By
El Copeland
May 2, 2025
•
20 min read
Professional Development

Productivity. It's one of my most beloved and yet most hated concepts. At its core, productivity is just output over time: a metric that first rose to prominence during the Industrial Revolution as we looked for a way to measure how efficiently machines (and then people) produced goods.
But, dear reader, I propose to you that we aren't machines whose only value in what we produce, and we should be intentional about evading that trap.
It's tempting to equate productivity with worth. In a tech-driven world where the average worker is already exponentially more productive than generations before, chasing productivity for its own sake can leave us burnt out and disoriented.
Chasing productivity alone can reduce our identities to more emails, more code, more content. An endless and meaningless attempt to bend the boundaries of finite resources.
Instead, I want to reframe the conversation around efficiency: meaningful output over time. Efficiency asks better questions which will lead us to better answers. No longer are we asking, "How much did you do today?" but rather, "Was it worth doing?" It is very important to me that we can reclaim this quality as something every worker can own and take pride in, and that it isn't merely a metric for middle management to squeeze as much out of you as they possibly can.

It's called Triple D not just because I'm a Guy Fieri fan (Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives is peak American reality TV in my humble opinion), but because I believe every great day at work should have that same heart: a little execution, a little learning, and a little dreaming about what’s next.
Triple D in light of our conversation on meaningful, modern productivity and efficiency in the workplace is: Do, Discover, Dream.
These three feed into each other, creating a loop of sustainable, intentional work. It honors both execution and imagination.
SInce we've defined efficiency as something every worker is in command of in their own lives, it's worth noting that attaining better efficiency isn't about having expensive software or corporate resources. It's about using what you already have as well as finding new tools. Many aspects of productivity can be inexpensive, or free. With that said, I break tools into three categories:
In order to accomplish all of the Doing, Discovering, and Dreaming you are capable of, it's vital that you establish a Flow to create structure, sense, and accountability.
Your body and brain are your most important tools. Building a rhythm that supports rest, clarity, and momentum matters more than any productivity app. Ways that you can establish Flow:
Start with what you already have. You might be surprised by what your existing tools can do.
And if your organization already uses Microsoft or Google, explore Copilot or Gemini before paying for new AI tools.

Space is more than just free time. It’s about creating breathing room to connect the dots.
Most importantly, focus on how you can build in downtime to let your mind wander. That’s where big ideas and problem-solving happen.
At the end of the day, productivity was a metric that was created for machines, and you're not a machine. You’re a human in a finite, soft body, in a world that is often very hard. Your value is not your output.
Efficiency, in contrast, helps you:
When we focus on efficiency, we create room for autonomy, insight, and innovation. That’s what helps teams thrive and businesses grow.
So: Do. Discover. Dream. And build a system that works for your actual life—not just your to-do list.
Author's Note: I also recorded a video on this with a few anecdotes and visuals. You can view it here: Rethinking Productivity: Tools and Mindsets That Actually Work.

