Frequency on recurrent tasks

Setting up recurrent tasks

When a task is set to be recurrent, it must be set with a certain frequency, which defines the schedule for the task instances and thereby when work orders are to be created.

In sub data on a recurrent task the task instances will be generated for each point in time when a a work order is to be created. These task instances can be seen graphically in the Gantt view in the task planning (or task management)

The task instance schedule for a task does not usually generate automatically when the task is created or modified. Here it is therefore important to run an action to create these instances, but that operation can be set up in automation which then e.g. runs daily or as often as needed.

Below are some examples of how you can set this frequency for recurring tasks and how it affects the instances and work orders. 

Note that frequency can also be set to standard tasks that then is reflected on the tasks created from that standard task. 

Here we only look at what happens when you select Recurrent task under Timeframe in task registration form. 

Start and Finish are the dates covered by the task. When the task is created, task years for it will be created for each year that the period spans. Then there are fields to define the frequency of task instances and work orders.

Every - Period - Scenario

These fields play an important role in combination. For Period "Weekdays", "Weeks", "Months" and "Years" you can set up a scenario to be able to define where within that period the instances should occur.

It is best to look at specific examples to show how this works. Based on those examples, we will see how they will be reflected in the task instances.

Example 1: Every 2 weeks on Friday: 

This task should create instances (and most likely work orders) every two weeks on Fridays. Scenario has therefore been created here for Fridays, but it can be set up as appropriate. This is done by clicking on the three points above the scenario drop down list and selecting Show data in popup list

There you can create a new entry if there is no option for the frequency you want to use on a week basis. Where we show this example from you can see that there are scenarios for Friday and another one for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday that apply to period = week(s).

If you do not see the possibility of creating a new scenario, seek help from the Administrator of your system or from your MainManager project manager.

Example 2: Every three months on first Thursday of the month

Here there has been set up a monthly based task scenario to reflect a desired schedule.

Example 3: Every year in March, April, September, October – on the 15th day of month.

Here there has been set up an yearly based task scenario to reflect desired schedule, and this can be very flexible setup as shown below. 

Generating the task instances

Once the task has been set up, the so-called task instances must be created that define exactly each point in time when the task is to be performed. This can both be done manually by running the Generate task instances action, but note that this action can also be set up to run automatically, we recommend this is done once a day, usually after midnight. 

Here we look at how to do this manually. After the task is created, the action appears inside the form on the right, but you can also run it from the action menu above the list in task planning.

Pressing the action will open a window where you define how it should be executed. You must select the Date to for which date the events are to occur. You can also choose whether to run the action for all tasks (otherwise only the selected one) and whether to delete the non-started instances. That choice is especially important when changing the frequency so that the old scheduled instances are deleted. 

It should be noted here that the start date of the task here often controls the dates on which the task instances occur if it has not been precisely defined in the scenario. In general, that date is therefore normally used to task instance dates on.

Let us therefore continue to look at the examples that we described earlier.

Example 1

Here, the start time of the task was set for 1.12.2021. The instances will therefore start on the first Friday after that day (3.12.2021) and then every two weeks thereafter. Notice in this example that if the time has passed - the status will become Behind schedule. Otherwise they are Planned.

Example 2

Here, the start date was set for 1.2.2022. The first instance will therefore occur on Thursday 3rd of February and then on the first Thursday of the month every three months thereafter.

Example 3

On this task the start date is not so important because the scenario is defining this precisely. The task instances will be generated on 15th on each of the months registered in this scenario. 

Time within a day and registration of work orders

In the above examples, it has not been defined when the task instances will occur within a day. This is possible by selecting Start time on the task and the task instances will then get this exact time.

In many cases, you want work requests to be generated automatically when the date/time is up. If this should occur and how is set in Work order settings in the task registration form.

If you want work orders to be created, select Automatic work order creation. It should also be mentioned that an automatic action must be set up which creates the work orders.

Check Notify by email if all those registered on the relevant work order should receive an email when it is created and Send documents if all documents on the work order are to be sent with the email.

Days ahead defines how many days before the scheduled task instance date the work order should be created. Note that this is not the start time of the work order. The work order can therefore be created e.g. a few days before it is to be executed. If the work order is to be created on the same day, this field does not need to be filled out (or can contain 0). This assumes that the automatic action that creates the requests runs once a day, usually at night (after midnight).

In the Work order duration and Time unit, the time frame of the work order is set, which is usually from a few hours up to a few days.

Here you can see how the time frame is e.g. set up on the task (left side) and how it is reflected in the work order (right side) that is created from the first task instance in example 3