Master view of tasks and associated workflow for all collaborators

Description

A master view of tasks and workflow functionality in Corporate Performance Management (CPM) software consolidates all tasks, task roll-ups, deadlines, and milestones from different departments into an overarching, centralized interface. This feature enables finance administrators to understand, at a glance, the status of a project such as an annual budget, forecast, financial close and so on.

Example Use Case

Scenario: A tech start-up company uses Excel to build their annual operating plan. They manage the project in Excel, manually updating tasks whenever they receive an email from a contributor claiming they are finished with a task.

Solution: They implement a CPM system that includes a task management tool. It provides a view of all tasks, who owns the task, and the status of tasks on one screen. This allows the finance team to ditch the Excel file and endless emails.

Considerations

This is a basic function of any CPM workflow management tool. Some tools will provide a comprehensive view, meaning that both approvals, task completions, and progress bars are all on one screen. Some take it a step further, allowing processes to have their own workflow dashboards. For example, a “master view” could exist for the annual budget, and another master view for the forecast or financial close. Also consider versions - does each version have its own task management setup?

Questions to Ask a Vendor

• Number of Workflows: Does the tool allow for multiple tasks or workflow processes simultaneously? For example, can we run a workflow process for the budget and financial close at the same time?
• Tasks and Versions: Can we associate tasks with versions? In other words, can we create a set of tasks that are only associated with a specific version? If we clone the version, do the tasks go with it?
• Standard Workflows: Can we create a task template that we can apply when needed, such as a standard process for building the budget?