The CS worksheet is functional but will never be a one size fits all. There are simply too many workflows that preparers can choose. and, yes it is cumbersome.

i work and manage my practice remotely. I maintain  with an office staff to accept, scan, assemble, and distribute so that I can focus on tax work and communication with clients.

I abandoned the CS worksheet a few years ago in favor of a shared Google sheets worksheet that I created. It includes status and next steps that are constantly updated so that everyone is on the same page. It seems to work best for my situation and allows me to accommodate clients who prefer in person, mail, email, or Intuit link methodologies. What a pita!