Locking Sorting

Our team is getting more and more frustrated using Wrike. When we create a project with multiple tasks, the task order shouldn't change if we change views, it should remain how they are created unless sorted (and even so they should be able to revert back to how they were created). 

Here is the dream:

1. Create tasks and subtasks in list view. Ideally you would update this so that when I create tasks in order that they need to be completed it creates task as 1, 2, 3 and not 3, 2,1. For example, if I'm thinking through a list of subtasks, I create them as I walk through the tasks in my mind. But when you add tasks back to back in Wrike, it puts the most recent task you create on the top of the list instead of under the first task you created. So basically you have to re-order them or think backwards.

2. Switch to Timeline view and have the exact same order. This is crucial, stop changing the order of my tasks. Then I can meet with my team and assign people/dates go through step by step what needs to be done without having to re-sort again and again.

3. Update the arranging of tasks so that it's easier to drag and drop on the left side of the timeline view. Right now you have to annoyingly click the task then click it again and try to drag it to where you want it, and usually it doesn't go where you want it. You also can't drag a subtask to the top of the subtask list, it just kicks it out of the task.

Please tell me we are the only team extremely frustrated with these limiting/frustrating sorting features that make something that should be a simple task to create a nightmare and take 10x as long.

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An addition to this could be to sort in more levels - e.g. sort alphabetically on folders in a project, but use cascade sorting on tasks in the folders. Right now you can only sort either alphabetically or cascade sorting, where the latter messes with your grouping of tasks in folders.

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Agree with both comments here.  We are evaluating Wrike at this moment, and the resorting of our template upon creating a project was a bit of a surprise.  I know we have overlapping phases and parallel tasks, but they are written in a particular order for a reason.  I will say this is triggering me to re-evaluate our process for optimization again, which is never really a bad thing.

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@John I struggled with this as a new user some months ago.  For myself and my team we implemented the use of 1/2/3 or a/b/c prefixes on each task in a folder so that the task name order can always be sorted first to last.  It adds an additional step for sure, and adding/deleting tasks becomes more difficult, but this is what we have settled upon for now to maintain the functionality that you are discussing.  Interested to hear what you think or if you found an alternative around this feature.

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Hi Casey, 

We also started using 1/2/3 but then we got past 10 which put 10 in front of 1. Then we started using 01/02/03 but it looks messy, takes more time to create and re-order as you mentioned, and gets confusing when you look at the Gantt Chart view because you have a number for each task that shows up in addition to our numbering system that is really just there to keep it from changing. Ultimately it's a huge pain and just causes additional confusion for new users and it needs to be fixed instead of slapping band-aid after band-aid on top of a real problem. 

Lots of little things like this that get ignored have helped discourage my team from using Wrike, especially those who were skeptical to begin with. If they just kept it simple and let the user choose how they want to sort, it would make for a much better user experience. 

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I'd settle for it just remembering how I had things sorted last time. If I sort something, it should stay sorted that way even if I leave that view and return to it. 

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Agree. This is one of the many head-scratching issues with Wrike. Please change so tasks stay in the order in which I input them. Adding numbers or letters to tasks is another step and huge pain.

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Could someone from @Wrike address these issues? Perhaps there is a reason Wrike functions this way? If so could you tell us? Also, is there any reason these simple sorting issues are not being addressed? If the true concept and building blocks of Wrike are Folders, Projects and Tasks, then why not remain true to that and allow those basic building blocks to work better and sort better among each other? The constant defaulting to Alpha sorting is killing the team. 

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I completely agree. This basic feature of sorting should be basic building blocks and it clearly causing a lot of trouble. I know I would use it more if I didn't have to deal with the hassle of numbering manually and constantly removing filters and having to figure out what order I left things in when coming back to a project or switching views. Just like this comment, I can type:

1. 

2.

3.

And when I come back to this comment it's still going to be in that order.

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Indeed. I sort the task order in the Gantt view but then have to sort it again in the New Table view (and I can't sort it that way in the List or Table view). It'd be great to add another option in the "Sort by" that's called "Same as Gantt"

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Wrike Team, are you listening yet?

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I fully support this request! Its been a while Wrike...whats happening?

