Feature Overview Video
SmartSuite does not have a concept of a dedicated "task". At a basic level, we interpret a "task" as any element that is assigned to a member and typically includes a due date.
Many elements can be assigned to a Member in SmartSuite, including:
Records
Comments (does not have a due date)
Checklist field actions
Here's a simple rule to track Assignments: Anything assigned to you appears in your My Work feed.
In addition to the Assigned to Me tab in the Notifications Center, the My Work feed helps you stay on top of important action items assigned to you.
Record Assignments
The Assigned To field assigns a record to a member or team, and can be used in automations to create simple workflows, often in combination with other Assigned To fields.
For example, picture a workflow process within Marketing, where website content is created by team members and then reviewed for approval by managers. Dual Assigned To fields can be used - let's call them Content Owner and Approver - along with status fields that trigger simple automations. When the assigned Content Owner flips a record status to "Ready for Review", the assigned Approver is notified in the Notification Center and the record appears in the My Work feed.
Comment Assignments
Comments fuel discussion directly in the context of the work at-hand, and this digital collaboration drives clarity. We love the efficiency of stand-alone collaboration tools - fewer meetings, anyone?! - yet find it challenging to separate the discussion from the actions resulting from discussion.
Consider an analog equivalent, where:
Your team huddles together in a meeting room to hash out the details of a new product feature.
Action items emerge and are assigned to team members.
It becomes clear you need input from the one missing team member who is out sick.
The project manager sends meeting notes recapping the actions and assignments, and follows up with individuals to ensure tasks are completed.
In SmartSuite, this discussion happens digitally within the details of the product feature record. The team member out sick is @Mentioned, pulling them into the conversation. Comments with action items are assigned to team members and marked as resolved when complete.
These assignments are tasks. Members receive notifications in the Notification Center and assigned items arrive in members' My Work feeds.
Checklist Field Actions
Dynamically create and assign actions within records using Checklist fields. Action items can be assigned to members with due dates.
Members receive notifications in the Notification Center and assigned items arrive in members' My Work feeds as individual tasks.
