Work management for frontline workers with Microsoft Planner

Summary

Task Publishing in Microsoft Teams streamlines work management for dispersed frontline workforces. It enables central task creation and distribution to targeted locations, with tracking capabilities. The process begins with a Communications Manager defining tasks, specifying details, and assigning them through a hierarchy-based selection system. Frontline managers and workers use Planner and Teams to view, understand, and complete tasks, with features like filters and views to manage and report on progress. Task Publishing enhances clarity on required work and ensures timely execution, offering insights into task status at various organizational levels.

Takeaways

• 📌 Task Publishing is a feature that helps in managing and tracking business critical work for frontline workers across multiple locations.
• 📝 The planner app and Microsoft Teams are utilized to create and distribute tasks centrally from the corporate level to targeted frontline locations.
• 🔍 Tasks can be created with detailed instructions, images for reference, and checklists to break down work into smaller steps.
• 📋 Checklist items can be marked as required, ensuring that tasks cannot be completed until all items are checked off.
• 🏢 The Communication Manager can select store teams to receive tasks using a hierarchy and attributes that are fully configurable.
• 📡 Once tasks are published, a summary is provided, and notifications can be sent to selected recipients to alert them of the new tasks.
• 🗂 Frontline managers can use Planner and Teams to view tasks assigned to their location and track their completion.
• 🔑 Managers have access to different views, including charts and schedules, to understand and manage the work assigned to their teams.
• 👷 Frontline workers can view tasks assigned to them, access detailed instructions, and use checklists to complete their work step by step.
• 📸 Workers can document their completed work with photos and mark tasks as complete to move on to the next assignment.
• 📊 The Communication Manager can monitor the status of tasks and the progress of work, providing insights into whether the work is on track.

Q & A

What is the main challenge addressed in the video script?

The main challenge addressed is managing and tracking business-critical work completed by frontline workers, especially when they are dispersed across many locations.

What tool is mentioned in the script to help with task management and tracking?

Task Publishing, available as part of the Planner app and Microsoft Teams, is mentioned as the tool to help create and send tasks to targeted frontline locations.

How can frontline managers use Planner and Teams to manage tasks?

Frontline managers can use Planner and Teams to see tasks received for their location, track completion, open tasks to view details, apply filters to spot unassigned work, and assign tasks to team members.

What features does the script highlight for breaking down tasks into smaller steps?

The script highlights the use of checklist items to break down work into smaller steps and mark them as required, ensuring that tasks cannot be marked complete until all checklist items are completed.

How can the Communication Manager select recipients for task distribution using hierarchy?

The Communication Manager can select recipients by choosing a team hierarchy, filtered by an attribute, or a combination of both, which are fully configurable to match the organization's needs.

What options does the script mention for the Communication Manager when publishing tasks?

The Communication Manager can choose who should receive notifications when the new task list is published and can confirm when they are ready to publish the task list.

What views are available to frontline managers to understand their work responsibilities?

Frontline managers have access to several views including charts view for a visual report and schedule view where task due dates can be viewed on a calendar by month or by week.

How can frontline workers use the 'assigned to me' view in Planner and Teams?

Frontline workers can use the 'assigned to me' view to see the work they've been asked to complete, view detailed instructions, pull up photos or PDFs for guidance, and use checklist items to go through each step of the work.

What can frontline workers do to show their work is complete?

Frontline workers can take a photo to show their completed work, mark the task as complete, and then move on to their next task.

How can the Communication Manager monitor the status of tasks and task lists after they are published?

The Communication Manager can check back on the status of the work, see the percentage of store teams that have assigned and completed each task, and drill down into specific tasks or lists to understand assignment and completion status at each organizational level.

What does the script suggest as the outcome of using Task Publishing?

The script suggests that Task Publishing helps clarify what work is required and track the progress of that work, ensuring the right work is done at the right time.

Where can viewers learn more about Task Publishing?

Viewers can learn more about Task Publishing at aka.ms/taskpublishing.

Outlines

00:00

📊 Task Management with Planner App and Microsoft Teams

The paragraph introduces the challenges of managing business-critical work for a dispersed frontline workforce and how the Task Publishing feature in the Planner app and Microsoft Teams can address these issues. It allows organizations to create tasks centrally and send them to specific locations. The paragraph uses a retail example to illustrate the process, starting with a Communications Manager creating tasks with detailed instructions, images, and checklists. These tasks are then sent to selected store teams based on a hierarchy and attributes, ensuring that work is clearly communicated and tracked. Frontline managers can use Planner and Teams to view and track task completion, while workers can see their assigned tasks, follow detailed instructions, and mark tasks as complete.

