How to work in the project plan

Introduction

This help text helps you, if you are in a project. You get an introduction to how you work in the project plan and complete the following actions:

• Create tasks on the project
• Add sub tasks to the project
• Edit a task
• Move a task in the project plan or to a different project
• Create a milestone and add a responsible
• Add resources to tasks from the project plan

Description

Create tasks on the project

A project always need at least one task for you to be able to track time on it.

A project can consist of five levels (depending on your version of TimeLog), the top of which contain the tasks which sum up the underlying task budgets and registrations.

If you want to delete a task, there must not be any time registrations or invoices linked to it.

How to create a task on the project:

• Click the New task button to create a new task for your project. Some of the task fields are already filled in with pre-existing project settings.
• Write the task Name. The WBS number is filled in automatically, showing the location of the task in the project plan.
• The task’s Start date and End date are filled out automatically and match the settings on the project. If you create a sub task, the dates will be copied from the main task. If you create several tasks in a row, the same dates as you have just selected will be shown. To edit the task period, simply enter new dates in the two fields or use the calendar icons. If you click the sight next to the calendar icon, you will automatically get today’s date.
• The task’s budget is written in the Budget (h) field and the Hourly rate is selected from the drop down.
• You can add a description and enter task information and insert a link to detailed task information. It could e.g. be to the documentation folder on your local network
• Select Task type
• Select Status for the task. To allow time registrations on the task, set the status to In Progress
• Select which Contract to link to the task. If you need a new contract, then click the plus icon next to the selection list to create a new contract for this specific task.
• Under Invoicing you select, if the task should be billable or not. You can also indicate right away, if it should be set as Ready for invoicing, if you have activated this process.
• Click Save to add the task to the project plan. If you would like to create more tasks, then click Save & New.

Add sub tasks to the tasks

To create sub tasks, no employees or budgets can be allocated to the task, as it will act as a summation task.

A sub task is either created by clicking the burger menu next to the task name where you select New sub task. Or you can select to create a new task as described above and then select which WBS no. it should have in your plan, e.g. 1,2 or 3,4, and then it is automatically added as a subtask.

If a task has one or more sub tasks, the task is marked with a dark background colour. If the triangle next to a task has a dark colour, employees are allocated to the task. Click the triangle to open the information. Tasks without allocations are marked with a colourless triangle which cannot be opened.

Edit a task

If you with to edit an existing task, you have several options:

• Click the burger menu next to the task name and select Edit
• Click the pencil to the right
• If you would only like to edit the name, you can double click it directly in the project plan so you get a text field

You can also edit the task type, date interval, status and budget both on task and allocation level directly within the project plan without having to open each task.

Move a task

You can move a task in the project plan either by using the WBS structure or the drag-and-drop feature.

Changing WBS no.:

• Click the burger menu next to the task name and select Edit or click the pencil to the right.
• Write a new WBS no. for the task, e.g. 4 or 4,1 depending on where you want to move the task to
• Click Save to update the WBS numbers for the other tasks in the project plan

Use of the drag and drop function:

• Place the cursor next to the task, where you see an arrow cross. The task is highlighted and the cursor changes to the icon
• Click and hold the left mouse button
• Drag the task to the desired location. If the cursor is moved to a space between two tasks, it is highlighted so you know where the task will be placed between the two.
• If you drag the task to another task, it is highlighted. If you drop the task here, it is inserted as a subtask.

In either case, the project WBS number is automatically updated to reflect the new location.

Move a task to a different project

You can also drag a task to another project, as long as none of the task registrations have been invoiced:

• To the right of the task(s), select the ones you wish to move. If a summation task is selected, the underlying tasks are automatically selected as well
• Click the Select action drop-down menu 
• Select Move tasks to another project
• Click OK
• Select the destination project in the Destination drop-down menu
• Click the OK button to move the item. The task(s) are moved to the bottom of the recipient project's project plan

Is Go to the destination project after moving tasks marked, the recipient project opens for editing.

Create a milestone

Milestones are used to enter important dates on the project, e.g. deadlines. You can allocate an employee as responsible for the milestone. If you have enabled the functionality under Time and expense registrations -> Time tracking setup, the milestones will appear in the timesheets, so your employees remember the important deadlines. From here, you can mark the milestone as completed.

Besides showing in the timesheet, the milestone is now a part of the notifications list on the employee’s main menu, where it is shown with a green indicator until the milestone date has passed, at which point the indicator changes to red. It will be shown, when there are 14 days left before the deadline.

How to create a milestone

• Click New Milestone
• WBS no. is filled in automatically and indicates the location in the project plan. If this number is changed, the milestone will be placed according to the new WBS number.
• Enter a familiar milestone Name. The milestone’s name will appear in the project plan after it is saved.
• Specify the Date of assessing the project milestone. Use the calendar icon or enter the date directly in the field.
• Select the Responsible (owner) in the drop-down menu. You cannot save it without selecting an employee
• Click Save to add the milestone to the project plan. If you would like to create more milestones, then click Save & New.

Like tasks, milestones can be moved to a new location. You can later change responsible by clicking the Add resources to milestones button.

Add resources to tasks

You have several options to add resources to your tasks.

• Click the Add resources to tasks button – If you have access to the CV module, you will be able to search for a specific employee based on their competences and add them
• Click the burger menu and select either Add one resource or Add multiple resources

If you select to add multiple resources, you will first see a list of the employees already in the resource group. If you want to select a different employee, select to see all employees instead.