A Task Definition is the recommended method to generate work package task items. 

Warning: Task Definitions and Workflows are advanced Stratus features and are disabled by default. We highly recommend no matter how much experience you have in Stratus previously that you seek formal training. Contact the Stratus Service Desk for more information.

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03/03/23 Stratus Customer DSI - Task Definitions How To

Transition from Task Workflows to Task Definitions

Note: If your company has not used Task Workflows, skip to the Configure Task Definitions section.

By default, Task Workflows are used to generate work package task items. Customers are encouraged to transition their Task workflows, which still work, to the Task Definitions workflow. 

To disable a Task Workflow:

1. Change the Initiated by Tracking Status setting associated with the Task Workflow to Manually Initiated.  
   
   
   
2. Task Definitions and Task Workflows are diabled by default under Admin > Company > Settings. Check either (preferable) or both to generate tasks. 
   
   
   
3. Alternatively, Task Definitions and Task Workflows can be managed at the project level.
   

Configure Task Definitions

Task Definitions are extensions of Tracking Statuses.

• Whereas Tracking Statuses capture major milestones within your workflow and can be visually overplayed in the Models Viewer, Task Definitions enable you to automate your tracking status changes at granular checkpoints.
• Task Definitions let you track Shop Productivity and time stamping by person, station, or activity.
• A Task Definition combines a filter, a category, and item type to apply to a tracking status when tasks are started and completed.
• A Task Definition can apply status changes to the Assembly or Package.
• A Task Definition can be triggered manually or automatically by a tracking status change.

A Task Definition includes the following:

• Sequence – Implies dependencies between tasks and is used for precedence ordering of tasks.
• Name (Required) - The name of the Task Definition. Tip: Use a standardized naming convention that uses a prefix so that the Task Definitions sort in a logical way. The Name is used to select tasks on the Task Workflows page in the Task Sequence column.
• Description (Required) - The description can be the same or similar to the Name and is only visible on the Task Definitions page. 
• Image - A task image, if added, will display wherever the task displays. If an image is not added to the task, then the Name will be used. One advantage to using an image is that task images can be sized the same giving the list of tasks a neat look to the page. 
• Upload - Browse to upload the image file from your computer. The image will be used instead of the Name if it is uploaded.
• Assign to (Required) – Is the task created for a Part or Assembly.
  • Assembly Task - When triggered, an assembly task will display:
    • In the Packages > Viewer > Tasks
      
      
    • In the Assemblies > Viewer
      
      
  • Parts Task - When triggered, a part task will display:
    • In the Packages > Viewer > Tasks
    • In the Assemblies > Viewer > Tasks
      
      
• Apply using Filters (Required) – Select one or more Filters to determine which Parts or Assemblies should get this task. See the Filters (Admin) article for more information.
• Task per Filter – Option to generate separate tasks for each Part Filter that passes. When checked, a separate task for each filter that passes will be created. When unchecked, a single task will be created when any of the part filters pass.
  • Example – If you have a cut task and have a filter for copper straight pipe and a filter for steel pipe, you can create one task if either filter passes, or a task for each filter that passes
• Is Join – Is the task joining multiple parts together, like a weld. It Implies dependencies on tasks from connected parts.
• Apply to Package Categories – When a Package Category is selected, a task will only be created for packages in the selected package category. See the Package Category (Admin) article for more information.
• Initiated by Package Tracking Status – When a Package’s Tracking Status is updated to the selected tracking status, then tasks get created. By default, tasks are Manually Initiated.
• Auto Complete (Required) – When checked (default), predecessor tasks will be automatically completed with tasks with a higher sequence number for the same part are completed. When unchecked, tasks will not be automatically completed and will require manual processing.
• Task Category (Required) - Configure Task Categories before Task Definitions. See the Task Categories article for more information. Below are some examples:
  
• Cost Category (Required) - Configure Cost Categories before Task Definitions. See the Cost Categories article for more information.  Below are some examples:
  
• Cost Type - See the Cost Types article for more information. Below are some examples:
  
• Apply Tracking Status upon Completion - The tracking status that will be automatically applied when Apply Tracking Status to Assembly and/or Apply Tracking Status to Package is checked. See the Tracking Statuses article for more information. Below are some examples:
  
• Apply Tracking Status to Assembly
  • When checked, after at least one task in an Assembly has been completed for the associated Task Definition, the tracking status set in the Apply Tracking Status column will be automatically applied to the Assembly.
  • When unchecked, no tracking status will be applied to the assembly.
• Apply Tracking Status to Package
  • When checked, after at least one task in a Package has been completed for the associated Task Definition, the tracking status set in the Apply Tracking Status column will be automatically applied to the Package.
  • When unchecked, no tracking status will be applied to the package.
• Bypass (Update) Tracking Status Dialog
  • When checked, after each task is completed for the associated Task Definition, the Update Tracking Status dialog will not display.
  • When unchecked, after each task is completed for the associated Task Definition, the Update Tracking Status dialog will display if the Apply Tracking Status value is something other than “No Change”.
  • Note: The Update Tracking Status dialog is the only dialog where hours can be entered while work is being done.
    
    
    
• Unit of  Measure (Optional) – The Unit of Measure drop-down displays the list of Fields. See the Field (Admin) article for more information. For each task, a Field can be selected and used as the Unit of Measure metric for the task (e.g. diameter inches for weld task, or weight for sheet metal task, or length for pipe task). 
• Velocity (Units per Day per Station) (Optional) – The Velocity is used for capacity planning and is a numeric value specifying the expected rate of task completion.
• Report (Optional) – The Report setting for each task generates helpful data for describing tasks on the task card. See the Report (Admin) article for more information.
  • Example – Include C1, C2, Diameter, and Service information on the Kanban task card.
    
• Color (Required) – Select a color for the Task Definition.
• Print Label - Select the assembly status (Ex. In Progress or Done) that will trigger the assembly task to print an assembly label. See the Label Report to select the label report to print.
   
• Label Report - Select Label Report to be used when the assembly task triggers the assembly label to be printed. See the Print Label section to trigger the print.
  
• Delete - Delete the Task Definition. Deleting the Task Definition will delete it from Task Workflows.

Example: Label Printing Triggered by Tasks

Use tasks to trigger part and assembly label printing. This uses the relationships between Stations, Tools, Task Definitions, and Reports to push labels to the GTP Stratus Print desktop application automatically when tasks are taken into either the In Progress or Done statuses.

To configure a task to print labels

1. ZPL Report Setup

   1. Configure a ZPL report that relates the correct property information that you would like included in your label.

   2. Configure the Label Template for the report to the Report Fields in that report.
      
      

      

2. Task Setup

   1. For the task that you want to use to trigger label printing, you will need to specify the task status from which to trigger the label generation in the Print Label column of the Task Definitions admin.

   2. To specify which ZPL report to run, you will need to choose it from the Label Report column of the Task Definitions admin.
      
      

      

3. Tool Setup

   1. You will need to have a tool set up that is configured with a Type of ZPL Printer.
      
      

      

4. Station Setup - This builds the relationship between the task and its related report and label template to the printing tool assigned to the station

   1. You will need to have a tool with a Type of ZPL Printer associated with your station and it will have to be assigned to the device that is connected to the printer.

   2. The station will also need to have the Task Definition associated with it.