Implementation of Project FunctionalityLesson 4

Creating Project Tasks

Back to P100: Project Implementation and Processing

Lesson 4: Creating Project Tasks

Part 1: Implementation of Project Functionality

This lesson explains how to create project tasks, specify settings for them, and track task completion.

Project Tasks: General Information

In Acumatica ERP, each project can consist of one project task or multiple project tasks. A project task is the smallest identifiable piece of work that is a part of the project, and you can select a billing rule for each project task to determine how it will be billed. In the following sections, you will find information about creating project tasks.

Learning Objectives

In this lesson, you will learn how to do the following:

  • Create a project task for a particular project
  • Configure the rules of the project task completion
  • Configure a project task to be billed separately from other project tasks
  • Set a project task as a default for a project

Applicable Scenarios

You create a project task in the following cases:

  • When you are configuring a new project from the beginning
  • When you need to add a new project task to an existing project

Project Task Creation and Settings

Each project task is linked to a particular project and has a unique identifier. Project tasks are always defined within the scope and limitations of a specific project; a particular project task may have additional limitations within the scope of the project. You create new project tasks in a project by adding a row for each task to the Tasks tab of the Projects (PM301000) form. You can then review the settings of the project task on the Project Tasks (PM302000) form.

          You can create new project tasks directly on the Project Tasks form by specifying the identifier of
          the project to which the project task relates, the identifier of the new project task, and the settings
          specific for the project task.

For a project task, you can define the following settings, which are specific to the task and do not extend to the project:

  • Date range: You can narrow the date range of the task, as long as it remains within the start and end dates of the project. The start and end dates are specified for informational purposes and do not affect any processes performed for this project task.
  • Billing rule (and optional rate): By default, the system assigns to the added project task the billing rule that is specified on the Summary tab of the Projects form for the project. Billing rules are defined on the Billing Rules (PM207000) form. If complex billing rules have to be configured for billing the project task, you also need to assign the appropriate rate table to the project task.
  • Separate billing: You can select the Bill Separately check box on the Summary tab of the Project Tasks form to make the system create a separate invoice for the project task.
  • Allocation rule: You can define the allocation rule for a particular project task. By default, the system assigns to a newly added project task the default allocation rule of the project which is specified on the Summary tab of the Projects form.
  • Method of calculating task completion percentage: You can define the project task to be completed manually or based on the budgeted quantity or amount.
  • Visibility settings: The project task may be visible only in the parts of the system in which the associated project is visible. You can leave these default visibility settings, or apply additional visibility limitations for the project task. In addition, you can specify that a particular project task is the default task of the project, so that the system will populate this task automatically in all related documents in which a user will select this project.

Statuses of Project Tasks

A project task can be assigned one of the following statuses:

  • In Planning: The project task is a dra; this status is automatically assigned to a new task. A project task with this status is available for selection only in employee activities and project commitments.
  • Active: The project task is active and available for selection on data entry forms. An active task can be assigned the In Planning status.
  • Completed: The project task is completed. A completed task can be activated again if the corresponding project is not completed.
  • Canceled: Progress on the project task was started but then stopped before task completion and there is no intention to continue work on the task. A canceled project task can be activated again if the corresponding project is not completed.

Document Entry and Processing

Users cannot select projects and project tasks with the In Planning status in any records, except for the following types of records that are available for planning:

  • Employee activities on the Activity (CR306010) form
  • Tasks on the Task (CR306020) form
  • Email activities on the Email Activity (CR306015) form
  • Purchase orders on the Purchase Orders (PO301000) form
  • Subcontracts on the Subcontracts (SC301000) form For instance, you can add an employee activity for planning budgets for project tasks, or record a project commitment. However, if your user account does not have the Project Accountant role assigned on the User Roles (SM201005) form, these documents can be processed further only aer the Active status is assigned to the project task. If your user has the Project Accountant role, you can release employee activities with project tasks that have the In Planning status.

Default Project Tasks in Record Lines

When you create a project-related record, you must specify a project task for each line of the record. When you are creating a project, you can define one project task of a project as the default one to speed up data entry. The system will automatically insert this project task in the lines of documents when you select the project. If you are entering an employee activity on the Activity (CR306010) form, a task on the Task (CR306020) form, or an email on the Email Activity (CR306015) form, the system also checks the status of the selected project’s default project task. If you select a project whose default project task has the In Planning or Active status, this project task is inserted automatically. If the project has no default project task or the default project task has the Canceled or Completed status, the Project Task box on the form remains empty.

Default Project Tasks for Particular GL Accounts

When you process an AR invoice or AP bill related to the project, the system may automatically generate additional GL transaction lines—for instance, to include a discount or freight charge. To automatically associate these transaction lines with specific project tasks, you need to map particular general ledger accounts to specific project tasks within the project in the Default Task for GL Account table on the Defaults tab of the Projects (PM301000) form. In the automatically generated transaction lines posted to the GL account mapped to a project task, the system will specify this project task by default. When you select a GL account mapped to a project task in the Account column in a line of a project-related AR invoice on the Invoices and Memos (AR301000) form, the system will automatically specify the mapped project task in the line. If the account is not mapped to any project task, the default project task (if one is specified for the project) is inserted in the line.

