QuickStart Guide: Projects and Tasks

Introduction

Imagine that you run a busy IT department. Your staff is updating the networking infrastructure at the same time they're upgrading software while they're switching to a new Internet Service Provider. How do you keep track of all these projects? How do you know who's doing what and when it should happen? What about the London office? They never seem to have the current version of the project plan.

Projects and Tasks can help you get all this activity in hand. Create as many projects as you need to. Designate a lead. Then create tasks for each project and assign users to each one. The best part of all is that everyone, even the folks in London, can see and enter updates in real-time on the Web. With QuickBase, everyone is on the same page.

Contents

Projects

Creating a Project

Tasks

Adding and Assigning Tasks

Adding a Project from within Task

Working with Predecessors

Searching for Tasks

About Users and Task Assignments

Automatic email

Creating a Record Change Notifications

QuickBase Reports

Displaying a Report

Creating a New Report

Modifying a Report

Controlling Who Sees What

Creating a Role

Inviting Users

Projects

You can track multiple projects with Projects and Tasks.

Creating a New Project

Start by adding a new project.

1. Within the table bar, click Projects and select Add a New Project.

2. Type in a Project Name.
3. Click the Project Lead and designate someone from the dropdown list.
4. Set an appropriate Priority.

   Use this field to categorize and track the importance of each project.

5. Set Status to In-Progress.

   This field measures the progress of your project.

Tip: Do you use different terms to measure status? To change selections here, right-click the field name and select Edit the field properties for this field. Edit items in the Choices box and click Save.
5. Set an Est Start Date and an Est End Date.
   QuickBase completes the actual Start Date and End Date fields for you when you have finished adding your tasks. The values in these fields come from the tasks you create and relate to this project. The project will start on the earliest task start date and end on the day that your final task is scheduled to finish.
6. Optionally provide a brief Description of the new project.
7. At this point you can add Task(s) for the project by clicking the Add a New Task button. Or you can wait and add them later using the Task tab on the table bar. (See the next section for more on adding tasks).
8. Supporting Information. Do you have a file attachment relevant to this project, like a scope document or project plan? If so, click the Browse button and upload the file to QuickBase.

9. Click Save.

Tasks

Adding and Assigning Tasks

You can add a task, associate it with any project and assign to any team member.

To add a task:

1. You can add a task in one of three ways:
   • Within the table bar, select Tasks > Add a New Task
   .
   • If you have a project record open and you want to create a task for that project, just click the Add Task button. When you do so, the new task you create is automatically related to originating project.
2. From the Project Name dropdown, select a project.
3. Type in a Task name.
4. Assign the task.
   Within the Assigned To field, select a person from the dropdown list who'll be responsible for completing this task. The person you select will see the task within their Dashboard's My Open Tasks report.

   - Shortcut: Create a Project from within a Task Record
   
   Smack dab in the middle of adding a task, you realize that the project you want to relate it to doesn't yet exist. No problem. You can create a new project without leaving the Task record you're working on. Click the Project Name dropdown and select <Add a new project>. A new window containing a project form pops up (see illustration). Complete the fields and click Save. QuickBase creates a new project record and makes it the active selection within your task.

   
   
   When you select <Add a new project>,
   QuickBase displays a pop up form like this
   for you to complete. Click Save and the pop
   up closes, returning you to the original screen.

   Of course, you can create a project from any application screen. Within the table bar, select Projects > Add a New Project.

