Many Karbon users have skillfully employed a "placeholder user" as a workaround to manage work that wasn't yet ready for direct assignment, or to hold items during team member transitions. This method provided a temporary holding area, often combined with manual tracking and status updates.
Using First-In, First-Out (FIFO) Queues, a dedicated and automated functionality designed to manage and prioritize work items based on their entry. This feature provides a more streamlined approach that can significantly improve efficiency and visibility compared to the placeholder user method.
This article outlines the benefits of transitioning to FIFO Queues and guides you on how to adapt workflows that previously relied on a placeholder user to this enhanced Karbon feature.
The Evolution of Work Prioritization in Karbon
Historically, using a placeholder user involved:
Creating a dedicated "placeholder" user: This user was often named something like "1 - Placeholder User".
Assigning work to the placeholder: Work items would be assigned to this user when they were not yet ready for a specific individual.
Manual management: Firms would then use a combination of work statuses and manual checks to determine when work could be moved from the placeholder to an active assignee.
This workaround relied too heavily on manual processes and lacked inherent "first-in, first-out" prioritization.
Why Transition to Karbon's FIFO Queues?
FIFO Queues offer a more sophisticated and automated approach to managing unassigned or pending work, providing significant advantages:
True First-In, First-Out Prioritization: Work items in a FIFO Queue are automatically ordered by their entry time, ensuring that the oldest items are always at the top, ready to be picked up first.
Built-in Visibility: Dedicated "Queue" and "Queue Position" columns within the Work List provide immediate and clear insight into where work items stand in your prioritization.
Automated Workflow Integration: Queue automators can be built directly into your Work Templates, allowing work to automatically enter a designated Queue at specific points in your workflow (e.g., after a client request is completed).
Streamlined Work Assignment: Teams can easily view and "pick up" the next available work from the top of a Queue, simplifying assignment and reducing bottlenecks.
Reduced Manual Overhead: Automating the queueing process frees up time previously spent on manually managing placeholder assignments and status updates.
How to Transition to FIFO Queues
Transitioning from a placeholder user to FIFO Queues involves setting up the new Queue functionality and then moving any relevant existing work items.
For detailed instructions on setting up and configuring FIFO Queues, please refer to our comprehensive guide:
In summary, the transition process will involve:
Enabling Queues in Settings: Turn on the Queue feature and create the specific Queues that align with how you currently use your placeholder user (e.g., "Ready for Review Queue," "Incoming Tax Work Queue").
Updating Work Templates with Queue Automators: Modify your existing Work Templates to include automators that automatically add Work Items to your new Queues at the appropriate workflow stages, replacing the need to assign to a placeholder user.
Migrating Existing Work Items: Manually move any Work Items currently assigned to your placeholder user into the newly created FIFO Queues.
Adopting New Workflow Habits: Train your team to utilize the new Queue views in the Work List and My Week to pick up and manage work, ensuring a smooth transition to the FIFO method.