Task automation rules
Rules that act when a task is created, reaches a stage or goes overdue, or a timesheet week is late. They assign, set priority, tags or deadline, add a follow-up task, or tell people. Every run is logged.
PLANSFrom Growth
The problem it solves
- The same routine is done by hand every day: urgent bugs to the lead, reviewed work to QA, late tasks to the manager.
- Tasks reach In Review and wait because nobody told the reviewer.
- Overdue tasks are found at the weekly meeting instead of the morning after.
- Someone has to chase the same people for their timesheet every week.
How it works
- A Projects Administrator opens Projects > Configuration > Projects > Automation Rules and presses New.
- Under When, pick the trigger: A Task Is Created, A Task Reaches a Stage, A Task Is Overdue or A Timesheet Week Is Not Submitted.
- Under For, choose the projects (empty means every project of the Entity) and, for tasks, a tag or a priority the task must have.
- On the Do tab, choose what happens to the task: people or a role to assign, priority, tags, deadline, a follow-up task. Then choose who is told, and the message.
- Created and stage rules act at once. Overdue and late-week rules act in a daily run.
- Projects > Reporting > Automation Runs, or the Runs button on a rule, shows each time a rule acted and what it did.
Everything it does
When
- A Task Is Created
- A Task Reaches a Stage: each time a task arrives in that stage
- A Task Is Overdue: once the task is more than After Days past its deadline (1 to start with); once per task
- A Timesheet Week Is Not Submitted: a week still in draft or sent back more than After Days after it ended; once per week
For
- Projects: some, or empty for every SmartMy Projects project of the Entity
- Task Has a Tag: any of the tags you pick; empty means any task
- Task Priority Is: one priority; empty means any
- One set of rules per Entity, run in the order you set; a rule can be archived
Do, on the task
- Assign named people, and the person who holds a role on the task's project; people already on it stay
- Set Priority: Low, Normal, High or Urgent
- Add Tags
- Deadline in Days: set the deadline that many days from today (0 leaves it)
- Follow-up Task: a new task on the same project for the same people, due in Follow-up Due in Days (1 to start with)
Do, telling people
- Tell the Assignees, Tell the Project Manager, Tell People in Roles on the project, with your Message
- A late timesheet week tells its person, and the managers of the projects on the week when Tell the Project Manager is on
Runs
- Each run is logged: date, rule, the task or week, the project and what was done
- Automation Runs can be grouped by rule or by day
- Changes a rule makes never set off other rules, so rules cannot loop
- The daily run handles up to 500 tasks or weeks a rule each day
Who uses it
Projects AdministratorWrites, orders and archives the rules.
Projects ManagerReads the rules and checks Automation Runs.
Team memberGets the tasks, follow-ups and messages the rules send.
Where you use it
- Web: Projects > Configuration > Projects > Automation Rules; Projects > Reporting > Automation Runs
- Rules also act on tasks moved in the SmartMy Projects app (built and in testing, not in the app stores yet)
What you control
Settings
- Projects: empty, every project of the Entity
- After Days: 1
- Deadline in Days: 0, leave the deadline
- Follow-up Due in Days: 1
Notifications
- Projects Rule Alert: to the people the rule names, with its message, the task or week and project, in the app and by email
- Task Given to You: to people a rule assigns, in the app and by email
Questions
Can a rule set off another rule?
No. Changes made by a rule, and follow-up tasks it makes, do not run other rules. This stops rules looping.Will an overdue rule message the same people every day?
No. An overdue rule acts once per task, and a late-week rule once per week. The daily Task Due or Late reminder is separate.Can a rule send WhatsApp or call another system?
Not yet. Rules tell people in the app and by email, and change tasks inside SmartMy Projects.Can a rule look at fields other than tags and priority?
Not yet. Conditions are the projects, a tag and a priority. Use tags to mark the tasks a rule should act on.Which plan has automation rules?
Growth and Scale. Starter has the reminders before the deadline and while late, but not rules.Related features
TASKSDeadline remindersPeople are told when a task is given to them. They are reminded before its deadline, on the day, and every morning while it is late. You set how many days before.TASKSTasks on a board, list, calendar and pivotEvery project's work as tasks with assignees, priority, dates and tags. See them as a board by stage, a list, a calendar or a pivot. Stages are shared by every project, or a project keeps its own.TIMEMissing-time reminders and Time AnalysisEvery week, people whose last week is short or not submitted are reminded in the app and by email. Time Analysis shows managers the hours by project, person, task, week, billable and status.ACROSS SMARTMY PROJECTSNotificationsSmartMy Projects tells the right person when something needs them. That can be a task given to them, a week sent back, a request to approve, a payment due, a project late in a stage. Each event has its own recipients and channels, in the app, by email, as a phone notification or on WhatsApp for clients.TIMEWeekly timesheets with approvalEach person's time for the week sits on one sheet, sent on Friday. The project manager or your approval chain approves it as a whole. Approved hours become the project's cost and what you bill.
See your next project on it.
Tell us how many people keep time, how you bill your clients today (hours, fixed price, retainers) and what you use now. We will set up one of your real projects with you.