"Visualization of tasks" and "work preparation" for error-free site operation

Hello, this is Matsunaga from the operations team.
The operations team's work involves few routine daily tasks, and instead involves flexible work in response to changing daily requests.
Since multiple projects are being carried out at the same time, if you can't organize your tasks by project, you'll be pressed for time. This can result in more mistakes, which can lead to more revision work and a vicious cycle.
In this article, we will introduce the task management and information sharing that the operations team uses to keep projects moving smoothly.

There are many small tasks in operations

Site operation involves tasks such as adding pages and modifying existing pages as updates occur.
Specifically, there are many small tasks such as the following:

Each of the small tasks above can be completed in 5 to 10 minutes.

However, when making changes to an entire site, the number of pages that need to be addressed increases, so the work is done by a team rather than by one person.
Furthermore, working on multiple projects in parallel can make updates more complex.

A desk piled with correction instructions

It's quicker to do it yourself than to explain it!

Larger projects are handled by a team, but since each task is small, it may be quicker to do the work myself rather than explaining it to someone.
However, as the saying goes, every little bit counts, and when you take on too much work on your own, before you know it, the tasks pile up and you're likely to get stuck.

In the past, I would do the work myself, not wanting to take the time to explain things, but now, when I update a site, I first consider working with a team.

Explain things to team members efficiently.

There are three things I pay attention to when working in a team:

1. Shared Purpose
2. Creating a working site map (creating design and instructions)
3. Creating an issue management table
   

1. Shared Purpose

When you do operational work, there is a purpose.
For example, announcing a summer sale, promoting a new product, or promoting a campaign.
If you only look at the task, you can respond even if you don't understand the objective, but if you proceed with the work without understanding the objective, you may end up moving in a different direction than the customer.
If you are working alone and speaking directly to the customer, there will likely be little miscommunication, but when working in a team, it is important to share goals.

2. Create a working site map

When we receive a request to update the site, we identify all pages that need to be addressed and create a working site map that links the pages to instructions.
If the page only requires coding, then there will only be instructions, but if creating a new page, there will be a list of the locations of the wires and design files.

We also keep track of the locations of instructions and design files so that team members can look at the site map to see what work they need to do and when.

With this sitemap, you can help your team members get work done without having to tell them each page.

Example of a working site map

3. Creating a task management table

As we proceed with the update work, there may be additional or changed instructions from the customer.
In order to make added and changed tasks visible to team members, we have created an issue management sheet and compiled the tasks.
The task management sheet lists what needs to be done, by when, on which page, and so on.
If these tasks are not made visible, it could lead to mistakes such as overlooking addition or change tasks, and you would have to re-examine the instructions when checking.

Other members can also see at a glance what they need to do by looking at the issue management sheet, making handover of tasks smoother.

Add tasks and update the issue management table whenever progress is made

The issue management table is explained in detail in a previous article, "Web Director.docx."

summary

Although I wrote this as a tip for working in a team, you can do the same preparations when working alone. It takes time to prepare, but it helps organize the work and increases overall efficiency.
Because it involves so many steps, it's important to prepare thoroughly and visualize the tasks before starting.