Collaboration - Task Manager

Task Manager Home

Choose the Collaboration >> Task Manager link from menu bar to display the Task Manager home page. The system displays the Task Manager home page.

1. The details of the Tasks are displayed under the following columns: Category, Subject, Regarding, Start Date, Due Date, Priority and Status.
2. Use the search bar to display the records matched with the text string specified in the search bar columns.
3. The Priority column is a drop-down list with the following options: All, Low, Normal andHigh. Using Priority column, you can know the status of the task as High, Low orNormal.
4. Choose the required item from the drop down list of Status column in the search bar to display the tasks within the selected item. By default, the tasks within all the items are displayed.
5. You can select any of the links from the Task Manager home page to Add, Import, Assignand Archive the tasks.
6. Use the ‘Assigned to you’ link to view the tasks assigned to you. See the Assigned taskstopic to know more about assigned tasks activities.
7. Highlight the task and double click it to edit from Task Manager home page See the Modify a task topic to know how to modify and update the task details.
8. See the Paging options topic to know how to use the paging options displayed at the bottom of the Task Manager page.
9. Clicking on any of the column heading allows sorting of the records either ascending or descending order.

Regarding ColumnS

The Regarding column displays the names of the associates like Contacts, Companies, Candidates, Job Order, Active Clients, My Placements, Overseas Recruiting, Applicant Tracking and Employee Management.

You can know what information each associate will display in the regarding column from the below tabular form:

Note: If the task status is ‘Overdue’, then it displays the record in red color.

Create a Task

To create a new task, go to Task Manager home page, and click on the ‘New’ link. Result: The Add Task screen pops up by displaying the form to create a new task. The task manager screen is divided into two parts, namely, Task Info and Task details. The task info part captures the new task information.

 To view a full sized copy of the image, please click directly onto the graphic.

To create a new task:

1. Select the task category from the Categories drop list. To create a new category type rather than a category from the drop down list box, click on the ‘Manage Categories’ link.
2. Specify the subject for the task in the Subject text box.
3. Specify the Start Date and Due Date of the task from the fields provided.
4. Alternatively, you can click on calendar  icon to specify the start date and end date of the task.
5. Specify the task status from the Status drop down list. The Status is a drop down list containing the following options: Not Started, In Progress, Waiting on someone else, Deferred and Completed. 
6. The fields marked in * (red star) are mandatory.
7. You can also specify the task priority from the Priority drop down list. For instance, you can select as high/low/medium etc. By default, the priority is selected as ‘Normal’
8. Specify the percentage of task completed in the % completed text box. This helps to keep track of your each task. For instance, you can enter as 50% or 75% etc.,
9. Enter the task description in the Description textarea.
10. You can specify the date till which the task can be reminded on eDesk. To do this, select the ‘Remind me on eDesk until’ check box and specify the Month, Day, Year and Time by selecting in their respective fields from the drop down list.  Selecting this is optional. The reminders for tasks will start from task start date until reminder date. For example:  If the user creates a new task with today (24 February 2009) as Start Date and Reminder Date as March 01, 2009, then the system displays the reminder in eDesk->Reminders section from today till March 01, 2009.
11. Alternatively, you can click on the calendar  icon to specify the date till which the task can be reminded on eDesk.
12. You will find the Recurrence link in the Recurrence field. Clicking on this link allows you to set the task recurrence. Based on the recurrence set, the task will be displayed in the eDesk->Tasks section and Collaboration->Task Manager home page.
13. Once you apply the selected task recurrence settings, the system displays the selected recurrence information in the Add Task screen.

Task Details

To add completed task information:

1. Specify the date of task completion by selecting the Month, Day and Year in their respective fields drop down list.
2. Alternatively, you can click on the calendar  icon to specify the task completion date.
3. Enter the total work hours in Total Work text box.
4. Enter the actual work hours in Actual Work text box.
5. Enter the companies involved in the Companies text box.
6. Enter the mileage in the Mileage text box.
7. Enter the billing information in the Billing Information text box.
8. The user can now browse and upload the required files to the new task from the Upload File(s) field, if required. To upload the file, click the Browse button and select the required file and click Open. The system displays the uploaded file in the Uploaded File(s) section. The user can remove the uploaded files, if required by clicking on the Remove link available next to the Uploaded File(s) field. All the tasks added will be displayed in the eDesk on the date it has been created and not for the duration of the task.
9. User can upload many files.
10. Click on the ‘Save’ link to save new task details. Result: The Add Task screen saves the task details and the Task Manager Home page is displayed with the new task added in the existing list. At the same time, the task will be displayed in the eDesk->Tasks section.
11. Click on the ‘Close’ link to cancel and return to the previous page.

