The problem

Big Cookie HQ faced challenges in organizing and streamlining its operations, creating inefficiencies in task management, team collaboration, and project tracking.

Key issues included:

• Inefficient system architecture
• Poor tracking of overdue and priority tasks
• Limited database relationships for process tracking
• No centralized information system and lack of analytics dashboard
• Absence of personalized views for team members to focus on their assigned work

The Solution

A centralized dashboard was created featuring basic data analytics, a quick navigation section for easy database access, and convenient quick actions to add projects, tasks, or clients from anywhere in the workspace.

Structure of the System

All the master databases are stored under Navigation section,

which has been turned into a synced block and featured across different pages for quick navigation.

Quick Actions automation buttons allow to add a task, client, or project from any place in the teamspace.

The system is divided into two parts:

1. Project Management, including the following database hierarchy:
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2. Team Management , including the following database hierarchy:
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Team Management Overview

Team Members

The Team Members database tracks team availability, roles, and skills. It helps new team members quickly understand the organizational hierarchy and each person's responsibilities.

It includes an automation button that creates a personal dashboard for a new team member with a single click.

Personal Dashboards

Since team members preferred individual personal dashboards over a shared dashboard with "Me" filters, a new database was created with a dashboard template. Each dashboard displays linked views of tasks and projects along with the team member's profile.

Project Management Overview

Templates with linked database views

Linked views from lower-level relational databases were integrated into database templates using self-referential filters. This approach displays only relevant projects and tasks when viewing a specific client's page, and only related tasks when viewing a project page. The pages also include synced Navigation block and Quick Actions automation buttons.

Database Automations

Internal Automations

To save time on manual data entering, two automations were added:

→ Automated populating “Completed On” date property, the moment the tasks status has been changed to completed

→ Populating Client property, whenever a Project assigned to task already has been chosen and contains Client.

External Automations

The Notion workspace was connected to the company's Slack workspace to automate notifications between the two platforms. A total of 28 automations were implemented. Assignees receive Slack notifications in their respective channels whenever task or project deadlines, statuses, or priorities change.

Video Tutorials

Upon project completion, the client received two video tutorials

1. A 40-minute system walk-through video with tips and advice about Notion best practices
2. 5-minute tutorial on creating Notion pages from Slack conversations.

Conclusion

Identification of overdue tasks

The implementation of targeted database filters enabled clear identification of all overdue tasks and projects across the company.

Improved System Architecture & Interface

Linked database views with self-referential filters efficiently organized all information by category (client, project).

User-Friendly Interface

The synced navigation callout block and button automations streamlined page navigation and data entry.

Data Analytics

The enhanced system architecture enabled a comprehensive analytics dashboard displaying key metrics such as employee workload and project time allocation.

Progress Tracking

Improved database relations enabled project progress tracking through task completion rates.

Personalization

Personal dashboards with team member profiles created an individualized workspace experience, allowing users to focus on their assigned tasks without navigating through the company-wide task list.

Let's build my system!