Adding a task template

Open the Project Template setup screen (Setup > Templates > Projects).

In the

Project Templates

screen, select the

Add

button to create a new project template, or the

Edit

button to update a project template.

On the Tasks tab, select the

Add

button.

Identification:

Order:
The default order number is 1 for the first task that you add to a project. For each additional task, the application assigns the next available number. However, you can enter a duplicate order number, if necessary.
note
For tasks that are concurrent, you may want to use duplicate order numbers. When the preceding task is completed, notifications will be sent that both concurrent tasks are ready if you have set up notifications at the Firm level. Both of those tasks must be completed before a notification is sent that the next task is ready.
Activity:
Select the activity for the current task.

Task information: In the

Tracking description

field, select a tracking description from the drop-down list. If you have security privileges, you can right-click to add or edit a tracking description.

Budget information: Enter the task budget information in the

Hours

and/or

Amount

fields, or select the Down arrow button and use the drop-down calculator to enter the numbers. If you want the budget information to calculate automatically based on the staff rate of the assigned staff member, mark the

Calculate amount automatically

checkbox.

Target dates:

Start:
To specify the project’s target start date, complete the
month(s)
and/or
day(s)
fields, and then select
Before due date
or
After received date
from the drop-down list.
Complete:
To specify the target completion date, complete the
month(s)
and/or
day(s)
fields, and then select
Before due date
or
After received date
from the drop-down list.

Assigned: Select the More button next to the

Staff

field to assign the task to a specific staff member, or select the Down arrow button to assign a staff member dynamically based on their role (for example, Client’s Partner, or Engagement’s Biller). If you are licensed for the Staff Management module, you can also:

manually assign staff to the task based on their qualifications. Select the More button next to the
Staff qualifications
field and create a filter to specify which qualifications the assigned staff member must possess to work on the task.
automatically assign staff to the task based on a work queue. When you select the
Work queue
option, the task will be placed in a queue that appears in the Work Queue portlet of the Staff Dashboard only for those staff who meet the qualifications.

Solution:

Select solution:
From the drop-down list, select the solution needed to complete the task.
When you select a solution (Microsoft Word or Excel, or other application) for a project or task, DT Practice will do the following when you launch the solution from the project or task:
If the client exists in the solution that you have selected, the client will be opened automatically.
If you have entered a file path for Word or Excel, the document in the file path will open automatically.
DT Practice will automatically start a timer, if you have the
Start Timer for Projects
checkbox marked in Setup > User Preferences > Time & Expense Entry. When you close the client, document, or application, the timer is stopped. You then need to post the recorded time to Time & Expense Entry.
Solution path
or
File path:
Select the More button to navigate to the solution’s shortcut.

Notes: Enter an optional comment in the text box.

Select the Links tab if you want to add links to files, websites, or documents outside of DT Practice, including documents stored in DT FileCabinet.

Use the Custom Fields tab to enter additional information for the task template. Custom fields can be checkboxes, dates, lists, numeric fields, staff lists, or text-entry fields. Custom fields for dates have a drop-down calendar. Numeric custom fields have a drop-down calculator. DT Practice allows you to create your own custom fields and field names for offices, staff, activities, clients, engagements, projects, tasks, and time & expense entry. Using custom fields enables you to track additional information in the application. You can create checkboxes, date fields, numeric fields, text fields (up to 4000 characters long), lists, and staff lists. To create custom fields, choose Setup > Custom Fields and then Offices, Staff, Activities, Clients, Engagements, Projects, Tasks, or Time & Expense Entry, depending on where you want the custom fields to appear within DT Practice.

Select

OK

to save the task.