Tasks
Tasks are managed within the 'Tasks' module or directly within the Resource Planner.
Tasks can also be reused in new projects when they are saved to a project template. Permissions can be set for which templates are available for which projects.
The task details are easily accessed to review and edit through a reading pane on the right hand side.
When new tasks are added to a project, the sort order is defaulted to Task Start Date with the earliest start date listed at the top (This can be configured to another sort order if required).
Inline Editing
In-line editing is available to update details of the task by clicking on the cell you wish to update.
Add a Task
The following describes how to create a task within a project in a step-by-step manner:
- Select ‘+Add’ within the task module as shown above (1). In the 'Add New task' line give the task a name and select return. The Task is now saved and if you select it in the list view by clicking on the three dots (2) you can add more details through the form on the right hand side.
The task details include the following:
-
- Name – The name of the task
- Description – A brief description of the task
- Start– When the task will become available
- End– When the task will expire (Due date)
- Status – The current status of the task
- Phase – The phase in which the task is present
- Duration - The length of time the task should take
- Priority - When this is ticked, there will be a flag highlighting the task on the task list and a red exclamation mark on any Outlook emails
- Subscribe - Select 'Subscribe' to be alerted to a status change on a task
- View History - Click on this to see the history of the task
- Set Task Over Weekend - Allow the task to be run over the weekend
Note: You need to select in your profile if you wish to receive email notifications on task status:
- Receive Email Notifications each time you are assigned a task.
Actions
Use the Actions button at the top right hand corner to open the following drop-down list of actions:
- Delete Task
- Copy Task - Allows you to copy the task and gives the option of also copying the assignees.
- Set Recurrence - Allows you to set up the task to recur at specified intervals. It also gives the option of copying the assignees.
- Split Task allows you to split the task into two individual tasks. It also gives the option of copying the assignees.
- Add Attachment – allows you to add an attachment to the task
- Send Notification – opens an email dialog to send a notification to a specified user
- Set Task Over Weekend – allow the task to run over the weekend
Assign
The Assign tab of the Task allows you to assign it to a user, a group or any user of a certain Role:
Dependencies
You can link any two tasks in a project to show their relationship (also called a task dependency). Dependencies drive the project schedule — once you link the tasks, every change you make to the predecessor affects the successor, which affects the next one, and so on.
We mostly use the dependency type: Finish to Start - The dependent task cannot begin until the task that it depends on is complete.
Tasks can be linked using their task ID shown here in the LHS column:
Or by using their task name as shown below:
Link your task in 3 ways:
- Using the task details dialog
- Using the task list
- Using the Gantt view
1. Using the task details tab dependency dialog “finish to start”
2. Adding dependencies using the task list
3. Gantt view click and link
Task dependencies, Sub Tasks, and limitations:
All Sub tasks only exist in their parent – so by default they already have 2 dependencies set – their start date cannot be before their parent start date and their end date cannot be after the end of their parent task end date. Additional limitation dependencies can be added from another task or another sub tasks, but they must not require existing dependency to be broken obviously:
Sub Task A1 cannot have a dependency to Task B or any sub task in B that contradicts the start date of Parent A
Multitask dependencies:
Adding multitask dependencies can be easier to confirm in Gant view – for example below – B and C cannot start till A finishes
Therefore, you cannot set a dependency of A à D with zero delay because D also has a dependency on C finishing - zero delay won’t allow C to happen – you will break C-> D. And you break A->B and A->C if A->D = 0
Time Allocation
The Time Allocation tab allows you to decide how the task time should be allocated i.e., as a percentage, an average or a total number of hours.
Click on the Assign button to select from the list of available users.
Task Import/Export
Users can download a ‘Task Import’ template which when filled out, can be re-uploaded to any given project. Tasks and sub tasks will automatically be created to a specified phase.
To Import/Export a task list, click on the ‘Filter the List’ menu:
Bulk Action Options
The checkboxes on the LHS are used to multi-select tasks. The bulk action button on top of tasks allows you to assign/delete the chosen tasks.
Mark as Complete - This will mark the task as complete
Allocate - Assign a user to all selected tasks within a specific allocation
Delete Tasks - This will delete the selected tasks
Copy Tasks - Copies all the selected tasks
Link - This will link your tasks with a zero-lag finish to start dependency
Unlink - This will unlink the tasks
Viewing Tasks
There are four other views, besides the default list view above, which can be used to view tasks:
- Kanban Phase View
- Kanban Status View
- Gantt View
- Resource Budget View
Kanban Phase View
Tasks can be added, edited and deleted from the Kanban list view
Kanban Status View
Tasks are displayed on a phase basis and you can switch to see which tasks are assigned to you using the 'Show My Tasks' button
Gantt View
Gantt charts display the relationship between the start and end dates of tasks, milestones, and dependent tasks.
Resource Budget View
The Resource Budget View is a view of Project Estimating, Resourcing & Timesheets in monthly grid view with Resourcing being editable.
Next page: Budget Module