Introduce a 'Checklists' field type option for adding to custom apps
Exactly what it says on the tin! We would love, love, love! an option to add checklists to our apps.
(This is currently done using multiple instances of categories, which is time consuming and cumbersome)
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Podio Team - why the deliberation on this?
The workflows are not the solution, because with a checklist, we want the ability to choose to integrate a checklist into an app, and at the time of creating the item, create the checklist of ingredients. This is not something that can be done on an automated workflow basis.
Please, it has been two years since this was suggested, and also two years ago, the use-case was acknowledged by Sara.
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Podio
How many requests does it take to get a response/feature from you guys? I noticed that this request has been asked of you for over three years and you have replied mildly three times.
My request is that you respond to us more timely and maybe with a bit more details. We as paying subscribers should at least get clear answers to what you can do or cant do to enhance your product.
I have been trying for two days to create some type of checklist workflow that allows me to build a template, create a project and have my VA's check off the tasks as they are complete, prompting the next task.
If anyone has any shortcuts, cheatsheets or integrations with other checklist apps they can share please do. MY CUSTOMERS ARE WAITING!!!!!
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Folks,
I am one of the many who initially posted a request for this feature. What I've found is that there are some pretty robust ways to implement "checklist" like functionality.
For procedural checklists (anything process that happens repeatedly, with the same tasks), I would recommend checking out Gobiflow, as Sara has recommended. This allows for, with a little setup, a list of tasks to be created based on a trigger. (An item being created, a task being completed, a comment being left etc).
One example of how we use this functionality, new employee on-boarding.
When a new employee starts there is a list of things that must happen for the employee to be properly on-boarded. I have created a workflow in Gobiflow that creates a bunch of tasks and assigns them to the appropriate staff member, every time a new "employee" item is created in Podio. Gobiflow can do much more and is definitely worth checking out.
For non-procedural stuff (one off), just use the inbuilt task function at the bottom of each item. The tasks can function as a checklist but also display in a list outside of the item.
When I first started with Podio, I really thought the lack of check lists would be a deal breaker for me. What I have found is that Podio handles checklist a bit differently, which I found to actually be superior.
Honestly, I have found a bunch of other stuff that is lacking in Podio to be more frustrating.
- No labels in items / forms (seriously...)
- No multiple column item layouts
- No conditional logic in forms
- No data validation
- Not being able to add multiple "file" fields
- No app based user permissions (seriously...)
- "light" users behind the pay wall (SERIOUSLY...)
If you really need checklists there are plenty of other PM options but, at the end of the day, no other solution that I have tried can compete with Podio's simple to use interface, flexible database structure and reliability in what it does do.
Hmm.. I seem to have digressed.
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@Patrick Jackson
I'm pretty sure what you need to do could be done in GobiFlow.
If you post a the specific requirements, I could probably put together a quick screencast of what you need to do and post it here.
No promises but it sounds simple enough. It sort of depends on whether you really need "unassigned" tasks, Podio requires that a task be assigned to someone when it is created. This can always be changed later.
Happy to help.
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I think the use of categories could work, but for us, we want to nest our categories. Here is an example of how we'd like to use checklists:
Print template ready (check box)
Development website ready (checkbox)
Proofing (checkbox)
- Editorial (nested under proofing, but have its own checkbox)
- Creative Services (nested under proofing, but have its own checkbox)
- Photo/Video (nested under proofing, but have its own checkbox)
Color correction complete (checkbox)
Pages sent to printer (checkbox)
As I mentioned, we don't have a problem using categories for this, but since you cannot nest a category within a category, we are not being able to do exactly what we'd like. Tasks would not really work for us since we need a quick visual on what has and has not been completed.
Here is how it current looks, but we'd actually like to see "Proofing" and all sub-categories appear under "Issue Checklist" between "Development website ready" and "Color correction complete". Does that make sense?
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Podio Team -
I see there was an Official Comment made on March 30 of this year - the first in a year.
To respond, from my perspective, to Sara's questions about the functional difference between categories and checklists:
Don't think of it as adding a WHOLE NEW feature to Podio. Just simply enable users to select more than ONE category at a time.
If this were possible, the Category field could be used as a checklist of (ie) materials to be used, steps to complete, departments that have signed off on a project, etc. Currently, to get this functionality, you'd have to add these "categories" multiple times in separate fields.
Let me give you an example from my line of work:
I work for a MetroPark system. We're looking at paying for a subscription for software (maybe Podio) that will help us track/report work in each of our 26 parks. Ideally, we could create a "Work Performed" item that contained the following fields: Name of Park, Work Performed, Labor Hours, etc....
For the "Work Performed" field, we need MULTIPLE categories that can be selected because there is a huge variety of work that is performed in a park on a day to day basis from mowing to parking lot maintenance to snow removal, to herbicide spraying, to facility repairs. With the current "Category" functionality, if we have 5 categories of work to be performed, we would need to create 5 separate category fields so that we have the potential for a worker to select all 5 categories for that day's work.
I've looked through quite a few "Feature Requests" and this one is definitely among the more popular and long-standing requests and it seems to have gone mostly ignored and brushed aside.
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Hi Ethan,
Thanks for your input! We already have the option to select multiple categories in a category field. To enable this, go to the app template (https://help.podio.com/hc/en-us/articles/201019578-Modifying-an-app), then click the dropdown next to your category field. You'll see the option to set it as multiple choice from there.
Hope that can help :)
/Jacquelyn - Podio
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I want something I can do on the fly (nix categories), see in one spot (nix tasks they are too broken up), and tick off. Later, I might add it into a category system or a workflow of tasks, but first it needs to prove it's worth putting the effort into. I love the idea in a related post of just an extra format in the text window, a bulleted list like the two we have now but one that can be ticked.
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The main difference between categories and the checklist is that a checklist would be able to be used "on the fly" and be considered more temporary and less interactive with the other apps. If it could be added to any text field that allows formatting, we could greenlight with it and preserve our thoughts. If it turns out that a particular checklist was becoming a standard or needed linking to other apps, that would be the time to turn it into a category system. I don't want to build an app for the additional custom items or tasks or lists for a single unique job nor turn off the greenlighting function in my brain by building categories when I'm being creative. But if I find I'm making the same list for other app entries also, I would then build it into the system.
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The Chrome Extension Podio Super Menu now provides an editor for text fields that includes tick boxes.for checklists. Podio Super Menu's main function of quick access to all your apps is worth adding in itself. The Editing function takes you to a secondary window and is not as pretty or functional as something like Word but hey! tick boxes in my text field.
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It's been more than 3 years since this request.
Amazing how this hasn't been implemented yet - it's clearly something a lot of users need.
Being a web developer myself I can't imagine this feature to be that complex to build. It must simply be that this is not a priority to Podio.
Frankly, I'm a bit disappointed. Not in this request alone, but I've created a lot of requests on my own and commented on others'. I have yet to experience Podio taking any of these ideas to life.
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