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Hey guys, thank you for sharing your feedback here, we are reporting all of it to our Product team. For now, the team are looking at keeping sorting when switching between views and Gantt Chart sorting. I'll be sure to keep you posted and thanks again for your input 🤝

Lisa Community Team at Wrike Wrike Product Manager Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover

Lisa Wrike Team member Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover

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Hi Lisa, It's a good start, so I'm glad to hear this is being looked at but that's only a part of the difficulties of entering and tracking work. If you want people to use Wrike in mass, you need to make it intuitive to use. If I can't sit down in a room (by myself or with my team) and enter tasks in wrike as easy or easier than I can in excel and make adjustments later, then why should I use wrike? Right now, using Wrike means that I have a ton of additional manual work to do during and after the project layout process. Then when I come back to it later, it's not the way I entered it or left it and I have to figure out what auto-changed and why or I can't get it back to how I had it without more additional manual work. If you make it easy to sit down in a room with a team and build out a project by task, make it easy to adjust, and leave it the way people left it, I guarantee you will have more people using wrike, me being one of them. But due to the headaches and added time/effort it takes to use wrike, I end up not using it. And I think wrike has a ton of great features that would be a huge benefit to me, but it's not worth it at this stage.

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Having a specific sort available in all views would be so helpful. It can be frustrating having to review a timeline with someone who prefers a different view then you and the order is all out of place. It would save time if there was a locked sort available in each view.

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This was one of the main frustrations that led to so many people not using Wrike at our company and we have now decided to stop using Wrike as a company. It's too bad because Wrike is so close to being a really good option, but there are too many unaddressed issues that make it difficult and frustrating to use.

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Agree. This is an extremely simple request to fix an annoyance with Wrike that seems to be marketed as an advantage. It's great to have the option to sort by title, priority, etc., but the default needs to simply leave tasks in the order in which they were input. Imagine trying to use Excel only to have cells jumping up and down after entering data.

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Agree. What Torben said on 2 May in this thread describes the issue and frustration most of our users face. 

The cascade sorting is great to sort tasks in folders, except that it also cascades the folders. The options right now are to either sort by title (alphabetically) or use cascade sorting on all tasks and folders. 

The work around we have is to use a custom sort column, inputting the sequential number of the task or folder. Yes this is as painful as it sounds, requiring a lot of manual effort to maintain this column. For now it is the only solution for us. 

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Lisa, Have there been any enhancements or changes made to address this concern? 

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Hugh

Hey everyone, a quick update: our Product team has been investigating this, and it is currently not on the product roadmap. As soon as I have an update for you, I'll let you know.

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That is super unfortunate! I agree with everybody's comment that this is a serious issue which really should be addressed...

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Hugh

Hey Andreas Diening, thank you for this feedback! It's been passed on to the Product team.

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Good day,

it is now over 2 years since this issue has been raised for the first time and it hasn't been addressed. 

If I look at what wrike has done in the meantime, e.g. roll out of new product packages for more client groups, I am wondering if the setting of priorities is done correctly within the wrike team. I almost feel that you have the same problem than all of us: Fixing the sorting issue was at the top of the task list for your dev-team and then fell under the table because wrike re-arranged the tasks of the dev-team.

Could you please provide an update as to when it will be fixed?

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We stopped using Wrike for project management so I don't know what the sorting is like at this stage but it doesn't sound like any productive steps towards resolving this major issue have been made. We have been using it as a way to review artwork with a graphic designer for feedback here and there. 

What's the latest Wrike?

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All in all I think the current Wrike is great, but the sorting issue and some gantt topics around date alignment is really troublesome. What are you using now for project management?

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Hi JJ Beck, Joel Baur, I'm checking with the team now, and if there's an update from them regarding sorting and the possibility to "lock" it, I'll make sure to let you know here. Thank you for sharing your thoughts here! 

Lisa Community Team at Wrike Wrike Product Manager Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover

Lisa Wrike Team member Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover

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Hi again everyone! The team is planning to release some Gantt Chart sorting improvements very soon, we'll be announcing that in the Weekly Release Notes. Once they're released, we can surely discuss whether or not we can add the Launched status here 👍 Please stay tuned for the updates 🙂 

Lisa Community Team at Wrike Wrike Product Manager Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover

Lisa Wrike Team member Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover

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Lisa - is there a follow up on this? 

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Welcome to the Community Marian Barber!

As mentioned previously, an update to Gantt Chart sorting has been released last year, you can read more about it here.

I don't have more updates at the moment, but I hope that the introduced functionality is helpful.

Please let me know if I can help you with anything else! 

Lisa Community Team at Wrike Wrike Product Manager Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover

Lisa Wrike Team member Become a Wrike expert with Wrike Discover

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Hi! I created my LIST of tasks and subtasks, but when I move to TABLE view or GANTT the order or tasks changes. I must keep the same order as in the LIST view. The info about the Gantt chart shared does not address this issue or the fact that rows cannot be moved up or down easily.

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