5. Complete other Task Summary information as desired.
   Tip: The only fields that are required, have a * red asterisk next to them.
   • Milestone. Check the box if the task is to appear as a milestone on your project timelines. Milestones will appear based on the end date associated with the task.
   • Project Phase. Select the appropriate stage of the project for this task.
   • Priority. Use this field to record task urgency. How important is the task?
   • Description. Enter information in this field and QuickBase records it along with your name and the date. Any user can create an entry and each entry is appended to the list. This lets staff members communicate with each other from within the task record itself.
6. Enter task dates.
   If the start date of this task can depends upon the finish date of another, click the Add Predecessors button. Select the task(s) that must be completed before the task you're entering can begin. When you do so, QuickBase automatically makes the Start Date for this task match the Calculated Finish Date for the predecessor task you select. (Read more about dependencies.) If this task does not depend upon any other tasks, just enter a start date (you can click the Calendar icon to select a date).
   Next, in the Duration field, type the number of days you expect the task to take. QuickBase figures out and completes the Calculated Finish Date for you.
   Tip: If the finish date is before the current date, QuickBase calculates the Days Overdue field for you.
7. Enter Task Updates.
   This is data that team members will update frequently. As work progresses, whoever is assigned to the task will update some or all of the following fields:
   • Status. This field lets you know how work is progressing or if it's even started.
   • % Complete. Use this field to track your progress in percent.
   • Date Complete. When you complete the task, enter the completion date in this field.
   • History/Notes/Issues. This field lets you enter notes events related to this task. Because it's an append field, History/Notes lets you keep a running log of your progress. You can even converse with colleagues in this space. Every time you add an entry and save, QuickBase records the data and displays it.
   • Supporting Documentation. Do you have a file attachment relevant to this task? If so, click the Browse button and upload the file to QuickBase.
8. Click Save.

Read more about creating and editing records:

Adding or editing a record

Adding similar records

Modify many records at once with grid edit

Working with Predecessors

What if you can't start your task until somebody else finishes their task? For example you can't configure the new software until it's installed.

To track dependencies like this, you can link tasks together. Each task record lets you select a predecessor task. A predecessor is a task whose completion spurs the start of the next task. When you add a predecessor to a task, the start date of your task is automatically set to the Finish date of the predecessor.

To link a task to a predecessor, click the Add Predecessors button and within the list that appears, select the preceding task whose Calculated Finish Date should determine the current task's Start Date.

When you display a task that has a predecessor,
the predecessor's ID appears as a hyperlink.
Click it to open the preceding task. Normally,
preceding tasks automatically control a successor's
Start date. If someone edits the value manually,
QuickBase alerts you by displaying a blue dot in the Start field.

Return to top

Searching for Records

So, your networking wiz installed the new the router you've been waiting for. Great. But how do you find that task to mark it Completed? You have a couple of search options.

• For a basic search, the QuickFind feature is the easiest option. Within the QuickBase menu, select Find. In the Find box that displays type in the term you want to find (get search tips). Next, from the In dropdown select All tables or the name of the specific table you know holds the record in question (like Tasks or Projects). Click Find and QuickBase returns all relevant results.
• If your search involves some clarification—for example, you want to find records that contain "router" or "network"—you'll need to use the Advanced Search option. To do so, select Find from the QuickBase menu and then click the Advanced find link. Or, if you know what table you want to search (like Tasks or Projects), click its name from the tables bar and select the Find option in the menu that appears (for example select Project> Find Projects). The program displays a search screen that lets you set detailed search criteria, including the ability to choose specific fields and set multiple conditions. Read detailed instructions.

Note: If you want to search for contents of a file attachment, use the advanced find feature and search the attachment field (read more).

About Users and Task Assignments

Any person you invite to participate in your application (you'll learn how to grant access in a minute) can also be part of the data you track. For example, say you share your application with Bertha. Bertha then becomes a choice in your task table's Assigned To field. Fields like this are called User fields, because they feature a list of users. The beauty of this feature is that you can:

• Target automated emails. Have QuickBase notify a user when they are the person listed in the Assigned To field. You'll read how in the next section.
• Craft customized reports. For example when a user logs in, they'll see only their own open tasks. You'll learn about reports shortly. Meanwhile, get a preview by selecting Tasks > My Open Tasks from the tables bar.

Setting Up Automatic email

Do you want to know when someone’s assigned a task to you? When a due date approaches maybe you need a reminder to arrive in your inbox. Or, how’d you like to email the staff a list of outstanding issues every Monday?

QuickBase delivers the information you need. Literally! The program’s email notifications keep everyone in the loop.

- Automated email in action?

