David Anderson (Anderson Automotive)
We rely heavily on Protractor’s internal messaging between technicians and service advisors. While communication is strong, there is currently no built-in system to track action items that come out of those messages or any task required for day to day- .
A typical example:
Technician sends: “Need outer tie rod / approval required”
Service advisor replies: “K” to acknowledge
Advisor is busy (on phone, with another customer, etc.)
Task is unintentionally forgotten
This results in:
Delays in approvals
Technicians waiting on information
Reduced efficiency and lost time
Increased reliance on memory instead of process
This is not a communication issue — it is a task accountability and tracking issue.
We are requesting a built-in Task Manager module integrated directly into Protractor.
  1. Task Manager in Upper Ribbon
Dedicated “Task Manager” tab in the main interface
Visible and accessible at all times
  1. Smart Task Creation from Messaging
Within internal messaging:
When a technician sends a message (e.g., “Need outer tie rod”)
Service advisor replies “K”
Advisor can click a “Create Task” button directly inside the message thread
This should:
Auto-generate a task
Pull context from the message (RO#, job, note text)
Require minimal typing
  1. Shared Task Queue + Assignment Options
Task system should support:
Group task queue (any service advisor can grab)
OR individual assignment
This reflects real shop workflow where:
90% of tasks are not specific to one advisor
First available advisor should be able to take ownership
  1. Task Status & Workflow
Suggested statuses:
New (Unclaimed)
In Progress
Waiting (customer / parts)
Completed
  1. Timers & Escalation
This is critical:
Tasks should have time targets (e.g., 5 min, 15 min, 30 min)
If not addressed:
Visual alerts
Optional message reminders
Prevents tasks from being forgotten
  1. Visibility
Task Module visible to all advisors
Optional dashboard or screen view
Allows team to see:
What is waiting
What is delayed
What needs attention
Why This Matters
In a high-volume shop, the biggest inefficiencies are not technical—they are workflow-related.
Currently:
Tasks live in chat
Chat is not trackable
Memory is unreliable under pressure
With a Task Manager:
Nothing gets lost
Advisors are accountable
Technicians are not waiting
Workflow becomes structured and predictable
Summary
This feature would bridge the gap between communication and execution.
Protractor already excels at shop management and communication — adding a Task Manager would elevate it into a complete workflow management system.