This page provides a brief explanation of all the fields available on the Tasks page in Abtrac.
The term Task is configurable and can be renamed in Administration » Settings » System Settings. Depending on your business, tasks may also be referred to as Stages or Phases. For consistency, they are referred to as Tasks throughout this page.
About Tasks
In most cases, your project tasks will align with the items outlined in your original scope or proposal.
Once a project has been created, select the Tasks tab from the project menu and add a task description for each budgeted item.
Only the Task Description field is required when creating a task; all other fields are optional and can be completed as needed.
Read more about creating and managing tasks here
Task Set up and Structure
Sort Order
Controls the order tasks appear on the project tasks screen, and in timesheets and reports. Lower numbers appear first. Without a specified sort order tasks display sorted alphabetically, or by the task group sort order.
Task Group
A way to group related tasks together (e.g. Design, Documentation, Construction Phase).
Helps with structure and reporting. On some invoices and reports, individual task fee details may be hidden and instead summarised as a total at the Task Group level.
Task (Task Description)
The name of the task. This is required when adding a task line.
The task description name is what appears on timesheets, reports, proposals and invoices.
Comment
General notes relating to the task. These comments can be used in job templates and proposal documents.
Team
The team assigned to the task (used for reporting). Teams can also belong to Projects and Employees, the list of available teams is created in the maintenance menu.
Task Owner
A nominated person responsible for overseeing the task. Any Job Owner is automatically available as a task owner. Task owners can manage task progress through the Search Jobs and Tasks page.
Invoice and Quote Control
Rate To Use Type
Controls which rate is applied when logging time to against this task (e.g. Charge rate, Charge Rate 2, Charge rate 3, Cost Rate, No Charge).
Fixed Fee (legacy option)
This is a legacy setting from earlier versions of Abtrac.
The Fixed Fee checkbox indicated that the task was billed as a fixed amount rather than on a time basis. In current versions of Abtrac, the Task Billing Type field is typically used instead of this option.
Task Billing Type
Describes how the task is billed (e.g. Time & Cost, Fixed Fee, No charge). The billing types are selected from a predefined list created in the Maintenance menu.
A job can have one overall Billing Type assigned for the entire project (for example, Time & Cost), while individual tasks within that job can have a different billing type applied (for example, Fixed Fee).
Task Billing type is displayed in these two reports:
- Unbilled Work Quick Summary by Task (via the Manage WIP screen)
- Bulk View Timesheets report.
The Job Billing Type is also used in the header description of some reports and is available as a filter option in the Actual vs Budget reports, including:
- Actual vs Budget by Job and Task
- Actual vs Budget by Job and SubTask
Task Billing Comments Internal
Internal notes relating to how the task should be billed. Not visible to clients.
Show On Project Template
When creating a project template document, ticking Show on Project Template ensures that the task is included in the template.
This option is used with Job Specific Templates and Print Document Templates (proposal documents), but is not currently applied to Word template documents.
Initial Quote
The original quoted value for the task.
When creating a project template document, ticking Initial Quote can also ensure that the task is included in the template document.
This option is used with Job Specific Templates and Print Document Templates (proposal documents), but is not currently applied to Word template documents.
The intital quote check box is also used to separate task fee budget reporting in some reports, including the Invoice Preparation Information report.
Approved
A check box used to indicate whether a quoted task item has been accepted and approved by the client. Often used in conjunction with the Task Purchase Order No field. The approved check box is not linked to a Task Status
Purchase Order No
A purchase order reference associated with the task.
A job can have one overall Purchase Order No assigned for the entire project, or individual tasks within that job can have unique Purchase Order Numbers. Only the Job Billing Details PO Number flows through automatically to the invoice header details.
The Itemise by Task invoice option will automatically include Task Purchase Order numbers within the invoice line narration.
Hide In Progress Claim Invoices
If ticked, the task will not appear when creating progress claim invoices.
GL Account Code
The General Ledger (GL) code linked to the task for accounting integration.
When invoices are created using any automatic Itemise by Task option, the GL account code applied to each invoice line will match the task’s GL Account Code.
Dates & Progress
Start Date
The planned start date for the task. When adding tasks this will default to the job creation date. The task start date is used in forward planning and forecasting reports.
Est. Finish Date
The planned completion date for the task. The task finish date is used in forward planning and forecasting reports.
