![software data security](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Protection_des_donnees_1_909041edbc.png)

Data protection has become a major concern for organizations of all sizes, whether public or private. Faced with a steady increase in cyber-attacks and the risk of data leakage, it is imperative to adopt robust IT security strategies. The hosting of computer data and the software used in day-to-day business activities play a major role in the risks incurred. Careful selection can significantly reduce vulnerabilities and offer solid protection against these increasingly sophisticated threats.

## Hosting your data

The choice of a data hosting provider should not be based solely on performance, availability and scalability. Security and compliance aspects must be considered as a sine qua non, as well as aspects related to the hosting country.

1. **Security and compliance**: the hosting provider must offer robust security measures to protect your data against intrusion, loss and leakage. Look for recognized security certifications, and make sure the hosting provider meets the compliance standards specific to your industry.
    
    The *ISO/IEC 27001:2013* standard establishes a set of criteria designed to help entities secure their assets, including people, infrastructure and reputational information. The standard is applicable to any organization, regardless of its size, field of activity or sector, and represents the most universally recognized method for managing information security.
    
2. **Hosting location:** the country of the hosting provider is crucial for several reasons:

    - **GDPR and FADP legal compliance:** data protection laws vary from country to country. Hosting your data in a country with strict data protection standards can help ensure compliance with applicable regulations, such as **GDPR** in Europe or **FADP** in Switzerland.
    - **Data sovereignty:** some countries impose restrictions on the transfer of data beyond their borders, which may affect your ability to access or transfer your own data. This ensures that European countries are not dependent on non-European suppliers, who may be subject to conflicting foreign legislation (such as the US Cloud Act), which could compromise the security and confidentiality of European data.

In particular, you are advised to be vigilant with regard to countries that do not have strong data protection laws or are known for their extensive government surveillance:

- **Without strong data protection legislation**: countries without strict data protection laws or a clear regulatory framework may expose your data to confidentiality and security risks.
- **With extensive government surveillance:** some countries are known for their intrusive state surveillance, which could compromise the confidentiality and integrity of your data.

![ESigA and eIDAS e signature](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/EN_a199c8efc7.png)

### Hosting in the USA for a Swiss or European company: good or bad idea?

Hosting data in the USA presents specific challenges for Swiss and European companies, mainly due to the differences in data protection regulations between Europe (including Switzerland) and the USA.

**1. Different regulatory framework:** the US does not offer the same level of personal data protection as the GDPR in Europe or Swiss data protection laws. This can create complications for Swiss or European companies in terms of legal compliance.
**2. Surveillance laws:** the United States has laws that allow governments to access data stored on its territory as part of investigations. This includes laws such as the Patriot Act and the Cloud Act, which can compel cloud service providers to disclose data, including that belonging to foreign entities, to US government agencies.
**3. International data transfers:** for European and Swiss companies, transferring personal data to the USA requires ensuring that this data will benefit from an adequate level of protection. This may involve setting up standard contractual clauses, binding corporate rules or other legal mechanisms to ensure compliance with the GDPR.

## What role does the softwares you use play?

**Your server hosting may have been carefully selected, but what about the data available in the many software applications used by your staff?**

Today, the use of software is virtually indispensable to business development. Payroll management software, CRM for customer follow-up, marketing platforms for campaign management, task managers, instant messaging software, and so on. All these tools enable optimal management of business activities, as well as smooth and efficient collaboration. However, each of them stores personal and potentially sensitive information about the company's customers, users and collaborators, representing a security risk.

**This means that the softwares they use must be chosen with the utmost care to guarantee compliance.**

This means asking precise questions about how the software collects, processes and stores personal data. It's also important to check whether the supplier offers features that make it easy to manage users' rights, such as the right to be forgotten, data access and data portability.

### How to choose secure, GDPR- and FADP-compliant software.

**1. Give preference to transparent and cooperative suppliers**

Choose suppliers who are transparent about their data protection practices and willing to cooperate to ensure compliance. This can include providing detailed documentation on data security and compliance measures, as well as support in the event of an audit or inspection by data protection authorities.

**2. Ensuring data security**

Compliance doesn't stop at privacy; it also encompasses data security. Make sure that the software you choose offers solid security guarantees, such as encryption of data in transit, regular backups on a second server, and protection against unauthorized access. These days, for example, it's unimaginable to connect to a cloud service that doesn't use HTTPS (hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure) or offer 2FA (two-factor authentication).

**3. Choose software that hosts its data in Europe**

For the same reasons that you should choose to locate your servers in Switzerland or Europe, it's a good idea to choose software that follows this strategy. By hosting their data in the EU, companies can ensure that they comply with EU directives, thereby avoiding potential sanctions which can be particularly severe. They also avoid conflicts of data sovereignty and boost user confidence.

### The little extra: support for the Swiss and European technology sector

Choosing Europe as the location for data hosting offers significant economic advantages. Firstly, it stimulates the local economy by promoting the development of digital infrastructures and data centers, and creating jobs in the technology sector. Secondly, it encourages innovation by providing startups and enterprises with secure, regulated access to crucial data, facilitating the development of new technologies and services. In addition, the existence of a clear regulatory framework and the geographical proximity of data centers can improve the performance and responsiveness of online services.

**Now that you know everything, why not do a little audit of the software used by your company?**

- Are they hosted in Switzerland? In Europe? In the USA?
- Are their data centers ISO 27001 certified?
- Do they have independent audit certificates (e.g. SOC 2 Type II)?
- Do they use HTTPS protocol for Cloud software?

![SOC2 certification](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Soc2_Type_II_1_ec31b36a93.png)

Click [here](https://wedo.com/security) to find out more about WEDO's commitment to safety. 



The hosting of computer data and the software used in day-to-day business activities play a major role in the risks incurred. Careful selection can significantly reduce vulnerabilities and offer solid protection against these increasingly sophisticated threats.

Green-themed illustration featuring an open laptop displaying a large locked shield at its center, two suited figures standing on either side of the shield, and floating icons of a padlock, key, cloud, binary code and a user profile under the label “SECURITY”

large_security-data-security-en.png

medium_security-data-security-en.png

small_security-data-security-en.png

thumbnail_security-data-security-en.png

security-data-security-en.png

Data security and protection: how to keep control of your company's data?

![sécurité données de santé](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/H_Ealthsector_data_privacy1_b6226a7d74.png)

## What is Health Data Hosting (HDS) certification?

HDS certification is a mandatory French standard for companies storing or processing personal health data. Introduced to ensure that sensitive data is securely hosted, protected against unauthorized access, and managed in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements, HDS certification is much more than a simple legal obligation; it represents a guarantee of quality and security in the hosting of healthcare data. Responding to the major challenges of sensitive data protection, regulatory compliance and user confidence, HDS certification is essential in the era of digitization of healthcare services, to guarantee the security and confidentiality of healthcare data.

## Why is HDS certification essential?

### Protecting sensitive data

Health data includes sensitive information about a person's state of health, treatments and medical history. A breach of this data can have serious consequences for the privacy and dignity of individuals. HDS certification ensures that hosting providers implement rigorous security measures to protect this information.

### Regulatory compliance

In France, the legislative framework surrounding the protection of healthcare data is particularly strict. HDS certification, which complies with RGPD (General Data Protection Regulation) standards and French legislation, enables healthcare establishments to meet their legal obligations in terms of data protection.

### Trust of patients and healthcare professionals

Certification offers a guarantee that data is managed professionally and securely, boosting the confidence of patients, who are increasingly concerned about the protection of their personal data. Healthcare professionals can rely on reliable hosting services for the management of medical records.

![Hébergement des données de santé](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/HDS_b91b8bce98.png)

## Scope of application for HDS certification

### Field of application 1: Hosting of electronic medical records

A hospital chooses an HDS-certified provider to host its electronic medical records, thus ensuring the protection of patient data against cyber-attacks and data breaches, while guaranteeing fast and secure access to medical information by authorized personnel.

### Field of application 2: Mobile health monitoring application

A start-up develops a mobile application enabling users to track their health, set reminders to take medication, and share their health data with their doctor. By choosing an HDS-certified hosting provider, the start-up guarantees the protection of users' health data, and ensures that its application complies with current regulations.

