Automating predecessor/succesor tasks based on ord...

[RedwolfSports]

I'm trying to solve two interrelated questions, but first a prologue:

Current Setup:

• I have built a project portal on softr using airtable as the data source.
• Presently each project has 18 tasks all added to the project by an automation
• My project members are split into two groups (admin & client)
• I have a project field that identifies the project "primary contact" in the even there is more than one project member on the client side.
• Automation currently assigns the first 10 tasks to the primary contact upon creation of the project record
• A different automation adds the remaining 8 tasks to the project as unassigned
• The unassigned tasks are a mixture of tasks to be assigned to the client at a later stage and the admin.
• The admin tasks were not getting assigned in advance because I had not figured out a good way to do this but a recent suggestion from @Mike_AutomaticN  will remedy that 😉
• Task status options are presently:  To do, in progress, Done, Skipped/NA

My first question is a philosophical one... When should I assign tasks to the client?

When a project opens, the first 10 tasks are needed for the project to move forward so I am assigning those tasks to the client immediately, and they are all labeled as "to do" status. The theory was to be that later steps for the client would be assigned when the time comes for them to do those tasks, as to avoid assigning them too early and causing confusion that they couldn't complete that task. For example...a customer cannot complete the task of taking a test swim in a pool if the preceding task of "adding the water to the pool" has not yet been completed (random example). So to continue the analogy, once the water has been added to the pool the test swim step would be assigned to the client, but until that time the task would remain unassigned

OR... is it better to assign ALL client tasks to the client from the outset and then manage the work by updating the task status (would need more or different status' to achieve this). I am not a fan of this approach since I fear showing a client a list with too many tasks assigned on day 1 may overwhelm them. The vast majority of my clients are NOT app-savvy or buisiness-savvy, and the entire purpose of this new portal app is to eliminate my involvement in the client's tasks.

So assuming someone agrees that the first approach is "better", what is the best way to achieve this? AND automatically assign the later tasks sequentially as preceding tasks get closed out?

I have a habit of writing long-winded posts like this and in the process I arrive at my own solutions... and it my have just occurred again. Try this on for size... 

All the admin tasks will be assigned to the admin as per the aforementioned @Mike_AutomaticN automation (I'm not concerned with the admin side seeing all the pending tasks. I can build another automation to trigger when the admin task (011) is completed and then assign the primary contact as the assigned on the next task (012), and repeat for each subsequent task. This will leave all future tasks unassigned until "something" triggers the assigning of the next task.

Sounds like that would work? Is the theory and philosophy sound? 

[Mike_AutomaticN]

Hey @RedwolfSports, thanks for the shoutout once again! 😅

Whether you create all tasks from the start, is up to you.
Whether you assign owners to each tasks as they are created, or whether you handle assignment at a later point in time is also up to you.
Do note that both workflows can be delayed in time (task creation, and owner assignment).

Even if you create all tasks in advance, and even if you assign all tasks in advance, you can have a different logic for the filter which will hide tasks until a given milestone on the project is complete. There is no right or wrong to your questions, it is just a matter of what fits your needs.

Personally, I would not want to have tasks unassigned. That does not seem super neat to me.

Under my project -discussed on a different post- I actually have multiple Phases for each project. So I only create Tasks for specific Phases as the project moves forward Phase by Phase. The "new phase" is the trigger/milestone for the creation of such tasks. Furthermore, as new tasks are created, they get assigned. You might want to take this into consideration.

[I excluded Phases on the other Post, just to make the example easier 🙂 ]

Let me know your thoughts/questions.

Mike, Consultant @ Automatic Nation

[Mike_AutomaticN]

@RedwolfSports also..

For further reference:

I have a Phases Library table, which is linked to my Tasks Library table.
In that way, the automation will understand what tasks should be created under each phase.

Mike, Consultant @ Automatic Nation

[RedwolfSports]

@Mike_AutomaticN   LOL... you call them phases... I called them workzones... already in place. Great minds think alike. I'll give your suggestions some consideration.