With the latest update, we gave the task dialog a new look and feel. All the essential resource planning tools are now displayed as a toolbar. As a brand new feature, we introduced the option to split tasks. Additionally, we gave the task timing settings a new feel using your task scheduling preferences.

Best practices of scheduling tasks

Before getting to the details of the update, let’s go over the best practices of scheduling tasks. If you are already following these guidelines, pat yourself on the back.

Drag and drop for quick and easy scheduling

Drag and drop is the undisputed champion of task scheduling. It’s the easiest and fastest way to allocate resources to projects. Thus, using it is undoubtedly among the best practices of task scheduling. It might even be THE best practice.

Drag and drop scheduling is the resource planning feature that allows you to schedule tasks by clicking, dragging, and releasing the cursor on the timeline. Learn about the pros and cons of using drag and drop scheduling software.

Task data fields for getting the information you need

Custom task data is crucial for those that need to define the tasks as precisely as possible. With data fields, you can add details about the assignment. You can describe it further by using a text type data field or you can add a map with instructions on how to reach the location by adding a link.

If you are a high-level resource planner and don’t want to go into details with their planning, you might see custom task data as moot. You don’t need to specify the location or describe the task. You just need to drag and drop the assignment to let others know that the resource is booked.

That’s why using custom task data should serve another purpose for you. Namely, adding custom task data can make plans more visually comprehensible, and therefore easier to grasp.

To achieve it, you should add custom data that can be used for coloring and filtering. List type data labels can be utilized to reach this goal.

Let’s say you have set up a data field to indicate task status. You have picked three options: planned, confirmed, and in progress. Once that part is done, you can filter out the tasks by their status. You can also use the data field to create a custom color scheme.

Learn more about how to add data fields to tasks by clicking here.

Color schemes for elevated visual planning

As discussed earlier, using color schemes is a good way to keep track of task statuses.

After you have added list type custom data, you can select a color for each value using the view coloring panel. Once you apply the scheme you have created, all the taskbars will appear in the assigned colors.

There are two ways to approach using task colors. You can assign each view with a custom color scheme or you can switch between color schemes on the go.

Learn more about creating custom color schemes by clicking here.

Advanced timing options to schedule with control

The most common way to schedule tasks is by using the start and the end date of the task. A good example is assigning a consultant to a company to perform an audit. You know when the contract starts, and you know when it should be done. No muss, no fuss.

However, there are scenarios where the start time or the end time are not set in stone. Let’s say you only know the start time and you have agreed on the hours it should take to complete the assignment. Drag and drop might get tricky since you don’t have an end date.

Instead, you should use the information you already have and let Ganttic do the heavy lifting for you. In the case of the example above, after you have specified the start time and the busy time, Ganttic will calculate the end time for you.

It can also happen that you only know when the task should end. Then, you can use either the busy time, task duration, or the utilization percentage to find out when the task should start.

There are more options to mix and match. However, the general principle remains the same. It’s a good practice to let Ganttic do the work for you if it’s possible.

The new task dialog

The latest update aims to elevate the advanced timing options even further. Selecting the timing option that suits you the best will be easier than ever.

Namely, you don’t have to select anything. You don’t have to make sure the right options are selected. You don’t have to decide on the type of task timing tools to use. The scenarios described above can easily be solved without thinking about it twice. All you need to do is enter the data that you have. Ganttic will do the rest for you.

In addition to that, we remodeled the task dialog to keep all the essential resource planning tools within your reach. Most of the features on the toolbar have remained the same except for one – task splitting.

How to split tasks?