### Field of application 3: Hosting of data transcribed into the various management software packages used by healthcare establishments

Like any business, healthcare establishments require the help of management software to ensure information and file sharing, collaboration between departments and staff, and administrative management, for example. Such software inevitably contains sensitive data, whether concerning patients or staff. It is therefore imperative that these programs host their data in an HDS-certified data center.

## WEDO: Secure administrative management software for healthcare establishments

WEDO is a secure cloud solution that enables healthcare professionals to collaborate easily. Thanks to its numerous data protection features and HDS-certified datacenter ([Exoscale](https://www.exoscale.com/compliance/hds/)), WEDO enables sensitive information to be processed, stored and communicated securely within its network. Here are just a few examples of how data can be processed using WEDO software:

**Processes and checklists**

WEDO's checklist templates unify internal processes:

- Checklists for welcoming residents
- Checklists for events
- Placement of residents in departments and cantons

**Rotating teams**

WEDO streamlines and centralizes communication between rotating teams:

- Task delegation
- Reading the activity feed to see what happened on the previous shift
- Important notifications during shift rotation
- Review of files

**Medical interviews**

WEDO keeps track of medical discussions and facilitates their retrieval:

- Bilateral interviews with patients
- Interviews with healthcare professionals
- Care meetings
- Any other sensitive meeting

**General administration and human resources**

Simple management for all the facility's professions:

- Unification of processes within the facility
- Comment system for tasks
- Easier transfer of knowledge and processes when changing employees within an administrative or care team.



Do you have questions about data security at your healthcare facility? Please [contact us](https://calendly.com/antoine-wedo/quickdemo-en).

Health data includes sensitive information about a person's state of health, treatments and medical history. HDS certification ensures that hosting providers implement rigorous security measures to protect this information.

Green illustration under the heading “Security” showing a large clipboard with checked checklist items, a test tube on the right, a big heart with an ECG line in the background, and three characters: one holding a shield labeled HDS above the clipboard, another standing to the left of the clipboard, and a doctor on the right holding a folder

large_security-HDS-en.png

medium_security-HDS-en.png

small_security-HDS-en.png

thumbnail_security-HDS-en.png

security-HDS-en.png

The importance of HDS certification in the healthcare sector

![software architecture project management](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/i_Stock_1508581187_d1d980cddf.jpg)

## Architecture: collaboration at the heart of success

In the world of architecture, effective collaboration between various project partners is the key to success. Architectural firms face several major challenges in terms of project management, collaboration and communication, mainly due to the complexity and multidisciplinary nature of their projects. 

**1. Coordination of the various parties involved:** Architectural projects involve many players, such as engineers, contractors, suppliers, and customers. Effective coordination between these parties is essential to meet deadlines and budgets.
**2. Change management:** Architectural projects are subject to constant change. Managing these changes effectively without disrupting the overall workflow or deadlines can be a real challenge.
**3. Communication and information sharing:** Clear communication and effective information sharing are crucial. Misunderstandings or delays in transmitting information can lead to costly errors.
**4. On time and on budget:** Projects often have to be completed to tight deadlines and with limited budgets. Efficient management of time and resources is therefore a constant challenge.
**5. Document management:** The quantity of documents generated (drawings, specifications, contracts, etc.) is considerable, and managing them can become a headache, especially to ensure they are up-to-date and accessible to all stakeholders.
**6. Managing customer expectations:** Understanding and meeting customer expectations, while managing technical and budgetary constraints, is essential to project success.

These challenges call for innovative solutions and adapted tools to facilitate project management, collaboration, and communication within architecture firms. The ability to overcome these obstacles determines the quality of the final work and customer satisfaction. 

## Case study: Sarch architects in Zürich

Faced with these challenges, the architectural firm [Sarch](https://www.s-arch.ch/) found WEDO the ideal solution for optimizing its project management. We immerse ourselves in the day-to-day work of Marc Schulz and his team, who use WEDO to manage the complex coordination inherent in the realization of architectural projects.

![Marc Schulz, Architect](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Architecture_en_9f63f6de9a.png)


### Why did you choose WEDO and what other solutions did you consider?

We chose WEDO because it's developed and hosted in Switzerland. Previously, we had considered other solutions such as Meetingbooster and iMeetingX, but in the end, WEDO's local solution convinced us.

### What challenges were you looking to overcome with the integration of WEDO?

The biggest challenge in our workflow was to have an overview of tasks in all meetings and to involve all participants. WEDO proved to be the solution for this, as it enables us to manage all tasks centrally and assign them to the relevant participants.

The features we like best about WEDO are the ability to import tasks from previous protocols and assign them to participants. We've even used the API and webhook to transfer tasks directly into our central CRM software.

### What major improvements have you seen in terms of processes, collaboration and productivity since integrating WEDO?

The use of WEDO has had a positive impact on the efficiency and productivity of our work processes, particularly for the rapid drafting of meeting minutes.

WEDO has improved our working methods by enabling better collaboration and encouraging participants to complete their tasks via the platform.

Although we have no concrete figures or metrics to demonstrate WEDO's impact, we mainly use the platform for file notes and meeting minutes. The PDF export function is particularly useful for participants who prefer to read the minutes offline.

Overall, we would recommend WEDO to other companies or professionals in our industry, as it offers an effective way of keeping track of tasks, outstanding issues and decisions in minutes.

### How do you interact with your partners in WEDO?

WEDO enables us to integrate our partners into our project monitoring and to interact directly with them. Companies and outsiders have reacted positively to WEDO, even if some were skeptical about web-based solutions. Collaboration is easy and centralized in one place.

![Swiss hosted software](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Architecture3_946d4abea3.png)


## How can WEDO improve architectural project management?

**Meeting management:** Prepare meetings as a team, take minutes in real time and track the tasks assigned to your colleagues.

**Task management:** Create workspaces for your projects, departments and teams, then share tasks with colleagues and partners.

**Recurring procedures:** Save templates for your proceedings then follow the progress of your checklists in real time.

**Project management:** Create project workspaces, organize meetings, assign tasks and share files with project members.


[Discover all WEDO features](https://wedo.com/features)

In the world of architecture, effective collaboration between various project partners is the key to success. Faced with these challenges, the architectural firm Sarch found WEDO the ideal solution for optimizing its project management. 

Testimonial from Marc Schulz, Certified Architect FH/STV and Evaluation Expert at GVZ, emphasizing that they chose WEDO because the software is developed in Switzerland and helps them

large_marc-schulz-en.png

medium_marc-schulz-en.png

small_marc-schulz-en.png

thumbnail_marc-schulz-en.png

marc-schulz-en.png

Architectural firms: the challenge of multidisciplinary projects

To mark International Women's Day on March 8, we'd like to shine the spotlight on an inspirational figure in our company: web developer Michèle. Joining the team as an intern, Michèle quickly distinguished herself through her talent and passion, becoming a key member of our development team - a field often dominated by men. On this special day, we'd like to find out more about her unique career path and her experiences as a woman in the technology sector.

![Michèle Reymond's introduction](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Michele_Reymond_intro_ed5812ed90.png)

## Personal and professional background :

### Michèle, could you tell us a little about your background before joining WEDO?

I studied visual communication at the Bern University of the Arts, where I graduated with a Bachelor's degree in 2016. I then started my professional life as a graphic designer at an agency in Fribourg. Although this was a really fun and formative experience, I soon realized that printing wasn't my cup of tea. So I naturally headed for a digital communications agency where I had the chance to explore different areas that interested me, such as motion design, website creation, video and so on. The desire to train properly in the field of programming grew and so I enrolled in the [Formation du Wagon](https://www.lewagon.com/fr) in 2020 and then in the [École 42](https://42lausanne.ch/) in Lausanne in 2021. After two years of intense training in this new kind of school, I have successfully completed the core curriculum. To validate this first part of our training, we have to do an internship with a company, and it was on this occasion that I landed at WEDO.