Projects and Tasks comes with some automated emails built in. You may have noticed that as you add and edit records, QuickBase has been sending you emails. If you want, you can disable these messages. To do so, select Customize >Tables. On the left side of the page, select the table that's generating messages and click its email tab. For example, if the email is about a Project, select the project table. Locate each notification you want to disable and turn on its checkbox. Then click the Disable Checked button at the bottom of the list. Repeat for each table that's sending you emails.

Creating a Record Change Notification

Projects and Tasks comes with some very useful emails. For example, QuickBase sends an email notification to a staff member when you assign that person a task.

You'll probably want to create your own notifications as well. For instance, say you want to know whenever a task's status changes to On Hold. To do so:

1. From the menu on the top left of the screen, select Customize > Create a new > email notification.
2. Click the table you want to create the notification for: In this case Tasks.
3. Within the Notify When dropdown, select a task is modified.
4. To the right of the Notify When field, click Additional Criteria.
5. Select When specific fields change.
6. Turn on the Status checkbox.
7. Within the AND when the following conditions are true after the change section, click the select a field dropdown and choose Status.
8. In the second dropdown, select is.
9. In the final dropdown, select On Hold.
10. Click Save.
    Try it! To receive a notification, edit a new task (select Tasks > All Tasks and click a task's edit button). Then change Status to On Hold and save.

Return to top

QuickBase Reports

After you spend time getting data into QuickBase, you'll want to be able to see and analyze it. What tasks are overdue? Who do they belong to? What open tasks are holding up your most important project?

To get answers to questions like these, you'll want to generate a report. There are lots of ways you can filter, sort and group your data to give you the answers you're looking for. Once you've decided what records and fields you want to see, QuickBase offers a bunch of formats in which to view them.

There are five types (or formats) of reports:

• Table. This report shows records in a spreadsheet-type layout.
• Summary. If you want just the numbers, a summary report shows tallies of whatever fields you want. This is a handy way to spot patterns in your data.
• Calendar. What’s due this month? Display a calendar report and records that you schedule (like tasks, for instance) appear where they belong.
• Chart. Charts are visual illustrations of your data. In one glance, a viewer can come to an immediate understanding of the numbers. For instance, when one bar of a simple bar chart rises far above the others, you instantly know which of your products sells the most. And who doesn't love to see the uphill tilt of a line chart showing how profits have been rising over time?
• Timeline. Sometimes you need to step back and get the big picture. This report is a graphic representation of records that have a start date and an end date (typically tasks). When you set tasks along a timeline it’s easy to see where they fall in relation to each other and how scheduling overlaps.

Return to top

Displaying a report

Lots of useful reports already exist within Projects and Tasks. Interested in seeing Projects? Tasks?

To display a report, go to the table bar and click on the kinds of records you want to see (For instance, Tasks). Within the menu that displays, peruse the list of reports that appear in the reports section. Click on a report to open it.

Check out a few different kinds of reports. For example:

• To see a chart, select Tasks> Task Status.
• To see a timeline, select Projects > Projects Timeline .
• To see a grouped table report, select Tasks> Open by Priority.
• To see a summary crosstab report (a summary report with added grouping options) select Tasks > Task Summary.

Creating a New report

Or maybe you'd like to see something completely different. Say you’d like to report on all tasks that are overdue. You can easily create a new report that shows only those records. To do so:

1. Within the table bar, click Tasks and select Create a New report.
   The report builder screen displays.
2. Select the report type.
   Radio buttons at the top of the report builder show you all the types of reports you can create. For now, create a simple Table report.
3. Set Filtering options.

Since you don’t want to see all tasks, but only those that are open past their due date, you’ll use the Filtering section to tell QuickBase what records you want to see.

1. Within the Filtering section, click the Only tasks that meet certain criteria radio button. Additional fields display.
2. From the first dropdown on the left, select the Days Overdue field.
3. From the middle dropdown, select is greater than.
4. From the dropdown on the far right type a zero.
5. To see the report, click Display.
6. A list of records appear. All these task records are overdue.