Keywords

💡Frontline Workforce

Frontline workforce refers to the employees who are directly involved in the core operations of a business, often working at the customer-facing end or on-site locations. In the context of the video, it is about managing and communicating tasks to these workers who are dispersed across various locations. The script emphasizes the challenge of ensuring that these workers understand and complete the required tasks, highlighting the importance of clear communication and task management.

💡Task Publishing

Task Publishing is a feature that allows organizations to create and distribute tasks centrally from the corporate level to specific locations or teams. It is integral to the video's theme as it showcases how companies can use this feature to manage and track the completion of tasks assigned to their frontline workforce. The script provides an example of how a Communications Manager can use Task Publishing to assign tasks to store teams, emphasizing its role in improving task management and execution.

💡Planner App

The Planner App is a tool that helps teams organize and manage their tasks and projects. It is mentioned in the script as a part of the solution for task management, where tasks can be created centrally and then sent to targeted frontline locations. The app is depicted as a facilitator for task creation, tracking, and completion, which is essential for coordinating work across dispersed teams.

💡Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a platform that combines chat, meetings, notes, and attachments. It is highlighted in the script as a communication hub that integrates with the Planner App to facilitate the distribution and tracking of tasks. The video emphasizes how frontline managers and workers can use Microsoft Teams to view tasks, track progress, and communicate effectively, which is crucial for the successful implementation of Task Publishing.

💡Communications Manager

A Communications Manager is responsible for overseeing the dissemination of information within an organization. In the video script, the Communications Manager is portrayed as the individual who creates and assigns tasks to the frontline workforce using the Planner App and Microsoft Teams. This role is central to the video's narrative as it demonstrates how tasks are initiated and communicated to various store teams.

💡Hierarchy

Hierarchy, in the context of the video, refers to the organizational structure that defines the relationships and authority levels within a company. The script describes how the Communications Manager can select recipients for task distribution using a team hierarchy, which can be filtered by attributes or a combination of both. This concept is vital as it shows how organizations can efficiently target specific groups or locations for task assignments.

💡Attributes

Attributes in the script are characteristics or features used to categorize or filter teams within the organizational hierarchy. They are used in conjunction with the hierarchy to select specific store teams that should receive tasks. The script mentions that North Wind Traders has created a hierarchy and attributes that best match their needs, indicating the customization and specificity required for effective task distribution.

💡Checklist Items

Checklist items are components of a task that break down the work into smaller, manageable steps. The script explains that the Communications Manager can use checklist items to detail the steps required for task completion and mark them as required, ensuring that frontline workers complete all steps before marking the task as finished. This feature is essential for ensuring thoroughness and accuracy in task execution.

💡Notifications

Notifications are alerts sent to users to inform them of updates or actions required. In the video script, the Communications Manager can choose who should receive notifications when a new list of tasks is published. This feature is important as it ensures that relevant team members are promptly informed about new tasks, facilitating timely response and action.

💡Frontline Managers

Frontline Managers are supervisors who oversee the operations at the ground level, often at individual store locations. The script describes how these managers use the Planner App and Microsoft Teams to view and track the completion of tasks for their location. They can also assign tasks to team members and use various views to understand their responsibilities, which is crucial for coordinating and managing the work of the frontline workforce.

💡Views

In the context of the video, views refer to different perspectives or interfaces within the Planner App and Microsoft Teams that allow users to visualize and manage tasks. The script mentions several views such as charts view, which provides a visual report, and schedule view, where due dates can be seen on a calendar. These views are important as they offer various ways for managers and workers to organize and understand their tasks and responsibilities.

💡Assigned to Me View

The 'Assigned to Me' view is a personalized interface within the Planner App and Microsoft Teams that allows frontline workers to see tasks specifically assigned to them. The script explains that workers can use this view to access detailed instructions, photos, or PDFs showing how the work should be completed, and to track their progress through checklist items. This feature is essential for individual workers to focus on their responsibilities and manage their workload effectively.

