Types of project plan tasks
The following types of tasks can be created in projects:
- Task (
). This is a standard task with a deadline. Such tasks are highlighted light blue in the chart. - Milestone (
). This is a milestone created at a point in the project where you need to check the results of tasks completed by this time. When you create an assignment of this type, you only need to specify the start date. In the chart a milestone is displayed as a purple diamond shape before it is completed and as a green diamond shape after that.
Tasks and Milestones are assigned to their executors after the project plan is published. The assignments can then be viewed:
- In the Tasks workspace in the Project tasks section.
- On the project page in the My Project Tasks widget.
- Process (
). You can select a business process that needs to be launched at a certain step in the project. This type of task is highlighted orange in the chart and can only be viewed in the project plan. It is marked done when the process is finished.
When creating a task of the Process type, you need to specify additional data: the context, the business process, the variable, and the process input parameters.
If sequential execution is set up for the Process type task, it will start immediately after the previous task is completed but not earlier.
Note that if the process does not start automatically at the specified date, you can start it manually. To do that, go to the project plan and open the page of the Process type task. In the Linked process field, click on the Start Process Task from Project Plan Element widget.
- Stage task (
). This type of task is used to group tasks of other types in the plan. Its duration equals the duration of all tasks nested in it. In the chart it is highlighted pink. A task of this type can only be viewed in the project plan. A stage task is considered completed when all the tasks that it includes are completed.
Add a task to the plan
To create a task in the project plan, open it in the editing mode. There are two ways to add a new task to the project plan:
- Click on the
icon on the left of the Tasks column title. Fill out the fields on the provided form. - Enter a name in the New Task field and press Enter. The start date of a task created in this manner is set to the current date by default, its type is Task, and its creator is assigned as the task executor. Later on you can edit the task’s fields if necessary.
When using the first method, the task creation form looks as follows:
Fill out the fields in General information and Deadline sections.
The default type is Task but you can select a different option. The Duration (days) field is filled out automatically.
If you are creating a Milestone, the Deadline section will only feature the Start date* field.
Add a Process type task
If you are creating a task of the Process type, an additional Business Process section appears on the form:
- Context. Select the item to be used in the process instance: Current Project, Current Project Plan, Current Project Plan Element. The fields of this item will be used as values of the process context variables.
- Business process. Specify the process that needs to be launched when the project reaches the start date of this task set in the plan.
- Link with field. Specify the process context variables that the item selected in the Context field will be sent to.
- Configure input parameters. Map the process input variables with the properties of the item selected in the Context field.
Add a subtask
When you fill out the fields and save the task, it appears in the chart. The left column shows tasks as a list, and the right column shows them as colored bars.
You can add subtasks for stage tasks. To do that:
- Hover over the stage task name and click the three dots icon that appears.
- In the context menu, click Add task.
When you’ve added all the tasks, set up their order of execution. To do that, define the dependencies between them. To learn more, see Link project plan tasks.
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