### What were your first steps in web development?

To answer this question, we need to go back to the 90s. Back then, every teenager worth his salt had a little space for online expression: a skyblog. While I'm no exception to the rule, I found this platform far too limited, so at the tender age of 13, I took tutorials to learn how to create my own website using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. At the time, I was already drawing a lot and I was beginning to take an interest in all the creative tools available (photo and video editing, digital painting, etc.).

For me, the web simply became a new way of creating, and above all a way of sharing my creations in a space that suited me, rather than using a ready-made platform.

### What motivated you to embark on an IT career?

It's a mixture of several things. First of all, as I enjoyed maths and IT at compulsory school, I always wondered what would have happened if I'd chosen to study IT instead of art school. I wanted to know if I could do it. Secondly, I think I have a great need to understand how things work. Creating designs for websites and collaborating with developers when I was a graphic designer made me want to understand what they were doing. And finally, doing this training was a good way for me to get involved in women's issues. I'd like to encourage women and all other gender minorities to take an interest in IT, because I'm convinced that this field is in great need of diversity.

## Experiences as a woman in the technology sector:

### In your computer school as well as in your previous posts, have you often been the only (or almost the only) woman?

I went from a predominantly female field to a predominantly male one. In art school, the classes were mostly represented by women. In the graphic design profession, I'd say the gender balance is pretty even. In IT school, on the other hand, the overwhelming majority of students are men. École 42 has a slightly higher percentage of women than traditional engineering schools (19%).

### Have you encountered any specific challenges in this male-dominated field? Or, on the contrary, opportunities?

I think there are challenges above all, and that even the few "advantages" we may have as women, represent challenges. It's a fairly benevolent environment, and everyone wants a better gender balance. Of course, there are difficulties that everyone encounters when embarking on IT studies. But being a woman in a male-dominated field, when you're in the process of retraining and haven't been immersed in an IT culture, is a permanent and invisible battle against yourself. One of the main obstacles is the lack of role models. There are few women around us to whom we can look for inspiration, and we end up wondering whether we can do it (hello imposter syndrome). Few women grew up in an environment where they were encouraged to take an interest in IT. This creates a gap with those who have been immersed in it since childhood. Even if this is a gender-independent problem, I think that everything around us (films, TV series, people around us, etc.) gives us the impression that a woman will struggle in front of her computer and will have to ask for help from a man who knows all about IT. This leads to two problematic phenomena when it comes to training: 1. women don't dare ask for help to avoid participating in this cliché, and 2. men are more likely to ask women if they need help (hello savior syndrome).

### Do you think this disparity in gender representation is problematic?

It's a theme I've come across frequently, and one that annoys me. "You're a woman, so you'll find it easier to get a job than me with quotas" or "She passed the school entrance exam just so there would be enough women in the statistics". First of all, no, it's not easier to pass the 42 entrance exam as a woman. But it's a question that has long made me doubt my abilities. And then for the question of quotas, it's a rather problematic principle, because companies that are absolutely determined to fill quotas for women will hire profiles to the detriment of skills, and this reinforces the idea that women are less capable of doing IT. I think the only real "advantage" of being a woman in tech is that most people support us. People in the industry are happy for you to take an interest. I really felt supported throughout my career.

![a woman coding on her computer](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/illustration_women_code_FR_39bd19ba74.png)

## Motivations and aspirations :

### Where do you see your career in the future? Do you have any specific goals or aspirations?

That's a difficult question to answer at the moment. My main goal was to see if I could study IT, and now that I've done that, I'm not quite sure what the next step is. Over the last few years, I've prioritized my studies and put my artistic side to one side. I'm now realizing that I've missed out on it, so I'd like to find the right balance between the technical and the creative.

## Perspectives on Programming and Technology :

### What aspects of programming are you most passionate about?

I'm most interested in programming that gives a visual result. For example, the 42 project I was most passionate about was the one where we had to do raytracing, a program that calculates a 3D rendering. For each pixel in the image, you have to calculate whether there's an object, what color it is, whether there's a shadow, whether it's a mirror or transparent, and so on. For weeks on end, I was glued to my computer, feeling unstoppable. During my internship, I also noticed that if I can intervene in the visual aspects of WEDO, I do so with greater ease. My empathy enters into the process, asking myself how I can make the application more enjoyable for the user.

### How do you see your role evolving in the ever-changing world of technology?

Indeed, technology is moving fast, and for me, it's important for women to be part of this evolution. We can't afford to miss out on these tools that are shaping the world. We need to be part of their development, to make them our own. AIs have barely arrived when they already have gender biases, because they are fed by data that deepens inequalities : “garbage in, garbage out”. I don't have a precise vision of how my role in all this will evolve, but I'd simply like to continue to be interested, and if I can motivate other women to take an interest, that's great!

## Advice and inspiration :

### What advice would you give to other women aspiring to enter the tech sector?

Go for it! You can do it, and you absolutely belong! There's no risk in taking the plunge, even if you've never had a passion for computers, if video games aren't your hobby, if you've never taken a computer apart, and so on. The tech world is vast, and you're bound to find something that piques your interest. If it's programming that particularly appeals to you, there are a multitude of languages and tools at your disposal. Faced with this abundance, it's normal to feel a little overwhelmed and undecided about where to start. My advice would be to select a programming language, whatever it may be, as a starting point to help you determine whether programming really is your passion.

### 

### Are there any female figures in technology who inspire you or have influenced you?

Of course there are! People think that IT has always been a male domain and that women haven't been interested in it, but that's not true. In fact, it's a field that's become more masculine, but it was basically 50/50. In fact, the first person to create a program was a woman: Ada Lovelace. After all, she invented the While loop! While the first computers were built by men, it was women who created the first software to run them. Then there's Hedy Lamarr, an actress who decided to help the war effort by inventing a missile guidance system, which was the basis for the invention of Wifi and GPS. Reading his biography really inspired (and annoyed) me. For a more contemporary example, I'd like to mention Isabelle Collet, a computer scientist whose conference on the influence of gender in IT I found very instructive and inspiring. Otherwise, in my close circle, the only woman I knew when I was younger who works in IT is a friend's mother, and I've always admired her for that. I think that now, all the women I know personally from near and far who are in tech, inspire me. Finally, I'm particularly saddened that in films, series, books, etc., there are so few female figures in technology. The most iconic character that inspired me was Abby from NCIS.

## Thoughts on diversity and inclusion:

### Why do you think it's important to have more diversity, especially gender diversity, in technology?

Last year, I read in the newspaper that they had, for the first time, done car crash tests with a female dummy. So about 120 years after its invention, we thought it would be nice to see if a female body reacted differently to a car crash than a male body, and therefore understand how to better protect it in the event of an accident. Apple's health app has long had no functionality linked to menstruation, even though this is an extremely important factor in women's health. For me, these examples are good reasons why diversity is absolutely essential in the teams that create these tools. Without diversity, we run the risk of creating tools that are not suitable for everyone. Diversity encourages us to think differently and be more creative. For example, we are fortunate at WEDO to have a color-blind person on the development team. This enables us to make practical and inclusive decisions when it comes to choosing colors for the interface.

![testimonial from Michèle Reymond](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Michele_EN_488847ceb8.png)



To mark International Women's Day on March 8, we'd like to shine the spotlight on an inspirational figure in our company: web developer Michèle.

Testimonial from Michèle Reymond, Full Stack Developer at WEDO, stating that being a woman in the midst of a career change is a constant and invisible struggle against oneself

large_michele-reymond-en.png

medium_michele-reymond-en.png

small_michele-reymond-en.png

thumbnail_michele-reymond-en.png

michele-reymond-en.png

Women in IT - In the mind of Michèle Reymond

In today's professional world, meetings are inevitable. In particular, they are essential for planning, decision-making and monitoring projects. According to a recent WEDO survey, the biggest challenge for many professionals is **the follow-up on post-meeting actions.**

This article aims to provide you with practical advice on how to overcome this challenge and maximise the effectiveness of post-meeting follow-up.

