TLDR: Task Duration tracking is a way for you to maximize efforts as you create. The more task management systems work in your favor, the quicker you can avoid holdups and get creative work done - minus the excess stress - as long as you keep your head in the game.
Did you know that a task management system makes you 45% more likely to stay on schedule? With so many clients and so many projects, a day or two of delay here and there can add up quickly. This is why you need to start tracking task duration. It shows you where you're spending your time, and when it's your time at the drawing board, you'll better allocate your own amount of time. It keeps you organized and gets what you need done without rushing through it for the sake of creativity.
Why It Matters for Turnaround Time and How It Comes Back to You
Let's talk about turnaround time, or the time spent from start to finish. For you, that's from project start to final delivery. Why does this matter to you?
Turnaround time dictates how much of a project load you can feasibly manage, how happy your clients are with the work at hand, and how much you benefit from all that talented effort.
The quicker (and more efficiently) good quality work is produced, the more warranted you become.
Turnaround time also matters for the effort if you're part of a project for someone else. For example, assessing turnaround time with a project means determining how often things get bogged down, how many revisions are necessary, how often feedback comes into play. This means your observations can guide a due date of a project and keep a team on track for success.
How to Manage Task Duration Tracking
If this means something to you and your projects for clients, here's how best to track it for yourself.
- Use a reliable task management system . Whether Trello, Asana, or ClickUp, they all allow you to create a project and go back into it over time to assess status and comment on subtasks.
- Break larger projects into smaller ones - research, sketches, first drafts, feedback, revisions, final edits, final submission are all pieces of one project.
- Set due dates for each due date. It'll help you better assess how long things really take.
- If you're part of a larger team, designate responsibilities so people own their part.
- Check in weekly to see if timelines are being met or dragged out because reassessing can make things easier next time.
Easier said than done but that structure can provide a foolproof solution without all the last minute scrambling.
Turnaround Time Success Measures
Once you've implemented it, you've tracked it for continual assessment.
Metrics can sound scary but they're just measurable data that are success indicators.
Consider:
- Average duration time - how long things actually take.
- Successfully timeline matched - how often things are delivered without extensions.
- How often feedback occurred pre-submission to address who else needs extra work.
- Average turnaround time on feedback - how fast/slow this feedback comes in.
- Bottlenecked tasks - the consistently longer-than-expected tasks that jam the process.
These patterns become evident over time more frequently than fewer tracked. For example, if your feedback keeps arriving late then it's clear communication isn't crystal clear with the clients regarding the expectations needed.
Common Sense Mistakes to Make While Tracking
Tracking good intentions can go awry with common sense mistakes associated:
- Inconsistency - don't forget to track everything or your data is skewed.
- Overcomplicating tracking efforts. The point is to make your work easier not stress too much about tracking - let other systems do that for you!
- Not tracking every single moment, there's no need to micro-manage how long things will take.
- Forgetting that waiting for others is longer than waiting until we do it ourselves so assess this in the data regardless.
Constantly track versus automated efforts where automated help where needed ease the burden clearer insights emerge with little sacrifice.
Futuristic Task Duration Tracking Systems
The future of everything design-related is only getting better!
Task duration tracking will soon become all linked to AI-and-automation so soon enough software will determine how long your next project will take based on like-accomplishments from other clients and mapping systems.
They'll determine delays before they happen and allot new due dates based on set previously established facts from known job efforts so comparison will bring everything to a clearer solution with little formatting from either side.
When a task manager becomes your operating partner down the line it'll be much easier to maintain maximum turnaround time without sacrificing creative efficiency!
Conclusion
It's not about turning around in faster time because you're stronger or faster - it's about working smarter!
With task management systems factoring duration tracking into the fold keep everything organized with less compounding work ease stress levels and bolster productivity.
Take care of it now! Find your balance between task duration tracking and what works best for your creatively-minded brain on timing - your ease of access will make it easier than ever down the line for your clients!
Credit for cover image: Photo by cottonbro studio on pexels
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