4. Gantt task creation and updates
Contents
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
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
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
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
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
on the Gantt scheduler toolbar. You can also save changes to the
Gantt scheduler by saving the project.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
button, the Planned Duration is
recalculated.
When you drag the end side of the bar in the Gantt chart, the same behavior occurs.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
To disable the ability for users to delete tasks, perform the following steps:
Step 1. Select
.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.