Here are 6 concrete actions that you can apply to your follow-up:
1. **Clear assignment of tasks**: during the meeting, clearly assign responsibilities. Each action should be assigned to a specific person with a clear date. At the end of the meeting, recheck the tasks assigned and complete them if necessary.
2. **Use meeting/project management tools**: integrate tools such as WEDO to track the progress of tasks from one meeting to the next. These platforms provide a clear view of the actions to be taken and their progress.
3. **Meeting summaries**: send a meeting summary to all participants, including a list of actions to be taken, who is responsible for each task and the related deadlines.
4. **Plan follow-up points**: schedule follow-up meetings to review progress. At the start of these meetings, review any outstanding tasks. These regular updates help to maintain momentum and adjust plans if necessary.
5. **Open communication**: encourage regular communication between teams. This helps to resolve issues quickly and share updates on ongoing tasks.
6. **Recognition and feedback**: value successes and give feedback on completed actions. This strengthens the team's motivation and commitment.

For these strategies to be effective, it is essential to establish a culture of responsibility and transparency within your team. Encouraging each member to take ownership of their tasks and to communicate openly about progress contributes greatly to the overall effectiveness of monitoring. Similarly, it's important to remain flexible and adapt to changing circumstances, while keeping an eye on the final objectives. By implementing these practices, you will not only see an improvement in the follow-up of actions, but also a strengthening of the cohesion and dynamics of your team.

Post-meeting action tracking doesn't have to be a source of stress. By adopting these strategies, you can turn this challenge into an opportunity to improve the productivity and effectiveness of your meetings and your team.

In the professional environment, meetings play a key role in planning and decision-making. However, the follow-up of post-meeting actions represents a major obstacle for many people. Faced with this challenge, this article proposes concrete strategies for improving the effectiveness of follow-up.

This image outlines 6 practical steps for effective meeting follow-up, illustrated with a progress flow and check mark on a blue background

large_16-6-concrete-actions-to-keep-track-of-your-meetings.png

medium_16-6-concrete-actions-to-keep-track-of-your-meetings.png

small_16-6-concrete-actions-to-keep-track-of-your-meetings.png

thumbnail_16-6-concrete-actions-to-keep-track-of-your-meetings.png

16-6-concrete-actions-to-keep-track-of-your-meetings.png

Follow-up on post-meeting actions

In the fast-paced world of administrative management, executive assistants play a crucial role. The Swiss army knives of any organization juggle many tasks and deadlines while supervising those of others. Faced with these challenges, they often find themselves overwhelmed by routine, repetitive responsibilities. We immersed ourselves in the daily lives of 6 executive assistants who use the WEDO platform to understand the workings of their organization, the challenges they face, and the tools they have put in place to facilitate their management.

According to our study, the most time-consuming tasks for executive assistants revolve mainly around administrative functions. These activities, while necessary, tend to monopolize a significant proportion of their working time, preventing them from concentrating fully on more crucial aspects of their role, such as operational and strategic development.

Among the most time-consuming tasks in their job descriptions, the executive assistants surveyed identify the following:

**1. Meeting preparation:** preparing agendas and presentation documents, taking and sharing minutes, following up on decisions and tasks delegated at meetings,

**2. Diary management and meeting organization:** planning and coordination of appointments, team meetings, and conferences, taking care to avoid scheduling conflicts,
**3. Document preparation and management:** drafting, proofreading, and organizing important documents such as reports, presentations, correspondence and contracts,

**4. Project coordination:** managing and following up on specific projects, liaising between different departments, and meeting deadlines.

Internal and external communications, administrative support, and human resources management closely follow those.

## How to lighten the administrative load for an executive assistant?

When asked what tools were used to monitor collaboration before WEDO was integrated, the most common programs were Outlook, Word (for taking minutes), and Excel. However, these tools had significant limitations. Respondents reported difficulties related to the cross-functionality of information between different team members. For example, these tools were not conducive to **active, real-time collaboration when taking PVs**, making this task often cumbersome and time-consuming, and necessitating numerous round-trips. The systematic use of e-mail to distribute these documents wasted considerable time without guaranteeing effective communication.

Furthermore, the limited nature of these tools prevented efficient tracking of tasks and projects. Users faced significant challenges maintaining a clear, up-to-date overview of projects. In short, although these tools are widespread and familiar, their use in team collaboration and project management needs to be improved.

This situation underlines the importance of cross-functional tools and solutions to lighten the administrative workload. With the implementation of WEDO, the executive assistants surveyed were able to optimize their administrative processes.

### 1. Meeting preparation and management

![computerized agenda for real-time note-taking](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/reunion_ENEN_aad2ef7f0e.png)

One of the most time-consuming aspects of the job is the preparation of meetings. With WEDO, executive assistants benefit from automated management and considerable time savings in preparation and follow-up. The platform enables uniform management of minutes, clear distribution of post-meeting tasks, and automatic tracking of topics from one session to the next. Users report an average time saving of 55% for these tasks.

![save time spent on meetings](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/55_ENEN_83c8604c19.png)

WEDO's meeting module lets you integrate blocks of paragraphs, tasks, file attachments, personal notes, votes and signatures, among others.

![testimonial Regula Oberdorfer](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Regula_Oberdorfer_ENEN_1a54d3c30f.png)

### 2. Project management and task tracking

![efficient task management](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/tasks_ENEN_be99588a59.png)

Project management and tracking represent another major challenge. WEDO simplifies this task by offering clear delegation possibilities, the creation of checklist templates to standardize processes, and real-time task tracking. This leads to better prioritization and more efficient day-to-day management.

![testimonials Aline Volery and Nicole Thalmann](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/testimonials_Aline_et_Nicole_ENEN_11a8dc6cff.png)

### Use case: facilitating HR processes and the transmission of specifications

When executive assistants are involved in HR processes, the integration of WEDO proves to be a major asset. The platform makes it possible to standardize on-boarding and off-boarding procedures by means of specific checklists. These checklists, drawn up for each stage of the process, automatically assign the relevant tasks to the team members concerned. This method ensures structured, efficient management of personnel transitions, eliminating the operational uncertainties often associated with the question "What steps should I take?".

By simplifying these processes, WEDO not only eases the workload for HR managers, but also contributes to a clear, documented handover of tasks and knowledge from one employee to the next.

![simplified hr processes](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Modeles_checklists_ENEN_fdf58af70f.png)

One of the decisive advantages of WEDO, highlighted by our management assistants, is the ease with which recruitment interviews can be documented in real time. Each exchange can be recorded directly in a standardized (and customized if required) agenda, enabling these interactions to be saved methodically and instantaneously.

### 4. Transmission of information

WEDO lets you link documents to tasks or meetings, ensuring that all the necessary information is in the right place. Global search makes it easy to retrieve documents, and to find a specific file based on a keyword found in the PDF file.

In terms of communication, WEDO users particularly appreciate the immediate visibility of entries and the ability to restrict access to certain information.

![Alexandra Locher](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Alexandra_locher_ENEN_e53527e95c.png)

**We asked our users to rate the platform on a scale of 1 to 10, to qualify the positive impact WEDO has on their daily tasks.**

![Best collaborative software for executive assistant productivity and organizations](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/preparation_reunion_note_ENEN_1_d92c7629a1.png)

![Alicia Aubert](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Alicia_Aubert_ENEN_5d3644b8f7.png)

Executive assistants can greatly ease their workload by equipping themselves with a collaborative platform. Do you have any questions or doubts about WEDO's compatibility with your needs? We'll be happy to give you a short 30-minute demonstration.

::button-primary[Try WEDO for free]{link="/signup"}

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}

In the fast-paced world of administrative management, executive assistants play a crucial role. The Swiss army knives of any organization juggle many tasks and deadlines while supervising those of others

An executive assistant speaking on the phone with colleagues blurred in the background, overlaid with the text “How to make an executive assistant’s daily life easier” and “Use case”

large_1-making-daily-life-easier-for-executive-assistants.png

medium_1-making-daily-life-easier-for-executive-assistants.png

small_1-making-daily-life-easier-for-executive-assistants.png

thumbnail_1-making-daily-life-easier-for-executive-assistants.png

1-making-daily-life-easier-for-executive-assistants.png

Making daily life easier for executive assistants

Held once a month, quarter, or half-year, as required, these privileged meetings provide a confidential and open communication space, encouraging in-depth discussion of individual and collective objectives. They create a valuable opportunity to discuss each employee's specific challenges and needs, fostering better mutual understanding. Moreover, these meetings provide a framework for recognizing individual achievements and contributions, reinforcing a sense of accomplishment and belonging to the team. Thanks to these personalized exchanges, bilateral meetings contribute to more effective personnel management, more focused professional growth, and solid, fulfilling working relationships.

