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62 Chapter 2 Collaboration Information Systems

Figure 2-21
Sample Task List Using
Google Grid

specify tasks that need to be finished before a given task can be started. We will discuss such
task dependencies further in Chapter 12, when we discuss the management of systems de-
velopment projects.
For team members to utilize the task list effectively, they need to share it. In this question,
we will consider two options: sharing a task spreadsheet on Google Grid and using the task list
feature in Microsoft SharePoint. Google gmail and Calendar also have a task list feature, but as
of this writing, it is impossible to share it with others, so it is not useful for collaboration.
Sharing a Task List on Google Grid

Sharing a task list on Google Grid is simple. To do so, every team member needs to obtain a
Google account. Then one team member can create a team folder and share it with the rest of
the team, giving everyone edit permission on documents that it contains. One of the team mem-
bers then creates a task spreadsheet on that folder.
Figure 2-21 shows a sample task list containing the name of each task, the name of the per-
son to whom it is assigned, the date it is due, the task’s status, and remarks. Because every mem-
ber of the team has edit permission, everyone can contribute to this task list. Google Grid will
allow simultaneous edits. Because Grid tracks version history, it will be possible, if necessary, to
learn who made which changes to the task list.
Setting up such a list is easy, and having such a list greatly facilitates project management.
The key for success is to keep it current and to use it to hold team members accountable.

Sharing a Task List Using Microsoft SharePoint

SharePoint includes a built-in content type for managing task lists that provides robust and
powerful features. The standard task list can be readily modified to include user-customized
columns, and many different views can be constructed to show the list in different ways for dif-
ferent users. Like the rest of SharePoint, its task lists are industrial-strength.
Figure 2-22 shows a task list that we used for the production of this text. The last three col-
umns are built-in columns that SharePoint provides. The first column, named Book, is the book
for which the task was assigned. For example, Using stands for the book titled Using MIS. When
one of our team members opens this site, the view of the task list shown in Figure 2-23 is dis-
played. The tasks in this view are sorted by Due Date value and are filtered on the value of Task
Status so any task that has been completed is not shown. Hence, this is a to-do list. Another view
of this list, shown in Figure 2-24, includes only those tasks in which Status equals Completed.
That view is a “what we’ve done so far” list.
Alerts are one of the most useful features in SharePoint task lists. Using alerts, team mem-
bers can request SharePoint to send emails when certain events occur. Our team sets alerts so