Tasks

Complete checks when creating or editing tasks to ensure that the tasks are valid and effective.

Check the following when creating or editing a task:
  • Tasks are ordered when assigned to a phase. When you assign a task to a phase, make sure that the tasks are in the order that you require.
  • Make sure that the task is enabled.
  • If there is a SLA (Service Level Agreement) associated to that specific task, you can set the due date from the time the task is created on the incident.
  • You can provide instructions to users from within a task. Be as detailed as possible, using rich text, references to internal and external resources, hyperlinks and embedded images when applicable.
  • You have the option of creating custom fields and data tables within the task creation. You can place these fields and data tables onto a task for ease of entry and information reference.
  • You can reference tasks in playbooks and workflows, which cause the tasks to be added to the associated incident’s task list when that playbook or workflow is executed on the incident.
  • You can add a task to one or more rules, which will cause the tasks to be added to the associated incident’s task list when that rule is executed. You can also add and create new tasks when creating or editing a rule.
You can click the pencil icon in a task row to edit a task or click Create Task to create a new task. In either case, you can manage the following properties:
  • Task Name. Any text you choose. It should be descriptive of the task’s purpose.
  • Phase. Select the phase where the task is to appear.
  • Rules Using this Task. Lists the rules that invoke this task. It is the same set of rules that appears for the task in the Associated Rules column of the Phases & Tasks tab. If you wish to add the task to additional rules, click in the field to list the available rules and then select the desired rules. This action is the equivalent of using the Add Tasks activity field when creating or editing a rule. To remove the task from a rule, click the x icon by the rule name.
  • Required. Select Mandatory if the task must be performed before the incident can enter the next phase; otherwise, select Optional.
  • Enabled. If Disabled, the task does not appear in all future incidents.
  • Due Date. To impose a deadline, select Yes then enter the time as a number of days, hours or minutes that the user has to perform the task.
  • Instructions. Provide instructions to help users perform the task. You can insert links and images. The instructions appear when a user hovers over the task name in the Tasks tab of an incident.
  • Task layout. You can add fields, data tables, views and blocks for users to enter information by dragging them to the layout section. This activity is the same as described in Fields, Data Tables, Views and Blocks.

    For usability, the Artifacts view (incident level), Attachments view (task level) and Notes view (task level) allow users to view this information in the Details tab of an incident's task instead of navigating to other tabs. Any conditions in the Section block refer to incident properties. The views and blocks apply only to the Details tab on the incident task.

To delete a task, click the pencil icon in a task row then click the Delete icon.

When you edit a task, the changes apply only to future instances of the task; it does not apply to existing incidents.

Editing an instruction in a task in the Phases & Tasks tab only updates new tasks, not existing tasks; however, making a change in the Incident Fields section updates both new and existing tasks.