Now, imagine that you’d like to group tasks by the person they’re assigned to. That way you can see who needs a little more encouragement.

4. Click the Assigned To column heading.
5. From the menu that appears, select Group A to Z.


QuickBase changes the record order right before your eyes. The records are now grouped by the person they’re assigned to.

- And there's more...

You can color code rows based on the data they contain. For example, highlight all overdue tasks in pink.



A picture's worth a thousand words. Don't forget you can create Pie chart or a Bar chart too. QuickBase makes it easy to see what’s going on.



To save the report, go to the New report menu above the report (shaded in gray) and click Save. Notice that QuickBase lets you save a personal report (which appears as an option on your menus only) or a shared report (which appears to some or all other application users).

Return to top

Modifying a report

When you display an existing report, you may want to tweak it slightly. For example, maybe you'd like to add another column. You can quickly make a change and display it for yourself only. Or you can edit the report and save the change, or save the change as a new report.

To modify a report you've displayed, you can manipulate elements on the report itself. Read how. Or, you can click the Customize this Report link at the top of the report. QuickBase opens the report in the report Builder. Make whatever changes you wish and hit Display or Save and Display.

Return to top

Controlling Who Sees What

Your Project application has a variety of intended audiences. For example a Project Manager needs different access to information than a simple team member does. Team members only need to see their own timecards, while the project manager needs to see everyone's time.

These kinds of access permissions are a breeze to implement in QuickBase, using Roles. A role controls the level of access a user has to information in an application. When you share an application with other users, you assign a role to each one. The role you assign determines what a user can see and do within the application.

Projects and Tasks has given you a big head start. Four roles are already set up for you. Each role has different privileges and its own dashboard screen.

• Project Manager. This role has the most control and sees all. Only Project Managers can create projects (if that doesn't work for you, you can customize the other roles to grant these powers). Users in the Project Manager role can also add users and customize the application (which you'll read how to do later this topic). Project Managers can add tasks and associate them with any project.
• Team Member. Users in this role are the worker bees. They can create a task and edit it to indicate how much work they've done or add notes. Team Members can also add issues and document records. They can only see their own timecard records and resource record.
• Viewer. Users in this role can't do much, but they can see what's going on with each project. You might assign the Viewer role to a consultant or any one who needs information on projects, but who isn't involved in completing them, like your boss's boss.
• Administrator. This role is a high level and has the same permissions as Project Manager.

You can edit these roles or create new roles that fit your process. You have the power to limit access down to specific fields. You can even limit access based on data that's in your application. For example, clients can only see records where their company is listed in the Customer field.

Creating a Role

Say you have some consultants that you've added to your application in the Team Member role (you'll learn how to share your application in a minute). These consultants have been creating tasks for themselves that you don't feel are really part of the project. You want to lock down the privileges of the consultants, but you still want your own staff members to have the power to create and edit tasks. You can easily handle this by creating a new Role for the consultants. To do so:

1. Within the menu on the upper left of the screen, select Customize > Create a new > role.
2. Name the role.

In the dialog box that appears, type a name for the new role, like Consultant and click OK. Your new role opens for editing.

3. Click the role's Permissions tab, if it's not already active.
4. Within the Tasks section, turn off the Add Records checkbox.

This removes the ability to add a task record

5. Click the Modify Records dropdown and select when user is Assigned To.

Here you're telling QuickBase that the consultants can only edit tasks that have been specifically assigned to them.

6. Click Save.

You've configured the role. If you'd already shared your application with the consultants, you'd then assign them all to the new role.

Return to top

Inviting Users

It's easy to share your application with users:

1. From the QuickBase menu on the upper left of your screen, select Share > Share with a New User.

   Type in the email address of each person you want to invite into your application. Separate these addresses with a semi-colon, comma or carriage-return.

2. Click the dropdown beneath the list of addresses and select a role for these users.
3. Click Next.

QuickBase displays the list of users you entered.

4. Click Confirm and Invite.

QuickBase emails invitations to all the users.

Return to top