## Key topics for a bilateral meeting

During a bilateral meeting between a team leader and an employee, several key topics must be addressed to ensure effective communication and optimal management. Here are some of these topics:

### 1. Ongoing assessment
Discuss objectives for the current period and assess progress and results achieved. Identify successes and areas requiring further attention.

### 2. Professional Development
Explore opportunities for employee development, training, and professional growth. Identify skills to be strengthened and possible progression paths.

### 3. Feedback
Exchange constructive feedback on work performed, highlighting strengths and addressing areas for improvement. Encourage open dialogue to stimulate continuous learning.

### 4. Needs and Challenges
Allow employees to express their needs regarding resources, assistance, or support to accomplish their tasks. Discuss possible obstacles and find solutions together.

### 5. Work-Life Balance
Address workload-related issues, stress levels, and work-life balance. Identify measures to support employee well-being.

### 6. Projects and Initiatives
Discuss future projects, new initiatives, and potential employee contributions. Encourage active participation and creativity.

### 7. Management feedback
Offer employees the opportunity to share their feelings about management, work methods, and team communication. Foster an environment of trust and continuous improvement.

### 8. Focus on Vision
Ensure that the employee understands and adheres to the team or company's overall vision, values, and goals.

### 9. Resources and Support
Identify the resources required for the associate's success and ensure that he/she has the proper support to carry out his/her tasks.

### 10. Long-Term Planning
Examine longer-term perspectives and discuss the employee's career aspirations and how these align with team or organizational goals.

_"Enabling discussions in bilateral meetings, in a more intimate way and with a long-term vision, brings a notable benefit to the employee's career in the company. It makes them feel valued, heard and recognized above all. Setting clear, long-term objectives is a real motivator for them."_

**Marie Rudaz-Jaeggi**, *[AmbitionSuccess.ch](http://ambitionsuccess.ch/)* - MORGES

Team leaders and employees can establish fruitful collaboration, foster professional development, and maintain a positive working climate by addressing these topics regularly and in-depth at bilateral meetings.

## Use WEDO to keep track of your bilateral meetings!

![1_1 ENFR.png](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/1_1_ENFR_78b8a89537.png)

With WEDO, you can prepare your agenda jointly with your manager or colleague. In this way, each participant can prepare the questions or topics to be addressed.

Generally speaking, the agenda items for a bilateral meeting are recurrent. WEDO enables you to set the topics so that they recur from one time to the next to ensure that discussions are followed up and that objectives evolve.

Once completed, the minutes are locked and remain available to both participants for consultation.

::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}

During a bilateral meeting between a team leader and an employee, several key topics must be addressed to ensure effective communication and optimal management.

A smiling person listening to their counterpart in a one-on-one meeting, overlaid with the text “Topics for a one-on-one meeting” and “Use case”

large_2-topics-for-bilateral-meetings.png

medium_2-topics-for-bilateral-meetings.png

small_2-topics-for-bilateral-meetings.png

thumbnail_2-topics-for-bilateral-meetings.png

2-topics-for-bilateral-meetings.png

Topics for bilateral meetings

![5 employees taking part in a motivating and engaging meeting](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/i_Stock_1443245160_40bc218d99.jpg)

In today's business landscape, meetings have become a cornerstone of how we work together. However, they can often seem monotonous and unproductive. They present a double challenge: on the one hand, keeping participants motivated and engaged, and on the other, ensuring that these exchanges are productive. As we struggle to navigate overloaded agendas and ambitious goals, how can we transform these meetings, often perceived as a constraint, into fruitful opportunities for collaboration and innovation?

This article examines how meeting leaders can create spaces where engagement, motivation, and productivity blend naturally. From agenda setting to post-meeting management, every aspect plays a crucial role in meeting success.

## How to boost motivation during a meeting?

### 1. Clarify the purpose and importance of the meeting
Make sure each participant understands why the meeting is important, and how it contributes to the overall objectives of the team or company. Try to link the meeting's objectives to the participants' personal or professional goals, showing them the direct benefit of their active participation.

### 2. Involve participants
Before the meeting, ask participants to contribute to the agenda. This gives them a sense of ownership and reinforces their interest. Actively encourage participation and show appreciation for everyone's ideas and opinions. Recognizing everyone's input increases motivation and commitment. Assigning specific roles (such as facilitator, topic leader, note-taker, moderator) can help participants feel involved and responsible for the success of the meeting.

### 3. Use interactive techniques
Incorporate interactive activities such as brainstorming or small-group workshops to energize the meeting and stimulate commitment. Round-table discussions are an easy way to encourage exchange.

### 4. Establish a comfortable, positive meeting environment
A welcoming space and a positive atmosphere can greatly influence participants' attitudes.

### 5. Ensure good time management
Setting a time limit for each item on the agenda and for each speaker ensures that the meeting remains dynamic and that all important topics are addressed without dragging on. Respecting participants' time shows that you value their contribution and their time.

### 6. Incorporate active breaks
For longer meetings, incorporating short breaks allows participants to stretch, refresh and come back more focused.

### 7. Use visual aids
Presentations, graphics and videos can make your meeting more lively and help to better communicate complex information.

### 8. Conclude with clear actions
End every meeting with a summary of key points and the distribution of tasks or actions to be undertaken. This ensures that the meeting has a concrete impact and that everyone knows what they need to do next.

### 9. Provide updates and feedback 
After the meeting, share a report with actions to be taken and follow up. This shows that the meeting is having a real impact and encourages continued participation.

![Meeting agenda for engaging meetings](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Brainstorming_Od_J_8cefa5a55a.png)

**Making a business meeting engaging is not only good for productivity but also for team morale.** By applying these strategies, you can transform your meetings into dynamic and productive moments, fostering better collaboration and communication within your team. You can create an environment where participants feel valued, involved, and motivated to contribute to the success of the meeting.

With the WEDO collaborative platform, you can **prepare your agendas** as a team and easily **track the progress of your projects**. From file sharing to task tracking, the content of your meetings is optimized by the platform so you can focus on the essentials.


::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}


This article examines how meeting leaders can create spaces where engagement, motivation, and productivity blend naturally. From agenda setting to post-meeting management, every aspect plays a crucial role in meeting success.

This image supports an article with 9 tips to make your meetings more engaging, featuring three people under stars on a green background

large_14-9-simple-tips-to-make-your-meetings-more-engaging.png

medium_14-9-simple-tips-to-make-your-meetings-more-engaging.png

small_14-9-simple-tips-to-make-your-meetings-more-engaging.png

thumbnail_14-9-simple-tips-to-make-your-meetings-more-engaging.png

14-9-simple-tips-to-make-your-meetings-more-engaging.png

9 simple tips to make your meetings more engaging

Fire departments often face considerable administrative challenges. Among the main obstacles are the complex management of human resources, the coordination of operations, the collection and centralization of data, and the management of budgets and material resources. Maintaining accurate and up-to-date reporting and regulatory controls documentation also represents a significant challenge. All these administrative aspects are essential to ensure emergency services' preparedness, responsiveness, and safety.

## Interview with Christian Mauley, Captain of the protection and safety department of Neuchâtel. He talks about how the WEDO platform helps them manage their activities.

### What is your role at the protection and safety department of Neuchâtel?

I'm deputy to the commander of the Neuchâtel coastal fire defense region and project manager for the Fire Brigade Office.

### Can you describe the Neuchâtel Fire Brigade and its activities briefly?

The protection and safety department's Fire Brigade heads up the Littoral Neuchâtel fire and defense region, which includes 40 professional firefighters and 220 volunteer firefighters. Firefighters are divided into three intervention sectors.

