Staying Productive with Producteev

Task management is a vital component of Getting Things Done and high productivity. A key to better task management is a tool that can help create, manage and remind you about tasks in a streamlined manner. Now that we’re used to working at multiple workstations and using smartphones, the solution should be available across multiple platforms.

Producteev is an interesting task management solution that is primarily a web app, making it accessible pretty much anywhere there’s an internet connection. Tasks can be created by firing up an email and alerts are dispensed via popular instant messengers ensuring that deadlines are not missed. We’ll take a look at using Producteev after the break.

Overview

Producteev is an online task management app designed to help you manage tasks from wherever you’re comfortable working, be it via E-mail, IM, web, iPhone, Gmail or Google Calendar. Producteev’s USP is on the fly task creation and management. When you send an email to Producteev, tasks are created in your account and alerts can also be set for deadlines.

Files can also be added to tasks remotely and they can be reviewed and sorted from you Producteev inbox. Producteev has a native iPhone app available free of charge for managing tasks on the go and a Mac desktop app is on the way.

Use Cases

Producteev has a unique way of educating the users about its features based on their profession. While the app and its features remain the same for all the users, Producteev gives you scenarios as to how you can get the maximum out of the web app thereby enhancing your productivity.

For example, if you are freelancer, Producteev suggests you to take advantage of the ability to access all tasks and files from anywhere and the shared work spaces dedicated exclusively to each of your clients. They also suggest the usefulness of the real time tracking system for task management. There are ten use cases in total covering major segments of work and kudos to the team for coming up with this neat idea.

Sign Up

Signing up is pretty simple via a standard form with only the time zone and use case drop down are the unconventional fields. There is no need for email validation and you can also sign up using your Facebook account.

Pricing

Producteev has a pricing system that charges you based on the number of workspaces you use. Producteev defines workspace as a place where you can allow users to create tasks, assign them to others, set deadlines and more, all related to a specific project.

There is a free plan which supports two users per workspace. Except for SSL security and priority support, all the paid accounts and the free accounts have the same features. A two week free trail period without the need for a contract or credit card can be availed for all paid plans.

Dashboard

Producteev loves to help users as much as possible and with links to tutorial videos and quick how-tos, if you still aren’t sure where to start, this should help you a lot. The two column layout and light colors make the app easy to use and look pleasant. Filters, labels and users are listed in the left column and all tasks are displayed to the right. All the workspaces can be viewed by clicking the Overview tab on the top left-hand corner.

Creating a Task

You can start adding tasks to the default workspace using the rather large Add Tasks field. Thanks to a lot of AJAX goodness, you can add labels, assign tasks to users and set privacy levels when you are creating a task without having the need to create them beforehand.

When creating tasks, extensive scheduling and alert options can be set. Notifications will be sent via email and five other popular IM services. You can add the username of the IM service you are using while checking the appropriate box. There is no need to enter your IM password here. The sample text in the fields did not clear when I clicked on them and had to manually delete them before filling up the username. A small, but irksome, bug this one is.

Smart Filters

Producteev comes with a bunch of decent smart filters in Gmail style. You also have the flexibility to move them around in an order that makes sense to you. All you have to do is drag the filters to their respective positions and you are done.

If you are not satisfied with the current set of filters, you can go ahead and create a custom one. It was fun to actually create a custom filter by combining the sorting options that I needed and it worked extremely precise too!

Creating a Workspace

You can create multiple workspaces, each of which are dedicated to your client or project by using the “+” icon on the top right corner of the dashboard. Despite being a tough sounding term, all you have to do is name the workspace and one will be created for you.

All workplaces look the same and perform the same way upon creation, except that you can limit access to users. This can be done by using the People option on the left column, from where you can send email invitations to people to come join the new workspace. Free accounts are limited to having a maximum of two users per workspace, however, users can be deleted or replaced at any time.

Producteev allows you to personalize workspaces with their own logo, background image and color theme. These features are available for the duration of the free trial and after that you will have to be a paid subscriber to avail customization options.

Final Thoughts

Producteev should be lauded for coming up with the great uses case idea to educate its users. Use cases have a low learning curve and put the users right on track with a quick and targeted crashcourse of the app’s features.

Ability to perform bulk actions and adding priority are brilliantly implemented. Being able to sync with your Google Calender, daily email digests and gadgets for Gmail and iGoogle only makes the app more compelling to use. Producteev is a productivity app that does a real lot despite looking simple and is a must have if you are serious about getting things done.