is a bit too focused on the tools, rather than on the problem
>to be solved. I’d suggest to approach it the other way round.
> >Work out your preferred workflow first, and then look for the tools that
>best fit the steps in the workflow. Chances are that you might need to
>assemble two or three different tools to accomplish your workflow.
> >There is a danger that if you choose the tool first and try to fit it
>around your workflow, then it’s someone else’s idea of a workflow that
>is being forced on yours, and inevitably there won’t be a perfect
>overlap.
> >I realise that finding one perfect tool might sound preferable to having
>to work across three tools, but it might not be as onerous as it sounds.
>Sometimes it’s just a question of switching between two or three tabs in
>a browser, and sometimes they may even allow direct links to each other.
> >If you absolutely need to use a local PIM database of some kind, you
>could also look for a portable one on a USB drive (if your IT system
>allows it).

I work for a large municipal government and IT is taken pretty seriously, but that also limits any type of flexibility regarding the use of software, and we are mostly a MS shop that is slowly migrating our data over to Office 365. I would concur with your recommendation of outlining a solution first before choosing a tool and have mostly done so, albeit I have not shared much of that process with the forum. In the past few years since leaving Ecco and finding myself with a number of mobile devices in addition to PC at home and work, I have found that I have different needs that now seem to require different solutions, and I am OK with that. The one pressing need I have been trying to solve revolves around managing a number of large projects with a variety of tasks and subtasks that are often tied into documents attached to mail messages. So, I seem to need both a task manager and a note system that allow quick entry and easy access. Asana and Todoist are somewhat close given my software restrictions, but both seem to be missing some key items in one area or another, usually a feature or UI issue. I need to find some quiet time to review my needs and look at my possible choices and see if I can find a workable solution that does not get in my way. I am sure I will be posting more in another thread if I find anything useful. Thank you again for the advice and support. It is much appreciated and always helpful.

—Ken