Tasks and hours

Task lines break a package into work the Designer can complete and record. Each line has a line number, revision, optional dependency, planned hours, actual hours, due date and completion date. The parent package supplies the project and owner context. Operations Overview compares planned and actual task hours by project and shows overdue task load by package owner.

Each task line stays under its parent package, which supplies the project and owner. The Project Manager can compare planned and actual hours on the same lines rather than asking the Designer to restate progress. A due task needs its completion date checked before it is treated as overdue. A revision to future work must leave completed lines available for the delivery review.

• Plan the lines. Record sequence, task name, planned hours and due date against the package revision.
• Record completion. The Designer adds actual hours and the completion date when work finishes.
• Inspect ownership. Follow an overdue line to its parent package to find the accountable owner and project.

Agree whether task hours represent a designer’s work or a team total. Decide when actual hours are entered and who checks them. Record dependency references consistently so the Project Manager can understand sequence without guessing. Set a rule for closing a task after its completion date is entered.

Agree when actual hours are entered, who checks completion dates and how the team writes dependency references. The Project Manager should decide how to handle a line that has hours but no completion date. Set the review point for changes to future task lines so an old package revision is not silently reused.

Use a room package with concept, sourcing and presentation tasks. Enter planned hours and due dates, then record actual hours as each task completes. Inspect the difference in Operations Overview and follow an overdue line back to its parent package. On a scope revision, keep completed task history intact and replan only future work.

Plan concept, sourcing and presentation tasks under a room package. Let the Designer enter actual hours after the concept is complete while the later tasks remain open. Compare hours by project in Operations Overview and open an overdue presentation line to confirm its parent owner. Then revise the future lines; verify the completed concept line still shows its original hours and completion date.

• Task effort — Planned and actual hours with due and completion dates.
• Overdue packages — Parent packages to contact when task work is late.

Track task delivery and submit completed work.