Trello Review

One of the Best Task Management Solutions

One of the best task management solutions

Trello is a feature-rich, pleasant-to-use software for general task management in teams. The software’s functionality can be significantly extended with so-called “Power-Ups,” so that Trello can also be configured into a true project management tool. In this review, we have taken these extension options into account. In the basic variant, however, Trello remains a simple task management tool.

Pros and Cons

General Functionality

Operation

Trello is offered exclusively as Software as a Service (SaaS) in the vendor’s cloud. The vendor guarantees compliance with European data protection standards.

Projects and Project Types

In Trello, items are called “cards.” These are organized in lists, which in turn belong to a “board.” There are board templates, and with corresponding Power-Ups, cards can also be arranged hierarchically. However, there are no board types that would allow centrally configuring derived boards and their properties.

Items and Item Types

In task and project management, almost everything revolves around “items.” In Trello, items or cards belong to a list that can influence the behavior of corresponding items. Lists can be created freely, e.g., for “tasks,” “action items,” and “issue reports,” or sorted by other criteria.

Lists can have their own workflows and different attributes. For example, an action item optionally has a due date, while a task requires both a start and end date.

Item Hierarchies

Trello offers the ability to organize cards in a fully hierarchical manner via Power-Ups. The type of subordinate items can be restricted depending on the type of the parent item through so-called “Rules.” This can, for example, prevent an item of type “car” from being subordinated to an item of type “engine.”

Notifications

Trello has an extensive, configurable notification system. Email notifications are based on templates that can be customized. There is an @-mention function and a reminder function.

The notification system is, for example, capable of sending emails only to the manager of the affected item when the item was completed and has now been reopened.

Access Permissions

Custom roles with corresponding permissions can be defined.

Attributes

In Trello, customer-specific attributes can be configured via the web interface without programming.

An extensive selection of attribute types is available, such as labels, person selectors, or date fields. Additionally, the behavior of standard attributes can be meaningfully customized, e.g., the default value for a start or end date.

For example, you can create a selection list field that offers all users belonging to a specific group.

Different default settings for attributes can be configured for different projects.

Input Forms

Any number of input forms can be defined in Trello.

Input forms can be structured with tabs and panels.

A different input form can be assigned for creating a new item than for subsequent editing.

For the same item type, different input forms can be specified in different workspaces or projects.

Dependencies

In project management and task management, items are often related to each other. For example, a task cannot be started before another one is completed. Or an item cannot be closed before a dependent item has been completed.

In Trello, there is simple support for defining dependencies or links.

Custom link types can be added via plug-ins.

Dashboards

The system offers its users an overview page (cockpit, dashboard).

Each user has the ability to use pre-configured dashboards or assemble their own dashboard from an extensive list of dashboard tiles. Dashboards can be saved as templates and centrally assigned to users by system administrators. The following dashboard elements are available, among others:

• Average response time
• Average processing time
• Number of items in state X over time
• Activity stream
• Predefined filters

Reporting

In Trello, there are no report templates.

Reports can be created in Trello in Excel and PDF formats.

User Management

To manage users, Trello can be connected to an LDAP system. Users and groups can be synchronized with an LDAP server manually or automatically.

Multiple directory servers can also be connected.

Trello can be integrated with CAS and Shibboleth for true single sign-on.

The system supports two-factor authentication.

User Interface and Usability

The software offers a beautiful, well-organized, and modern-looking user interface. Regular users can get started relatively quickly even without training. Context-sensitive help provides support when something is not immediately obvious.

For configuration, you need to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts of Trello. Training material is available in the form of tutorials, videos, slide sets, and user manuals. Training sessions are also offered.

The user interface can be adapted to user requirements. For each user or user group, the available menu items can be individually configured.

Interfaces and Extensibility

Through an extensive REST interface, nearly all functions available in the user interface are also accessible in Trello. For example, users can be managed, projects created, modified, and deleted, or queries executed.

