I saw an interesting reddit post about how to get Autotask Project Tasks to show up in a tech’s Outlook Calendar. The Original Poster (OP) expressed frustration about not having a straightforward method to automatically add projects assigned to them to their Outlook Calendar. They mentioned their desire to use the Outlook plugin to synchronize their Autotask calendar with their Outlook calendar seamlessly.
There are a few ways to tackle this, which I go over below.
Using an Autotask Service Call
Assuming you have the Autotask Exchange Integration enabled (and you should), you can sync Outlook Calendar appointments to Autotask and Autotask Service Calls to your Outlook Calendar. Once this is working, you can create Service Calls to define “work time” on a Task. For smaller MSPs, this may seem burdensome, but in reality this is how almost all other service industries do it. If a plumber goes to your house, they are issued a “work order” with a set block of time to work. Larger MSPs however almost always use Service Calls to define “work blocks”.
(Side note: Rocketship fully automates the assignment and scheduling of Autotask Tickets and Tasks — no extra work by you is required.)
Manually Updating Your Calendar
Although it may seem time-consuming, manually adding assigned projects to the Autotask calendar can ensure that you have a comprehensive overview of your workload. Regularly review your assigned projects and add them to your calendar with relevant deadlines and milestones.
Using a 3rd Party Tool Like Zapier
Explore third-party tools that can bridge the gap between Autotask and your preferred calendar application. Some tools allow you to sync your Autotask calendar with popular platforms like Google Calendar or Outlook. By establishing this connection, any updates or additions made to your Autotask calendar will reflect automatically in your preferred calendar application.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while the Autotask platform may lack an inherent ability to automatically add assigned projects to the calendar, proactive measures can be taken to overcome this limitation. By implementing one or more of the suggested solutions, you can regain control over your project management process and maintain an organized workflow. Remember, technology is continually evolving, and user feedback plays a vital role in shaping future software enhancements.
