New Task Tracker

EARLY ACCESS!

Mavenlink's new and improved Task Tracker is in early release, giving users like you the opportunity to test new features and provide input and feedback. During this time, you're free to switch between the new and old Task Tracker to see the difference. If you would like to participate in early access, please contact your Client Success Manager or have an Account Administrator enable the New Task Tracker via the Early Access page.

Overview

The Task Tracker is an interactive, visual representation of all the tasks, deliverables, and milestones required to complete a project. It serves as a high-level project overview where you can see who is assigned work and the current status of each task. This helps you keep your team members on track and your tasks on schedule. Not only that, the Task Tracker gives your clients and consultants a window into the work being done and the timeline for completion.

The Task Tracker helps keep things organized with customizable views, filters, and columns, giving your team members the ability to work collaboratively how it suits them best.

With the Task Tracker you can:

Create tasks, deliverables, milestones, or issues
Assign team members to tasks
Drag and drop to re-prioritize or nest tasks
Quickly access the Task Details side panel, where you can view and manage individual task activity posts, checklists, proofs, and file attachments.

Using the New Task Tracker

The project Task Tracker is an interactive table containing all the tasks, milestones, deliverables, and issues associated with a project. The following sections will walk you through the major landmarks of the Task Tracker interface.

The Task Toolbar

The Task Tracker toolbar acts as a page-wide header just above the Task Tracker table, giving you instant access to the most frequently used features and functionality you need to manage your tasks, with additional options located in the Actions (“ ”) menus.

The toolbar contains logically grouped sets of buttons and controls. The left side of the toolbar contains controls for searching, viewing, and filtering tasks, while the right side of the toolbar has controls for adding, sorting, exporting, and other basic task management needs.

Search

Use the Search field to quickly find the task information you need. As soon as you start typing a search term, Mavenlink will instantly extract (i.e., filter) data from the Task Tracker table, looking for matching values in nearly every field of each task row and the Task Details side panel.

Views and Saved Views

You can use filters, sort options, and custom columns to configure how information appears in the Task Tracker and then save these configurations for future use. This way, you can switch between different views and get the information you need without having to manually re-apply the same filters every time you visit the Task Tracker.

After saving one or more views, you can access them from the Views drop-down menu. Saved views are member-specific and cannot be shared with other members; each member must create their own views. If you log out of Mavenlink or leave and return to the Task Tracker, the view that is set as your "default" will be loaded—regardless of which project you're viewing.

For more information on using views, please see the Task Tracker's Saved Views article.

Filters

ACCESSIBILITY

The Filters modal has been designed to support keyboard-only navigation, improving accessibility to assist power users as well as those with disabilities.

If your project has several tasks and a large number of resources, filters are useful for showing only the tasks or resource information you are interested in and hiding the rest. Using the Filters modal in the new Task Tracker, you can combine various elements (task fields and values) to create a filter that fits your needs. For example, you may want to see critical task deadlines, milestones, or other important information—such as tasks that have not yet been started. You can save any combination of chosen filters for future use as a Saved View.

Click the Filters button on the new Task Tracker toolbar to open the Filters modal and select the desired filter(s).

For more information on how to use the Task Tracker's Filters modal, see Task Tracker Filters.

Quick Filters

After you apply filters, each field type with selected values displays as a Quick Filter in the toolbar, indicating that these filters are active and contain the specified number of selected values. These Quick Filters display until you leave the page or manually clear the filters.

Selecting the Filters button again reopens the Filters modal, allowing you to adjust the selected fields and values. You can also quickly update the values for Quick Filters by selecting the filter from the toolbar, selecting (or deselecting) the values you want, and selecting Apply.

If you want to completely clear the current filters, select the Clear All link to the right of the Quick Filters. This returns the page to its unfiltered state. You can also select the Remove (“ “) icon of a filter to remove the applied filter.

Pinned Filters

You can pin filters that you use frequently, so that they will always appear in the toolbar when you visit the New Task Tracker.

