Taskforce – Convert Emails to Tasks

In life, there’s a big difference between briefly telling a person about an upcoming event and specifically telling a person all the tasks that he or she needs to complete to prepare for said event. Taskforce is a web-application that operates with the idea that people will get more done in less time when their generic emails are converted into time-sensitive tasks.

If you use Gmail, then you’re already a step ahead of the game with Taskforce because you can download the browser add-on to put Taskforce right inside your Gmail inbox almost immediately. Taskforce will add additional “task” and “activity” buttons on top of your existing emails. Once these are in place, you can convert any email to a new task, or add it to an existing task if you’ve already created one, and set a deadline for when that task needs to be complete. As soon as you’ve converted the email to a task, you can archive the email and move on. It’s that simple. Click on the new task toolbar at the top of your inbox to see an overview of all the tasks you’ve set up so far, along with due dates, comments, and collaborators. When deadlines change or a task is delayed, just change the due date to move the task from the “Current” folder into the “Delayed” folder. Taskforce will automatically move the task back to the “Current” folder when the new deadline approaches.

The collaborators you select will receive emails from Taskforce notifying them that you’ve set up a task that needs to be completed. It’s worth noting that these collaborators don’t have to use Taskforce to take part in the action. Updates in the status of a task can be made directly through the comments on Taskforce, which cuts down on the number of back-and-forth emails that colleagues and business associates send over the course of a lengthy project.

Practical Uses:

• Convert emails from colleagues into specific tasks
• See an overview of all the tasks you need to accomplish before the end of the day
• Schedule tasks based on the date when they need to be complete
• Share task deadlines and information with colleagues for project collaboration

Insider Tips:

• Taskforce works for people using Gmail or Google Apps
• Users don’t have to sign into Gmail to add new tasks
• People with iPhones can make use of the Taskforce mobile site
• Collaborators who also use Taskforce will have joint tasks synced to their accounts

What we liked:

• Taskforce has a number of filters to help people sort through their inboxes
• Delayed tasks are automatically brought back to the “Current” list when their deadlines near
• Taskforce will insert certain messages into people’s feeds or lists automatically
• People don’t have to use Taskforce to collaborate on tasks

What we didn’t like:

• People who use Outlook or other email services can’t take advantage of Taskforce yet

Alternatives:

• FollowUp – http://www.followup.cc
• Google Tasks – http://mail.google.com/tasks

Company Info:

• Launched: 2011
• Privately Held
• Headquarters: San Francisco, California
• Founded by: Niccolo Pantucci and Courtland Allen
• Web site: http://www.taskforceapp.com

Costs:

• Free