I find myself confused about the OF workflow. My plan was to use OF really as a CRM. I haven't gotten that to work and don't know how, so thought I'd use it to manage jobs. I've tried several things but none make the task any easier. Let me throw out a few things to you and maybe you can show me how it could be done.
The setup: I'm managing a landscape company. I have crews that go to properties (contexts?) and do maintenance (which includes a variety of tasks, or actions, sometimes on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis). Some crew members do specific things (i.e. fill out and turn in paperwork, manage equipment, go to the dump, etc.).
I have construction crews too. Their "projects" are as needed but usually follow a similar process each time (i.e. getting equipment there, sometimes renting, prepping the site, building the wall/patio/walk/drive, planting plants, etc.).
One or more of us work on the designs. I handle sales and make sure the accounting gets done, the payroll gets done, the customers get responses to their questions, the social websites get updated, the blog gets updated, the materials get purchased, the crews get scheduled, the training gets completed, the computer network keeps running, the building gets repaired, etc. Oh, and I have a personal life when there is time, so that has to be managed in there too. (Are these contexts?)
OK, the trouble (I think) comes when I use the iPhone version and want to use the contexts with locations. I am assuming they can help me schedule routes for the crew and where I have to go next. If I use contexts for job locations I will have to enter hundreds of job locations. On the other hand if I used "projects" for customer jobs I really don't have location based contexts for them. In either case, I run into another problem of duplicate titled actions. Say Mr. Smith who lives on X St. needs to have his lawn mowed, trimmed, and beds weeded this week. Now say Mrs, Butterworth who lives on Y Rd. only needs the lawn to be mowed and trimmed. Last but not least, Ms. Tankard needs the lawn mowed but doesn't want the clippings picked up, trimmed, beds weeded, shrubs pruned, and it has to be done by Thursday at 4:30. Oh, and she only wants Steve to do it. She lives on X St. too.
After the fact, I need to make sure we get paid. Mr. S pays at the end of the month, Mrs. B leaves a check or cash, and Ms. T has to be sent an invoice (delivered by Steve).
How do you suggest using OF in these situations, if at all?
The setup: I'm managing a landscape company. I have crews that go to properties (contexts?) and do maintenance (which includes a variety of tasks, or actions, sometimes on a weekly, monthly, or less frequent basis). Some crew members do specific things (i.e. fill out and turn in paperwork, manage equipment, go to the dump, etc.).
I have construction crews too. Their "projects" are as needed but usually follow a similar process each time (i.e. getting equipment there, sometimes renting, prepping the site, building the wall/patio/walk/drive, planting plants, etc.).
One or more of us work on the designs. I handle sales and make sure the accounting gets done, the payroll gets done, the customers get responses to their questions, the social websites get updated, the blog gets updated, the materials get purchased, the crews get scheduled, the training gets completed, the computer network keeps running, the building gets repaired, etc. Oh, and I have a personal life when there is time, so that has to be managed in there too. (Are these contexts?)
OK, the trouble (I think) comes when I use the iPhone version and want to use the contexts with locations. I am assuming they can help me schedule routes for the crew and where I have to go next. If I use contexts for job locations I will have to enter hundreds of job locations. On the other hand if I used "projects" for customer jobs I really don't have location based contexts for them. In either case, I run into another problem of duplicate titled actions. Say Mr. Smith who lives on X St. needs to have his lawn mowed, trimmed, and beds weeded this week. Now say Mrs, Butterworth who lives on Y Rd. only needs the lawn to be mowed and trimmed. Last but not least, Ms. Tankard needs the lawn mowed but doesn't want the clippings picked up, trimmed, beds weeded, shrubs pruned, and it has to be done by Thursday at 4:30. Oh, and she only wants Steve to do it. She lives on X St. too.
After the fact, I need to make sure we get paid. Mr. S pays at the end of the month, Mrs. B leaves a check or cash, and Ms. T has to be sent an invoice (delivered by Steve).
How do you suggest using OF in these situations, if at all?
Last edited by Don1; 2010-11-29 at 10:03 AM..