How to work with tasks

Tasks are a key feature of ISOPlanner. You can use ISOPlanner to create one-time tasks or recurring tasks. You can create and find tasks in various places in ISOPlanner:

• In a tab of other items like processes, requirements, risks and controls,
• In the Annual plan,
• In the Tasks menu.

Although it’s possible to create recurring tasks outside of the annual plan, it is advised to create all recurring tasks in the annual plan for clarity.

In the Tasks menu you will find all tasks, no matter where they were created (in a requirement tab, or the annual plan for example).

My Tasks #

This tab shows tasks that were assigned to me.

Optionally it can show tasks that were assigned to other people in specific groups of which I am also a member.

My Requests #

This tab shows tasks that were created by me.

All Tasks #

This tab shows all tasks, except for tasks that were closed before a certain date. You can adjust this date to include less or more closed tasks in the list.

Templates #

This tab shows all task templates. Use task templates to be able to quickly create new tasks of a certain type, where some properties (like tags, checklist, linked documents etc) are always the same.

There is no button to create new templates here – to do that, open an existing task or create a new task, and with the dropdown icon in the Save button, choose ‘Save this task as a new template’.

Task list actions #

The ‘My Tasks’, ‘my Requests’ and ‘All Tasks’ tabs have the following options:

New Task #

To create a new task.

View #

The ‘View’ button has three options: List, Board and Schedule.

In Board view, tasks are grouped in lanes by status or assignee.  They can be dragged from one lane to another.

In Schedule view, tasks are shown in columns by month, quarter or year for a certain audit year.

Filter #

Filter the list of tasks on one or more of the following properties:

• Assignment
• Status
• Start date
• Deadline
• Follow-up
• Tags
• Context

The last 5 used filters are remembered and can quickly be enabled and disabled with checkboxes.

Task properties #

Taks have the following properties.

Copy link icon #

For an existing task, if opened just below the ‘Edit task’ header the date created shows with an icon that copies the link to the task.

Link to template, series or appointment #

If an instance of a non-annual plan task is open, next to the ‘Edit task’ header is a link to the series.

If a non-annual plan series is open, next to the ‘Edit task’ header is a link to the specific appointment (instance).

If an instance of an annual plan task is open, next to the ‘Edit task’ header is a link to the template (annual plan task) it was based on.

If the open task was created based on a template, next to the ‘Edit task’ header is a link to the template (annual plan task) it was based on.

Title #

This is a mandatory field.

Tags #

Assign one or more tags to the task, to be able to filter a list of tasks on them.

Assignment #

Who is responsible for the task. Only a person can be chosen, not a group. A task can be assigned to one person, not to more than one. To be able to assign a task to someone, they should have an ISOPlanner license assigned to them. Read more about this in user management.

Status #

One of:

• Requested
• Accepted
• In progress
• Completed
• Declined

To finish a task, change the status to ‘Completed’. If the task is completed, the date and time of its completion are shown next to it. If you have the ‘Administrator’ role in ISOPlanner, just above the ‘Completed on’ field there will be an icon that will allow you to change the date and time of completion. A record of this change will be added to the change log.

Start date #

The date that the task is scheduled to be done. Next to it are the begin- and end time on that day. When a task is scheduled in Outlook, ISOPlanner will create an appointment on the start date with the chosen begin- and end time.

Deadline #

The date and time that the task should be completed. Tasks over deadline may appear on dashboards and are shown in red. In Outlook, an appointment that was created from an ISOPlanner task will automatically be moved back when it is moved to a date and time later than the deadline.

Repeat #

The recurring pattern for the task.

Recurring tasks that are created in the annual plan behave differently from recurring tasks created outside of the annual plan.

• Instances of annual plan tasks are created per audit year. For non-annual plan tasks, a new instance is created when the previous one was completed – or when a future instance is opened in Outlook.
• Annual plan tasks are scheduled in Outlook as individual appointments. Non-annual plan tasks are scheduled in Outlook as a series, where properties of the series can be modified in Outlook.
• Instances of Annual plan tasks have more flexibility to have other properties than the template they are based on. For example, one instance of an annual plan task may be assigned to another person as an exception.

Checklist #

Add checklist items if you want to have specific actions for the task marked as ‘Success’ or ‘Failed’.

Context #

In the context tab you can choose any number of processes, objectives, requirements and controls to associate with the task. The task will become visible in the ‘Tasks’ tab of those items.

Library #

Link documents to the task here. With the ‘Add’ button, first select a category and then an item from that category. Either choose an existing item or upload a new one.

Activity #

The activity tab shows important changes made to the task, previous comments made and it provides the option to add a new message.

Planning #

The Planning tab shows a list of instances in the series of a recurring task, if applicable. The start date is a clickable link if it is another instance than the current one.

Changelog #

A detailed log of changes made to the task. For an overview of more changes, see the settings – changelog.