          The defined account mapping does not affect the entry of project-related bills on the Bills and
          Adjustments (AP301000) form. In the bill lines, the system inserts the default task of the project if it is
          configured on the Tasks tab of the Projects form.

Project Tasks: To Add a Project Task to a Project

In the following implementation activity, you will learn how to add a project task to an existing project.

Story

Suppose that the SweetLife Fruits & Jams company is managing a project for the HM's Bakery and Cafe customer, which has ordered the installation of two juicers. A project for this work is currently in progress; the installation of the juicers is 75% completed and is supposed to be completed by 1/30/2025. Further suppose that the customer notifies you that its employees need training on operating the juicers; you need to add a project task for this activity to the project and add to the cost budget a cost budget line related to this task. You want to bill the customer separately for the conducted training, and to close the project task based on the budgeted quantity, which is 16 hours of training, eight of which has been already provided to the employee. Acting as a SweetLife project accountant, you need to add a new project task for the employee training to the existing project, and specify the settings of the project task. Because the other project tasks are going to be completed soon, you also will set the newly added project task as the default task of the project. Also you need to record the training session that has been already conducted.

Process Overview

In this activity, you will add a new project task to the existing project on the Projects (PM301000) form, and specify the standard settings of the project task. Then you will enter specific settings for the project task on the Project Tasks (PM302000) form.

Configuration Overview

In the U100 dataset, the following tasks have been performed to support this activity:

  • On the Enable/Disable Features (CS100000) form, the Project Accounting feature has been enabled to support the project accounting functionality.
  • On the Projects (PM301000) form, the HMBAKERY15 project has been created.
  • On the Project Tasks (PM302000) form, the PHASE1 and PHASE2 project tasks have been created for the HMBAKERY15 project. For both tasks, in the Task Properties section of the Summary tab, Completed (%), which represents the completion percentage, is 75%, and the Start Date is 1/30/2025.
  • On the Non-Stock Items (IN202000) form, the TRAINING non-stock item has been defined.

System Preparation

To prepare to perform the instructions of the activity, in the info area, in the upper-right corner of the top pane of
the Acumatica ERP screen, make sure that the business date in your system is set to 1/30/2025. If a different date is
displayed, click the Business Date menu button, and select 1/30/2025 on the calendar. For simplicity, in this activity,
you will create and process all documents in the system on this business date.

Step 1: Adding a Project Task to the Project To add a new project task to a project, do the following:

  1. On the Projects (PM301000) form, open the HMBAKERY15 project.
  2. On the Tasks tab, add a new row, and specify the following settings in the row:
  • Task ID: TRAINING
  • Type: Cost and Revenue Task
  • Description: Employee training
  • Billing Rule: TM (specified automatically)
  • Status: Active
  • Start Date: 1/30/2025
  • Default: Selected
  1. Save your changes.

Step 2: Configuring Advanced Settings for the Project Task To review the newly added project task and specify advanced settings for it, do the following:

  1. On the Project Tasks (PM302000) form, select HMBAKERY15 as the Project ID and TRAINING as the Task ID.
  2. On the Summary tab, in the Completion Method box, select Budgeted Quantity.
  3. In the Billing and Allocation Settings section, select the Bill Separately check box to make the system create a separate invoice for this project task during the billing of the project.
  4. Save your changes.

Step 3: Adding the Related Cost Budget Line To add the costs related to conducting the training to the budget, do the following:

  1. On the Projects (PM301000) form, open the HMBAKERY15 project.
  2. On the Cost Budget tab, add a line with the following settings:
  • Project Task: TRAINING (selected automatically as the default project task)
  • Inventory ID: TRAINING
  • Account Group: LABOR
  • Description: Training for employees
  • Original Budgeted Quantity: 16
  • UOM: HOUR
  • Unit Rate: 40
  • Auto-Completed (%): Selected
  1. Save your changes to the project.
    You have added a new project task to the project, configured the project task settings, and budgeted the new project task.

Step 4: Processing a Project Transaction To record the provided training, perform the following steps:

  1. On the Project Transactions (PM304000) form, create a new record.
  2. In the Summary area, make sure that PM is selected in the Module box, and enter An 8-hour training session as the Description.
  3. On the Details tab, add a new line with the following settings:
  • Project: HMBAKERY15
  • Project Task: TRAINING (selected automatically as the default project task)
  • Cost Code: 00-000
  • Account Group: LABOR
  • Inventory ID: TRAINING
  • UOM: HOUR
                      The unit of measure must be the same as the one specified in the cost budget line.
  • Quantity: 8.00
  • Billable: Selected
  • Unit Rate: 45.00
  1. Make sure that the Total Amount in the Summary area is 360.00, and save the project transaction.
  2. On the form toolbar, click Release.
  3. On the Projects (PM301000) form, open the HMBAKERY15 project.
  4. On the Cost Budget tab, review the cost budget line with the TRAINING project task. Notice that Actual Amount in this line is now 360.00 and the Actual Quantity is 8, meaning that the project transaction that you have processed has affected the cost budget (see the following screenshot).
       Figure: The cost budget line affected by the project transaction
  5. On the Tasks tab, review the Completed (%) box in the line with the TRAINING task, and notice that 50% of the task has been completed.

You have added a new project task to the existing project and processed a transaction that updates the cost budget line with this project task. Part 2: Capturing of Costs for Projects | 32