4. Gantt task creation and updates

4.1 How do you create tasks in the Gantt scheduler?

When you create a task in the Gantt scheduler, the required fields are Task Name, Planned Start, and Type. In general, if the current cursor focus is not in the task table, new tasks are added at the bottom of the task table.

In addition to the required fields, you can populate either the Planned End date or Total Planned Working Hours to calculate the Planned Duration. If you leave both fields empty, the task becomes a Milestone task. If you choose to populate Planned Start and Planned End, the Gantt scheduler populates the Total Planned Working Hours.

You can also populate the ID field, but if you do not, it is automatically calculated with an internal TRIRIGA record number. Most of the other fields are read-only in the Gantt scheduler and some fields are automatically calculated when you click the Submit changes to server Submit changes to server button on the Gantt scheduler toolbar.

The # column is used for tasks that are imported from Microsoft Project. The # column defaults to 0 if the tasks are created in TRIRIGA, and a non-0 number if the tasks were created in Microsoft Project and imported into TRIRIGA.

a. Focus is not in task table

To add an initial task or another task when the focus is not in the task table, perform the following steps:

Step 1. Click the Add row Add row button on the toolbar.

Step 2. Populate the required fields: Task Name, Planned Start, and Type.

Step 3. Populate either the Planned End date or Total Planned Working Hours. When you save the task, the Planned Duration is calculated.

Step 4. Click Submit changes to server Submit changes to server on the Gantt scheduler toolbar. You can also save changes to the Gantt scheduler by saving the project.

b. Focus is in task table

To add a task above or below an existing task in the task table, perform the following steps:

Step 1. Select the existing task to give it the current focus.

Step 2. Select Add row Add row and from the pop-up menu, select either Add new row above or Add new row to the end.

Step 3. When the new row is added, populate the required fields: Task Name, Planned Start, and Type.

Step 4. Populate either the Planned End date or Total Planned Working Hours. When you save the task, the Planned Duration is calculated.

Step 5. Click Submit changes to server Submit changes to server on the Gantt scheduler toolbar. You can also save changes to the Gantt scheduler by saving the project.

Note: Displaying and saving changes

The initial task display order in the Gantt scheduler is determined by the project query sort order. You can click the column header to change the sort order.

If you manually enter a date in a date field that includes alphabetic characters, such as the month, for example, 29-Jun-2022, the month name changes to the equivalent month number, such as 29-06-2022. The change does not apply if you select the date from the calendar date-time picker.

If you switch tabs in the project before you save the Gantt scheduler or the project, unsaved changes in the Gantt scheduler will be lost.

If you change something in the Gantt scheduler and then try to close the project without saving either the Gantt scheduler or the project, a message informs you that you are about to lose your changes unless you save.

4.2 Project tasks

To add a task in the Project Tasks section, perform the following steps:

Step 1. Click the Add button.

Step 2. Select a task type.

Step 3. Complete any other editable fields as wanted.

Step 4. Click Create Draft and click Save & Close.

Step 5. Click Save on the project.

Note: You must save the project for the newly created task to be associated to the project. The Gantt scheduler is updated when you save the project by selecting Save or Save & Close.

4.3 Task types

By default, the Capital Projects, Facilities Projects, Real Estate Transaction Plans, and their associated templates display only the task types that are appropriate to those functional areas. For example, Facilities Projects provide the Facility Assessment Work Task, Schedule Task, and Work Task types.

The common task types are defined as follows:

  • Contract Review - For reviewing data change requests in a real estate contract. It contains the contract and description of the change.
  • Facility Assessment Work Task - For managing building inspection information.
  • Inspection Task - For performing building inspection activities.
  • Punchlist Task - For performing capital project close-out checklists.
  • Schedule Task - For scheduling work that must be done for a project. It is one of the most commonly used task types.
  • Submittal Task - For managing submittals of drawings and other documents for approval.
  • Work Task - For tracking work that must be done for a project. It is one of the most commonly used task types.

Other task types that can be added to the query are as follows:

  • Asset Reservation - For reserving an asset. It can be created for a future event only, not for a past event. If it is added to a project that has a Plan Start in the past, the task is added in the current date and time.
  • Follow Up - For using as a reminder to follow up on some action.
  • Inventory Count Work Task - For verifying the actual amounts of inventory for specific locations.
  • Inventory Pick Work Task - For managing inventory and staging information for customer pickup.
  • Key Work Tasks - For performing a key request.
  • Location Reservation - For reserving a location.
  • Material Work Tasks - For managing requests for types and quantities of material.
  • Offline Task - For performing work outside of the IBM TRIRIGA application.
  • Reserve Work Task - For managing items related to a reservation.
  • Vehicle Reservation - For reserving a vehicle.
Note: Required and available task types

When you create a task in the Gantt scheduler, one of the required fields is Type. After you create the task and save the Gantt, you cannot change the task type.

The IBM TRIRIGA application upgrade streamlines task types for more common use scenarios. If you currently use task types that are less common, your application administrator can add the task types to the query.

Your application administrator can change the task types that are available in the Gantt scheduler by modifying the query that is used by the Gantt section. For example, in the project form, find the query and update the forms included in the query. Keep in mind that any form added should exist in the triTask module.

