Automate your backlog tracking

Tired of backlog tracking turning into a chaotic scavenger hunt? Let’s put that madness to rest. 🎯 With these tools, you can automate your workflow and make your backlog tracking feel like a breeze—no drama, no fuss.

The mess of manual tracking

Still stuck in syncing boards hell or drowning in endless email threads? Plz,Stop. Here’s why manual status tracking is a sinking ship:

1. Data Silos: Updates are scattered, and nobody knows what’s going on.
2. Time Drain: Are you a robot, to make sure to sync data between systems? No? Don't waste more.
3. Human Error: Because "Oops, I forgot to update" is not a valid excuse.

Goodbye inefficiency. Hello automation.

Transformative automation tools

Say hello to these life-saving tools that make backlog tracking smoother than a fresh jar of peanut butter. 🥜 (Joking)

1. Trello + Butler automation

Trello is like the Swiss Army knife of Kanban boards, and Butler is the blade that cuts out the repetitive nonsense. ✂️

• Features:
  • Automatically move cards as deadlines near.
  • Ping your teammates about updates (no nagging needed).
  • Recurring tasks for stuff you always forget (weekly check-ins, anyone?).

Setup:

1. Go to Trello’s settings and activate Butler.
2. Use the rule builder—it’s drag-and-drop easy.
3. Define triggers, like "deadline approaching," and assign actions.
4. Run a test to see if it’s working like magic.
5. Share with your team and watch the system do the boring work for you.

2. Jira automation rules

Jira automation is like a project manager who works 24/7 and doesn’t ask for coffee breaks.

• Features:
  • Auto-assign tasks based on keywords (it’s psychic, almost).
  • Move backlog items seamlessly without lifting a finger.
  • Alert everyone without annoying all-hands emails.

Setup:

1. Go to the "Automation" section in your Jira settings.
2. Start with templates or flex your creativity with custom rules.
3. Set triggers, like "task moved to Done," and choose follow-up actions.
4. Test it on a sample task and tweak until perfect.
5. Kick back as Jira takes care of the details.

3. Notion + Zapier integration

Notion is like your brain on steroids, and Zapier connects it to everything else you use.

• Features:
  • Link Notion databases with apps like Google Sheets.
  • Auto-create tasks from forms or emails (bye manual entry).
  • Keep task statuses always up-to-date (even at 3 a.m.).

Setup:

1. Connect your Notion account to Zapier. It’s easier than it sounds.
2. Set an event, like "new email received," to trigger actions.
3. Define an action, like "add a task to Notion database."
4. Filter the data so it’s not a messy dump.
5. Test the integration, then let Zapier do its thing.

4. ClickUp’s built-in automation

ClickUp’s automations are the cheat code you didn’t know you needed.

• Features:
  • Automatically bump task priorities as deadlines loom.
  • Assign tasks to whoever’s free (no more "I didn’t know it was mine").
  • Push progress updates to Slack or email—no micromanaging required.

Setup:

1. Open the "Automations" tab in ClickUp.
2. Choose a template or build your own custom setup.
3. Define triggers, like "task created," and pair them with actions.
4. Add conditions to avoid chaos, like "only apply to urgent tasks."
5. Test it out, then watch ClickUp make you look like a genius.

What if, you will give up traditional approach?

What do you thing about generating statuses of tasks, from your team conversation?

Does it sound "hmmmm" enough? What if we don't need a separate source of truth to mirror our flow of work (chat messages)? What if we have enough information included in Slack or whatever communication app you use. We can presume status of every particular task using AI.

If you are interested, check our tool: asyncstatus.com.