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Work Item Tasks

Work items show what needs to be done, when, and by whom; tasks, repeating tasks, evaluations, issues, and requests are all work items and can link to objects like controls and labels.

Danielle Moerman avatar
Written by Danielle Moerman
Updated over 2 months ago

Understanding the work items dashboard

All work item types have a common set of fields and components that can be enabled or disabled, depending on the different types of work represented by each item.

Tasks, repeating tasks, evaluations, and issues are all work items that can be linked to multiple objects, such as controls and labels. This helps prevent duplication of work and provides visibility into the impact that work items have on your organization's overall compliance posture.

Home tab

The Home tab provides an overview of your specific tasks, including tasks assigned to you, tasks that require your input, and tasks that you have created. Below, Up next, you’ll find a list of your tasks and audit requests, with the most urgent at the top.

Currently, all Hyperproof users can see all work items where they are a member. Note that administrators must join objects to see any linked work items.

Click on the arrows below to learn more:

My work items

Shows all work items assigned to you. These work items are displayed in chronological order, from oldest to newest. Past-due items assigned to you and/or created by you are tagged with a Remind badge. Items that you created and are ready for review are tagged with a Reviewed badge.

Completed

Shows a list of work items that have been submitted and closed.

By type

Categorizes the number of work items in your organization by type. Click the link next to a work item type to view only those work items.

By assignee

Categorizes the number of work items in your organization by assignee. Click the link next to a team member's initials to view a list of work items assigned to that team member.

Filtering work items

On each tab within the Work items area, you can filter to display only the work items that you need. Either via the task, repeating tasks, requests, evaluations, or issues.

Click on the arrow to learn more:

Filtering work items

  1. From the left menu, select Work items.

  2. Select the relevant work item tab, i.e., Tasks, Repeating tasks, Requests, Evaluations, or Issues.

  3. Click the Filter icon.

    1. The Filter window opens.

Work items: tasks

Tasks allow users to ask other members of their organization for proof or to remind themselves of something they need to get done. They can be linked to the following objects: requirements, controls, labels, issues, risks, audit requests, evaluations, and vendors.

Tasks created on objects have a clear destination for the proof, meaning that when the task is closed, the evidence linked to it shows up in the proof section of the originating object.

Tasks can be edited via the object they're linked to or from the Work items tab. Any changes you make via the Work items tab are reflected in the relevant object that the task is linked to. For example, if you change the description of a task attached to a label, the new description appears in the task if you access it from the Labels tab.

You can view tasks you’ve created, are a member of, or that are assigned to you via the Work Items tab. The Tasks tab contains an All tab, which is a five-column, card-style overview that allows you to view task statuses such as In Progress, Submitted, and Cancelled. In this area, you can click on tasks to see more information on the task or add more information.

To edit a task from the Work items tab, select the Tasks tab, and then select a task. Any changes you make here are reflected in the relevant object that the task is linked to. For example, if you change the description of a task linked to a label from Work items, the new description appears in the task if you access it from Labels.

Tasks can be linked to the following objects:

  • Requirements

  • Controls

  • Labels

  • Issues

  • Risks

  • Audit Requests

  • Evaluations

  • Vendors

Working with tasks

Let's walk through how to work with these tasks, either by creating them or if they are assigned to you.

In the video below, we'll discuss how to create a repeating task and how you can leverage integrations with tasks. For example, we'll look into the Jira integration linked to a task.

The tutorial below is shown from the perspective of the compliance manager role with object permission as a manager. If you are in a different Hyperproof role or have a different permission, you may not have access to some of the areas shown, or they may be grayed out.

Who can create a task?

Any user who has been added to the relevant object, e.g., a control, can create a task. When you add a task to an object, you’re collecting proof for that object.

Viewing tasks

The Tasks tab has the ability to change the view from a card-style overview to a grid view. Below, if I click the grid view icon, it'll change my view, and when you click on the name, it'll pop up a window to the left to view/modify information about the task.

You can see tasks assigned to them. The Assigned to Me tab provides the same five-column overview as the All tab, but with a focus on an individual’s specific tasks. From the Assigned to Me tab, you can prioritize their work and gain a better understanding of their workload.

Click the arrows below to learn more:

Creating a task

  1. From the left menu, select the tab that corresponds to the object you want to link the task to. For example, if you want to link the task to a control, select the Controls tab.

