This app was mentioned in 2 comments, with an average of 2.00 upvotes
Yes! You don't have to start a task til you are ready to collect. Many mayors take advantage of this and "stack" tasks to collect later. For example, if you have different commercial tasks, start all simultaneously. You need to be aware of total time required to mfr the items requested, so you don't start collecting too soon. I plot out the sequence of collection and note it on index cards. Another thing I do is plan sequence of production tasks. Say for example, you need to produce plastic, shovels, and saplings. Well, plastic is used in shovels, and shovels used in saplings. So, I set things up accordingly.
I use a very convenient time calculator app all the time in CoM; its a lifesaver. Plus I make heavy use of digital timers to stay on top of things, in addition to my index card notes. I have to, I have several cities participate in CoM!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.androloloid.android.TimeCalc
I am looking for an app like TimeCalculator but with material design.