Project Tasks: General Information

In MYOB Acumatica, each project can consist of one project task or multiple project task. A project task is the smallest identifiable piece of work that is a part of the project, and you can select a billing rule for each project task to determine how it will be billed. In the following sections, you will find information about creating project tasks.

Learning Objectives

In this chapter, you will learn how to do the following:

Create a project task for a particular project
Configure the rules of the project task completion
Configure a project task to be billed separately from other project tasks
Set a project task as a default for a project

Applicable Scenarios

You create a project task in the following cases:

When you are configuring a new project from the beginning
When you need to add a new project task to an existing project

Project Task Creation and Settings

Each project task is linked to a particular project and has a unique identifier. Project tasks are always defined within the scope and limitations of a specific project; a particular project task may have additional limitations within the scope of the project. You create new project tasks in a project by adding a row for each task to the Tasks tab of the Projects (PM301000) form. You can then review the settings of the project task on the Project Tasks (PM302000) form.

Tip:

You can create new project tasks directly on the Project Tasks form by specifying the identifier of the project to which the project task relates, the identifier of the new project task, and the settings specific for the project task.

For a project task, you can define the following settings, which are specific to the task and do not extend to the project:

Date range: You can narrow the date range of the task, as long as it remains within the start and end dates of the project. The start and end dates are specified for informational purposes and do not affect any processes performed for this project task.
Billing rule (and optional rate): By default, the system assigns to the added project task the billing rule that is specified on the Summary tab of the Projects form for the project. Billing rules are defined on the Billing Rules (PM207000) form.
If complex billing rules have to be configured for billing the project task, you also need to assign the appropriate rate table to the project task.
Separate billing: You can select the Bill Separately check box on the Summary tab of the Project Tasks form to make the system create a separate invoice for the project task.
Allocation rule: You can define the allocation rule for a particular project task.
By default, the system assigns to a newly added project task the default allocation rule of the project which is specified on the Summary tab of the Projects form.
Method of calculating task completion percentage: You can define the project task to be completed manually or based on the budgeted quantity or amount.
Visibility settings: The project task may be visible only in the parts of the system in which the associated project is visible. You can leave these default visibility settings, or apply additional visibility limitations for the project task.

In addition, you can specify that a particular project task is the default task of the project, so that the system will populate this task automatically in all related documents in which a user will select this project.

Statuses of Project Tasks

A project task can be assigned one of the following statuses:

In Planning: The project task is a draft; this status is automatically assigned to a new task. A project task with this status is available for selection only in employee activities and project commitments.
Active: The project task is active and available for selection on data entry forms. An active task can be assigned the In Planning status.
Completed: The project task is completed. A completed task can be activated again if the corresponding project is not completed.
Canceled: Progress on the project task was started but then stopped before task completion and there is no intention to continue work on the task. A canceled project task can be activated again if the corresponding project is not completed.

Document Entry and Processing

Users cannot select projects and project tasks with the In Planning status in any records, except for the following types of records that are available for planning:

Employee activities on the Activity (CR306010) form
Tasks on the Task (CR306020) form
Email activities on the Email Activity (CR306015) form
Purchase orders on the Purchase Orders (PO301000) form
Subcontracts on the Subcontracts (SC301000) form

For instance, you can add an employee activity for planning budgets for project tasks, or record a project commitment. However, if your user account does not have the Project Accountant role assigned on the User Roles (SM201005) form, these documents can be processed further only after the Active status is assigned to the project task.

If your user has the Project Accountant role, you can release employee activities with project tasks that have the In Planning status.

Default Project Tasks in Record Lines

When you create a project-related record, you must specify a project task for each line of the record. When you are creating a project, you can define one project task of a project as the default one to speed up data entry. The system will automatically insert this project task in the lines of documents when you select the project.

If you are entering an employee activity on the Activity (CR306010) form, a task on the Task (CR306020) form, or an email on the Email Activity (CR306015) form, the system also checks the status of the selected project’s default project task. If you select a project whose default project task has the In Planning or Active status, this project task is inserted automatically. If the project has no default project task or the default project task has the Canceled or Completed status, the Project Task box on the form remains empty.

Default Project Tasks for Particular GL Accounts

When you process an AR invoice or AP bill related to the project, the system may automatically generate additional GL transaction lines—for instance, to include a discount or freight charge. To automatically associate these transaction lines with specific project tasks, you need to map particular general ledger accounts to specific project tasks within the project in the Default Task for GL Account table on the Defaults tab of the Projects (PM301000) form. In the automatically generated transaction lines posted to the GL account mapped to a project task, the system will specify this project task by default.

When you select a GL account mapped to a project task in the Account column in a line of a project-related AR invoice on the Invoices and Memos (AR301000) form, the system will automatically specify the mapped project task in the line. If the account is not mapped to any project task, the default project task (if one is specified for the project) is inserted in the line.

Attention:

The defined account mapping does not affect the entry of project-related bills on the Bills and Adjustments (AP301000) form. In the bill lines, the system inserts the default task of the project if it is configured on the Tasks tab of the Projects form.