Custom Workflows: Making Project Management Fit Your Team

One Size Doesn't Fit All

Generic task management systems force everyone into the same workflow: To Do → In Progress → Done. But real teams don't work that way.

Design teams need review stages. Development teams track bugs differently than features. Marketing teams have approval processes. Everyone's workflow is unique.

Custom Task Statuses

The backbone of any workflow is status progression. TaskLemon lets you create custom statuses that match exactly how your team works.

Development team example:

• Backlog
• To Do
• In Progress
• Code Review
• Testing
• Ready for Deploy
• Deployed

Content team example:

• Ideas
• Outline
• First Draft
• Editing
• Final Review
• Scheduled
• Published

Different processes, different statuses. Your board should reflect your reality.

Custom Task Types

Not all tasks are created equal. Tracking a bug is different from building a feature or writing documentation.

Create task types that match your work:

• Feature
• Bug
• Documentation
• Research
• Design
• Infrastructure

Different types can have different workflows. A bug might skip the design phase, while a feature requires it.

Custom Priorities

Standard priorities work for most teams, but some need more granularity. Maybe you need "Urgent" between High and Critical. Or "Backlog" below Low for ideas you'll get to eventually.

TaskLemon's flexible system lets you define what priority levels make sense for your team.

Start Simple, Then Customize

When setting up a new project, start with default workflows. Use them for a week or two. Notice where the system doesn't match your process.

Then customize:

• Add statuses for stages that are missing
• Remove statuses nobody uses
• Rename statuses to match your terminology
• Create task types for common work categories

Workflows evolve. What works for a team of 3 might not work for a team of 10. Adjust as you grow.

Document Your Workflow

Once you customize your workflow, document it. Write down what each status means and when tasks should move between them.

This is especially important when onboarding new team members. Without clear definitions, people interpret statuses differently and chaos follows.

Real Team Examples

Agency workflow:
Proposal → Planning → Design → Client Review → Revisions → Development → Testing → Launch

Support team workflow:
New → Triaged → In Progress → Waiting for Customer → Resolved → Closed

Sales team workflow:
Lead → Qualified → Demo Scheduled → Proposal Sent → Negotiation → Won/Lost

Each team shaped TaskLemon to match their work. The software adapts instead of forcing everyone into the same mold.

Getting It Right

The best workflow is the one your team actually uses. If statuses are confusing or task types don't make sense, people ignore them and your system breaks down.

Involve your team in designing workflows. They'll tell you what's missing, what's unnecessary, and what names make sense.

Then build it in TaskLemon and watch productivity improve when tools finally match how work actually gets done.