Since asana published the workflow feature, I was very pleased. I did few tests on it and checked to see if I would create a new project for all my incoming work tasks using the workflow.
So far so good. But if you want to really create efficiencies within your team, this feature goes beyond that.
To start with, here is what workflow can actually do:
-
You start by creating a project
-
Select build a workflow instead of create tasks immediately
-
The workflow builder will guide you through the set up process taking into consideration:
Forms you want to build
Section you want to have
Automations you want to create
While this is neat, if you really want to make the most of this feature, remember that asana is project management tool that enables you to improve the way you work. And this is when moment happened. The best way to use the workflow feature is when you engage with your team and you agree with them in that collaborative meeting on how they think they will be the most productive. Let the workflow be the creation of all and not just one.
Here are some pointers to help you achieve a successful workshop with your team:
-
Is everyone accessing the project internal on asana or do you have external users?
-
What is the project aimed at? managing workloads? customer requests? development? or the project aimed for providing a service? the answer to that determines whether you will use the Kanban approach (board view) or the list view, and it will help you think with your team about the stages of the work required
-
Are the roles clearly defined? If a new task is created, who will pick the request up? And then, are the stages designed in accordance to different teams? or can anyone pic any task from any stage?
-
Do you have service level agreements (SLAs) that you need to abide by? and yes even if your project is internal, you should have internal SLAs to provide support to your internal customers. This will help you set automation to trigger due dates to respond
And the list of questions carry on. You need to think on what status updates (if any) and what reporting is required from this? Work with your team so they are all aware of what this the business requirement. This is important because it will allow you to create custom fields aimed at gathering information for tasks that can be later reported on within the project dashboard and the reporting tool.
And my final thoughts is that for this to be a wholesome feature, I would really like the workflow to offer me the option to create or add a portfolio from the workflow builder as well as link the project to a goal.
Have you tried the workflow yet? Did you use it with the team while building your project from scratch? You can find out more directly from asana’s guide on here: What is Process Flow and How Can You Visualize it? [2023] • Asana