The importance of using checklists to build quality products/services
Checklists, or task lists, may seem like a basic and tedious procedure, but it is proven that they substantially improve workers' efficiency and minimize errors. On the other hand, they are a great way to describe who is responsible for each step of a project and the evolution of it.
We’re sure there is not one person that has never made a shopping list so that they do not forget what they need to buy at the supermarket. And probably there were times when you forgot the list at home and ended up forgetting one or two essential items. That is why making lists is so important in our lives and also on our work.
Next, we will describe the various checklist types and the advantages of using each one.
Personal Checklist
Doing a personal checklist is a good way to start being more organized. You can organize the checklist as you prefer: by placing the daily, weekly, monthly, etc. tasks. Remember that the checklist must have some level of adaptability. That is, at any time unexpected tasks can appear and be more urgent than the ones that you had previously included in your checklist. For example, preparing a meeting may have to move ahead of all the other tasks you had before, and there is no problem.
If you have a management position, you should encourage your employees to also use checklists as a work method.
Project Checklist
Each project must have its own list of tasks and can be adapted according to the type of project. The checklist will help ensure that no steps are forgotten and all tasks are performed before project completion. It should reinforce the importance of using the checklist with all stakeholders in the project, making them responsible for completing them.
Priority Checklists
Priority checklists turn out to be normal task lists but have the priority component much more present. As a matter of logic, the tasks that are at the top of the list are the most urgent and the last ones the least. This type of checklist promotes a greater sense of responsibility on all involved. Priority checklists are especially relevant for projects with strict deadlines, and may also indicate the deadline for completion of each project task.
Project checklists are crucial to identifying the resources needed to complete a project. They are also excellent resources for when we are bombarded with many tasks simultaneously. By keeping an organized list of tasks to complete and priorities to take into account, the workflow will be much easier to manage.
