Action item
Encyclopedia
In management
, an action item is a documented event, task, activity, or action that needs to take place. Action items are discrete units that can be handled by a single person.
about one or more topics and during the discussion it is discovered that some kind of action needed. The act required is then documented as an action item and usually assigned to someone, usually a member of the group. The person to whom the action is assigned is then obligated to perform the action and report back to the group on the results.
Action items are usually documented in the meeting minutes
and are recorded in the task list of the group. As people complete action items, the items are documented as being completed and the item is removed from the list of outstanding action items.
An action item can be considered a more general form of various types of action/issue/defect tracking methods. For instance, a bug report is a form of action item as is a service report created by a service company to track a problem reported by a customer or an RMA
number.
or groupware.. Various such software are available in the market. They are known to increase the productivity of Managers.
Many information technology support groups use some kind of service report software so that when a trouble report is called in, the person answering the telephone will create a trouble ticket to track the issue. The trouble ticket is assigned to a member of the IT services organization who then visits the person who has reported a problem and resolves the problem. The IT services person will then close out the trouble ticket indicating the issue has been resolved.
Recent research at the Computational Semantics Lab at Stanford University seeks to automatically identify action items and extract their properties (the what, who, and when of the action item) using automatic speech recognition transcripts from spontaneous, multi-party conversations during meetings. (See video 1 or video 2).
Management
Management in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, an action item is a documented event, task, activity, or action that needs to take place. Action items are discrete units that can be handled by a single person.
Planning actions
Action items are usually created during a discussion by a group of people who are meetingMeeting
In a meeting, two or more people come together to discuss one or more topics, often in a formal setting.- Definitions :An act or process of coming together as an assembly for a common purpose....
about one or more topics and during the discussion it is discovered that some kind of action needed. The act required is then documented as an action item and usually assigned to someone, usually a member of the group. The person to whom the action is assigned is then obligated to perform the action and report back to the group on the results.
Action items are usually documented in the meeting minutes
Minutes
Minutes, also known as protocols, are the instant written record of a meeting or hearing. They typically describe the events of the meeting, starting with a list of attendees, a statement of the issues considered by the participants, and related responses or decisions for the issues.Minutes may be...
and are recorded in the task list of the group. As people complete action items, the items are documented as being completed and the item is removed from the list of outstanding action items.
Tracking
A usual format for an action item is to record an action item number, the date when the action item is identified or created, the name of the person to whom the action is assigned, a title description of the action, and a more detailed description of the action and its outcomes.An action item can be considered a more general form of various types of action/issue/defect tracking methods. For instance, a bug report is a form of action item as is a service report created by a service company to track a problem reported by a customer or an RMA
Return Merchandise Authorization
A Return Merchandise Authorization , sometimes Return Merchandise Agreement or ' product repaired or replaced or in order to receive a refund or credit for another product from the same retailer or corporation within the product's warranty period.The RMA process and the issuance of an RMA is a key...
number.
Software
There are a number of software applications for tracking action items or service reports. These applications are used within software development organizations as well as in customer support functions. Because these software applications facilitate group communication, they are often referred to as Collaborative softwareCollaborative software
Collaborative software is computer software designed to help people involved in a common task achieve goals...
or groupware.. Various such software are available in the market. They are known to increase the productivity of Managers.
Many information technology support groups use some kind of service report software so that when a trouble report is called in, the person answering the telephone will create a trouble ticket to track the issue. The trouble ticket is assigned to a member of the IT services organization who then visits the person who has reported a problem and resolves the problem. The IT services person will then close out the trouble ticket indicating the issue has been resolved.
Recent research at the Computational Semantics Lab at Stanford University seeks to automatically identify action items and extract their properties (the what, who, and when of the action item) using automatic speech recognition transcripts from spontaneous, multi-party conversations during meetings. (See video 1 or video 2).
See also
- Task list
- Bug report
- IT Service ManagementIT Service ManagementIT service management is a discipline for managing information technology systems, philosophically centered on the customer's perspective of IT's contribution to the business. ITSM stands in deliberate contrast to technology-centered approaches to IT management and business interaction...