Instant Messaging & Sub Task Delegation in our HUGE new 2022/R3 release!

Aproove's latest release includes significant features that greatly expand your collaboration and task management capabilities!

Release 2022/R3 is significant! This release elevates Aproove to another level by incorporating a comprehensive "instant messaging" feature that can be used at task and sub-task levels.

Previously in Aproove, a task got sent along with some desired instructions; however, if the task receiver had questions or the task sender wanted to add more context, that would typically get done outside of Aproove.

"Instant messaging" gives you the capability to invoke a discussion and collaborate at a project and task level directly inside Aproove. All your collaboration gets stored centrally inside the project and tasks. You can also use the instant message area as a file drop zone, which adds any uploaded files into the project container.

You can @mention anyone (even guests who are not Aproove users), and with instant in-app or email chat notifications, you will be continuously in the loop!

The new "Sub-Task Delegation" feature dramatically enhances your workflow and task capabilities within the Aproove platform. Aproove already caters to both clients at both ends of the workflow spectrum, including those who have complex workflows and those who prefer a more flexible workflow capability. Sub-Task Delegation adds a whole new dimension!

Having listened to our customers, it became clear that you may only have a single "point person in some scenarios." For example, you may be a brand, and you need to involve a 3rd party agency in your workflow, or you may be an agency, and you need to invoke the end client into your workflow. You know that your contact outside of your organization has to go through specific steps, people, and/or departments to complete the task you are giving them. However, you have limited knowledge of that information and rely on your contact to do whatever is necessary to complete the required task so your workflow can continue to flow.

Sub Task Delegation is perfect in this scenario! now, your contact can receive the task/s you have sent and sub-delegate parts or all of that task to the necessary stakeholders to get the job done!

One task can become multiple sub-tasks assigned to many people; however, all you care about is the completion of the task you assigned. What's more, you can use sub-task delegation inside a fixed or manual workflow; the choice is yours!

But that is not all. We have also added significant new functionality to our Adobe InDesign plugin. Now you can see and view your individual and team "To-Do" lists directly inside the application, apply timesheets, and much more. 

See below for more details on our exiting 2022/R3 release. Out Now! 

Aproove "Instant Messaging"

How does it work?

Like most standard Instant Messaging systems, it is straightforward to use but a potent addition to the Aproove Work Management Platform. It may remove the requirement for other 3rd party messaging systems giving you a cost-saving, efficiency gain, and a complete audit trail. 

Video above shows;

• Type your message in the chat zone and hit send! 

• See other users responding in real-time

• @mention any users or guests to bring them into the discussion 

• Upload any supporting files with a simple drag and drop into the chat area (we will even build a preview of the uploaded file!)

Where can you see/use the Instant Messaging function?

The Instant Messaging function is available in several places throughout the Aproove platform. Access is permission-based. But we never just introduced the Instant Messaging functions inside the Aproove platform. We also made them available via the Adobe InDesign plugin! But this is just the start. Watch this space as we introduce more Instant Message interaction points soon! 

Video above shows;

• Chat available via the task notification; When you manually assign a task or send a task as part of an automated workflow, the recipient will receive the usual task notification via the to-do list, email, and/or the Adobe Plugins. The task contains the instructions; however, it also incorporates the chat function, allowing the task receiver to ask questions instantly or collaborate on their assigned task. (This is shown in the first video above)

• Chat available via the project dashboard; If you have permission to see the project, you can click on any of the tasks. Each task contains its own Instant Messaging area allowing you to read any messages, see any uploaded files, and message any stakeholders. 

• Not shown in the video;  The chat function is also available in the project plan, the Review Interface, and inside the Adobe InDesign Plugin. Please see the Adobe InDesign section below for further information and video. 

How do I get notified if someone sends me an Instant Message?

Chat notifications will appear in your dashboard in real-time!

Video above shows;

• A small preview of the message will show on the bottom right of your screen for a few seconds

• After a few seconds, the message preview will change into a red dot. The red dot will show the number of messages you have. When you click the red dot, a preview of the message/s will appear. Select the message you wish to respond to, and it will take you directly to the relevant chat window.

• From the chat window, you can click on the "Go To Project" link, and this will take you back to the project dashboard related to the message. This is useful if you need more context around the project before you respond to the chat.

• Not shown in the video; If you view your task list, any projects with chat updates will also have a small red dot next to the task in your task list. If you are not logged into Aproove, you can also request that any chat notifications are sent via email. All this functionality is also available via the Adobe Indesign plugin. 

Uploading files into the Instant Messaging area

The Instant Messaging area is also a fantastic way to send project-related files to other stakeholders. Perhaps you want to upload a project brief or an associated PDF, image, or video related to the project. No problem, drag your files into the chat area, and they will get automatically uploaded into the project!

