Source: https://oguzerol.com/en/team-task-assignment-tracking-app/

[![Sample screen: in tasks.xlsx the quote file task lists two names and has no clear status. In the task tracking app, task TSK-318 Prepare the quote file has one owner, Ellie T., who took it over from Can on October 12; the due date moved from October 14 to 16 while waiting for measurements, and it can’t close until the quote PDF is attached.](https://oguzerol.com/gorseller/hizmet-kapaklari/ekip-gorev-dagilimi-takip-uygulamasi-v1-en.webp)

View full size](https://oguzerol.com/gorseller/hizmet-kapaklari/ekip-gorev-dagilimi-takip-uygulamasi-v1-en.webp)

# Custom Task Tracking Software: Who Is Doing What, and by When?

[Oğuz Erol](https://oguzerol.com/en/about-me/)  |  7 min read

If you’re looking for task tracking software, ask yourself one question first: does your team need a task list, or a record of the work itself? If writing tasks on a board, assigning an owner and ticking off what’s done is enough, tools such as Trello, Asana or Microsoft Planner were built for exactly that; they take minutes to set up, so use them.

If tasks come out of an order, a service request or a customer record; if finishing one requires a document or an approval; if the reason for a delay has to be written down, a handed-over task’s history has to be kept, and everyone should see only their own work, then patching all of that into an off-the-shelf tool eventually becomes harder than the work itself. In that case I turn the task list you keep in Excel or Google Sheets into task tracking software your team uses from phones and laptops.

## Where tracking work in a spreadsheet or in messages breaks down

- **Nobody owns the task.** It’s posted to a group, nobody says “I’ll take it”, or two people end up doing the same thing.
- **The due date is there, the reason for the delay isn’t.** The cell turns red, but you can’t see why the task is waiting or who it’s waiting on.
- **“Done” has no proof.** The box gets ticked, but was the quote actually sent, were the measurements actually taken?
- **A handed-over task loses its history.** When someone goes on leave, the person taking over doesn’t know what was agreed.
- **Everyone sees everything.** A list shared with a customer or subcontractor also shows internal notes and other customers’ work.

## A task’s journey in the software

1. **The task is opened.** A manager can open it, or it can come straight from a record: a new order, a service request, an incoming WhatsApp message.
2. **One owner is assigned.** Others can contribute, but the task has a single owner, and the due date is set for that person.
3. **If it’s waiting, the reason is recorded.** A task can’t be put on hold without a reason such as “waiting for measurements from the customer” or “materials in transit”.
4. **If the date changes, the previous date stays.** The new date, the reason and who changed it are added as a separate line.
5. **It closes with a result.** Depending on the type of task, a file, photo or approval is required; a “prepare quote” task can’t close until the quote PDF is attached.

## What goes into the software

- **My tasks.** When they log in, each person sees only their own tasks, sorted by due date.
- **A manager view.** Late, waiting and unowned tasks in one list, plus how much is on each person’s plate.
- **Tasks linked to records.** A task is linked to an order, customer or service request; one click opens the full context. Example: [technical service work order tracking](https://oguzerol.com/en/technical-service-work-order-tracking-app/).
- **Tasks from WhatsApp.** A task with a clear owner can be created from an incoming message: [WhatsApp message to task workflow](https://oguzerol.com/en/whatsapp-message-to-task-workflow/).
- **Visibility by role and person.** Staff, team leads, managers and external teams see different things. Example: [assigned records tracking portal](https://oguzerol.com/en/assigned-records-tracking-portal/).
- **Reminders.** A task whose due date is near or past is flagged to its owner and their manager.
- **Export to Excel.** Any list can be downloaded as an Excel file.

## Off-the-shelf tool or custom software?

|  | Off-the-shelf task tool (Trello, Asana, Planner, etc.) | Custom task tracking software |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Best at | Task lists, boards, small internal jobs | Work that comes from records and needs approval or a result |
| Setup | Minutes | Days to a few weeks for the first version |
| The record the task belongs to | Linked by hand or through an extra integration | Directly linked to orders, customers, service records |
| Closing rule | A ticked box | A required document, approval or result, by task type |
| Cost model | Usually a monthly fee per user | Build cost + server and upkeep; no per-user licence |
| Where the data lives | On the vendor’s servers | On your server |

## If you’re setting up a task tracking spreadsheet

If you’re not at the software stage yet, a tidy task tracking spreadsheet is possible. The columns I recommend:

- **Task no., Task, Requested by, Owner, Start, Due date, Status, Reason for waiting, Result / document, Completed on.**
- **One owner per task.** A cell that says “Ali, Anna” means nobody owns it.
- **Pick the status from a dropdown:** Data > Data Validation > List, with “Open, In progress, Waiting, Done”.
- **Highlight late tasks:** Conditional Formatting > Use a formula: `=AND($F2<TODAY(),$G2<>"Done")` (F is the due date, G the status).
- **Make a reason mandatory for waiting tasks:** a second rule turns a row yellow when “Waiting” is selected and the reason is empty: `=AND($G2="Waiting",$H2="")`.