Actual Completion Date
The date the task was actually completed. Often used for reporting and project tracking, especially in the Search Jobs and Tasks page.
Project Task Status
Describes the status of the task (e.g. Active, On Hold, Complete). The task status option is selected from a predefined list created in the Maintenance menu. Available for reporting from the Search Jobs and Tasks page.
Current
The current check box determines whether timesheets can be entered against a task. Once a task is non-current it’s no longer available for any timesheet entries.
Time & Fee Budgeting
Est Hours
The budgeted number of hours allocated to the task. Can be used in conjunction with the task rate field, which will then calculate the fee estimate accordingly.
Task estimated hours can also be calculated from the total subtask hours, and then posted back into the tasks line.
Rate
The overall charge rate applied to the task. Can be used in conjunction with the estimated hours field, which will then calculate the fee estimate accordingly.
Alternatively, an average rate will calculate if only a Fee Estimate and Estimated Hours are entered with no rate.
The Task Rate can also be calculated as an average rate from the subtask rates and then posted back into the task line.
Fee Est
The estimated fee for the task excluding tax (this can be calculated from hours × rate, or can be set directly).
The task fee estimate can also be calculated from the total subtask hours x rates, and then posted back into the task fee estimate line.
If using a % Fee, then the Fee estimate is calcuated from % Fee x Work Value.
Disb
Any estimated disbursement values budgeted for a task, or as a unique task.
For example a Task description of Consulting Services may have a $3,000 fee estimate plus a $500 estimate for disbursements (materials).
Disbursement estimates can be itemised as part of your fee proposals, especially when using Word document proposal templates.
Sub Cons We Invoice
Subconsultant cost estimates for the task that you bill to the client as part of your fees invoice.
Sub Cons Inv Direct
Subconsultant costs that are invoiced directly to the client (not through you).
These are entered into task budget lines as part of the subconsultant purchase order and subconsultant invoice process, and for completion when building a full service fee estimate document.
Projected Additional Hours
Variation to the original estimate (used for re-quoting or analysing actual vs budget when the original budget has been extended).
In some cases, additional hours or variations are entered as a separate task rather than within the original.
Example:
Topographical Survey — Est Hours 5.0, Additional Hours 5.0
cf.
Topographical Survey — Est Hours 5.0
Variation to Topographical Survey — Est Hours 5.0
Projected Additional Value
Variation to the original fee estimate (used for re-quoting or analysing actual vs budget when the original budget has been extended).
In some cases, additional fees are entered as a separate task rather than within the original.
Example:
Topographical Survey — Fee Est $1,000, Additional Value $1,000
cf.
Topographical Survey — Fee Est $1,000
Variation to Topographical Survey — Fee Est $1,000
Disbursements Budget to Completion
Variation to the original disbursement estimate (used for re-quoting or analysing actual vs budget when the original budget has been extended).
In some cases, additional disbursements are entered as a separate task rather than within the original.
Example:
Topographical Survey — Disb $300, Disbursements Budget to Completion $200
cf.
Topographical Survey — Disb $300
Variation to Topographical Survey — Disb $200
Total
The total combined value of time, disbursements, and subconsultants, plus any additional fees and disbursements associated with the task.
Cost Estimate
The estimated internal cost to deliver the task (used for margin calculations). Can be entered directly, or the cost estimate total can be calculated from the combined subtask cost rates.
When hovering over the Cost Estimate, you can also view margins between cost and fee estimates (where % Margin on Employee Rates = (Fee Estimate – Cost Estimate) / Fee Estimate).
% Margin
Task Percentage Margin, is the mark up for any disbursements logged against this specific task.
Where applicable mark ups with look to task margins, then job margins on disbursements. Any disbursement types with preset adjustments per type are added to the task margins.
% Fee
The percentage of the total project fee allocated to this task (for fixed fee projects), based on the Work Value from the Job Billing Details page.
Example:
Work Value = $3,000,000
Task One — % Fee = 5%
Fee Estimate = $150,000
Earned Value
Earned Value is posted back to the Tasks page from the Value Completed amount in a Progress Claim Percentage invoice line.
You can also manually update this value from the Tasks page by right-clicking and updating your progress assessment percentage.
Threshold
A percentage of the task fee estimate as the threshold value.
Used to alert project managers and timesheet users when the task is nearing its budget limit. Can be used in conjunction with Project Threshold values.
Abtrac KB # 2238