### What are the challenges of this multi-site organization?

The challenges associated with the multi-site organization of our fire defense region are manifold, and meticulous management is required to ensure safe and efficient operation. First and foremost, one of the main concerns is the **standardization of procedures**. With five different sites spread over three intervention sectors, all teams must **follow the same protocols and operational standards**. This ensures optimum coordination during emergency interventions and avoids confusion arising from divergent practices.

Another major challenge is to **manage the differing driving rhythms between professional and volunteer firefighters** at our different fire stations. Professionals are always on call, while volunteers have a variety of off-duty commitments. This requires careful planning to ensure that the correct number of staff is always available to respond to emergency calls while respecting individual constraints. Task management and centralized communication are essential for effective coordination between rescue centers. We use WEDO to facilitate the transmission of critical information in real-time while allowing each sector to operate autonomously for tasks specific to its geographical area. Finally, information security is paramount, especially when sharing files between sites. We must protect sensitive data and operational information from unauthorized access. Strict security measures are in place to guarantee the integrity and confidentiality of our data while enabling it to be shared securely between sites.

### Before integrating WEDO, what tools did you use for collaboration and administrative management?

We took our minutes on an Excel file for our various meetings and discussions. We had a shared diary on Outlook for the availability of rescue teams, and we exchanged information by e-mail. The fire station's various procedures and team management were documented on numerous Excel files that were not accessible to everyone at all times.

### What were the limitations of using these different tools?

Information was scattered in many places, resulting in much redundancy and loss. The dispersed communication between the various layers of the hierarchy and the fire station's stakeholders, therefore, impacted project follow-up and operations' fluidity.

### How do you use WEDO today?

We use WEDO to generate all the reports for the various meetings between the protection and safety department offices, such as regional staff reports, operational staff reports, sector reports, and daily intervention section reports. Finally, WEDO enables us to have all reports in one place so that those entitled to them can consult them at any time. Meeting members can also add items to the agenda to prepare for discussion. The platform has also enabled us to improve project management and track current information within the fire station. The platform's collaborative aspect allows us to assign routine tasks to users. In real-time, We can see how tasks are progressing, track maintenance, manage orders, and process expense claims, to name a few. It is also possible to document recurring procedures, such as material preparation or ongoing training, with checklist templates that can be launched at any time.

![Firefighter software for administrative management of firefighters](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Temoignage_Christian_Mauley_2_EN_7ed196a0fe.png)

### How did team members react to the introduction of the tool?

Consolidating various tasks and information into a single program facilitated integration of the tool. Sharing themes across all strata and management bodies enables the monitoring and transmission of information. In addition, we have created a small in-house newspaper on WEDO to increase adherence to the platform. All staff can add themes concerning current projects and past interventions in this journal. They can also add information in various formats, such as photos or regional articles.

### How does WEDO contribute to the Neuchâtel's protection and safety department digitalization process?

WEDO contributes to digitalization by considerably reducing paper printouts and centralizing project documents. The main benefits are the centralization of information, increased participation, and enhanced staff skills at all levels. The participative aspect of the platform considerably reduces the number of e-mails exchanged.


::button-primary[Schedule a live demo]{link="/demo"}



![Software for firefighter procedures and automatic dispatch of intervention-related tasks](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/Temoignage_Christian_Mauley1_EN_2482933fb1.png)


Fire departments often face considerable administrative challenges. Interview with Christian Mauley, Captain of the protection and safety department of Neuchâtel.

This is a testimonial from Christian Mauley, Captain of the SPS Neuchâtel Fire Department, emphasizing that WEDO centralizes information, boosts engagement, and recognizes staff

large_christian-mauley-en.png

medium_christian-mauley-en.png

small_christian-mauley-en.png

thumbnail_christian-mauley-en.png

christian-mauley-en.png

Management software for emergency, fire, and rescue services

Trello

Asana

Decisions

Monday.com

eSéances

MS Teams

MS Planner

OneNote

Every day, we juggle a series of tasks, from answering emails and attending meetings all the way to cooking dinner or finally folding that pile of laundry staring us down for days. Task management is everywhere around us, whether we realize it or not. 

But here's the catch: managing tasks is more than checking boxes. It's making sure the right boxes are checked at the right time, by the right people.

For individuals, good task management can mean less stress and more time to spend on what matters most to them. For teams and organizations, it's the difference between controlled chaos and seamless collaboration. When done well, task management becomes a superpower, moving businesses toward growth and ensuring projects are delivered on time (and with fewer sleepless nights).

In this guide, we're going to explore strategies, tools, and best practices that turn task management into a fine-tuned system. Whether you're wrangling your own to-do list or leading a team toward big goals, this can be your roadmap to staying on top of your game. 

Let's get started!


The Ultimate Guide to Task Management: Strategies, Tools, and Best Practices

Most people don’t have a problem finding things to do. The real challenge is figuring out which tasks actually deserve their time and energy.

You might start the day planning to focus on something important, only to get pulled into last-minute requests, quick emails, or meetings that weren’t even on your radar. Before you know it, the day’s gone, and the work that mattered most is still untouched.

This is where the Eisenhower Matrix can help. Named after Dwight D. Eisenhower, former President of the United States, this classic method helps you sort your task list based on urgency and importance. His often-quoted insight sums it up nicely: “What is important is seldom urgent, and what is urgent is seldom important.”

In this article, we’ll walk through how the Eisenhower Method works, why it’s still one of the best tools for better time management, and how WEDO makes it easy to apply the matrix directly to your daily workflow.

## What Is the Eisenhower Matrix?

The Eisenhower Matrix, also known as the Eisenhower Method or the urgent important matrix, is a simple framework for sorting tasks based on two key questions:

- Is it urgent?
- Is it important?

The idea is to separate what truly matters from what just demands your attention in the moment. The matrix gives you a visual way to do that. It’s a 2x2 grid that helps you place every task into one of four categories:

- **Urgent and Important**: Do it now
- **Important but Not Urgent**: Schedule it
- **Urgent but Not Important**: Delegate it
- **Not Urgent and Not Important**: Eliminate it

![Eisenhower Matrix for Task Prioritization with four quadrants: 'Do Now,' 'Delegate,' 'Schedule for Later,' and 'Defer or Ignore,' representing task urgency and importance.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/blog_task_organisation_eisenhower_matrix_en_6371fef608.png)

While this method was inspired by a quote from Dwight D. Eisenhower, a five-star general and former President of the United States, Stephen Covey popularized it in his book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, and it’s stuck around for good reason; it works.

At its core, the task prioritization matrix is about clarity. It helps you focus on the right things, avoid distractions, and make smarter decisions about where your time goes.

## Why the Eisenhower Matrix Works

When you think about it, most task lists or tools treat every task as equally important. A deadline, a quick reply, and a strategic project all sit next to each other, and without a clear system, it’s easy to default to whatever feels most urgent. That’s how important work gets buried under a pile of quick wins and interruptions.

The Eisenhower Matrix works because it gives you a way to step back and evaluate tasks based on actual value, not just time pressure. It turns a long to-do list into something you can act on with more intention.

By separating urgent tasks from important tasks, you start to see how much of your time goes toward solving immediate problems versus making meaningful progress. This is especially helpful when your day fills up with time-sensitive work that isn’t actually important; things like inbox triage, unnecessary meetings, or chasing updates that could have been automated.

It’s also a great tool for managing time and energy. Not every task deserves your full attention. When you focus on the right things, especially the important but not urgent ones, you avoid the constant cycle of crisis mode and start creating more room for strategic work.

Over time, the matrix helps you shift away from reactive habits and toward a more proactive approach to time management. And once you start seeing where your time is going, you can make clearer decisions about how to adjust it.

## A Closer Look at the Four Quadrants

The power of the Eisenhower Matrix comes from how simple it is, and how honest it forces you to be about what actually needs your attention. Here’s how each quadrant works, and how to use them to make better decisions.

### Quadrant 1: Urgent and Important

These are the tasks that require immediate attention. Deadlines, crises, time-sensitive deliverables, anything that can’t wait and has clear consequences if ignored.