To pin a filter, open the Filters modal and click the Edit (" ") icon in the top-right corner of the Fields section. In edit mode, you can select all the filters that you want to pin and you can drag and drop to rearrange the order they display in.

When you’re finished, select Save Pins, then Apply Filters. These pinned filters will now appear in the toolbar for all projects.

Cascade Changes to Dependencies

By default, the Cascade Changes checkbox on the right side of the task toolbar is disabled when you open the Task Tracker. Since there is no way to undo cascading changes to dependencies, please be intentional before checking the box.

When Cascade Changes is active (checked):

Modifying a task Start Date will automatically cascade changes to dependent tasks so you don’t have to manually adjust the dates of all predecessors and successors.
You can also cascade date changes to dependencies from the Task Details side panel, but only if it was opened from the project’s Task Tracker.
Shifting task dates also shifts any scheduled hours allocated to a resource for that task.
If you refresh the browser or leave and return to the project Task Tracker, the Cascade Changes checkbox will once again be inactive (not checked).

Exporting a CSV File

Click the Export button and then select CSV from the drop-down menu to download the Task Tracker data in a CSV file.

Note: The columns that are included in the CSV file are dependent on your permissions level.

Applying Templates

Click on the Apply Template button to apply a template that contains commonly repeated tasks, assignments, resource mapping, and other information to an existing project. This saves you from having to manually add the same information to your projects repeatedly.

When the Apply Template modal appears, select a Template and Start Date. You can also choose to apply one or both of the following to your project:

Treat Weekends as work days – This causes the task duration to include weekend days.
Distribute Scheduled Hours – This allows the resource estimated hours to be added as scheduled hours, which are distributed evenly between the task start date and end date.

NOTE

Only users with Financial project permission and above have access to view the Distribute Scheduled Hours setting and create scheduled hours.

After you select a template, you can see a list of template resources on the left, mapping options in the middle, and project roles on the right. In the Map To column, you can choose to map to a specific resource, create a new resource, or invite an account member who is not currently on the project.

Note: The Edit First ability to make changes to an applied template before saving is not currently available in the new Task Tracker.

Click here for more information on how to apply a template to a project.

Adding Tasks

Click on the Add Task button to add a new top-level task row to the project; it will appear at the top of the Task Tacker table.

Actions Menu

The Actions (“ ”) menu is where you can access additional Task Tracker actions.

Configure Columns—This lets you determine which columns to display in the Task Tracker table and in what order. The way columns are configured can be part of a Saved View.

How to Configure Columns

Select Configure Columns from the Actions menu (“ ”).
In the Configure Columns modal, you can move a column in the list by clicking the number to the left of the column header name and then dragging and dropping it to the order you prefer. Use the checkmark to hide or show columns in the Task Tracker table.

Duplicating a Task

Click the Actions (“ ”) button in-line with the task you want to duplicate, and then select Duplicate. The task duplicates and appears below the original task.

Note: The duplicated task will have the same Title, Type, Priority, Description, and Tags as the original task.

Sort Order

The following Sort options are available:

WBS (default)—Sorts your tasks in the order you’ve arranged them. If you haven’t moved any tasks, they will be sorted by date added, from newest to oldest.
Added—Sorted by date added, from newest to oldest.
Updated—Sorts tasks by those with the most recent activity, in descending order.
Upcoming—Tasks with a status of Not Started are sorted by Start date, from the newest to the oldest. Tasks with a status of Started or Needs Info are sorted by Due date, from newest to oldest. When tasks have the same Start or Due date, the one with the most recent activity appears first. Tasks with an overdue Start date will always appear at the top.
Priority—Sorted from highest to lowest priority level.

Archiving a Task

You can archive a task so it's removed from the project but is still accessible to view or unarchive later if needed. To archive a task directly from the task row, click the Archived column in-line with the task and then select Archive from the drop-down that appears.

