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How to manage team Tasks in CRM, efficiently

Read Time: 8 minutes

I personally think that the entire business operation is just a bunch of tasks managed well. Everything that we do in a business is a task. But then we divide them into certain processes so that they can make more sense and bring more efficiency.

There is a huge difference between personal task management and managing team tasks, in an organisation. On a personal level, we just want to empty our minds and keep everything in a reminder system. But when we talk of business, there are many other factors that are important. A CRM task management solution is the best way to manage all the tasks in your business. 

Personal Tasks & Team tasks are different to manage

There is a lot of difference between personal task management and team task management process. Multiple users and multiple priorities make it very complicated. 
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There is a lot of difference between personal task management and team task management process. Multiple users and multiple priorities make it very complicated.

Difference between Task and Activity

There is a lot of difference between personal task management and team task management process. Multiple users and multiple priorities make it very complicated. 
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Before we go deep into the subject of what and how to manage, let us understand the difference between task and activity. 

  1. The task is a piece of work that is to be done or undertaken. 
  2. Activity is something that we do, the effort (usually to complete the task). 

In Sangam CRM, a CRM tool by Enjay, the concept and philosophy of task management is fully integrated. So managing the team and its tasks get seamlessly integrated into basic CRM itself. It also helps you get a lot of analytical reporting so that you can determine pretenders and performers. Furthermore, it helps you get the cost of acquiring and serving the customers. 

When we measure activity, we know how busy the person has been. But, when we analyze tasks, we know how effective they are. So what is more important?

Why we need to manage tasks 

  1. To make sure that we get things done, in time. 
  2. Make sure that regular tasks are not missed. 
  3. Measure the efficiency of employees. 
  4. Bring in accountability of the team. 

CRM and project management

Project management is different from task management. Project management solution is also included in Sangam CRM, but the scope of managing a project is much larger as compared to task management. 

Tasks can be part of the Project. However, the project is actually a bunch of related tasks to be done by more than one person. Project management tool also includes lots of other features like milestones, cost analysis, team and user management etc. 

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Types of tasks need to be managed?

In a small business, generally, the owner, team leader or director creates tasks and assigns them to their team members. 

Basically, whatever we do in the business is a task. But the tasks related to customers need to be treated differently than the tasks that are not related to any particular customer.

Basically, whatever we do in the business is a task. But the tasks related to customers need to be treated differently than the tasks that are not related to any particular customer.  
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Based on the relationship with the Customers

We need this categorization because we would also want to get the cost of getting and serving the customers. So the tasks which are based on Customer relationships should be seen differently. This can help us in making a decision, which customers or customer categories are profitable and which are not. 

  1. Customer-related Tasks. 
    • Includes everything that we do for getting the customers and providing the service to them.  
    • Here are a few examples: Sales follow-up, Demo or visit to be done in a sales process, creating quotations, Support requests by a customer, Feedback from customers, and Training. Payment collection from customers etc. 
  2. Tasks not related to customers. 
    • These are the tasks that we do but are not directly related to any customer. 
    • Some examples would be: getting bank statements updated, payment of rent, taxes, or any other statutory payments, Weekly review meetings, Planning meetings, Internal meetings, etc.

Based on Business activity

Let us further divide tasks, based on the type of business processes. 

  1. Sales related tasks. 
    • Everything that comes in a sales cycle, before a customer buys the product or service from us. 
    • Some examples of sales-related tasks would be: Sales follow up,  creating quotation or proposal, arranging for a demo, trial or POC, and everything else that happens before the sale is closed. 
    • Sales related tasks will be covered in the following three modules:
      1. Leads (Enquiry), covers all the activities (Calls, SMS, Emails, meetings, visits, Follow-Ups) before the qualification of the enquiry is done.  
      2. Opportunities (Deals), covers all the activities (Follow-Ups, visits, meetings, quotation or proposal making) once the enquiry has been qualified. 
      3. Tickets cover all the technical tasks (demo, technical discussions, POC, Trials etc) which are carried out for the customer before the sales are closed. 
        • These tickets are always related to the Leads/Opportunities modules. 
        • The benefit of creating (related) tickets during the sales process is that more than one person can work on one opportunity. 
        • Allows more than one person to be involved in the sales process.
        • At the same time, our Total effort and cost for Sales get properly accounted for.
        • Also, the sales team knows what the technical team did and at the same time, the technical team also knows the sales history of the customer. 
        • The information that is visible to the service team can be controlled in CRM. 
  2. Service-related tasks. 
    • Everything that comes after a customer buys the product or service from us. After-Sales or post-sales service or any other task. 
    • Some examples of service-related tasks would be: Customer complaints, feedback, visits, calls, and everything else that happens after a sale are closed
    • Service-related tasks are managed in the following modules. 
      1. Ticket module, for all customer complaints, feedbacks, RMA, etc.  
      2. AMC Module (Contracts, Renewals, and subscriptions)
  3. Other tasks, which are not related to Sales or service.  
    • Everything that is not covered in the above list of tasks is treated as other tasks. 
    • Remember, that these other tasks are no way related to any customer. 
    • We strongly recommend that all these tasks should be managed using the Tickets module. A special type of ticket called Internal tickets.

