Adding tasks to activities

This shows you how to add and manage tasks in any activity in any process in Gluu. Tasks can be completed via a browser or mobile apps.

Peter Olsen avatar
Written by Peter Olsen
Updated over a week ago

A checklist can reduce failure rates by compensating for the potential limits of human memory and attention. It also helps to ensure consistency and completeness in carrying out a task. This article shows you how to add checklists with critical tasks to any activity in Gluu.

Tasks can be added to any activity and they represent the most concrete, actionable step in a process. Use tasks to highlight the critical work in each activity. 

Ways of organising tasks

Since your tasks are added to your activities then these become important in organising tasks. So if you have a restaurant, for instance, then you may create activities and tasks such as: 

  • Opening or Closing (the restaurant) where all tasks related to the two shifts are added, or...

  • Cleaning, Bar Preparation, or Food Preparation where tasks are organised by topic - and set to run at the relevant times.

Scheduled, recurring tasks, or case-based tasks?

Gluu supports both recurring (scheduled) tasks that automatically start on specific dates and times and case-based tasks that start "on-demand". 

Recurring task examples:

  • Monthly reporting, cleaning, or maintenance.

  • Sweeping the floor daily.

  • Daily follow-up on outstanding customer support tickets.

  • Creating a quarterly report.

Case-based task examples:

  • Buying a pc for a new colleague.

  • Setting up a new customer in your ERP system.

  • Creating a report (on demand).

How to create, edit or delete tasks

Owners or editors of processes can edit and create tasks in the task manager. The task manager can be accessed under activity in the menu on the left. To make changes turn on the edit mode.

Adding and editing scheduled, recurring tasks:

  1. Describe your task briefly (up to 100 characters) and accurately. Remember that you can add work instructions just before the task list if you need to provide guidance on how to do the task.
    - then select "scheduled."

  2. Set when the task should recur (when new tasks will be generated). This can be daily, weekdays, specific days, weekends, or specific months.

  3. Set the time for the task to start. This is the time it will show to users (also in the Gluu task app.) 

  4. Set the day it should show - e.g. "Start day 1" means that the task is generated on the 1st of the month. 

  5. Set the duration. This shows how long the co-workers with the relevant role have to complete the task. E.g. if "Run sales report" should be done before the 5th of each month, then set the start date to day 1 and let duration be 4 days.

  6. Now set...
    Notifications - "Notify me if a task is not done in time" will result in the process owner and editors getting an email notification if the task expires without being completed (duration ends).
    Period refers to the period when this task will be active. E.g. if a task is only relevant in 2020 then let it end on Oct 20, 2021.
    Timezone - set the time zone for the task (default is your current time zone:)
    Forms - attach a form that must be filled out before the task can be completed.
    Below you see a summary of your current task scheduling.

Finally, click 'Create task' to add this to your list. It now runs automatically until you pause or delete it.

If you want to follow us step-by-step watch the video below:

Pausing tasks

You can always turn off your tasks. This means that no new tasks are created until you turn it on again.

No overlapping schedules

Make sure the individual tasks don't overlap. E.g. if a task must run every month on day 1 and last the whole month, then set it to day 1 with a duration of 28 days (otherwise tasks will overlap.)

Adding and editing case-based tasks

To create a case-based "on-demand" task you should select this option after writing your task name:

TIP! This is useful for more detailed checklists, e.g. you may have the task to "buy a pc for a new colleague" and a checklist with all the specs and requirements to consider.

Once you have a process with some case-based tasks then see How to run processes as cases.

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