  2. Select the specific object. For example, if you want the task linked to control ID 1234, select that control.

    1. If you don't want to link the task to a specific object, select the Work items tab. Select the Tasks tab, and then click New. Skip to step 5.

  3. Click the Task icon.

  4. Optionally, click the Pin icon to pin the Tasks panel.

  5. Click New task.

  6. Do any or all of the following:

    1. Enter a name for the task (required)

    2. Enter a description

      1. The following rich text formatting is supported: bulleted and numbered lists, headings, links, code, emojis, bold, italic, and strikethrough.

    3. Change any of the following by hovering over and clicking the Edit icon. Note that the task's status cannot be changed until the task is created.

      1. Assignee (by default, the task is assigned to the task creator)

    4. Due date (this is the number of days out that you want the task to be due)

    5. Priority

  7. Click Create.

    1. The task is created.

Unlinking and deleting proof from a task

Deleting proof completely removes it from your organization. It's only recommended to delete proof if you are absolutely sure that your organization no longer needs it and won’t need it in the future.

Unlinking proof from a task removes the proof from the task, but doesn’t delete the proof from your organization. When you unlink proof, you can still view the proof at the organizational level.

Unlinking proof from a task:

  1. From the left menu, select the tab that corresponds to the task proof you want to delete. For example, if you want to delete proof from a task that's linked to a control, select the Controls tab.

  2. Select the specific object. For example, if you want to delete proof from a task that's linked to control ID 1234, select that control.

  3. Click the Task icon. Skip this step if the Task panel is already pinned.

  4. Select the task.

  5. Hover over the area to the immediate right of the proof, and then click the Unlink icon.

  6. Click Confirm.

    1. The proof is unlinked.

Deleting proof from a task:

  1. From the left menu, select the tab that corresponds to the task proof you want to delete. For example, if you want to delete proof from a task that's linked to a control, select the Controls tab.

  2. Select the specific object. For example, if you want to delete proof from a task that's linked to control ID 1234, select that control.

  3. Click the Task icon. Skip this step if the Task panel is already pinned.

  4. Select the task.

  5. Select the proof you want to delete.

  6. Click the arrow, and then click Delete proof.

  7. Click Delete.

    1. The proof is deleted.

Task with an Approval

If your organization wants to track approvals for proof attached to tasks, you can configure the task for one or more approvers at any time, either when you create the task or after it is created. Approvers must be users and able to log in to Hyperproof to complete their approvals. When approvals are created, Hyperproof sends a notification to each approver containing a link to their approval and the due date. Additional notifications are sent to approvers with outstanding approvals on the due date, and every 7 days after the approval is past due.

When including approvals and other automations in a task, keep in mind that interdependent fields display differently as you make choices during the configuration process.

Click the arrow below to learn more:

Creating a task with an approval

  1. From the left menu, select the tab that corresponds to the object you want to link the task to. For example, if you want to link the task to a control, select the Controls tab.

  2. Select the specific object. For example, if you want the task linked to control ID 1234, select that control.

    1. If you don't want to link the task to a specific object, select the Work items tab. Select the Tasks tab, and then click New. Skip to step 5.

  3. Click the Task icon.

  4. Optionally, click the Pin icon to pin the Tasks panel.

  5. Click New task.

  6. Do any or all of the following:

    1. Enter a name for the task (required).

    2. Enter a description with any additional information the assignee might need. The following rich text formatting is supported: bulleted and numbered lists, headings, links, code, emojis, bold, italic, and strikethrough.

    3. From the Assign by drop-down menu, select Individual or Group.

      1. Individual - Assigns a single individual to the task. Select an assignee from the Owner drop-down menu.

      2. Group - Assigns a group to the task. Select a group from the Group drop-down menu. By default, the group lead is designated as the owner. If the group doesn't have a group lead, select an individual from the Owner drop-down menu.

  7. Change any of the following by hovering over the field value and clicking the Edit icon. Note that the task's status and target cannot be changed until the task is created.

    1. Due date - Select a date from the calendar.

    2. Priority

    3. Target - When the task is closed, proof attached to this task is linked to the target object. If necessary, you can change the target on a task after it's created.

