LESSON 7-1: Tasks Overview

This tutorial describes:
• Why the Lean scheduling methodology is emerging
• How Tasks app brings lean scheduling into the digital age
• Work Plan page
• How to use Handoffs page, Task List page, Constraints page, Analysis page

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1. Lean Scheduling.
The critical path method is the traditional means for creating project schedules. It does an excellent job of establishing overall project dimensions like dates and durations. But unfortunately, CPM isn't designed to address work issues at the job site. That's why the use of Tasks, including the lean scheduling methodology, is emerging as an important complement to CPM.
Contractors, supervisors, and foremen meet for regular planning sessions where they break down activities on the CPM schedule into smaller tasks. Task management leverages the experience of project team members by empowering them to determine the best way to schedule project work. Tasks were originally represented by post-it notes, with each subcontractor assigned a different color. This enabled planners to identify subcontractors responsible for each task. It also helped them rearrange tasks for the most efficient scheduling outcome.

2. Tasks app.
The Tasks app Primavera Cloud brings lean scheduling into the digital age. Those post-it notes are now represented by color-coded tasks that can be easily arranged on the virtual planning board. The app offers the added benefits of updating tasks and collaborating with colleagues using a mobile device at the construction site.

3. Work Plan page.
Let's begin on the Work Plan page. The page provides a planning board with a graphical view of the project's tasks, color coded by company. Companies are maintained by an administrator in global admin and assigned to the project team by the project manager. Assign the company's subcontractors, for example, who will perform the project tasks.
The Hopper, located to the left of the planning board, holds tasks before they're scheduled, grouped by activity. At a planning session, decision makers for the general contractor, subcontractors, and tradesmen meet to break activities down into their component tasks. After tasks are created, planning participants drag and drop them on the planning board.
The process promotes collaboration among the project's team members. Perhaps the workflow of the activity can be restructured slightly by moving tasks around. Perhaps some tasks can be stretched or shortened, others added or eliminated entirely. Subcontractors use their collective knowledge and experience to determine the most efficient way to accomplish the work.
When a task schedule is set, the subcontractor commits to completing it by the assigned due date. Some tasks can't begin until others are completed. Use handoffs to specify such dependencies. Create handoffs dynamically on the handoffs page.

4. Handoffs page.
Handoffs help you track tasks that are most important to complete on time. A task with multiple handoffs that finish late can delay its handoff successors, which, in turn, may cause problems later in the schedule. Slack is the amount of time between a task and its handoff successor.

5. Task List page.
Use the Task List page for bulk operations. This is particularly useful for projects with many similar tasks. Note that you can create private tasks to track personal work, such as communicating with vendors. Private tasks do not appear on the Work Plan page and are not displayed to other users.

6. Constraints page, Analysis page.
Use the Constraints page to log and track outside factors that may prevent task work from beginning, such as RFIs, permits, and safety issues. Link a constraint with a task and then ensure the constraint is resolved before committing the task due date. And finally, use the Analysis page to evaluate the Project Performance. Graphs display how often tasks were completed by their committed due dates for the overall project and broken down by company as well as the reasons for missed commitments.
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