Get task-related details by using the toolbar and sidebar on the Task Dashboard. Now you'll have the information you need to stay organized and informed.
NOTE: Instead of “tasks,” your firm may refer to these units of work as “budget items,” “phases,” “work items,” or “engagements.”
Click here to learn about the Task Dashboard and how to access it.
In this article, we’ll explain how to get practical information from the Task Dashboard and how to use it to make business decisions.
Task Dashboard Toolbar
Use the different views on the task toolbar to see the task statuses:
- Summary by due date.
- Summary by last modified date.
- Summary by status.
Find these options by clicking on the red triangle above the circles near the top of the Task Dashboard toolbar.
Notice when you change views, the information displayed within the circles changes, too. We’ll explain each view next.
Summary by Due Date
This view shows the total number of tasks that are overdue, as well as tasks that are due today, this week, and this month. You’ll also see the total open tasks on the far-right circle.
Click on a circle and BigTime will populate the results beneath. For example, by clicking the circle “1 this month,” BigTime will display the three tasks that are due this month. It looks like this:
Notice how the toolbar is refreshed with new data. Of the three tasks due this month, one is overdue (as shown in the circle on the far left). You can get more detail by clicking on the task, hyperlinked on the left-side of the window.
Summary by Last Modified Date
Use this view to see which tasks are being worked on by a specific day range. For example, “10 0-5 days,” as shown in the far left circle in the image below, reveals that one task has been modified during the past six to 10 days.
By clicking on this circle, BigTime will show the task. Then, use this information to see which tasks are being worked on, and which ones aren’t.
Summary by Status
Which tasks are "in process"? Which tasks are "complete"? Get the answers to these questions and more in the summary by status view. This view is helpful for project managers to stay on top of deadlines.
By clicking on the circle “52 not started,” BigTime will generate the 52tasks that haven’t been started. Now project managers can make important business decisions. More staffers may need to be hired, for example, in order to get these outstanding tasks started and completed.
Task Dashboard Sidebar
Use the gray sidebar on the Task Dashboard to generate high and granular-level details about tasks. You can sort tasks by four categories:
- Types,
- Stages,
- Due date, or
- Assignment.
Click on the white triangle next to a category, and several options will generate beneath it. We’ll explain a few of these options next.
Due Date
In the image below, we clicked on the triangle next to DUE DATE, which populates several options: overdue, today, this week, this month. This view gives you general information about your tasks and their statuses. Notice that we have three tasks due this month.
Find out which tasks are due by clicking THIS MONTH. Then, BigTime will generate the results in the window next to the sidebar. Our window looks like this:
Notice that the circles on the toolbar are also updated.
Assignment
Click on the triangle next to ASSIGNMENT and you’ll see your list of staffers and the number of tasks assigned to each. By clicking on a staffer’s name, BigTime will display the tasks assigned to that specific staffer.
In the example below, we clicked on Brian's name. Now we see the nine tasks assigned to him. Our window looks like this:
You can also apply several selections at once. For example, we can select Brian and BigTime User from the sidebar and BigTime will generate the results.
NOTE: Follow a similar process with TYPES and STAGES: click on the white triangle next to the category and click on the option(s) that generate beneath the category. Notice that you can edit and/or add to these categories by clicking EDIT.