Recurring Tasks Set Up

Maja Roberts

Is there a way to set up a task that happens every quarter or six months without having to enter the task 4 times in each year?  

Kennedy Stomps

Hi Maja--  We don't yet have recurring tasks, but this is on our enhancement request list and I'll add your vote for it!

 

We have a template called "Recurring Task List" that may help in organizing your recurring tasks. This template has you list each recurring task on a row. Each time the task is performed, input the date it was last Completed On and Smartsheet will automatically calculate the next Due Date using a formula: https://www.smartsheet.com/solutions/recurring-task-list

 

 

Maja Roberts

Kennedy:

 

Thanks.  I appreciate the feedback but it won't work in a large task list that has both recurring and non-recurring tasks.  Any ideas how how soon they may change the system to more easily enable recurrence as a feature of task properties?

Michelle Richards

Kennedy - please add my vote for this to the enhancement list. It's definitely a feature that would be used regularly for my purposes. Any update on how soon this feature may be added to the system?

J. Craig Williams

I can do this with Zapier.

 

When an existing row that has been designated recurring is completed, a new row is created based on the required periodicity.

 

The limiitations:

1. Once the task is marked complete, any modifications to the row will result in a new task. This would handled by admin procedures until/unless Smartsheet allows lockiing of rows in formulas (could use the API to do this too, I think)

 

2. There's a problem (which I haven't had time to fully debug) with doing the periodicity in Zapier instead of in Smartsheet. Doing it in Smartsheet results in the system thinking all rows are being updated when they aren't. I just need a little time to tweak the process on the Zapier side. 

 

3. Cost. Each sheet would have it own Zap. More likely cost will be the number of tasks and their recurrence. Easy to calculate how many transactions this one Zap will generate - 300 weekly tasks would be 12-1500 per month. 

But again, easy determine ROI

 

Contact me or Richard at Smarter Business Processes (richardr@smarterbusinessprocesses.com) if you'd like help setting it up.

 

Craig

 

Deven

+1 for Recurring Task feature. 

Isidor Flavio Graf

+1 - Please add my vote

Hanaa Al Sukkar

This is a really needed feature, is there any near plan to implement it? 

jmyung

+1

strezent20441

+1  Needed desperately. 

J. Craig Williams

If desperate, contact Richard at richardr@smarterbusinessprocesses.com

I recently helped a customer looking for yet another recurring task system. It has been delivered and we are waiting on post-project feedback.

My problem with task management is that there is no one-size fits all solution. Google "task management app" and one of the first 10 hits is something like the "best 40 task management apps" ... 40. FOUR ZERO. BEST. 

Just describing a week long recurring task can result in many variations. 

Does it start immediately again after completion? Is it due on a specific day of the week? What happens if it is done late? Does the record of completion need to be archived, counted, deleted? On and on.

Does GTD work for you? If it does, that is one set of apps. If it doesn't, that's another?

I've developed several task management systems using Smartsheet based on customer requirements that have not been acceptable to the next. I'm pretty sure any generic recurring task system that Smartsheet implements won't satisfy many users. 

There's a reason why the bookstore shelf is full of "solutions" and it requires research to get down to a list of only 40 "solutions" to try.

I hope you find what you are looking for. 

Craig

 

jrobbins

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/mythological-product-development-team#comments

Andrée Starå

Hi everyone,

Good news! It's coming!

Customers have requested the ability to set up workflows that repeat on a regular schedule.

We're preparing recurrence for time-based workflows so you can save even more time on repetitive steps, such as daily due date reminders and weekly status update requests. This automation enhancement will be available this spring.

https://community.smartsheet.com/discussion/coming-2019-recurring-workf…

Hope that helps!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Best,

Andrée Starå

Workflow Consultant @ Get Done Consulting