You want to **do these tasks right away**. That said, if your day is constantly spent in this quadrant, something’s off. You’re likely spending too little time in Quadrant 2, where the real long-term work happens.

Examples: submitting a report due today, resolving a critical bug, or responding to a client issue that affects delivery.

### Quadrant 2: Important but Not Urgent

This is where the real progress happens. These tasks don’t have a deadline breathing down your neck, but they’re directly tied to your goals. Strategic planning, relationship-building, learning, and long-term projects live here.

The challenge? These tasks are easy to postpone. They don’t shout for your attention. But they’re the ones that prevent future emergencies and create real impact over time.

You want to **schedule and protect time** for this quadrant.

Examples: preparing a new proposal, mentoring a team member, or building out a roadmap for next quarter.

### Quadrant 3: Urgent but Not Important

These are the tasks that feel pressing, but don’t really require your involvement. They’re often interruptions disguised as priorities, things that are urgent but not important in the bigger picture.

You want to **delegate or minimize** these when possible. Just because something is loud or time-sensitive doesn’t mean it’s worth your direct attention.

Examples: meeting requests that don’t need you, messages asking for info someone else has, or last-minute tasks that could be automated.

### Quadrant 4: Not Urgent and Not Important

These are distractions. They don’t contribute to your goals, and they’re not time-sensitive. That doesn’t mean you can never scroll social media or decompress, but these tasks shouldn't be mixed into your workday as if they belong there.

You want to **eliminate or heavily limit** these when you’re trying to get meaningful work done.

Examples: checking social media out of habit, clicking through irrelevant notifications, or spending time on tasks that exist mostly to look busy.

## Common Pitfalls When Using the Eisenhower Matrix

The Eisenhower Matrix looks simple, and it is. But like any prioritization tool, it only works if you use it consistently and honestly. A few small missteps can make the whole thing less effective, especially when you're juggling a lot or working across a team.

Here are some common mistakes to watch out for.

### 1. Mistaking urgency for importance

This is probably the most common issue. Urgency creates pressure. It makes something feel important, even when it’s not. That’s how you end up treating minor requests or last-minute asks as top priorities, while the work that actually matters keeps getting pushed back.

To avoid this, slow down for a second. Ask yourself: is this just time-sensitive, or is it truly impactful? If it’s not tied to a goal or outcome you care about, it might belong in Quadrant 3 — or not on your plate at all.

### 2. Letting other people’s priorities define yours

It’s easy to fill your day reacting to what others ask of you, especially if you’re working in a collaborative environment. But not every task that feels urgent to someone else needs to land in your Quadrant 1.

A shared sense of urgency doesn’t always equal shared importance. If the task isn’t aligned with your own role or responsibilities, look for ways to delegate, redirect, or push back politely.

### 3. Ignoring Quadrant 2

This is the quadrant most people struggle with, not because it’s hard, but because it’s quiet. Important but not urgent tasks are easy to postpone because they don’t feel immediate. But they’re the ones that drive long-term progress.

If you’re constantly overloaded with urgent tasks, chances are you haven’t spent enough time in Quadrant 2. Things like planning, learning, relationship-building, or preventive work get ignored, and then eventually show up in Quadrant 1 as a fire drill.

Protect time for these tasks before everything else crowds them out.

### 4. Using the matrix as a one-time exercise

The matrix isn’t just something you use once and forget. Priorities shift. New work appears. What was “important but not urgent” two days ago might now be both.

That’s why it helps to revisit your matrix regularly, even just a quick weekly review. If you’re using a task management tool, update priorities as part of your ongoing workflow instead of relying on memory or guesswork.

### 5. Automating everything but still ignoring priorities

Even in teams using automation or productivity tools, prioritization still matters. Just because a task shows up in your system doesn’t mean it’s worth doing right now, or at all. Automation saves time, but it doesn’t replace judgment.

The matrix helps you apply that judgment more consistently.

## Using the Eisenhower Matrix in WEDO

The Eisenhower Matrix is something you can actively use in WEDO to organize and prioritize your work with less friction. Instead of juggling tasks in your head or relying on manual labels in spreadsheets, WEDO makes it easy to sort, update, and manage your priorities directly inside your workspace.

Here’s how it works.

### Prioritize any task using built-in matrix labels

Every task in WEDO can be tagged using the matrix logic:

- Urgent and Important
- Important but Not Urgent
- Urgent but Not Important
- Not Urgent and Not Important

To assign a priority, just click on the task to open the detail pane, or use the small icon to the right of the task if a priority has already been set. This makes it easy to identify what needs your attention and what can wait, or be removed entirely.

![Diagram of the Eisenhower Matrix with four colored quadrants to distinguish urgency and importance.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/EN_1_69e86183ea.png)

### Batch prioritize tasks with the Organize tool

When you’ve got a long list of tasks to sort through, WEDO helps you move faster. Just click the three vertical dots in the top right, select Organize, then choose Prioritize. From there, you can quickly move through your list and apply the correct priority to each task.

![Example of using the matrix in WEDO with integrated priority tags.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/EN_2_52cc598424.png)

This is especially useful when setting up a new project or reviewing overdue tasks that may need to be reclassified.

### Use the magic wand for quick section-level prioritization

Inside your personal or shared spaces, you’ll see a magic wand icon at the end of each time section (like Today, Tomorrow, or Coming). This lets you jump straight into a prioritization view for that section — no need to open each task one by one.

![View of the WEDO interface using the organize tool to batch prioritize tasks.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/EN_3_a187e93c52.png)

It’s a small detail, but it makes keeping your priorities updated a lot more realistic on a fast-moving day.

### Make the matrix part of your daily routine

Because WEDO keeps everything visible and up to date across your workspace, it’s easier to build regular prioritization into your workflow. You don’t need a separate tool or template to use the Eisenhower Matrix, it’s built into how you already manage your tasks.

The result? Less time spent deciding what to do next, and more confidence that your time is going toward the right things.

**Ready to put the matrix into action?**

[Start your free trial today](https://wedo.com/signup) and see how easy it is to sort tasks, stay focused, and take control of your day.

Learn how to use the Eisenhower Matrix to prioritize tasks, manage time better, and stay focused with built-in tools from WEDO.

Image showing the text “The Eisenhower Matrix: How to Prioritize Tasks with This Classic Method” alongside a diagram of a four-quadrant matrix with directional arrows.

large_30-the-eisenhower-matrix-how-to-prioritize-tasks-with-this-classic-method.png

medium_30-the-eisenhower-matrix-how-to-prioritize-tasks-with-this-classic-method.png

small_30-the-eisenhower-matrix-how-to-prioritize-tasks-with-this-classic-method.png

thumbnail_30-the-eisenhower-matrix-how-to-prioritize-tasks-with-this-classic-method.png

30-the-eisenhower-matrix-how-to-prioritize-tasks-with-this-classic-method.png

The Eisenhower Matrix: How to Prioritize Tasks with This Classic Method

Most teams aren’t missing deadlines because they’re not working hard. In fact, it’s usually the opposite, everyone’s busy, tasks are moving, and there’s a lot of activity. But somehow, the project still falls behind.

Often, it’s not a work ethic problem. It’s a visibility problem.

When you don’t have a clear system for tracking what’s being worked on, who’s responsible, and how things are progressing, even the most important tasks can slip through the cracks. That’s where solid project tracking comes in. It’s what connects your team’s effort to actual outcomes and keeps deadlines from becoming a moving target.

In this article, we’ll break down what effective project tracking really looks like, why so many teams get it wrong, and how [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) helps you stay ahead of deadlines without losing control of your workflow.

## What Is Project Tracking, Really?

Project tracking means knowing what’s happening with your work: what’s done, what’s in motion, and what’s at risk of falling behind. It gives you a structured way to follow progress, spot issues early, and keep everything moving in the right direction.

At its core, project tracking helps you connect the dots across tasks, people, and timelines. It lets you see:

- Which tasks are completed
- What’s still in progress
- Who’s responsible for what
- Whether your team is on pace to meet upcoming deadlines

A long task list might look impressive, but without tracking, it’s just a collection of items with no clear path forward. You need to see more than just what needs to be done. You need to know how that work is unfolding across your team.

