While Monday.com’s board items are fantastic for managing individual tasks and projects, there’s a distinct need for a more structured, integrated, and automated approach to managing processes. I propose the addition of a new item type called “Process” that not only allows for step-by-step execution but also seamlessly integrates with external apps and automates steps where necessary.
Features of the “Process” Item Type:
- Integrated Step Execution: Within the process, users can define steps that trigger actions in integrated apps. For instance, a step could automatically send a Slack message, create a Google Calendar event, or initiate a Zoom call.
- Automations: Allow users to set up automations for steps, such as “When Step A is completed, automatically start Step B” or “If Step C is overdue by 2 days, send a reminder email.”
- Step-by-Step Execution: Each step can have its own set of attributes like description, assignee, due date, dependencies, and more. This goes beyond the capabilities of a standard board item by ensuring a controlled and sequential progression.
- Controlled Progression: Unlike standard board items, the “Process” item type ensures that steps are followed in the intended order, with the next step only starting after the previous one is completed.
- Visual Process Flow: A flowchart-like representation for each process, allowing users to see the entire process flow, understand dependencies, and visualize integrated app actions.
- Templates: Create, save, and reuse process templates, beneficial for recurring processes across projects or teams.
- Notifications & Reminders: Automatic notifications to assignees when their step is up next, integrated with their preferred communication tool.
- Seamless Integration with Existing Features: The “Process” item type should work in harmony with Monday.com’s time tracking, existing automations, integrations, and other features.
- Reporting: Detailed insights on process completion rates, bottlenecks, and average time per step, with the ability to export data to integrated analytics tools.
- Collaboration: Commenting, file attachments, and collaboration tools on each step, ensuring clear communication.
- Access Control: Granular controls to determine who can edit, view, or execute the steps.
Benefits:
- Integrated Workflow Management: Processes aren’t just confined to Monday.com but can trigger actions across a suite of integrated tools, making workflows truly interconnected.
- Enhanced Automation: Beyond the capabilities of a standard board item, the “Process” type can automate sequences of steps, ensuring smoother transitions and reduced manual intervention.
- Clearer Process Visualization: With a visual flow and integrated actions, teams can better understand and optimize their processes.