Project > Gantt

Tasks can be added and updated via the Projects > Project > Gantt screen.

Project tasks are created in order for you to:

• Clearly define the separate pieces of work within a project

• Show staff which tasks they should be working on

• Use predecessors to create a project timeline

• Plan fees for each task

• Create a billing schedule

• Manage resource and expense costs for each task independently

• Use reports to analysis project performance in detail

Tasks can be added to a project via

• Project > Fee Allocation (Architects, Engineers, Quantity Surveyors)
• Project > Estimates (Consultants)
• Project > Work Structure
• Project > Gantt

For basic task addition in order to allocate budgets and fees, the simplest method is via the Fee Allocation or Estimates screen.

Follow the instructions below for adding tasks where full task planning is required.

New Task

1. Open the required Project and go to the Gantt page.

2. Drag the Add Task icon onto Gantt view, dropping it on to the existing task you wish to create this task after.

3. Type in the Task Name you would like for this task.

4. Enter the number of Days this task is due to run for. ** See note below.

5. If the task start date needs to be driven by the finish date of a previous task(s), enter the predecessor task number(s) in the Predecessor box. ** See note below.
   For more complicated predecessor requirements you can use the following codes, where 'X' is the task number.

   • X:FS – The task cannot start until the predecessor has finished.
                This is the default option and what happens if you do not enter any of these four codes.

   • X:FF – The task cannot finish until the predecessor has finished

   • X:SS – The task cannot start until the predecessor has started

   • X:SF – The task cannot finish until the predecessor has started

6. To change the task start date, move the cursor to the start of the gantt bar and it will change to a double ended arrow .
   Hold down the left-hand mouse button and drag the gantt bar horizontally to the required start date. ** See note below.

7. To change the task end date, move the cursor to the end of the gantt bar and it will change to a double ended arrow.
   Hold down the left-hand mouse button and drag the gantt horizontally to the required end date. ** See note below.

**Note: Click on the gantt bar to open up the task popup, to add and maintain the planned work days, predecessor(s), and start and end dates.

                This popup also contains other task features, see below for further details.

8. Select the Task Type for this task. There are three different types of task categorisation:

1. • Non-Effort Driven should be used when you want to fix a task start and end date, and assign resources within these two dates.

   • If you do not want to fix task start and end dates, you can use the task type Accumulated Work, which will update the start or end date based on the task constraint selected and resource assignments made.

   • Alternatively, you can use Calendared resourcing which will set task start and end dates purely on resource assignments made. (The earliest resource assignment will set the start date, the latest resource assignment will set the end date).

Note: Once calendared resourcing has been used, task start and end dates will automatically update.
             Previous Non-Effort Driven or Accumulated Work task start and task finish dates will be replaced with dates effective from calendared resourcing.

See the topic Forecasting resources for more details on task types and resourcing options.

9. If the task start date needs to be driven by the finish date of a previous task, enter the predecessor task number in the Predecessor box.

10. Select the Constraint appropriate to your task planning. The table below explains how the Task Start date is affected by each constraint.

11. Use the calendar button to set the Task Start date. This may forcibly change if this task has a predecessor and constraint type that conflicts with your selected start date.

12. If you know when the task must finish, use the calendar button to set the Task Finish date.
    If you don’ t know the finish date but know how many days are required to complete the task, enter this number in the Planned Work days box.

13. Click the Save button to save your task.

Task detail

The Task Details section allows you to identify key characteristics of the task you have setup.

1. Select the task Status from the drop-down field.
   Task statuses are maintained via Admin > Project Settings > Task Statuses and affect the ability for staff to record time and expenses against the task.

2. If the task has been agreed with the client, enter the Task Probability % as 100.
   If the task is not yet approved, select the % probability of the task work being agreed.
   Task Probabilities are maintained via Admin > Project Settings > Task Probability and provides reporting analysis in reports such Resource Utilisation vs Target.

3. Select the Fee Type for this task. This selection is used for calculating work in progress values in the Work in Progress report.

4. The Complete days field is read only and updates automatically from all timesheet entries recorded against this task.

5. Optionally tick the task as a Milestone. This creates a visual image in the gantt bar and can be linked to invoice rules for billing purposes.

6. As this is a new task, leave the % Complete box as 0.
   Updating this value as the task progresses can provide reporting analysis in reports such as Project Performance - Based on percentage complete* and Work in Progress.

7. Optionally tick the task a Speculative.
   Doing so identifies the task as not yet billable and provides reporting analysis in reports such as Resource Utilisation vs Target.

8. If you want all members of the project team to be able to log time and expenses to this task (as opposed to only team members specifically resourced to the task), then tick the box All project team can log time & expenses to this task.

9. Enter any task Notes you wish to record against the task.

10. Click the Save button to save your task details.

Move Up / Move Down

Task can be reordered and parent-child relationships created. If a task is not needed it can be deleted.

Note: Deleting a task does not delete any data (e.g. timesheet entries) associated with it.
             Tasks are 'soft-deleted' which means that data associated to them is not lost and can still be reported on.

1. Click and hold the mouse button over the center of the tasks’ Gantt bar.

2. Drag the bar to the position in the list you would like it to go.

3. Let go of the mouse button.

Outdent / Indent

A task can have a number of child tasks, which in turn can have their own child tasks.

Parent tasks cannot be resourced, but instead total up the number of resourced days for their child tasks.

Only leaf tasks (i.e. the lowest level) tasks can be resourced.

1. Open the Task Details popup by clicking on the appropriate Gantt bar.

2. Click on the Indent button to make this task a child of the task above it.

3. Click on the Outdent button to remove the parent-child relationship to the task above it.

Note: Indenting a task will remove any of its parent task’s assigned resources and expense forecast items.

Delete task

1. Click and hold the mouse button over the center of the tasks’ Gantt bar.

2. Drag the bar to the Delete icon (located below the Save button).

3. Let go of the mouse button.

Note: Deleted tasks can be restored via Admin > Undelete Data.

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