  8. Under Automations, if the Auto-close task when submitted option is toggled on, Hyperproof immediately marks the task Closed when the task assignee uploads proof and submits the task.

  9. Make sure that Enable approvals is toggled on to require approval before linking the proof to the target.

  10. In the Approval flow type section, select one of the following options:

    1. Note: This option displays only when more than one approval step has been configured.

      1. Sequential - Indicates that the approval steps occur one after another in order. If you have two steps, the approvals for Step 2 aren't created until the approvals for Step 1 are completed.

      2. Parallel - All steps are reviewed simultaneously. If you have two steps, the approvals for both Step 1 and Step 2 are created simultaneously. Having multiple steps allows you to have different completion rules for each step.

  11. Click the +Step button to add a step to the approval process.

  12. The Completion rule field defaults to Everyone must approve. You must select at least one approver before you can modify this field.

    1. Everyone must approve - All assigned approvers must mark their decision to complete the step. If all approvers mark their decision as Approved, then the step is considered Approved. If any one person selects Change requested, then the entire step is marked as Change requested.

    2. Minimum approvals required - A user-specified number of approvers must mark their approval as Approved to complete the step.

    3. How many approvals are required? - Enter the number of approvals that must be marked Approved for the step to be completed. This field is required if you have selected Minimum approvals required as the completion rule for this step.

  13. This step ends if any assignee marks their decision as Change requested. If the step ends due to a Change requested decision, any incomplete approval requests are canceled.

  14. In the Approvers drop-down, select one or more approvers. Approvers must be Hyperproof users, not contacts. These users are not required to be members of the target object, such as the Control where you are creating the task. From this list, you can select the following:

    1. Specific Hyperproof users by name. Note that if you select contacts as approvers, they can't complete the approval because they can't log into Hyperproof.

    2. User fields from the task, target, or policy, such as Created by.

  15. Continue configuring additional approval steps as needed.

  16. To automatically mark the task as Closed when all approvals are completed, toggle on the Auto-close task when approved option. If this option is toggled off, you must manually mark the task as Closed.

Note: If the Automations > Enable approvals option is toggled on, the Auto-close task when submitted option changes to Auto-close task when approved. When toggled on, Hyperproof marks the task Closed when all approvals are completed.

By design, if a task assignee changes a task from Not started to In progress, the task status still shows Submit. The Activity Feed shows the actual status of In progress.

Note:

Email notifications are not sent if the individual creating the task is also the assignee. If the assignee is different from the individual creating the task, the assignee receives an email notification indicating that they've been assigned a task.

If the task has an approval configured, the proof can't be attached to the target object until the approval process is complete and the proof has been approved.

Work items: repeating tasks

Hyperproof makes it easy to simplify your routine activities with repeating tasks. Once a repeating task is created, you can view and manage it directly from the Automations tab. Repeating tasks can be attached to a control, label, or risk.

You can set a task to repeat based on a schedule or an event. Tasks that repeat based on a schedule can be set to repeat on an interval of daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, semiannually, or annually. Once you’ve set the interval, you can set the task to start repeating immediately or at a date in the future.

Creating a repeating task

Repeating tasks can be created via the Automations tab found on controls, labels, and risks. You can also turn a regular task into a repeating task.

Click the arrow below to learn more:

Turning a regular task into a repeating task

  1. From the left menu, select the tab that corresponds to the task you want to turn into a repeating task. For example, if you want to turn a task linked to a control into a repeating task, select the Controls tab.

  2. Select the specific object. For example, if you want to link the repeating task to control ID 1234, select that control.

  3. Click the Task icon.

  4. Select the existing task that you want to turn into a repeating task.

  5. Below Repeats, click Does not repeat.

    1. The Repeating task window opens.

  6. From the Template tab, create a repeating task based on a schedule or an event:

    1. To create a schedule-based repeating task:

      1. Below Repeats, select On a schedule.

      2. Below Schedule, select when the task should repeat.

      3. Below Starts repeating, select the date that the task should start.

    2. To create an event-driven repeating task:

      1. Below Repeats, select On an event.

      2. Below Event, select the event that should trigger the task to repeat.

      3. Depending on the option you choose, additional drop-down menus may appear.

  7. Click Save.

    1. The repeating task is created. To view future tasks, select the Tasks tab.

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