That’s enough for a small team. If several people will use the sheet at the same time, see [how to share an Excel file with multiple users](https://oguzerol.com/en/share-excel-file-with-multiple-users/); if different people need different rights, see [where locking cells stops being enough](https://oguzerol.com/en/how-to-lock-cells-in-excel/).

## How we start

The starting point is the task list you use today, or the message group where work gets handed out. Where tasks come from, who gives work to whom, which tasks run late and why: I work these out from the list and a conversation with you. The first version is limited to “my tasks”, the manager list and the task card; we try it with a real day’s list, including a handover, a date change and a reopened task. Reminders, the WhatsApp link and external access are added once the first version is proving useful. The server setup and overall process: [turn Excel or Google Sheets into a multi-user web app](https://oguzerol.com/en/turn-your-excel-into-a-web-app/).

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Does every team member see the whole team’s tasks?

We can choose between shared visibility and access limited to a person or team. Which tasks are open to whom is set around how you work and enforced on the server, not just hidden on screen.

### Are overdue tasks marked as done automatically?

No. When the due date passes, the delay becomes visible; completion is a separate step. If a new date is set, the previous date and the reason for the change are kept.

### We use Trello or Asana. Do we have to stop?

No; if it works for you, keep using it. Custom software is worth considering for what you’re patching by hand in that tool: tasks tied to orders or customers, a document required at closing, visibility per person.

### Can a customer or subcontractor see the status of a task?

Yes; an external person sees only the tasks that concern them, without internal notes. If needed, their access can be limited to a set period.

### How is the work priced?

I work remotely and bill hourly. I send the scope and an estimate in writing after I’ve seen your task list.

## Discuss your workflow

Use the [contact page](https://oguzerol.com/en/contact/) to tell me briefly about the task list you use and the kind of work that causes the most trouble. Explore other examples of [custom web apps for your team](https://oguzerol.com/en/custom-web-apps-for-your-team/).

## Related services

- [Track Service Requests from Opening to Completion](https://oguzerol.com/en/technical-service-work-order-tracking-app/)
- [WhatsApp Message to Task Workflow](https://oguzerol.com/en/whatsapp-message-to-task-workflow/)
- [Assigned Records Tracking Portal](https://oguzerol.com/en/assigned-records-tracking-portal/)
- [Track Periodic Maintenance by Date, Asset and Owner](https://oguzerol.com/en/periodic-maintenance-tracking-app/)
- [Order Tracking Software for Small Business](https://oguzerol.com/en/order-preparation-delivery-tracking-app/)

[Back to top ↑](https://oguzerol.com/en/team-task-assignment-tracking-app/#icerik)

## You may also find these useful

[Custom Order Tracking Software: Stage, Owner and Delivery in One RecordIf you track orders in a spreadsheet or in messages, I build order software for your team that keeps stage, owner, missing items and delivery dates together.](https://oguzerol.com/en/order-preparation-delivery-tracking-app/)[Custom Inventory Tracking Software Your Whole Team UsesWhen off-the-shelf inventory software doesn't fit, I turn your stock sheet into a web app with warehouses, reserved stock and roles your team uses on phones.](https://oguzerol.com/en/inventory-tracking-system-setup/)[Turn WhatsApp Messages into Assigned TasksCapture WhatsApp requests as tasks with an owner, due date and source conversation. Build a reviewed workflow that avoids duplicate and ambiguous work.](https://oguzerol.com/en/whatsapp-message-to-task-workflow/)

[Browse all articles →](https://oguzerol.com/en/articles/)

WHAT YOU CAN ASK FOR

## How do I work?
Work-hour packages

Tell me about your business and what you need on WhatsApp or by phone; we agree on **a work block of somewhere between 5 and 40 hours** and I start doing what is needed. What you get is not a calendar window — it is net working hours spent directly on your business. I can use 40 hours working three days straight, or deliberately spread it out and finish it over a year — whatever the work calls for. I do not spend my time estimating how long something will take, I spend it doing the work; every hour I spend leaves a lasting result in your business. We keep going for as long as you find it useful.

WORK BLOCKS

## Why not monthly?
Is 40 hours a week?

On a fixed monthly fee both sides are watching the wrong thing: you watch a fixed cost, the other side watches how many more contracts like this they can line up. Working by the hour puts us both in front of the same thing — the real value of the work that got done. I know not having an upfront answer to "how much will this cost in total?" is the natural cost of this model. But instead of paying a fixed fee for months to a setup that is not producing results, you only pay for the qualified time spent on your work — and you see exactly where that time went, start to finish. That is why my clients keep coming back.

5hours300€ + VAT60€ per hour[Choose this block](https://wa.me/905496546489?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20info%20about%20the%205-hour%20work%20block.)

10hours500€ + VAT50€ per hour[Choose this block](https://wa.me/905496546489?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20info%20about%20the%2010-hour%20work%20block.)

20hours800€ + VAT40€ per hour[Choose this block](https://wa.me/905496546489?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20info%20about%20the%2020-hour%20work%20block.)

40hours1,400€ + VAT35€ per hour[Choose this block](https://wa.me/905496546489?text=Hi%2C%20I%27d%20like%20info%20about%20the%2040-hour%20work%20block.)