All the sales-related tasks should be maintained and managed in the default Sales modules of CRM, like leads, Opportunities, and Quotations.

Basically, whatever we do in the business is a task. But the tasks related to customers need to be treated differently than the tasks that are not related to any particular customer.  
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All the sales-related tasks should be maintained and managed in the default Sales modules of CRM, like leads, Opportunities, and quotations. 
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Why we don’t have a Task Module in our CRM

Sangam CRM, by Enjay, does not have a dedicated task module. Even if someone insists on having it, we recommend not using the same. We recommend using the Tickets module for managing other tasks (as discussed above). Why, because managing tasks in tickets has lots of advantages over dedicated tasks modules. Some of the benefits are listed below:

  1. We don’t need training for that extra module. 
  2. Tickets support logging of activities, which allows us to get time and cost analysis. 
  3. Getting a daily activity report of any user becomes significantly easy. 

In Sangam CRM, the tickets can be identified as Internal (for other tasks) or regular (for customer-related tasks). It also allows recurring tickets to be created for recurring tasks. 

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Manage your teams and your tasks, with efficiency and ease.

How CRM helps in Better task management

There are lots of features in CRM, which help in overall task management in a much efficient way. Here are a few points:

  1. CRM Notifications
    • When the task is completed. 
    • If the task is pending. 
    • Automatic escalations to higher management, as per configuration done. 
  2. Activity Logging and reporting. 
    • Per hour cost of all the team members is already entered in the CRM.
    • So when team members perform any kind of activity for any module, we can get the time and cost analysis easily. 
    • Also, logging activity is very simple, just a single click on the CRM interface. 
  3. Tracking employees 
    • We get all the details about the activities done by an employee. 
    • Not just the quantity of activity done, but also the quality and timeliness of the same. 
  4. Tracking customers
    • How much is the cost of acquiring and maintaining the customers? 
When we use CRM for task management, it helps us to not only keep track of tasks to do and tasks completed but also about the activity that is done for that particular task. This gives us time tracking and cost analysis also.
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When we use CRM for task management, it helps us to not only keep track of tasks to do and tasks completed but also about the activity that is done for that particular task. This gives us time tracking and cost analysis also.

Biggest mistake in managing tasks in CRM 

First time CRM users generally believe that they have to customise the CRM according to their processes. But it is partially true. CRM is generally built on widely accepted best practices. Rather than changing the CRM software, just evaluate whether adapting a better process would benefit the organisation. 

Most of the time we assume that developers of CRM might have not thought about how an organisation works. Hence we think that we have to redesign everything according to us. Also many times we feel that our business is very unique and there is no other business like us in the world. This is wrong. 

But fortunately it is not true. ENJAY has been providing CRM solutions since 2009, but we have been using it since 2004. So we have more experience of using it than selling the same. 

We know perfectly where it hurts and what challenges a business might face. Hence the system is designed to manage everything accordingly. Its flexible enough to manage all the tasks & processes in your business.

Let's say we are upgrading to a new motorcycle, from a bicycle. Now, will we modify the new motorcycle to work according to our bicycle? No. Right? Then when do we want to change the standard CRM best practice according to our unstructured self-practice?
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Let’s say we are upgrading to a new motorcycle, from a bicycle.Now, will we modify the new motorcycle to work according to our bicycle? No. Right?Then when do we want to change the standard CRM best practice according to our unstructured self-practice?

Designing a perfect Task Management for the company in CRM

Although the configuration in Sangam CRM software is just drag and drop, However, we need to do proper planning so that we can create a proper task management software, which is effective and efficient, in the long term. 

  1. This exercise is to be done with our Senior team members, who know the organisation and its goals properly. These are the people, who know the customers and team members, equally well.
  2. Please note that the task of designing the task management system cannot be assigned to a technical person. 
  3. Create a list of all the tasks that we think needs to be done in our organisation. Preferably in a spreadsheet.
  4. Now in the next column write how this task is related or not related to any of our customers. This will help us to categorise and classify our tasks properly and relate them to the customer. So that we get proper cost and fine analysis for our customer-facing activities also. This will help us to decide what is the cost of a customer to us.
  5. In case there is a need for escalation, then add one more column to describe the rules for escalation also. In case the task is not completed in the defined time, what should be done. 
  6. Once we have a final list of tasks to be done. Now we have to align them to the modules that are already there in the CRM and the rest of the tasks will come as Internal Tickets.
  7. Final step is to discuss these tasks with the CRM vendor (or consultant) and get it implemented in the CRM. 

Book a free consultation with our experts.

Manage your teams and your tasks, with efficiency and ease.
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6 Comments

  1. Kailash Gupta October 25, 2020
    • Limesh Parekh October 26, 2020
  2. Digambar Rakshe October 26, 2020
    • Amit Sharma October 26, 2020
  3. Vishal Kamat October 27, 2020
    • Amit Sharma October 27, 2020

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