I have a move project where we are closing a facility and moving clients between two other facilities. I am using the multi homing for tasks but I need the task to only complete in one project. Is that possible?
Or is there a way to have a master project with subprojects that roll up into the master?
Is there a reason they can’t just be separate tasks in each project?
Echoing @Brian_Fewell here, could you explain what you’re trying to accomplish by doing this? Tasks that are multi-homed will have the same data (other than project-specific custom fields) in every project.
Yes, we have a total of 13 clients exiting one building and going to two other bldgs. So I need to be ablet o have the same tasks in multiple projects that all roll up into the larger project of the shut down. So, I can’t have one task close out all the others. I have decided to make subtasks to accomplish this but looking to see if there is a better way.
Also, is there a way to duplicate subtasks in one task to another task. For example, I have to do the below for all steps in the inventory move process for each client. Trying to find a way to save myself the tedium of this.
It is not possible, for good reason. If it’s the same task, it cannot both be complete and incomplete.
I’m not sure I understand this, but I’m assuming it’s the same thing that needs to happen multiple times, so duplication would indeed be the correct solution.
A couple of ways to duplicate tasks:
Duplicate a single task (including subtasks):
Duplicate a project including all of it’s tasks:
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Thank you
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Hi @Casey_Drawe , an alternative would be to use a multi-select field listing your 13 clients, each as 13 options.
You could then set the value of the client that each task has been completed for. So you would have one set of tasks for all clients. That might be easier to track and manage.
You could create a rule that when all 13 clients have been selected for a task, then that task is completed.
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Hi Richard,
A few follow questions on this topic. If I set this up the way you describe, I cannot have different due dates for a task that is assigned to multiple projects correct?
Also, if I set up a rule to look for 13 clients to be selected to close out the task, do all 13 have to be selected to close it? For example, I have 13 projects and only a handful will need this specific task. Do we have to select all 13 anyway?
@Casey_Drawe - correct on your first question (each task can only have a single due date, regardless of how many projects it’s multi-homed into).
For your second question, if you set up as Richard outlined (single task, custom field with 13 options), you can set up a rule that will check if all of the options are set and un-complete the task if that hasn’t happened. Not sure if that answers your question; if not, could you clarify what you’d like to experience?
Thanks Stephen,
If I have 13 projects and a rule that is set up to check for 13 clients to close the task, will it close the task if only 6 clients are selected in that custom field because only 6 projects need that task.
Does that help?
@Casey_Drawe - I think I understand. That’s not really supported (a task completed in one project is completed everywhere it’s multi-homed and you can’t condition it being completed in certain projects). What you could do is use subtasks for each project, and then have the parent get auto-completed when all subtasks are complete.
So your structure would be:
- Main project houses a top-level task
- That task has up to 13 subtasks, each of which gets added to one client project
- Rule triggered when all subtasks are complete, complete parent task (set this up in the main project)
Thanks Stephen, that is what I am doing it is just so very tedious and time consuming. Was hoping there was a better way. When running 18 small projects rolled into a larger one it is very clunky.
@Casey_Drawe - totally understand that frustration, perhaps leveraging portfolios (if not already using them) could make it a bit more manageable?
Am doing that as well, it is a bit of a hybrid of rules, subtasks portfolios, etc. Thanks for the help.
A task template would let you specify the 18 subtasks just once, then use them for each task and have them appear automatically. Create a task template with:
- Parent task (“<Name of action>”; you have to specify upon adding the task via the task template)
- Just make each subtask title always be “^” or “[See parent]”
- Home (add to project) each subtask to its respective project (Colonial Life, Cummins, etc.)
When you create a task from the task template:
- Only bother to uniquely name the parent task (“Reserve Inventory - Receive in”, for example)
In the main project’s List view, turn on the Projects field so it shows as a column, including when you click the expand arrow to see each parent task’s subtasks; you see which project it belongs to.
In each company’s project, the task will appear as:
[See parent] < Reserve Inventory - Receive in
so it is understandable, despite having no unique task name!
All the drudgery is gone, though it won’t be quite as clear as the way you have it now as:
Thanks,
Larry
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An alternative is to use dependencies.
For new projects: create a task and a master task, and create a dependency blocking the master task. When you copy the task (or the project that contains the task, when the dependent task is in another project) the new task should get the dependency to the same task.
This would allow you to see the status of all dependent tasks at one separate task.
For existing projects just add a master task and the dependencies. In that case a search may help bulk adding the dependencies.
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Thank you! Very helpful
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