Project tracking gives structure to your task management process. It prevents important tasks from getting buried, ensures team members are aligned, and makes it easier to complete actual tasks rather than just check boxes.

Done well, project tracking creates transparency. Everyone knows what they’re working on, what’s coming next, and how it contributes to a shared outcome.

## Why Deadlines Get Missed (Even When Everyone’s Busy)

You’ve probably seen it before. A project kicks off with energy, tasks start moving, and updates are flying. But as the days go by, things start to slip. A few tasks go quiet. A handoff gets delayed. And then, out of nowhere, the deadline passes, and the project isn’t done.

This doesn’t usually happen because people aren’t working. It happens because no one has a clear view of what’s happening when.

Here are a few common reasons deadlines get missed:

![Infographic titled “Why Projects Miss Deadlines – Even When Everyone’s Working”. On the left: four reasons for delays (no clear task ownership, constant priority changes, scattered task lists, no real-time visibility). On the right: suggested solutions.](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/why_projects_miss_deadlines_en_d8ced546ac.png)

### 1. Task ownership is unclear

One of the fastest ways for work to stall is when it’s not clear who owns what. If a task is assigned to a group or left unassigned, no one feels fully responsible for it. It sits in the system, waiting.

Clear ownership is the foundation of successful task completion. Every task should have a specific team member accountable for moving it forward, not “the team” not “someone,” but a name. This avoids confusion, reduces follow-ups, and helps everyone stay focused.

### 2. Priorities keep shifting

Projects evolve, and that’s normal. But when priorities are constantly changing and there’s no way to clearly prioritize tasks, teams end up reacting instead of planning. Something important gets pushed aside for something louder, not necessarily more urgent.

Without a shared understanding of what matters most, even important tasks can get overlooked. That’s why [consistent prioritization](https://wedo.com/blog/guide-to-managing-and-prioritizing-your-daily-tasks), ideally visible to everyone, helps keep focus where it belongs.

### 3. The task list is scattered

When tasks are split across email threads, sticky notes, documents, and separate apps, it’s nearly impossible to track what’s really happening. Things fall through the cracks because no one can see the full picture.

Centralizing your task list in one place is critical for effective project tracking. It makes it easier to review progress, reassign work, and prevent overlap, especially when multiple people are involved.

### 4. Progress is hard to track

You might have [tasks with deadlines](https://wedo.com/blog/how-to-stay-on-top-of-task-deadlines-and-due-dates), but unless you’re tracking progress in real time, it’s hard to know if you’re actually on schedule. And by the time someone notices a task is behind, the deadline’s already blown.

That’s where active [task management](https://wedo.com/blog/how-to-choose-the-right-task-management-tool-for-your-team) comes in, not just assigning work, but keeping a live view of how things are progressing. You don’t need hourly updates, but you do need enough visibility to step in before things get off track.

## How to Build a Project Tracking System That Works — with Help from WEDO

Project tracking works best when it’s part of how your team already operates, not something you try to bolt on after the fact. When your tools support the way your team thinks, plans, and communicates, staying on top of projects becomes a whole lot easier.

Here’s a step-by-step approach to building that kind of system, with a look at how [WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) helps you make it happen.

### Step 1: Centralize your task list

If your team is juggling notes in one tool, tasks in another, and updates in a third, something’s going to fall through the cracks. A shared, structured task list keeps everyone looking in the same direction.

**How WEDO helps:**

![View of a WEDO meeting topic showing a description, task list, and suggestions to improve a Google Ads campaign, with icons for time management and checklists](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/screen_meeting_topic_en_9f74d74519.png)

WEDO brings your entire task list into one place, organized by workspace, project, or meeting. You can create tasks during planning sessions or live meetings and attach them directly to the conversation they came from. No scattered action items. No digging through emails. Just one source of truth your whole team can work from.

### Step 2: Assign every task to a specific team member

When a task doesn’t have a name next to it, it usually doesn’t move. Clear ownership prevents the “I thought someone else was on it” problem.

**How WEDO helps:**

Every task in WEDO has a clearly assigned team member, visible to everyone. You can set due dates, add instructions and attachments, and loop others into the task when needed. As updates are made, assignees get notified in real time, so there is no need to check in manually or guess where things stand.

### Step 3: Prioritize with intention

Without prioritization, everything starts to feel urgent and your team ends up reacting instead of focusing. A strong tracking system keeps the real priorities front and center.

**How WEDO helps:**

WEDO lets you prioritize tasks using customizable tags or sort tasks into the Eisenhower Matrix to separate important tasks from the noise. You can filter your view to focus only on top-priority items so your team isn’t wasting time on low-impact work.

### Step 4: Track progress before it becomes a problem

A task that’s late isn’t the problem; it’s the symptom. The earlier you catch slowdowns, the easier it is to fix them.

**How WEDO helps:**

With WEDO, you can see progress in real time. Overdue tasks automatically rise to the top of your workspace’s open task list, so nothing urgent gets buried. You can also view tasks by deadline and keep track of what’s moving, stalled, or done, all without waiting for a meeting or manual report. That makes it easier to catch bottlenecks before they become missed deadlines.

### Step 5: Use visual timelines to stay ahead of schedule shifts

Sometimes even with strong task tracking, timelines shift, a blocker delays one task, and suddenly everything downstream is affected. That’s where a visual planning tool like a Gantt chart can make a difference.

**How WEDO helps:**

![Screenshot of WEDO’s Gantt view showing a task hierarchy with durations and coloured bars tracking progress across quarters](https://wedo-assets.sos-ch-gva-2.exo.io/screen_task_and_checklists_gantt_view_en_8061ab942b.png)

WEDO includes a built-in Gantt chart that gives you a real-time visual of your entire project timeline. You can [map task dependencies](https://wedo.com/features/tasks), track progress, and spot delays before they affect delivery.

You also get control over how date changes ripple through your plan, thanks to [three smart buffer options](https://wedo.com/features/project-management):

- **Maintain Buffer:** Keeps the gap between dependent tasks consistent
- **Consume Buffer:** Uses the built-in gap only when needed to absorb delays
- **Disable Automatic Shifting:** Lets you adjust one task without moving others

It’s a fast, flexible way to keep projects on track and your deadlines intact, even when plans evolve.

### Step 6: Keep updates where the work happens

If your team has to hunt down context in a Slack thread or email chain, momentum slows. Communication should be part of the work, not something that happens on the side.

**How WEDO helps:**

In WEDO, every task includes space for comments, notes, and file attachments. That means the full history of a task, from the original ask to the final outcome, stays in one place. It’s easier to ask follow-up questions, give feedback, or hand off work when everything is already there.

### Step 7: Make project tracking part of your weekly rhythm

It’s not enough to set things up once and hope for the best. Project tracking only works when it becomes a habit, something your team checks, updates, and trusts.

**How WEDO helps:**

WEDO makes that habit easier to stick to. You can review tasks from your own dashboard, filter by what’s due soon, or scan your workspace to see how things are moving. During weekly meetings, you can review projects live, update statuses as you talk, and create new tasks without switching tools.

When each of these steps becomes part of your everyday workflow and your tools are designed to support them, project tracking stops being an extra task and becomes the engine that drives your team forward.

## Conclusion

The most successful teams aren’t just organized; they’re aligned. They know what needs to be done, who’s doing it, and what’s getting in the way.

That level of clarity comes from having a system that supports real project tracking, making it easier to manage tasks, prioritize work, and adapt when things change.

[WEDO](https://wedo.com/features) gives your team that system. It connects the dots between planning and progress so you can deliver on time without the usual chaos.

Ready to stay on top of every task, project, and deadline? Start your [WEDO free trial today](https://wedo.com/signup).

Discover how to improve project tracking, manage tasks effectively, and meet deadlines with ease using WEDO’s collaborative work platform.

Purple background visual with white text: “How to Master Project Tracking Without Losing Sight of Deadlines”, featuring a gear icon with a clock and a timeline with progress indicators

The WEDO Blog

Ready to dive in?Start your free trial today.