4.4 Undoing changes

You can undo multiple actions that you take in the Gantt scheduler by clicking the Undo last action Undo last action button on the toolbar or by pressing Ctrl+Z (or Command+Z on Mac). You can redo multiple actions that you undo by clicking the Redo last action Redo last action button or by pressing Ctrl+Y (or Command+Y on Mac).

Some of the actions that you can undo in the Gantt scheduler are populating and changing fields, dragging tasks under and out from under umbrella or summary tasks, resizing task bars, and creating and deleting dependencies.

Note: When you save the Gantt scheduler, the undo/redo feature is reset.

4.5 How do you update tasks in the Gantt scheduler?

You can update tasks in the Gantt scheduler or in the individual task record. After you create a task and save the Gantt scheduler, the items that are editable directly in the Gantt scheduler task table are the ID, Task Name, Planned Start, Planned End, and Total Planned Working Hours.

When you change a task in the Gantt scheduler, the changes are shown in bold typeface and the task row is shaded to note that it contains changes. When you save the Gantt scheduler by clicking the Submit changes to server Submit changes to server button on the Gantt scheduler toolbar, the items that you changed are no longer bold and the row is no longer shaded as the changes are now saved. The task additions and changes that you make in the Gantt scheduler are also reflected in the Project Tasks section.

When you change the Planned Start date in the Gantt scheduler task table, the Planned End date shifts to accommodate the new Planned Start. The Total Planned Working Hours value does not change, which results in a move of the task bar on the Gantt chart.

When you drag the start side of the task bar in the Gantt chart to resize it, the Planned Start changes. The Planned End and Total Planned Working Hours change to accommodate the new Planned Start date. The values are displayed in bold and the row is shaded to note that it contains changes. When you save the Gantt scheduler by clicking the Submit changes to server Submit changes to server button, the Planned Duration is recalculated.

When you change the Planned End in a task in the Gantt scheduler task table, the Planned Start does not change. The Total Planned Working Hours change to accommodate the new Planned End date, which results in a resize of the task bar on the Gantt chart. The Planned End and Total Planned Working Hours are shown in bold to note that they are changed. When you save the Gantt scheduler by clicking the Submit changes to server Submit changes to server button, the Planned Duration is recalculated.

When you drag the end side of the bar in the Gantt chart, the same behavior occurs.

Note: The value in the Type field cannot be changed after it is initially chosen. The Planned Duration and Slack (Hours) cells are automatically calculated and are never editable, in either the Gantt scheduler or the task record.

4.6 Task record

You can also open the task record to update not only ID, Task Name, Planned Start, Planned End, and Total Planned Working Hours, but also other fields such as Actual Percent Complete. You open a task record by clicking the Edit task Edit task button in the task table, or by double-clicking the bar in the Gantt chart, or by clicking the task in the Project Tasks section.

Note: Related fields

If you modify one of the following fields, it impacts the other two: Planned Start, Planned End, and Total Planned Working Hours.

Meanwhile, one specific scenario to be aware of is the following: If you update the Total Planned Working Hours, it updates the oldest changed data between the Start Date and End Date.

4.7 Percent complete

You can show the progress of a task in the Gantt scheduler by changing the Actual Percent Complete. You can also hover over a task bar in the Gantt chart to see its percent completion.

a. Change in the Gantt chart

To change the Actual Percent Complete for a task in the Gantt chart, perform the following steps:

Step 1. Right-click the task bar.

Step 2. Select Enter completed status.

Step 3. Enter the number that represents the percent completion of the task. For example, if the task is 50% complete, enter 50.

b. Change in the Task record

To change the Actual Percent Complete in the task record, perform the following steps:

Step 1. Click the Edit task Edit task button, or double-click the task bar in the Gantt chart.

Step 2. In the Actual section, in the Actual Percent Complete field, enter the number that represents the percent completion of the task. For example, if the task is 50% complete, enter 50.

Step 3. Click Save & Close.

Note: The Percent Complete for an umbrella task is calculated by the Actual Percent Complete of all of its child tasks. The Percent Complete for an umbrella task cannot be changed directly.

4.8 How do you delete tasks in the Gantt scheduler?

Tasks can be disassociated from the project in several ways. You can delete one or more tasks in the Gantt scheduler by clicking the Delete task Delete task button for each task that you want to delete. The shading of each row changes as you mark it for deletion. When you click the Submit changes to server Submit changes to server button in the Gantt scheduler toolbar, or save the project, the selected rows are removed from the project.

You can also delete one or more tasks in the Project Tasks section by selecting the check box next to the tasks and selecting Remove. To see the changes in the Gantt scheduler, click Calculate or one of the save options at the top of the project form.

4.9 Disabling delete

Note: Your application administrator can enable or disable the ability for users to delete tasks from the Gantt scheduler. The Form Builder now has an Allow Delete property on the Gantt section to determine whether the user can delete tasks in the Gantt section. This property is enabled by default.

To disable the ability for users to delete tasks, perform the following steps:

Step 1. Select Tools > Form Builder.

Step 2. Select the module and form. For example, to add or remove the ability for users to delete tasks for capital projects, select triProject for the module, and select triCapitalProject for the form.

Step 3. Click Revise.

Step 4. In the Navigation panel, select the tab and section that contains the Gantt. For example, for capital projects, expand the triSchedule tab, and select the Project Tasks Gantt section.

Step 5. In the Properties panel, clear the Allow Delete check box.

Step 6. Click Apply to accept the change.

Step 7. Publish the form.