Subtasks, checklists, comments and files
Split a task into subtasks with their own people and stage, add a checklist of steps, and keep comments and files on the task. A task can be closed only when its required items are ticked and its subtasks are done.
PLANSEvery plan
The problem it solves
- A task is marked done while half of its steps were never carried out.
- Big pieces of work sit on one card, so you cannot tell who is doing which part.
- Files and decisions about a task are spread over email and chat, and nobody finds them later.
- Nobody can say who ticked a step or when.
How it works
- Open a task and go to the Checklist tab. Add the steps, one a line, and the person for each if it is not the assignee.
- Steps are Required to start with. Untick Required for a step that is useful but optional.
- For larger parts, use the Subtasks tab. Each subtask is a task of the same project with its own assignees, deadline and stage.
- Talk about the task at the bottom of the form: comments, files and @mentions, with the history of every change.
- When you move the task to Done, the checks run. If a required step is not ticked or a subtask is still open, the message names them and the task stays where it is.
Everything it does
Checklist
- Items with a name, an order you drag, the person who does it, and Required
- Required is on for a new item
- Ticking records Ticked By and Ticked At; unticking clears them
- Progress as a count, such as 3 / 5, on the board card and in the list
- Items can be ticked from the phone app
Subtasks
- A subtask belongs to the same project as its parent; a task cannot be its own subtask
- Each has its own assignees, deadline, stage, checklist and number
- The parent shows Subtasks Open, such as 2 / 4, and opens the list of its subtasks
- Filter Top-Level Tasks to hide subtasks on the board or list
Finishing a task
- Checklist Before Done: a task moves to a Done stage only when its required items are ticked (on)
- Subtasks Before Done: a task moves to a Done stage only when its subtasks are done or cancelled (on)
- The message lists up to five missing items or open subtasks by name
- Moving to Cancelled is never blocked
Comments and files
- Comments and files on every task, with @mentions to bring someone in
- Every change to the name, stage, people, dates, priority, tags, hours and checklist progress is kept in the history
- Comments can be added from the phone app
Who uses it
Team memberTicks checklist items, works on subtasks, comments and attaches files.
Project managerBreaks tasks into subtasks and sets the steps a task needs before it counts as done.
Projects AdministratorDecides whether checklists and subtasks must be finished before a task is done.
Where you use it
- Web: the task form (Checklist and Subtasks tabs, comments and files below)
- The SmartMy Projects app: tick the checklist, see subtasks, add comments (built and in testing, not in the app stores yet)
What you control
Settings
- Checklist before done: on (Settings > Tasks)
- Subtasks before done: on (Settings > Tasks)
- Required per checklist item: on for each new item
Notifications
- Task Given to You: to people added to a subtask, as for any task, in the app and by email
- @mentions in comments reach the person mentioned
Questions
Can a task be closed with steps left undone?
Not while Checklist Before Done is on and the steps are Required. Untick Required on optional steps, or turn the setting off for the Entity.Can a subtask belong to another project?
No. A subtask always belongs to its parent's project, so its time and cost stay on that project.Can a checklist come ready on new tasks?
Yes, through a task template: each template line has a checklist, one item a line. A repeating task also brings its checklist, unticked, to the next one.Can subtasks have subtasks?
Yes. A subtask is a task, so it can have its own subtasks and checklist.Is there a limit on the size of files?
Files count toward the storage of your plan; there is no separate limit on tasks.Related features
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.TASKSRepeating tasks and task templatesTasks that come back daily, weekly, monthly or yearly, every n, until a date. Templates add a project's usual tasks in one go, with dates from the start and each task given to the right role.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.PROJECTSStages you leave only when the checks passEvery project moves through your stages, such as Planning, Execution and Closure. It leaves a stage only when its checks pass: tasks done, time approved, the payment received. Passing a check anyway takes an approval, with the reason on record.TIMETime entries with a timer and a weekly gridYour team keeps time on projects and tasks in the way that suits the work. Use a timer on the task, a weekly grid of projects and days, or a line in the list. Each entry is billable or not and lands on that person's weekly timesheet by itself.
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.