creating checklists programatically

[AlNipper49]

We go through standard checklists for our clients each month.  This is largely a manual process, which is ok.  However, the generation of the actual checklists is a pain in the ass.  Sometimes we'll add a new item that we want to look at for each client and end up going through 100 Excel spreadsheets adding this item.
 
The easier the better on this one - if it can be done with Excel or Access, cool.  If there is a web app to do this, even better.  I can also handle things like Crystal Reports or whatever if it's easier tying things together that way.
 
Let's say we have 500 "checks".  I want each client to have a page of all of those 500 checks in which I can scroll down and check off the ones that we want to perform for them.  Each month I generate this punch list.  It's OK if it's printed out even, most of our clients prefer these types of checks in writing (compliance/regulatory)
 
How would you guys do this ?

 

[leetinsley38]

Trello? Column for To do, doing, done. You can also have checklists on each card, assign members to a card, due dates, comments, etc.

 

[jayhoz]

You said manual was ok..here is a very manual way to do it.  Evernote.
 

 

[AlNipper49]

I multitask that shit!

View attachment 817

 

[zenter]

I see two separate issues here...
 
1) Templating
2) Cascading changes to all existing lists
 
#1 is easy with a lot of the free PM tools out there (Basecamp, Asana, etc). Indeed, if you do monthly checks, the only time you're adding to the list is from month n to month n+1, so theoretically, a master template (or 1 for each class of clients) gets duped each month for each client. You update the template in month n+1, and all clients who that checklist get the new list.
 
#2 I've not seen in free/cheap software, but I honestly haven't looked for it. I have seen it in enterprise-class PM tools.

 

[AlNipper49]

Trello? Column for To do, doing, done. You can also have checklists on each card, assign members to a card, due dates, comments, etc.

 
That's actually what I have right now.  But the problem is that each card is static.  I'd like that each card has a punch list of potential check items.
 
So for example the checklist might be 
 
1. check disk space
2. A/V on all PCs
3. Check temp in server room
 
And that is currently in let's say 100 clients.
 
Now we want to add:
4. Check event logs
 
I don't want to have to copy and paste that into 100 docs.  Also in those 100 docs some might not have a device that we check event logs on.
 
As extra credit, some of our clients (for example) subscribe to a cybersecurity package that has 100-150 checks that our nomal clients don't get, it would be wonderful to turn that on adhoc as well.

 

[AlNipper49]

I see two separate issues here...
 
1) Templating
2) Cascading changes to all existing lists
 
#1 is easy with a lot of the free PM tools out there (Basecamp, Asana, etc). Indeed, if you do monthly checks, the only time you're adding to the list is from month n to month n+1, so theoretically, a master template (or 1 for each class of clients) gets duped each month for each client. You update the template in month n+1, and all clients who that checklist get the new list.
 
#2 I've not seen in free/cheap software, but I honestly haven't looked for it. I have seen it in enterprise-class PM tools.

 
This is exactly the problem right now. 
 
Honestly the way I'm learning is to create the checklists and then create a column for each client.  Each client then gets a "x" if they need this alert.  Then report in it with Crystal Reports or whatever and create a filter that will only load items with a X for that particular client.
 
That's not terribly scalable though.

 

[crystalline]

Use Asana. Its an online list SaaS app and they have a nice API you can use to push the lists to their service.

Or, use google excel/sheets and push the lists using their API which works well from Python. Or generate the lists as excel sheets programmatically from Java or Python.

Looking back at your post though I don't fully understand your sticking point. Do you want to automate the creation of 100 lists once each month from a central list? Is each list a subset of 500 items? Would it help for you (or customers) to be able to change things mid month? If the former I might just cook up some code to generate 100 excel docs from your central doc each month. If updating midmonth is at all useful- use Trello or Asana.

 

[AlNipper49]

Use Asana. Its an online list SaaS app and they have a nice API you can use to push the lists to their service.

 

 
problem with asana is the same one I have - I'm recreating the checklist from scratch every month.

 

[AlNipper49]

View attachment 818

 

[AlNipper49]

I guess I could just create multi-select fields and update the field whenever we make a change I guess... in access or something

 

[sime]

This might be similar to what you mention above (I'm not familiar with Access), but how about creating master form using something like App Nitro's Machform. The list of clients would be a selectable drop down, and from there, using conditional logic, you could serve a variety of checklist groups depending on the client.

Submitted forms get emailed to specified recipients and stored in a database.

To add a new checklist item, or group, simply update the master form.

 

[zenter]

Depending on details, I might flip the approach. Assuming clients fall into a manageable number of buckets (5-10)...
 
1) Create the top 5-10 templates for monthly checklists in Asana
2) Dupe the appropriate template for each client every month.... Which you're basically doing anyway.
3) As needed, update template.
4) Repeat
 
Actually, I might use Wrike (a step up from Asana) because you can easily store also put client-specific notes. I dunno if it would work. I get the appeal of a matrix approach but I don't know if that's scalable without a real ($$) PM tool.

 

[tonyandpals]

I used to do this in ACT all the time. If Sage can do it...
 
What about a sharepoint form/webpart?  We make forms all the time using sharepoint and when we add a new checkbox, it adds the field to all the previous records and it's blank.

 

[SumnerH]

I guess I could just create multi-select fields and update the field whenever we make a change I guess... in access or something

 
This is probably the correct programmatic approach behind the scenes, regardless of what interface you put on it.

 

[AlNipper49]

I used to do this in ACT all the time. If Sage can do it...
 
What about a sharepoint form/webpart?  We make forms all the time using sharepoint and when we add a new checkbox, it adds the field to all the previous records and it's blank.

Funny, I used to do this in sharepoint but I was hoping to not reinstall the server just for this.

And while I was at it I was hoping to programmatically select the items added to each checklist. But I guess I can go the Sharepoint route if all else fails.

I was thinking the logic today is exactly the same as maintaining portfolios for multiple clients

 

[Flunky]

just create a new Lotus Notes database. har har har...
 
Can you set up and share a OneNote page for this? That's what we do now if we don't want to deal with RPD... ;-P

 

[AlNipper49]

just create a new Lotus Notes database. har har har...
 
Can you set up and share a OneNote page for this? That's what we do now if we don't want to deal with RPD... ;-P

 
I could do this in 15 seconds in Notes, and don't think that I haven't considered doing that!

 

[Flunky]

:F