Note: If you are trying to archive a task that has subtasks, you can only archive the top-level task—also known as the parent task—of the task hierarchy. All subtasks will automatically be archived along with the top-level task.

To view any tasks that have been archived, click the Actions icon (" ") and then select Only Archived.

If you want to unarchive a task, click the Side Panel icon (" ") to open the Task Details Side Panel and then select the Unarchive icon (" ") in the top-right corner of the panel.

Bulk Actions

You can use bulk action options to perform specific actions on a large number of tasks, such as updating task types, changing task statuses, assigning members to tasks, adding task tags, archiving old tasks, deleting tasks, and duplicating tasks.

To access the bulk actions, select one or more tasks by checking the boxes in front of the task name in the first column of the table. This will cause the bulk actions to appear, temporarily replacing the standard toolbar options.

Click here for more information on bulk actions.

The Task Tracker Table

Now that we've covered the main Task tracker toolbar, let's take a look at the Task Tracker table, which consists of individual task rows that can be nested into groups of parent and subtasks.

KEYBOARD ACCESSIBILITY

The Task Tracker has been designed with keyboard navigation in mind, improving accessibility for power users and those with disabilities.

When editing, you can:

•   Tab to move between cells.
•   Shift - Tab to move backwards between cells.
•   ↑ ← ↓ → to edit a cell's content.
•   Enter / Return to confirm selections or to enter/exit edit mode.

When viewing, you can:

•   ↑ ← ↓ → to move around cells.
•   Enter / Return to confirm selections (such as checking boxes for bulk actions)
•   Enter / Return to open drop-down menus.
•   Enter / Return within a cell to edit its content.

Task Rows

By default, an individual task row shows the task type, title, tags, assignees (project resources), status, and start and due date. You can easily reprioritize tasks, create new top- and sub-level tasks, apply tasks from templates, and delete tasks. The following is a breakdown of the default task row cells and contents.

Type—This drop-down menu allows you to change an individual task type.

Tasks are items that need to be completed.
Deliverables are things that need to be produced, such as documents.
Milestones are project deadlines, marking the completion of a phase or stage of a project.
Issues are bugs or items that need to be resolved.

Title—Enter a descriptive title that clearly communicates what the task will accomplish. The more specific the task title, the easier it is for team members to understand how it fits into the overall project; a consistent task naming schema also makes them easier to filter and search.

Task Detail Side Panel (“ ”)—This button opens the Task Details side panel, where you can view and manage individual task details and information such as activity posts, custom fields, checklists, time and fees, schedules, proofs, and file attachments. Click here to read more about the Task Details side panel.

Actions (“ ”)—This drop-down menu contains the following frequently used task-related actions.

Add Task Below—Adds a new top-level task beneath the currently selected task.
Add Subtask Below—Adds a new subtask below the currently selected task or subtask. You cannot add more than 4 levels of subtasks to a parent task.
Add From Template—Select this option to add tasks or subtasks from a template under the currently selected task or subtask.
Delete—Permanently delete the currently selected task or subtask. When the parent task is deleted, all subtasks are deleted.

Tags—Task tags are used to help identify specific keywords or topics and facilitate searches across projects in Mavenlink. Think of them as hashtags that help you reference and sort Mavenlink tasks, deliverables, milestones, or issues. For more information, please see our Tasks Overview article.

Assignees—These are the team members (resources) assigned to the task, responsible for performing the work. Members invited to the project can be assigned to any task in the tracker and each task can have multiple assignees. You can also select and view all unnamed resources that have been assigned to tasks via templates.

Status—The task status is used to inform providers and clients how a task is progressing. Changing the status of a task is a manual process. There are four default statuses available for tasks, deliverables, and milestones; issues have nine unique statuses. Click here for more information on task statuses.

Start Date and Due Date—Changing the Start Date of a task will also change the task Due Date (if specified) while retaining the duration of the task (i.e., the number of working days needed to complete the task). Conversely, changing the Due Date of a task will not affect the Start Date; it only extends the duration of the task.

