Issue a task

A task is an item to be done in the shift — unlike an order (a rule in force), a task has a status the shift workers report. You can issue a task once, recurring, or scheduled for a given day. This article is the issuing side; reporting the status is Report a task’s status.

Before you start

• Permission: the task-issuing right — task:issue. Without it you do not see the Tasks management tab.
• Where to find it: the Tasks tab in the management area, in the New task block.

Steps

The New task form. The Frequency field only appears when you set the kind to Recurring.

1. Open the Tasks tab in the management area and find the New task form.
2. Enter the Task — what has to be done (e.g. “Run the P-15-03 degasser vacuum pump”).
3. Write the Description if needed (optional) — details, conditions.
4. Choose the Kind:
   • One-time — to be done once,
   • Recurring — the system issues it automatically on its schedule (the Frequency field then appears),
   • Scheduled — timed for a given day.
5. Set the Priority (High / Normal / Low).
6. Choose the Unit if it applies to only one (empty = all units).
7. Decide whether it should also show in currently open diaries (on by default) — ticked, it also enters the running shift’s live diary; unticked, only from the next shift.
8. Click Issue task.

Four task kinds — but you issue only three

You can issue One-time, Recurring and Scheduled tasks. The fourth, Carryover, is not selectable: that is the system itself, when an unfinished task rolls over to the next shift.

If it worked

The task appears in the affected unit(s)’ diaries, and the shift workers report its status (Not started / In progress / Done / Not done). A recurring task is issued again and again by the system on its schedule. The task chains also appear, aggregated, on the Reports Tasks tab.

Common problems

What you see	Why	What to do
No “Tasks” tab	You do not have the task:issue permission.	Ask your admin.
I do not see the Frequency field	Frequency only appears for the Recurring kind.	Set the Kind to Recurring and the field appears.
The task showed up everywhere	You left the Unit empty (= all units).	If it is meant for one unit, issue it again with the right unit.

Worth knowing

• A task has a status; an order does not. If you are issuing a rule in force rather than an item to be done, that is Issue a management order.
• A recurring task comes from a template. You set it up once, and the system issues it automatically on its schedule — you do not add it again each shift.
• An unfinished task carries over. A task left open at the end of the shift also appears in the next diary (Carryover), and its shift counter grows.

Related

Report a task's statusThe other side: how the worker reports the task's status.

Issue a management orderWhen you issue a rule in force rather than a task.