Task Management

Delegation

The software supports delegation of items including follow-up. The delegator maintains the relationship to the item, and the follow-up date is their personal one. The delegator has an overview of items they have delegated.

Substitute Function

In Trello, it is not possible to assign substitutes to users.

Recurring Tasks

Some tasks and appointments repeat cyclically, e.g., every first Monday of the month. Handling such item series can be very helpful and time-saving in task management.

Trello allows the creation of recurring items just as you would expect from good calendar applications.

Time Tracking

Trello allows tracking effort (time and cost) for each item and assigning them to accounts. Accounts can be grouped into cost centers and released for projects.

There is the option to use timers in the application to automatically log time spent. Reports provide an overview of who was occupied with which activities during any past time period.

Getting Things Done Method Support

The Getting Things Done method is a proven approach to personal work organization. It allows personal categorization of items such as personal follow-up dates or personal marking of items as favorites.

Trello does not directly support the GTD method.

RACI Matrix Support

For task management and project management, the RACI method defines four item-specific roles through which project stakeholders can be related to a task. Normally, roles are assigned for a project, not for an item. For example, there is a project manager or a Scrum Master for the entire project. RACI, on the other hand, allows roles to be assigned on a per-item basis (see https://en/task-management/raci-matrix.html).

Trello unfortunately does not offer the ability to model a RACI matrix.

Workflows

Workflows are typically represented in two forms in task management systems. The first method always refers to the workflow of an item that passes through various stages. The second method consists of defining sets of tasks and then working through them.

Trello supports the first variant without a graphical editor.

Project Management

Programs and Portfolios

In many organizations, projects run within the framework of programs, portfolios, or product areas. Here, groups of projects must be able to be consolidated to maintain an overview.

A basic prerequisite for program or portfolio management is the ability to group and hierarchically arrange projects.

Trello allows workspaces to be arranged hierarchically to any depth, thus supporting simple, pragmatic program and portfolio management.

Sub-Projects

Larger project initiatives with many items cannot be sufficiently structured solely through item hierarchies but must be split into sub-projects. Sub-projects may require different processes, e.g., for hardware and software development.

Multi-Project Reports

All queries and reports can span multiple projects and sub-projects, which can be freely defined through corresponding filters.

Work Breakdown Structure

Before a project plan can be created, the activities to be performed or the work products to be created must be structured. To represent such a product structure or Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), items must be able to be arranged hierarchically to any depth.

In Trello, WBS can be fully represented. The order of items can be freely defined at each level.

Interactive Gantt Chart

Gantt charts allow you to define and display the timeline of project activities as well as predecessor-successor relationships. Trello offers a simple, interactive Gantt component. It is not possible to display the critical path. There are also no project progress bars, and you cannot compare the current plan with a baseline plan.

Resource Planning

Resources of different types can be managed and assigned to items. There is a view in which resource utilization over time is displayed, making overload or underload immediately visible. Resources can be organized by project or department affiliation.

Employee Availability

Each employee has a personal calendar showing their availability. Availability is taken into account by the system during resource planning.

Project Progress

In Trello, it is possible to measure project progress through the ratio of completed tasks to total tasks. Additionally, for still open tasks, it is possible to specify the estimated remaining effort to completion.

This means Trello offers a rudimentary, low-effort form of progress monitoring, which is, however, insufficient for more demanding project management.

Agile Project Management

The software fully supports agile project management according to Scrum and Kanban. There are not only the corresponding views such as a taskboard or burn charts, but at the core of the system, all elements necessary for agile work such as epics, user stories, backlogs, and sprints are implemented.

Backlog priority, sprint capacity, and team velocity are supported by corresponding application logic. Tasks remaining from a previous sprint can be automatically carried over to the next sprint. Sprints can be created automatically in advance.

For software developers, there are integrations with source code management systems such as Git and Subversion, as well as with CI/CD servers such as GitLab and Jenkins.

Further Information

Read more about Issue Tracking in product lines or get an overview of ticket systems.