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Forget remembering: Automate one-shot tasks with Process Talks

In the age of digital productivity, every little process we can automate is less of a burden on our mind and our time. At Process Talks, we have developed a tool that automates not only recurring tasks, but also tasks that will be performed only once at a specific time in the future – one-shot processes. But what exactly are they and how can they improve your day-to-day life?

What is a one-shot process?

A one-shot process is a sequence of automated actions that are designed to be executed only once at a specific time. The main characteristic that defines it is its time element, which marks the exact instant of activation of the process. This instant can be described in various ways, for example “Tuesday at 10am”, “In two hours”, “The day after tomorrow”, “The first day of next week” among others.

Once the activation time is set, these processes can incorporate a sequence of office actions: from sending an email or booking a meeting, to copying a file, sending a message in Slack or managing a file. The flexibility of these actions allows you to build customized flows for each specific situation, ensuring that the sequence of tasks to be executed will be completed at the precise moment, without the need for constant supervision.

Compared to recurring processes, which can generate successive executions, and do not necessarily have to be determined by a time of activation, a one-shot process has one associated execution in the life of the process. Graphically:

In short, one-shot processes are designed to be executed at a single point in time. Once a process has been executed, it will not be repeated unless the user reschedules it. Note that a recurring time description results in a recurring process: the description “every Tuesday at 10am” will result in weekly activations of the described process. So the difference between one-shot processes and recurring time-triggered processes is the type of time description used. In Process Talks you can do both types of processes.

The Use Case: When is it useful to schedule a one-shot process?

We’ve all been there: you realize you need to send an important file or message, or several actions in a row, but you can’t do it right away because the timing isn’t right. Maybe you’re in a meeting, or the file doesn’t need to be sent until a specific date and time. These types of situations are what can lead to stress and distraction, as our brain tries to remember and manage multiple pending tasks, affecting our ability to focus on what we’re doing at the present moment.

This is where one-shot processes come in especially handy. Instead of relying on mental reminders or having to interrupt your current work to do a menial task, you can schedule actions once, and then or whenever it suits you, delegate to Process Talks the responsibility of executing them at the right time. Whether it’s scheduling the sending of an email, the creation of a meeting, or even the copying of a file, it can all be handled automatically. Not only does this help you be more efficient, it also reduces cognitive load by eliminating the need to remember the task.

How do you deploy processes from an execution in Process Talks?

In Process Talks, automating a flow consists of three simple steps:

Describe → Connect → Deploy

To describe the flow to be automated, you simply have to communicate it to our tool in the text box provided for that purpose. The following figure shows this action for the text “in 2 days at 10am send a form to katrina@pt.com requesting travel expenses”:

Once we click on the “Create from description” button, the platform will propose a flow that implements what we have described. In this case, the flow it proposes is the following:

As you can see, it is a two-step flow. The first step (Step 1) is a time event that triggers the process two days after the current day, at 10am. Since I described the process on September 13th, Step 1 shows that the trigger will be on September 15th at 10am. Note that it only shows one execution, as it has been detected that a one-shot process is being described.

The second step contains a form proposal that fits the text described initially (a form requesting travel expenses). Generative AI is used here to propose the form (if you are interested in this intelligent form generation technology, it is available for free on our PeasyForms platform). You can see that the generated form contains the fields required to declare travel expenses, although you can add more if you want.

Once the one-shot process is deployed, it would look like this on the platform:

And at September 15th at 10am, the form will have been sent while waiting for Katrina to tell us the expenses of her trip, the information of which will be available on the platform:

The impact of this technology on people’s daily lives

Incorporating one-shot processes into your daily workflow has a positive impact on several key aspects of your digital productivity. First, it allows you to focus on higher-value tasks, knowing that timely actions will be completed without your intervention. This cognitive release is crucial, as it reduces the stress of having small to-dos floating around in your mind.

For example, instead of worrying about remembering to send an important file on Friday at 3pm, you can simply schedule the process in Process Talks and forget about it. Not only does this allow you to work in a more focused manner, but it also decreases the likelihood of making mistakes or forgetting things, as the process will be executed exactly when you need it.

In addition, this automation allows critical tasks to be executed on time, even if you are busy or out of reach of your device. The confidence of knowing that Process Talks will handle the task gives you peace of mind, allowing you to focus on what really matters.

At the end of the day, execution processes are a powerful tool for those looking to optimize their time and free their minds from petty logistical concerns. Process Talks takes care of the repetitive and punctual stuff, so you can focus on the tasks that really make a difference.

Get started now with Process Talks’ office automation platform.

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