AkkenCloud Staffing provides the flexibility to create a new task or edit the existing task from eDesk or from collaboration.

Tip to set the Task Recurrence

To set the task recurrence, perform the following steps:

1. Go to Collaboration->Task Manager->New Task – In the Add Task screen, click on theRecurrence link available in the Recurrence field. The system refreshes and displays the Task Recurrence screen as shown below:

1. In the Recurrence Pattern section, indicate the frequency of the task as: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly. You can also have an option to select on which day, the task needs to recur.
2. Enter the day and month, as well as any other options in the Recurrence Pattern section that are specific to your selection. Selecting the task regenerate option creates a new task based on the completion status of the current task.
3. In the Range of Recurrence section, enter appropriate time limits according to these guidelines:

• Start: Choose the date on which the recurring tasks will begin.
• No End Date: Choose this option if the recurring tasks are not on a limited schedule.
• End After: Choose this option and enter the number of tasks, if there is a specific limit to the recurring tasks.
• End By: Choose this option and enter an ending date to limit the number of recurring tasks.

1. Click OK to apply the task recurrence settings. Based on the recurrence setting, the task will be displayed in the Task Manager home page and eDesk->Tasks section. Once you apply the selected task recurrence settings, the system displays the selected recurrence information in the Add Task screen.
2. Click Cancel to cancel the task recurrence screen.

Notes:

1. While creating a new task, the Start Date and Due Date fields will display the current date. The date in the Due Date field will be changed automatically based on the date selected by the user in the Start Date field.
2. While creating a new task, if the user enters a date in the Due Date field that is greater than the current date, and later changes the date in the Start Date field, then the date in the Due Date field will change to the difference in dates the user had entered earlier.
3. For example: If the user enters 04/01/2009 in the Start Date field and 04/03/2009 in the Due Date field, and later goes to the Start Date field and changes the start date to 04/03/2009 then the Due Date field will display 04/05/2009 automatically.
4. When the user opens a task from the Task Manager screen and enters 100% in the “% Completed” field, then the status of the task in the Status field will be displayed as “Completed”. Similarly, if the user enters a percentage that is between 1% and 99% in the “% Completed” field, then the status of the task in the Status field will be displayed as “In Progress”.
5. If the status of the task in Status field is “Not Started”, then the “% Completed” field will display 0%.
6. If the user has selected the “Regenerate new task “@@” day(s) after each task is completed” option while setting the recurrence pattern, then the system will add a new record in the Task Manager screen based on the next start date for the task and the completed status of the current task status. The user will not be allowed to select an “End By” date in the recurrence screen.

Note: The above functionality will be similar for Weekly, Monthly and Yearly recurrence patterns.

1. In Collaboration->Task Manager – if the user creates a new task with a recurrence pattern set, then first occurrence of the recurrence pattern will become the start date of the task.
2. When the user saves a task record with the recurrence pattern start date different from the start date of the task, then the system will create and display two records in the Task Manager home page. The first record displayed will be without recurrence pattern and the second record displayed will be associated with the recurrence pattern set (the start date of the task will be the second occurrence of the recurrence option).
3. When the user updates the status of the task as completed, the system marks the current updated record as Completed and a new task record with the start date as per the recurrence pattern selected will be displayed in the Task Manager home page.
4. When the user updates the status of the task as completed that has recurrence pattern set to regenerate, then the start date of the next occurrence of the task will be calculated based on the following:

• 
  
  • Date the user is marking the task as completed
  • Regenerate pattern selected
  • Based on the above conditions a new task will be shown on the Task Manager home page.

1. If the user has selected the “Regenerate new task “@@” day(s) after each task is completed” option while setting the recurrence pattern, and then opens the task from Task Manger screen and changes the task status in the Status field as Completed, then the Recurrences and Reminders for the selected task will be removed and the system will display the following message: “You have selected Status for the task as Completed, Reminder and Recurrence for this task are not applicable.”, as shown below:

Note: The above functionality will be similar for Weekly, Monthly and Yearly recurrence patterns.

1. When a task is added and selected a recurrence pattern for the task, then even if the next occurrence date of the task reaches, that task will not be displayed or reminded until the status of the previous occurrence of the task is marked as completed.

