Job management

[adamsund]

Couldn't see a more appropriate forum so thought I'd try in here. My method of managing my time/to-do list has always been through outlook. Emails come into my inbox where they are then placed into appropriate folders, to-do today, to-do future, completed, etc. If anyone gives me a job via the phone or in person, I'll send myself an email. Now Teams is becoming more prevalent, I'll get jobs come in through there too.

 

I'm interested to hear how other people manage their jobs. Trello/Planner? E-mails? Anything else?

[matty-normy]

We use fresh desk (the free version at the moment) but I would certainly pay if we had a bigger team. So easy to see what needs doing and so easy to reply (canned responses etc) and you can build your knowledge base there too. I know there are others that do similar to we tried spice works but found this the best option for us. We manage our secondary (1600 students) plus 4 primaries that pay us for support.

[mrbios]

Combination of Spiceworks helpdesk and outlook tasks.

 

Jobs for the team go into spiceworks, jobs specific to me as the manager i just make an outlook task for, and actually use the dates on the tasks etc.

[MatthewL]

Is it a dedicated mailbox, if that works for you then great, if there is more than 1 of you then a dedicated service desk software is required really.

 

Those reporting via teams need to be told email or no job sorted, you need to be firm with them.

[DrBeaker]

Currently though my email, phone, walkups and any projects basically.

 

Tickets get emailed through/phone through. Get done based on priority

Tickets that are related to projects either wait or get added to that list for a holiday time/next maintenance time.

Projects I use my Kanban board (only learnt about this last summer, but works for me). This method has definitely identified some areas of processes that block my work (ordering etc being a major pain in the bum)

 

Another job we as a team used google docs/sheets for jobs and a helpdesk system. Tried this myself but it only adds more work to the process and doesn't help me I find being by myself.

 

Long-term I want to implement a helpdesk system (Spiceworks or similar) but I'm still too busy firefighting issues at the moment. Being a one-man team means things always get changed and don't always get to do what I want to do right away.

 

Happy to show/discuss my techniques if you want? No-way is mine perfect, but it works currently for me.

Edited August 31, 2020 by DrBeaker

[adamsund]

Thanks for all the replies so far, maybe I should explain myself a bit better. We use a helpdesk for staff to email with general issues. I manage 2 schools so I deal with the management tasks and I'm increasingly finding that I'm just dealing with day to day requests and not allowing myself any time for long-term projects. My 'future jobs' folder hasn't been checked in weeks and sometimes I don't even make it into my 'today' folder in a day. I like the idea of a Trello/Planner but it's an extra job to log to log them all in there. I'm sure there must be a solution as I don't believe I'm working in the most efficient manner.

[karldenton]

I'm looking at using Microsoft lists when it comes out. Microsoft To Do is also a good one

[Jcx500]

Use Spiceworks Helpdesk

 

Prioritize tasks on a number of things, Is it a big Class (Before Covid), Is it a quick task eg a password reset, if bigger tasks come through eg a printer move tends to be done on what i call an "off peak" time or day

[hardtailstar]

Spiceworks for jobs from staff, Google sheets for projects.

 

Headteacher supersedes the above....

[TechMonkey]

Helpdesk for the day to day and MS Planner for the long term and holiday jobs. Add in to that a bit of flagged emails for my personal account and somehow it seems to work!

[supportman]

I'm looking at using Microsoft lists when it comes out. Microsoft To Do is also a good one

 

Microsoft lists looks awesome, does anyone know when it will be out or if it will be free on our edu plans? Signing in does nothing for me yet...

 

EDIT: Yey looks like it will be available by the end of October to all edu users. https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-365-blog/microsoft-lists-begins-general-availability-roll-out-to/ba-p/1524768

Edited September 1, 2020 by supportman

[Zammo]

Currently though my email, phone, walkups and any projects basically.

 

Tickets get emailed through/phone through. Get done based on priority

Tickets that are related to projects either wait or get added to that list for a holiday time/next maintenance time.

Projects I use my Kanban board (only learnt about this last summer, but works for me). This method has definitely identified some areas of processes that block my work (ordering etc being a major pain in the bum)

 

Another job we as a team used google docs/sheets for jobs and a helpdesk system. Tried this myself but it only adds more work to the process and doesn't help me I find being by myself.

 

Long-term I want to implement a helpdesk system (Spiceworks or similar) but I'm still too busy firefighting issues at the moment. Being a one-man team means things always get changed and don't always get to do what I want to do right away.

 

Happy to show/discuss my techniques if you want? No-way is mine perfect, but it works currently for me.

 

I would implore you to get a helpdesk in place. An ex boss of mine once gave me some advice: never put off a piece of work that will make *you* more efficient

 

The temptation with something like a helpdesk is that you think "oh well its just for me, x need their printer looked at now and i'm needed in room B to setup that software and I cant even remember what Mr C needs me for, something to do with Mrs D's account??"

 

If the helpdesk was in place, you will be able to serve the school better in the long run.

 

The analogy he gave me was:

 

A cargo ship has a slow leak. The captain looks at the hole and realises that the ship is only filling slowly.... so long as he dedicates one man to bailing the water out then the ship will be OK, if moving a little more slowly in the water. He could get it repaired properly, but that would take 3 men 3 days in which time the ship wont be able to move. That is unacceptable he feels as people are expecting him to make land to a schedule.

 

So he goes with the bailing option, and sure enough the ship keeps moving slowly and they keep bailing water out. The crew are struggling being a man down and all but at least they didn't stop right? But what happens after 90 days of slow sailing? The Captain does the maths and works out they have lost 10 days of time and *still* have to keep bailing. If he would have stopped and made the repairs when it was first noted there was a problem they would be way ahead right now.

 

But its too late now surely?? If the captain stops now he will have stopped and lost the time from bailing. That's even worse right? So the ship goes on and on forever, slow and steady but never operating at its peak as they are always running behind schedule.

Edited September 1, 2020 by Zammo

[HPlum78]

Teams has a kanban many versions available including plugins for teams. JIRA is good for a more wide reaching management tool, and plumsale do a nice sharepoint help desk.