A task is a single unit of work done by one person. A task definition includes the work to be done, the people to do the work, and the start and due dates.
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A task list includes a set of tasks and subtasks to be completed for a project or a phase of a project. It can serve as a to-do list. Its start and end dates are calculated based on the dates of tasks included in the list.
Just as task lists include tasks, individual tasks can include subtasks. When a task includes subtasks, its start and due dates are calculated based on the dates of its subtasks.
If one task must be completed before another begins, the task can be made dependent on the completion of the other task. The start date of the dependent task is determined by the end date of the task on which it depends.
Tasks and subtasks are usually assigned to someone on the project team. However, tasks can be created without any assignment and can be assigned later.
When a task is first created, its status is usually 0%, meaning that work has not yet started. When work on a task is underway, the assigned users should change the completion status to indicate how much work is completed (25%, 50%, 75%). When the work is done, the task status should be changed to complete (100%).
A task can be set to automatically notify the users assigned to it when the task is assigned, when work on the task should be started, or when the task due date has arrived.
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