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Overview of Tasks

Get a quick overview of tasks and learn how to easily create a checklist of tasks in Karbon.

Erin Jamison avatar
Written by Erin Jamison
Updated over a week ago

As a center for everything related to work in your practice, Karbon is your complete workflow management system. Powered by checklists that live in the tasks tab of each work item, Karbon documents the recipe of what needs to be done, when, how, and who is responsible for each step.  

Index

Checklist components

Checklists can be created from templates, copied from other pieces of work within Karbon, copied from spreadsheets, or created ad-hoc. Once created, you can edit your tasks (e.g. add/remove steps) without impacting the template they may have been derived from. If you make changes you don't want to keep, you can revert your tasks back to the template they were initially created from.

A checklist in Karbon includes:

  • Tasks: short task titles describing what needs to be done

  • Task descriptions
    Detailed information explaining the activity to be completed. Hyperlinks can be added to jump from Karbon to other applications or to point to your knowledge base for full walkthroughs of the process step.

  • Due dates: Each step can be given a date to highlight when it must be completed.

  • Task assignee
    The owner of each step of the process. There can only be one owner for each task. When assigned, Karbon will automatically place that work item in the assignee's My Week where they can then plan when they want to do it. If you prefer, you can leave a task unassigned.

In addition, task lists can be broken up into task list sections (for sub-processes), and tasks can be tiered to show loose dependencies or sub-tasks. Checklist tasks can even be designated to clients via Client Requests embedded within overall checklists.

Create a list of tasks

If tasks are created from a work template, they can be customized for your client by adding/removing steps or creating additional sections without affecting the template they may have been derived from. You can also create your own tasks in a new work item.

To create a list of tasks,

  • Click on the 'Tasks' tab

  • Click on Add Item to add a new task

  • Hitting Enter/ Return will add more items.

Clicking on any task will expand further options for you to edit each item, enabling you to give task items a description, owner and due date.

Is your checklist getting long? Break it up into sections. Just click 'Add Section' and give it a title. We recommend breaking up your task lists into sections of five to nine task items and/or when a different task owner is to take ownership of the process.

Best Practice Tip: To save time, consider using tasklist automators to update due dates, statuses and more on your tasks.

Add, edit or delete a task

Add a new section

You can break up any task list into categories by adding sections. Select Add Section from below your task section or the task menu. You can also choose Add Client Section if you want to add a section for tasks that you will send to a client through Client Requests.

A task section can be expanded or collapsed by clicking on the section header bar.

You can also re-order sections by clicking on the bar to drag and drop them.

Add a task

You can add the first item by clicking on Add Task at the top of a section. From then onwards, every time you hit the return Key, a new task will be created.

Click into the task to add a description or details around completing the tasks. Leverage the formatting bar to edit the font size, use hyperlinks, add images and more.

Copy and paste a list of tasks from an outside source

If you have checklists that have been created and used elsewhere. Whether it be in Excel, Google docs, a CSV file or on a virtual notepad, you can simply copy and paste the checklist into Karbon.

You can even copy tasks from an email or pdf. Just select the data you wish to copy, perform a copy function (Command+C or Ctrl+C), select an empty task list item row within Karbon, and do a paste function (Command+V or Ctrl+V).

If it has multiple lines you'll be able to paste it as one item, or split it into multiple lines.

Edit a task

Expand the task to edit it.

Once it's expanded you'll be able to change the following details:

  • Name
    To change a task item’s name/title, click on Edit, and the text should become editable. Clicking the Enter / Return key will save the new name.

  • Assigned To
    Click on Assign to a colleague, type the name of the colleague and select the member of your team who will be responsible for the item. You can also assign the item to yourself by typing your name or simply 'me'.

  • Due Date

    Click on the link and select a due date.

  • Add a description
    If you'd like to add more information and details to a task item, click on Add a task description.

Delete a task

If you want to remove a task from a checklist or work item, you can easily delete it. To delete a Task, open the task's options menu "..." and select Delete. The task will instantly be removed.

Arrange and reorder tasks

You can rearrange tasks by dragging and dropping them in the position you’d like them to be. You can also create sub-tasks.

Click on a task and then drop it where you’d like it to be. You should see a line that indicates where the item will be dropped.

You can drag a task along with any of its sub-tasks in one step as well.

Indent tasks

You can also indent items (create subtasks) by dragging the item inwards. To indent tasks, click and hold and then gently move your mouse to the right until you see the indent. Then let go.

Copy one checklist of tasks from one work item to another

Do you have a task list that works well for one client and you want to have it available for another client? In Karbon, you can easily copy a task list (or task list section) across clients.

When copying any part of a task list, if there are assignments and due dates, you will have the choice to:

  • Copy relative due date
    Selecting this will place due dates based on the start date of the new piece of work

  • Copy assignee

    If you select this, all assignees will remain the same for each item

Copying all tasks in a work item

Copy a task list by clicking on the Work options menu "..." and then selecting Copy Tasks.

You will then be required to search for where you wish to copy the tasks - an existing piece of work (including the one the tasks are a part of), or a new piece of work.

Copy by section

If you wish to only copy a section, you can click on the section’s options menu "..." and then select Copy to Work.

Copy a single task

If you only wish to copy one task, click on the item’s options menu "..." and then select Copy. This will give you the option to copy the task to a new work item or to an existing one.

Duplicate a section of tasks within a work item

If you have repetitive sections within your task tab, you can simply duplicate the section of tasks.

To do so, go into your section of tasks, open the options menu '...' and click 'Duplicate' this will create a copy at the bottom of your tasks page of the work item you're in.

Task option menu

Clicking on "..." from any task list or section will display an options menu that will let you perform the following:

  • Assign to me
    Assign the task to yourself with one click. Selecting this from the overall task menu or section menu will bulk assign the tasks.

  • Assign to colleague
    Choose another colleague to assign the item to. Selecting this from the overall task menu or section menu will bulk assign the tasks.

  • Add item below
    Insert a new task directly underneath the area you have clicked.

  • Add section below
    Insert a new task section directly underneath the section you have clicked from.

  • Edit
    Depending on where you have clicked from, this will edit the item name or the section name.

  • Copy
    Depending on where you have clicked from, this will let you copy the item or the section to another piece of work.

  • Delete
    Depending on where you have clicked from, this will permanently delete the item or the section.

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