Episode 17 warps up the breakdown of version 2.21 and begins 2.212, highlighting impactful updates across billing, SLA visibility, and ticket management. The team dives into major improvements like dynamic ticket filters, default billing templates, and better billing tab access controls. This episode is especially useful for MSPs looking to tighten billing accuracy, improve reporting visibility, and streamline ticket workflows.
Watch Now: By the [run]Book: Episode 17
For easier tracking, check out haloreleases.remmy.dev to filter and search HaloPSA updates by ID, version, and keyword.
The Billing tab is now visible to agents without requiring full billing permissions, with actions locked based on access.
Tickets on hold can now be included in SLA breached filters.
You can now define a default billing template applied automatically when creating a new customer.
Dynamic filters can now be used on ticket lists for more flexible querying.
This helps keep recurring invoices aligned when item third-party IDs change.
Recurring invoices now get the same due date option already available at customer setup.
This adds more control to portal-based approval workflows.
This extends alternate invoicing behavior down to the site level.
This helps prevent tickets from disappearing into inactive-agent limbo.
More ticket list criteria means more practical operational views.
This update improves the ManageEngine Endpoint Central integration.
Halo now supports generic OpenID Connect SSO.
You can now duplicate item bundles instead of rebuilding them manually.
This adds more naming flexibility to the UI.
This makes SLA breach reporting more honest and more useful.
A major improvement for standard billing configuration.
This adds more flexibility to meter-driven recurring billing.
Dynamic ticket filters add a much stronger filtering experience.
Cloning custom fields speeds up admin work.
This update improves chart label readability.
This update refines the encryption update workflow.
This improves call handling context.
This gives more control over quantity precision.
This improves flexibility when linking work records from sales orders.
This adds better billing visibility without fully exposing billing controls.
Spreadsheet imports can now target existing tickets by ID.
A small UI cleanup on the ticket details pane.
This adds flexibility for co-managed support models.
This improves control over CSP user mapping behavior.
This adds clarification around tax rate usage in Xero-linked setups.
This makes Avalara tenant cleanup easier from the client billing tab.
This is a strong automation improvement.
Custom table row deletion gets more precise.
This cleans up recurring invoice visibility.
This is a documentation/config clarity improvement.
Ticket rule assignment now supports more role-based options.
Approval rule logic gets another useful condition.
Supplier-related configuration gets more flexible.
Project templates now get more dynamic input from sales-order-driven creation.
This expands visibility in quote and sales order line views.
This makes customer/site control more precise.
The API docs continue to improve.
This improves ticket logging layout flexibility in the agent app.
This is an important reliability improvement for payment processing.
This adds more flexibility when services are generated from assets.
This improves parent/child ticket data behavior.
Third-party ID linking is now available across more entities.
Query Builder gets another field for reporting logic.
This expands visibility of account/prospect records in top-level views.
Custom buttons now get access control.
This adds polish to the opportunity creation experience.
This is one of the biggest integration-facing updates in the episode.

In Episode 16 of By the [run]Book, Mendy and Robbie continue reviewing HaloPSA v2.210, covering a wide range of updates across billing, workflows, integrations, AI, and asset management. The episode highlights several settings MSPs should review immediately—especially a billing change that can lock recalculation—as well as improvements to ticket automation, AI categorization, and service desk efficiency.
Watch Now: By the [run]Book: Episode 16
For easier tracking, check out haloreleases.remmy.dev to filter and search HaloPSA updates by ID, version, and keyword.
Editing billing time allocation will lock billing recalculation | v2.21 #1044274
A setting has been added to Billing configuration so that editing the billing time allocation on an action will lock the ticket from billing recalculation.
Credit notes can default to today’s date | v2.21 #1042924
A setting has been added to Credit Note configuration so that the Credit Date is set to today's date instead of the Invoice Date.
Auto-assign the next unassigned ticket when closing a ticket | v2.21 #1003964
Added a new setting that automatically assigns an Agent the next available Unassigned Ticket when they close a Ticket.
Parent tickets can inherit dates from child tickets | v2.21 #975755
Added a new Ticket Type setting: "Automatically set Start Date and Target Date based on Child Tickets".
This setting adds a new option for grouping ticket entities during invoice creation in the Ready for Invoicing area.
This setting locks a ticket from billing recalculation when billing time allocation is edited on an action.
A new variable has been added for adjusted opportunity value.
Workflow steps now require an outcome to be selected.
Invoices can now default to the customer’s main site address.
Credit notes can now default to today’s date instead of the original invoice date.
Halo can now remove FW: and RE: prefixes when creating tickets from email subjects.
AI generated summaries can now be displayed in ticket column profiles.
A new advanced setting enables configuration change tracking for Services.
A global setting can now display the asset DID as a read-only field.
Custom integrations can now use separate credentials per instance.
The Main Site Address field can now be used in client and site column profiles.
The instances area has been updated with a new loading method to improve performance.
Tickets generated from Contract Schedules can now be created a specified number of days before the appointment date.
Additional ownership-related fields are now available in asset column profiles.
Asset dependency diagrams can now display customizable fields.
The client API endpoint can now return website data when requested.
The Twilio WhatsApp integration has received multiple improvements.
Assignment rules can now be disabled during Salesforce sync.
Runbooks triggered via webhook can now use a secret URI parameter for authentication.
HubSpot quote imports now include a default user field.
Agents can automatically receive the next unassigned ticket when they close one.
Chat Bot input steps can now access browser local storage.
Additional configuration options are now available for asset system fields.
Asset custom buttons now support dynamic visibility.
Asset fields can now perform SQL lookups.
Stock bins can now be selected for non-serialized assets.
Date custom fields now support validation rules relative to the current date.
Workflow Stage can now be used in the report query builder.
The New Relic integration has received improvements.
The phone number requirement for anonymous portal tickets can now be configured per ticket type.
Parent tickets can automatically derive start and target dates from their child tickets.
AI can now suggest ticket categories from a configurable list.
A new setting expands how Agent Site Restrictions apply to users and organizations.
Halo now allows configuration of how appointment unique IDs are generated.