• Drag and drop one or more files into the chat zone area

• Aproove will create a preview of the file in the chat window. If you click on the preview, it will display a larger preview, and if you uploaded a multi-page document, you can scroll through the pages). From the small preview, you can also download or delete the file. 

• Above the chat window, you can also open up the "files" menu. This displays a summary of all the files that have been uploaded in this discussion thread. It will also show the owner (uploader) file size and date of upload. From here, you can also download or delete the file. 

• Aproove automatically stores the uploaded file into the project itself when the file is uploaded. Click on the "files tab" and then select the "public" folder to locate the file. Inside the public folder will be a folder for each discussion thread and any files uploaded as part of that discussion. You can select the file and do multiple things such as share, convert too proof, rename and delete. 
  
  

Sub-Task Delegation;

Sometimes you need to send a task to an individual. However, that individual may need to invoke other users to help them accomplish that task. The task sender may not know the details or have the time to find out, so it makes sense to allow the person you tasked to add additional people themselves, which will create "Sub-tasks" under the main task you assigned! 

Sub-Task Delegation adds another dimension to the Aproove Platform and is a welcome feature, whether you prefer to progress projects manually or use a fixed workflow!

Video above shows;

• From the Task List, the user "preview's" the task and then enters the project proofs area

• The new "Assign Sub Task" capability allows you to select one or more proofs in the project view window and then share those proofs with other users. 

• You can also "Assign Sub Task" from within the Review Interface while directly viewing a proof.

• Once you assign Sub Tasks, you will see those sub-delegated tasks appear as extensions of the main task in your Task list.

Other changes to the Task Dashboard

Added "Tree-View" navigation in the Tasks dashboard

We also changed the Tasks dashboard to incorporate a "Tree View Navigation." This adds another dimension for users who wish to filter their "To-Do" items. Of course, users can use the in-built filters or custom filters to display tasks. Still, now you can navigate through the folder structure, and this will automatically filter the "to-do" list to only show tasks related to the part of the folder structure (and subfolders) to which you have navigated. 

Video above shows;

• User logs in and see's all tasks assigned to them.

• The user navigates through the folder structure, selecting different projects, and the task list changes to represent what tasks are outstanding for the project selected in the folder structure.

Other Task and Discussion dashboard improvements

• Users (with permission) can now edit tasks directly in the Task list

• We added new filters to highlight tasks that are done and no longer accessible vs. tasks where a user has made a decision, but the workflow step is still open, allowing them to re-enter the task.

• We can now display Project tags in the task columns

• We added a new filter allowing you to see tasks assigned to other users "Show all - assigned to others"
  
  

Adobe InDesign Extension (Major Enhancements);

Aproove launched its first version of the Adobe InDesign Extension in the previous release. Since then, we have been making good our promise to expand this potent production tool's use case and functionality even further! - see what we did below, and watch out for our dedicated Adobe Plugin Webinar planned soon!

• The Aproove "To-Do" and "Team To-Do" lists now appear directly inside the Adobe Extension. This allows your production team to receive automated or manual tasks (ad-hoc or part of a more extensive workflow) without ever needing to leave the Adobe Suite. They are also able to assign a team task to themselves directly. This is great for production teams where anyone available can pick up un-assigned tasks!

• We expanded the Instant Messaging feature described above to also work inside the Adobe InDesign Extension. Now your production team can use the Instant Messaging function to discuss any tasks or work assigned to them, thus keeping all your communication within the project!

• We added the ability to upload pdf's from the Aproove Extension directly back into an Aproove project (using Adobe's inbuilt export PDF option). 

• Another small but convenient feature allows your InDesign users to copy the content of a note to paste it back into the InDesign page. This can be especially useful for text corrections that were marked up in the Aproove Review Interface.

• We also added the Time Tracking feature into the Adobe Extension. This allows production staff to enter time tracking information when they finish a task. This is much more convenient, and it shows the timesheet exactly when needed. The timesheet is pre-populated with the amount of time, the task has been open, allowing the operator to submit or tweak the timings as appropriate.

Proof Review Interface;

Some enhancements to the Aproove Review Interface include the following;

• The new "Instant Share" capability allows you to select one or more proofs in the project view window and then share those proofs with other users (See sub-task delegation above). Users can also share specific proofs from within the review interface.

• You will also notice the new "Chat" Icon inside the Review Interface
  
  

Miscellaneous improvements;

• We added a new permission giving the ability to add or delete somebody else's tag at a project level

• We added a "task.update" service to the Aproove API