What is it?
A task is a defined action - mandatory or optional - that may be created automatically or manually to maintain quality as an asset moves through different stages of a workflow.
To ensure standardized quality to complete tasks along a workflow (e.g., to manage project, technology, product development), you can pre-define certain tasks required (or optional) along the different steps of the workflow. The respective tasks will be auto-created once a project/product/technology (or whatever asset you want to progress) reaches the respective stage.
Learn more about:
Please note: This feature needs to be activated by ITONICS. Please contact your Customer Success Manager or Account Manager for further assistance.
How does it work?
Activating the task configuration
If activated by your Customer Success Manager, you will be able to activate the 'Task Configuration' tile on the entity configuration page of a specific entity. You can find this page via the Settings Wheel > Entity Configuration > Entity Configuration. Click on the pen icon of the respective entity in the list.
On the following page, you can activate the task configuration.
After the activation of the module, a new tab will appear in the entity configuration menu, called task configuration. Under the task configuration page, you will find the following sub-tabs:
Field configuration (to add or edit any attribute)
View configuration (to place attributes at the right positions in the task view form)
Form configuration (to place attributes at the right positions in the task create/edit form)
General configuration
Every task object comes with pre-configured basic attributes, i.e., title, description, status, priority, due date, assignee, and workflow field. The 'title, status, and project phase' cannot be disabled or deleted.
Similar to the view configuration of entity types, you can adjust the position and order of the configured fields. The task objects do not have a dedicated profile page - the way elements do - but are displayed in the task preview to the right of the screen.
Similar to the create/edit form configuration of entity types, you can adjust the position and order of the configured fields on the create and edit form of your tasks. You can use drag and drop to place the attributes at the right position in the task form configuration. To align a field horizontally, drag the field itself, or drag two fields next to each other. Use the drag icon on the left side of each field to change its vertical position.
Within the general configuration, you can define the default columns of the task board as well as rename the word task. Note that it is a feature that all list fields of all entities can be selected within the “default column” and “priority column”. This means that there is no need to set up e.g. a status field multiple times for different entities, as it can be re-used for all entity-specific task configurations.
Using the task backlog
The task backlog allows you to standardize the tasks each idea or project has to deliver for different workflow steps. You can manage your task backlog via the Settings Wheel > System Administration > Task Backlog Configuration > select respective entity type. You can define different task templates for each entity type that you have enabled the task management for. Each task template consists of the following attributes, but it can be extended via the field configuration for the task object for every entity type:
Title
Description
Status
Priority
Due date
Assignee
Workflow step
Whenever an idea or project (or anything else) enters a given workflow step, the system checks for existing task templates that are relevant to the entered step. If there are relevant task templates found, the tasks will be created automatically for this idea or project. Those created tasks can then also serve to control the workflow by defining certain workflow dependencies.
Please note that this also means that if an element is already in a particular phase and a task template is assigned as the element is in this phase, the auto-create will not work.
You can also enter a standalone task per project via the Tasks tab (1) on the detail page. You will find the task template that you have created and which you need to fill out.
User-level Task Management
The tasks overview provides a centralized location for users to view and manage all tasks assigned to them across multiple elements and projects. This also allows managers and team leads to view an overview of tasks assigned to specific team members by visiting their respective profiles.
Note: The tasks overview is automatically available if the task module is enabled in your system and for at least one entity type.
Accessing Your Tasks
To view your tasks, navigate to your user profile and select the My Tasks tab. Inside the My Tasks tab, you will see sub-tabs for each entity type where tasks are enabled.
The system only displays entities and elements for which the user has view permission. Based on your permissions (Edit/Delete Own or All Tasks), you will see action icons at the end of each row.
Use the task filters to narrow down your list:
Multi-select: Choose multiple Statuses or Priorities at once.
Not Filled: Filter specifically for tasks where certain fields haven't been completed yet.
Sorting: Use the Sort dropdown to organize tasks by Task Title, Element Title, Creation Date, or Modification Date.
Viewing Other Users' Tasks
The My Tasks section is not limited to your own profile - if you have the View User Profile permission, you can also visit another user's profile and see their Tasks tab. However, what you actually see there is still governed by your own permissions:
You will only see sub-tabs for entity types that you have view access to.
Within each entity type, only tasks on elements you are permitted to view are shown.
The Tasks tab on a user profile can optionally be marked as confidential via a visibility lock icon. When configured, access is further restricted to specific groups or roles.
Task notifications
With the task configuration come notifications to inform users about
A new task assignment,
Updates on a task a user is assigned to,
And the removal of a task assignment (not send in case of element deletion)
If a user has the respective notifications subscribed in her/his user profile notification settings, the particular action, e.g. a new task created and assigned to a user, will trigger a notification. Note that clicking on the call-to-action button in the email notification will redirect the user to the individual task on an element’s detail page (if having view access to the underlying entity type), while the system automatically ensures that a user will only see the assigned task, if not having the general permission to view all task in the task board of a particular element. Be aware that this however not automatically grants edit permission for the task(s).
Reminder notifications for tasks due dates
To easily remind task assignees and other responsible users about pending tasks, you can make use of the Reminder functionality for tasks.
Navigate to the Entity Configuration > Task Configuration > Manage Task Configuration and then add a new or edit an existing Date Picker field. Within the Add / Edit page for the Date Picker field, you will find a Reminder Notification option.
When enabled, the same configuration options as for date picker reminders are available: when to send, recipients, and notification template (default Calendar Reminder Notification or a custom reminder template).
The Task Assignee is automatically added as a default recipient, while you can also add additional recipients (users, groups, roles, contexts, user search fields, and user group search fields).
Before sending, the system validates that each recipient has view access to the underlying element and its tasks.
Email templates linked to an active Task Reminder Configuration cannot be deleted or deactivated until they are unlinked.