💡Completion Status

Completion status refers to the current state of a task, indicating whether it has been started, is in progress, or is completed. The script describes how the Communications Manager can check the status of tasks and view the percentage of store teams that have assigned and completed each task. This information is crucial for monitoring progress and ensuring that work is on track, providing insight into the effectiveness of task management and execution.

Highlights

Task publishing in Microsoft Teams helps manage business-critical work for dispersed frontline workforces.

Central creation of tasks at the corporate level with distribution to targeted frontline locations.

Scalable task distribution for tens, hundreds, or thousands of locations.

Tracking task completion with visibility at various organizational levels.

Communication Manager creates tasks with detailed instructions and checklists.

Use of notes field and image attachments for clear task communication.

Checklist items ensure tasks are not marked complete until all steps are finished.

Selection of store teams for task distribution using hierarchy and attributes.

Configurable hierarchy and attributes tailored to organizational needs.

Summary view before publishing tasks for review and notification setup.

Frontline managers use Planner and Teams to track task completion at their location.

Filters like 'Due Today' help identify unassigned or incomplete tasks.

Multiple views available for managers to understand and manage work responsibilities.

Frontline workers can view assigned tasks, detailed instructions, and reference materials.

Workers can use checklists to ensure each step of the task is completed.

Ability for workers to document task completion with photos.

Communication Manager can monitor task status and completion percentages across teams.

Drill-down capability for detailed status analysis at various organizational levels.

Task Publishing provides clarity on required work and tracks progress for timely execution.

Further information on Task Publishing is available at aka.ms/taskpublishing.

Transcripts

- [Presenter] It can be hard to manage

the business critical work that needs to be completed

by your frontline workforce,

especially when they're dispersed across many locations.

Making it clear to your frontline workers

what work is required

and tracking how that work is completed

can be particularly challenging.

Task publishing available as part of the planner app

and Microsoft Teams can help your organization create tasks

centrally at the corporate level

and send those tasks to targeted frontline locations.

Whether you need to reach tens, hundreds,

or thousands of locations,

and once the tasks are published to the right locations,

you can track completion of the work.

Let's take a closer look using a retail example.

To start, the Communications Manager creates a list of tasks

that need to be completed

by her frontline workforce. Per each task,

she can use the notes field

to communicate what work is needed.

She can attach an image for reference,

and she can also use the checklist items

to break the work down into smaller steps.

What's more she can mark the checklist required,

so frontline workers can't mark the task complete

until they've marked all checklist items complete.

When the tasks are ready,

the communications manager chooses the set of store teams

that should each receive a copy of the tasks.

They have a few options for how to choose these stores.

In this case, she wants to use the hierarchy.

When selecting the recipients,

she can select a team hierarchy, filtered by an attribute

or a combination of both.

Both elements are fully configurable,

so North Wind Traders has created the hierarchy

and attributes that best match their needs.

Once the communication manager

has selected their recipients, she'll see a summary

of the task list she's about to publish.

She can choose who should receive notifications

when the new list is published,

and then she can confirm she's ready

to publish the task list.

At each frontline location,

frontline managers can use the Planner Act

and Teams to see tasks received for their location

and track completion of those tasks.

They can open any task to see the details

of what work must be completed.

Managers can also apply filters such as Due Today

or unassigned to quickly spot any work

that hasn't been picked up yet

and assign it to a member of their team.

Managers have access to several different views

to help them understand the work they're responsible for,

including charts view, which provides a visual report

and schedule view where task due dates can be viewed

on a calendar by month or by week.

Meanwhile, frontline workers can use the assigned to me view

to see the work they've been asked to complete

where they can open a task to see more information.

View the detailed instructions in the notes field,

pull up photos or PDFs showing

how the work should be completed,

and use checklist items to walk

through each step of the work.

Finally, they can also take a photo to show their work.

When they're all done with the task,

they can mark it complete and move on to their next task.

At any time after publishing the tasks,

the communications manager can check back on the status

of the work and see the percentage of store teams

that have assigned and completed each task.

They can also drill down into a specific task

to see the status within different parts of the organization

all the way down to a specific team.

Similarly, they can see a drill down for the list as a whole

to understand assignment and completion status at each level

of the organization, including a specific team.

This allows them to see the status of each task

and the task list for that team,

which gives them a better insight

into whether the work is on track.

That's how Task Publishing can help you clarify

what work is required

and track the progress of that work,

so you can get the right work done at the right time.

Ready to try Task Publishing?

Learn more about it at aka.ms/taskpublishing.