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A ZARMS card isn’t just a to-do note. It’s the work of producing something you’ll hand to someone, on one card. Write the card name so anyone can tell “what has to exist for this to be done.” Then the Processor, Reviewer, and Receiver can all act without guessing.

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Name the card by what and when it’s done

Put the thing you’ll produce (the deliverable) and an action that marks it as done in the card name. Names like “the X thing,” “consider X,” or “handle X” mean different things to different people. The Reviewer doesn’t know what to check, and the Receiver doesn’t know what they’re getting.

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Check three things after you write it

Reread the card name and make sure it tells you these three things:
  1. What will be produced (a document, a video, a decision, an answer, and so on)
  2. Who will receive it (who the Receiver is)
  3. What counts as done (submitted, published, decided, and so on)
If some conditions don’t fit in the name, write them as “Definition of done” in the card’s Google Doc so the Reviewer isn’t left guessing.

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Card, steps, or comment?

Choose where things go based on their size and nature. For example, on a card called “Prepare progress report slides for next week’s team meeting,” put “Gather the numbers,” “Make the charts,” and “Get a manager to review” in its steps.

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Decide the roles at the same time

When you create a card, set the roles along with the name so the ball doesn’t get stuck.
  • Set the person doing the work as Processor
  • Set the person checking the result as Reviewer
  • Set the person receiving the result as Receiver
If you’re doing all the work yourself, you can keep yourself in every role. For how roles work, see Why cards have four roles and a ball.
Last modified on November 4, 2026