If the top-level task has subtasks, then the Start Date and Due Date of the parent task are determined by the earliest start and due date of its subtasks. To change the dates of a parent task, you must change the dates of the subtasks that live within the parent task.

When a task has predecessor or successor dependencies (managed in the Local Gantt) and the Cascade Changes box is checked, adjusting the task’s Start Date will automatically cascade changes to any dependencies linked to the task.

If you adjust the Due Date of a task with multiple dependencies, only the duration of that task will change, but the duration for predecessor and successor tasks will remain unchanged.

For more information, please see our article on dependencies.

WHAT THE MAVENS KNOW

With our Google Workspace Integration , all assigned start and due dates are automatically linked with your Google Calendar and Google Tasks list.

Nesting Tasks

Subtasks help break complex tasks down into smaller action items. Subtasks have the same attributes as regular tasks, so each subtask can have its own due date, assignee, status, and so on. You can even add subtasks to your subtasks—up to five levels—to capture the entire work breakdown structure of your project.

You can nest your tasks underneath others by either selecting Add Subtask Below from the Actions (“ ”) drop-down menu on a task row or by dragging and dropping one task beneath and into another.

Expand All/Collapse All

To expand/collapse all the task hierarchies and view every subtask in the Tracker at once, click the small arrow in the task row header. Depending on whether you're expanding or collapsing all hierarchies, this arrow will either be right-facing (Expand all) or down-facing (Collapse all).

WBS

The Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) column shows the unique number assigned to each task and subtask in the project, breaking down the project into a more manageable structure. WBS may also be referred to as the "row number" that can help you locate a task in both the New Task Tracker and Gantt Chart.

You can add the WBS column to the Task Tracker table when you configure the table columns.

The WBS adds a decimal followed by a number for each level of nested tasks that you create. For example, if the hierarchy for task WBS 38 includes three task levels total, the first/parent-task level will be 38, the second level will be 38.1 and the third level will be 38.1.1. You can add up to five levels total (including the parent task).

When you create task dependencies in the Local Gantt Chart, the WBS is included in a task dependency to inform the application of which tasks are predecessor and which ones are successors.

To learn more about establishing task dependencies, see the Gantt Chart Dependencies article.

Predecessors and Successors (View Only)

You can configure the Task Tracker table to include the Predecessors and Successors columns so you can see which tasks have dependencies.

A dependency is the relationship between predecessor and successor tasks. You can establish dependencies in the Local Gantt Chart and the dependencies will automatically appear in the Task Tracker Table.

By definition, the predecessor is the first task; it controls the start or end date for all related successor tasks. The successor, by contrast, is the task whose start or end date is controlled by the predecessor. Tasks may have multiple predecessors or multiple successors.

There are four types of dependencies:

Finish to Start (FS)—The predecessor ends before the successor can begin.
Start to Start (SS)—The predecessor begins before the successor can begin.
Finish to Finish (FF)—The predecessor ends before the successor can end.
Start to Finish (SF)—The predecessor begins before the successor can end.

A dependency is represented by a mixture of the WBS/row number of the predecessor task followed by the initialism for the type of dependency that you’re establishing (finish to start=FS, start to start=SS, finish to finish=FF, and start to finish=SF). If you create a dependency for that includes a subtask, the subtask WBS will include decimals. For example, if your predecessor is for task WBS 55.3, you'll know it's the third subtask for task WBS 55.

Note: The ability to create and edit dependencies via the Predecessors and Successors columns in the New Task Tracker is coming soon! Check back later for more information.

Rows and Pages

You can configure the Task Tracker so that you're viewing either 10, 25, 50, or 100 task rows at a time. Just select your preference from the bottom-right of the page; changes are automatically saved.

Rows that exceed your selected number are added to subsequent pages. You can scroll through these from the bottom-center of the page.

Overview