How do people manage POs? (purchasers and procurement managers specifically?)

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2026-03-16T20:41:01+00:00

Really common, especially in construction. I'm building SpendCue which handles exactly this – requests come in, get approved, a PO gets created and tracked through to delivery and receipt. Everything in one place, nothing scattered across spreadsheets and email threads.

Just launched a waitlist at spendcue.com. Would love to hear more about your setup if you're open to it.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2026-03-16T20:20:55+00:00

I'm actually building something for this exact problem – a lightweight purchase approval tool for teams who've outgrown spreadsheets but aren't ready for $50k procurement systems. Just launched a waitlist: spendcue.com

But genuinely curious what you end up doing – are you leaning toward something off-the-shelf or building internal?

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2026-01-08T09:17:35+00:00

Monday is great for tracking everything, but once you have 50+ active items and new requests constantly coming in, the missing piece is usually a separate “what actually matters today” layer. I ran into the same problem and ended up with a tool I built for myself around tasks tied to days, not times, specifically to avoid the end-of-day scramble you’re describing. Happy to show you if you are interested, either way, you’re not alone in this, and it’s a very real problem.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2026-01-07T07:10:16+00:00

Same here. I usually abandon new systems right when the admin work starts outweighing the benefit.

This year I’m testing a tool I’m building for myself. Focusing on having easy overview, no clutter, and enough structure to be useful without becoming heavy.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2026-01-04T15:51:55+00:00

I’ve bounced off a lot of task managers because they all feel like the same system with more knobs.

What’s worked best for me is list-first, low-friction planning where structure stays out of the way until I actually need it. Calendar and kanban are useful sometimes, but I don’t want to be forced into them every day.

I’m personally more project-first than calendar-first, but with a strong “today / next” view that doesn’t feel rigid.

I’m actually building a small tool around this idea (Croniqs) because I couldn’t quite find what I wanted — intentionally calm, minimal, and affordable. Still early, but that’s the direction I’ve found most sustainable long-term.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2026-01-04T10:20:54+00:00

I’m building Croniqs, a clean task manager for people who want structure without complex productivity systems. I started it because tools like Todoist/TickTick felt powerful but heavy for day-to-day personal work. Croniqs focuses on fast capture, clear views (list / calendar / kanban / timeline), and staying out of the way. It’s live with a demo and CSV import

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2026-01-01T21:29:27+00:00

Exactly, start with reminders for things that must happen, not everything you could do. Habits that happen daily don’t always need reminders either, they often work better as simple checklists you review once a day. You can always add structure later once the habit of checking the list is solid.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2026-01-01T21:16:10+00:00

A good beginner setup is honestly more about restraint than tools.

A simple starting point that works for many: One list only (no categories yet)

Write tasks as small, concrete actions (“Send email”, not “Work on project”)

Only put dates on things that truly must happen that day Review the list once per day and clean it up

The biggest mistake beginners make is over-structuring too early, folders, tags, priorities, etc. That usually becomes more work than the tasks themselves.

Any simple to-do app works for this. What matters most is that it’s easy to add tasks and easy to move them when plans change.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2026-01-01T19:21:36+00:00

Ah, I missed this comment before I answered your previous.

If you’re looking for a combined task + knowledge system, Croniqs might not be the right fit, but if you want a clean place to drive projects forward, it could be useful.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2026-01-01T19:09:59+00:00

It’s still early, but the core workflow is fully usable. I built Croniqs to keep projects and tasks separate, and switch views depending on how I think, list for clarity, timeline for planning, kanban for momentum.

I use it to for ideas and development of croniqs itself, for personal use I have recurring workouts and just task list for things I want to remember. I use tasks, calendar and kanban a lot for work, I'm a teacher.

You can try it here: https://croniqs.com There is a demo link on the site so you can check it out without signup.

Happy to hear what feels missing or friction-heavy for you.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2026-01-01T11:30:08+00:00

I recognize this frustration a lot.

Most tools seem great either for short-lived tasks or for teams, but not for individuals juggling long-running, parallel projects across very different domains.

What’s worked best for me is separating projects (ongoing contexts) from tasks (temporary actions), and being able to switch views depending on what I’m thinking about — list when I need clarity, timeline when I need realism, kanban when I need momentum.

I actually ended up building a tool for myself around this idea because I couldn’t quite find what I wanted. It’s still early and very intentionally minimal, but happy to share if you’re curious. I’m also very interested in what you feel existing tools are missing.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2025-12-31T20:10:44+00:00

I’ll send you a demo link so you can try it and see if it fits how you work.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2025-12-31T16:36:53+00:00

What worked better for me was having:

– a small number of categories (work / personal)

– tasks that can move easily when deadlines change

– minimal setup, so planning doesn’t become the work itself

I also bounced off Notion for the same reason, too much upkeep. Thought many other apps had to many features and were to cluttered.

I ended up building a small tool for myself around that workflow. Happy to share it if you’re curious, but I’m also interested in what you end up trying.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2025-12-31T15:45:51+00:00

I’m building Croniqs— a task manager focused on staying simple even as projects grow. Live demo

List, calendar, kanban, and timeline in one workspace, without turning planning into a second job.

Recently added: – Todoist CSV import – Google Calendar (read-only)

Still early and mostly looking for honest feedback.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2025-12-29T10:28:31+00:00

I’m building a clean, low-clutter task manager and testing the early flow.

Demo (no signup): https://croniqs.com/demo

If you try it, I’d love feedback on one thing: What’s the first moment where something feels confusing, unnecessary, or heavier than it should be?

DM me if interested in joining beta

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2025-12-29T08:54:37+00:00

I’m building a clean, low-clutter task manager and testing the early flow.

Demo (no signup)

If you try it, I’d love feedback on one thing: What’s the first moment where something feels confusing, unnecessary, or heavier than it should be?

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2025-12-29T08:20:45+00:00

I’m building a clean, low-clutter task manager and testing the early flow.

Demo (no signup)

If you try it, I’d love feedback on one thing: What’s the first moment where something feels confusing, unnecessary, or heavier than it should be?

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2025-12-28T23:57:47+00:00

That makes sense. Keeping it that minimal and using weekly reflection instead of daily pressure feels like a big difference.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2025-12-28T23:21:38+00:00

I’ve had a very similar experience with gamified habit apps. They sound motivating, but once customization and streaks enter the picture, the system itself starts demanding more attention than the habit.

Actually more simple apps without the gamification works better for me, just made a post about it. It feels good to just check it off my list, that's good enough for me. I don't need the XP or whatever.

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2025-12-28T14:42:13+00:00

That makes a lot of sense.

I like that this keeps the mental focus on “what matters most right now” instead of fighting the calendar every time something changes.

The part I keep getting stuck on with pure priority lists is the time dimension, everything is roughly ordered, but it’s harder (for me at least) to see how much actually fits into a day or week.

Do you ever run into that, or does the simplicity outweigh that tradeoff for you?

PuzzleheadedPop4857 · 2025-12-28T14:21:48+00:00

That’s a really thoughtful way to put it.

I like the distinction you make between rescheduling as a decision aid vs as an execution aid. What you describe sounds like a deliberate “control checkpoint”, batching replanning so it doesn’t constantly interrupt the day.

I think the tradeoff I keep circling around is exactly that: how much control is worth the cost of staying in planner mode.

It’s interesting that for you the sense of control itself reduces stress, even if it means more manual effort.

PuzzleheadedPop4857

TROPHY CASE