Episode 15 of By the [run]Book covers Halo v2.208 and starts into v2.210, with Mendy and Robbie walking through SLA refinements, shifts/time tracking updates, billing cadence improvements, and tighter access controls across portals and reporting. Key moments include new SLA response targeting options, a clock-in/clock-out widget for shifts, a bi-monthly schedule period, and expanded team leader controls. This is a useful episode for MSPs looking to tighten operational workflow, reporting governance, and self-service experience improvements.
Watch Now: By the [run]Book: Episode 15
For easier tracking, check out haloreleases.remmy.dev to filter and search HaloPSA updates by ID, version, and keyword.
Adds an SLA option so your first response target can differ from subsequent response targets.
Adds the FAQ List Ticket field as a workflow criteria option.
Allows ticket end-user updates when an anonymous chat is successfully upgraded.
Adds a clock in/clock out widget for Shifts.
Adds a 2-month schedule period option.
Improves Knowledge Base latest article links.
Adds “Visible - Read Only” for Agent Asset details visibility.
Adds load-balance on reopen if assigned agent doesn’t meet qualification rules.
Introduces a module for an Opinyin integration.
Adds test email sending for individual mail campaign messages.
Adds new Halo API actions in runbooks.
Splits KB view counts so end users see only user views (when enabled).
Adds item group restrictions + running cost total on portal ticket item selection.
Adds a Ticket Reference field that’s searchable and usable in column profiles.
Groups service subscribers.
Adds $ variables for CONTRACTSLA, CONTRACTSUBTYPE, CONTRACTSTATUS.
Adds improvements to Agent Resource Booking.
Adds encryption options for variables/responses in integrations/runbooks.
Adds software expiry date tracking on assets.
Adds ticket-type control for end-user approval action visibility.
Allows team leaders to modify agents’ preferences.
Adds bulk add assets via the asset search modal.
Adds chat profile overrides at the user role level.
Allows KB links to include FAQ lists and auto-expand on open.
Allows HTML formatting in popup notes triggered by ticket rules.
Shows credit notes alongside invoices in the portal.
Adds a setting to limit users/agents to one active session.
Adds TD Synnex Quote Line Imports.
Adds dark mode counter widget color options.
Adds downpayment invoice creation from sales orders (fixed price + T&M).
Adds settings to limit portal options to Web Access Level list values.
Adds access control for reports.
Adds a deep link button on imported Addigy devices.
Multiple changes made to the Expenses list.
Allows embedding Halo portal/agent UI (including dashboards) in SharePoint via iframe.
Changes how recurring invoices appear/create based on month selection.
Ensures billing template application creates a billing plan record per matching contract/agreement.
Adds Last Contacted + Created Date fields to NinjaOne device import.
Removes quote “Send” button so sending happens only via ticket/opportunity.
Disables change history tracking for selected asset fields.
Adds invoice access restriction levels (No Access/Site/Client).
Shows the overriding contract field even if it isn’t on the field list (admin-editable only).
Enables database lookup while entering an action in the self-service portal.
Updates the Account Integrator for Sage UK v32 (2026).
Adds a setting to group ticket entities separately during invoice creation.