How to set up task list in Glide.

This task list is designed to be an example that you might wish to copy and tailor to suit your own requirements. Not all steps are essential, often tasks can be completed once a system is operational. For example, all workflow configuration tasks can be completed once a system is operational - all changes will be reflected on existing jobs as well as new jobs.

Some tasks may not apply to your implementation at all. For example if you are not using Glide Time or our Xero integration then of course you can disregard these sections entirely.

If you are not using Glide Time then this may also have an impact on the way in which you implement Glide workflows. When staff are recording timesheets, it makes sense to ensure most of the main workflow systems (and thus jobs) will exist before they start to record time. This allows staff to record time directly to the jobs as opposed to recording time into a category.

When you do not have to consider timesheets then you have the option to implement workflows gradually, over a longer period of time.

Task	Description
1	Decide upon a list of workflow system you wish to set up. Remember you can add new systems at anytime but you will likely have a number of key systems that you wish to be present when the system goes live. Take a look at the popular templates that already exist in your system, some of these might be close to what you want, meaning you can 'tweak' them as opposed to configuring a new system from scratch.
2	Most workflow systems require only a single sub-system. That said do consider at this stage whether any of your workflow system might require more than one sub-system. A key example for UK Accountants is the main Accounts workflow. Some firms will prefer to have the Accounts and CT set up as separate sub-systems. This was discussed in this Vlog entry:
Workflow configuration tasks (follow this section for each workflow system in your list)
3	Decide upon your stages and steps and configure these in Glide. Do watch the video below to familiarise yourself with the concepts of stages and steps. They are the cornerstone of Glide's approach to workflow and they are quite different to many other systems. A few key pointers would be to: Try to keep workflows as concise as possible. Add detail where its inclusion is beneficial to understanding the current stage of progress but don't confuse Glide for a compliance checklist. Job fields (point 6 below) can add checklist style functionality. Ensure each workflow is covering a single process. If you are mapping out your workflow and you find that two things could happen at the same time, then it is likely you are trying to merge two processes into one. Here you should consider a second sub-system or a separate workflow system. Helpful articles/videos: Stages and steps explained
4	Decide upon which job positions need to exist on this workflow system and who should hold the job at each stage. Consider whether you might activate the Job Pool and set the job holder to be the pool at certain stages (typically used when the job is ready to start but unallocated). Helpful articles/videos: Job positions, job holder and the pool
5	Configure any automated target dates and statutory deadlines that you might wish to be created on the jobs. The main suggestion we have here is to ensure that there is, at all times, at least one target date on either the current stage or any other incomplete stage. This will ensure your job reports a 'Next target date' which is widely used in Glide's reporting. Helpful articles/videos: Target dates and deadlines
6	Give consideration to adding job fields to your job. Typically, in a minimal setup, you might wish to have a job field for the preparer (or similarly named job position) and the current job holder - in both cases this is to allow manual changes to be made. In addition job fields can be useful for any information you wish to record on a job that is not a stage. For example if you wish for users to confirm that they have completed certain key tasks, but the task is one that does not logically fit into a set point in the workflow, then this will be better suited as a job field. You can make completion of any job field mandatory at anytime in your workflow. Helpful articles/videos: Add a new job field
7	Make sure you have an awareness of the other workflow actions that can be triggered when a workflow step is run. Often these are added at a later date but it good to be aware of the possibilities at the initial design stage. For example you might have progress buttons which send e-mails/SMS to contacts, that send information to Zapier to trigger Zaps, that create or trigger progress on another job or that serve to block progress on this job pending completion of a task. Helpful articles/videos: Definition of workflow action List of workflow actions
8	If you find that you are frequently adding multiple options at stages then give consideration to whether your workflow would benefit from having more than one route variation. If you decide to have more than one route variation then you would set a default route and you can then set individual clients to use a route other than the default. This can be done via the Excel import and also in the system on the client card. Examples where multiple routes might be useful include: Management accounts: Some users like to differentiate the process where bookkeeping is internal from situations where the client maintains the books. This is because it has quite a bearing on the initial stages and target dates. Accounts: Some users like to differentiate between Incorporated and Unincorporated accounts. Note this is not at all necessary, for example the Glide template caters nicely for both, but this can be useful if your process differs. Tax returns: Some users like to differentiate between personal, partnership and trust returns. Often this is not because the process is different (i.e. they all have identical stages etc) - instead the benefit here is that you can then have a route specific progress monitor widget. Helpful articles/videos: Default workflow route Set which route a client uses
9	If you are configuring a trigger date workflow system then make sure you have at least one trigger field configured correctly. If you need multiple trigger fields then set up more. Typically you will need multiple triggers where you wish to track more than one job frequency on the workflow system, for example you might wish to track both monthly and quarterly management accounts preparation. Tax year and ad-hoc workflow system do not have trigger fields. Helpful articles/videos: The difference between trigger, tax and ad-hoc workflow systems Set up a new trigger field


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