In addition to create your own tasks, the Task Manager facilitates you to create the tasks and assign them to others. You can assign the tasks by selecting the required employees. The person who received the task can update the task and send status, as it is progressing towards completion.

To assign tasks to other users, perform the following steps:

1. Select the task you wish to assign and click on the ‘Assign’ link to assign task to others. The system refreshes and displays the Assign Task Manager screen as shown below:

1. In the above screen, select the department of employee to whom you want to assign the task from the Departments drop down list.
2. The Available Employees List list box displays the employees’ names that belongs to the selected department. Select the employees to whom you want to assign the task and click onAdd link. The system adds the selected employees to the Receiving Employees List. You can assign the single task to more than one person.
3. Once you have added the employees list to the Receiving Employees List, click on Assignlink. The system refreshes by assigning the task to the selected employees.
4. Click on Close link to close the Assign Task Manager screen.

 

Employees who have Assignment Type as Administrative Staff will have the facility to assign the task to other users in Collaboration->Task Manager Section. Links like Assign and Assigned by You will be displayed in the Task Manager home page only if the employee has the Assignment Type as Administrative Staff or employee is set as "Internal Direct" employee type.

Update Status of the Task

The employee who receives the task assigned by others can update the task as it is progressing. The assignee can change the task details assigned to him. For instance, the assignee can rename a task, change status, change the description or if the task assigned is completed, then the status can also be changed as ‘Completed’ and may update the same.

1. To view the list of tasks assigned to you, click on the ‘Assigned to you’ link on Task Manager home page. Result: The Task Manager home page refreshes by displaying tasks list assigned to you by others.
2. Select the task and double click it to update the status. Result: The Task Manager screen refreshes by displaying the form to update the selected task.
3. Update the task details.
4. Click on the ‘Update’ link to save the task assigned details. Result: The Task Manager screen refreshes by saving.
5. Click on the ‘Cancel’ link to cancel and return to the previous page.
6. AkkenCloud Staffing keeps automatically updating the task record copy of the person who originally assigned the task, as and when the assignee updates the task.

The task can be marked as completed in the ‘Status’ field of Task Manager Update form. The status must to be selected as Completed and then enter the completed task details in the ‘Details’ section of the Task manager update form.

The task status, which is assigned to you or assigned by you, is automatically updated as completed in other party records once the corresponding task is marked as completed. Once you mark the task status as completed, the task is removed from the existing assigned tasks list and made available in ‘Completed tasks list’.

Note: Selecting task status as Completed will automatically fill ‘% Completed’ text box as 100 % in Task Manager update form. The tasks, which are marked as completed, will not be reminded on eDesk.

View Completed Tasks

The Task Manager Screen displays all the tasks – the one that you still need to complete and completed tasks together. However you might want to view the list of completed tasks details assigned to you or assigned by you over a period of time.

To view the list of completed tasks assigned to you:

1. Click on the ‘Assigned to you’ link on Task Manager Screen. Result: The Task Manager screen refreshes by displaying the lists of tasks assigned to you by others.
2. Click on the ‘Completed Tasks’ link to view list of tasks completed by you that are assigned by others.
3. Select the completed task and double click it to view the details. Result: The Task Manager screen refreshes by displaying the details of completed task.
4. Clicking on the ‘Cancel’ link on any of the above-described screen’s cancels and returns to previous page.
5. To view list of completed tasks assigned by you:
6. Click on the ‘Assigned by you’ link on Task Manager Screen. Result: The Task Manager screen refreshes by displaying the lists of tasks assigned by you to others.
7. Click on the ‘Completed Tasks’ link to view list of tasks completed by others that are assigned by you.
8. Select the completed task and double click it to view the details. Result: The Task Manager screen refreshes by displaying the details of completed task.
9. Clicking on the ‘Cancel’ link on any of the above-described screen’s cancels and returns to previous page.

To modify a task:

1. The Task Manager screen displays the existing tasks list. Select the task and double click it to edit the task details. The Edit Task screen pops up by displaying the form to edit the task.

2. Modify the task details.

3. Click on the ‘Update’ link to save the task details. The Edit Task screen updates and saves the changes. The Task Manager Home page is displayed with the updated task.

4. To close the window, click on the ‘Cancel’ link.

Archive Tasks

You can remove tasks temporarily or permanently from your active tasks list. The tasks removed from Task Manager Screen are not available even in eDesk and vice versa.

Refer to the Archive and View Archive topics available in CRM online help to know how to remove a record temporarily or permanently from the application.