Task break-down structure.

bh

I would love to use this app, but I'm in a services company, we do large projects with many sub and sub-sub tasks and need to track time by work breakdown structure (as do all govt contractors). It would be great if you could add sub-task hierarchies (2 levels beneath would probably be enough to start), and have the excel export roll up time within the hierarchy, so I could get customer - project - task - sub-task with roll-ups at task, project and customer. I currently have this with the time tracking system we use (Allnetic), but would like to switch because of your cross-device sync. Thanks.

fishmi

I would like to support this feature request.
As I already wrote in another post, my tasks are also defined by such a hierarchy and I am a freelancer. I am sure that some people feel the same way.
With a single line for the task, it is difficult to map this complete hierarchy and clearly describe the task
A quick and simple differentiation is important, especially in the list of activities performed (i.e. in the Excel file).

At the moment, I make do by recording the customer, the project and the subproject in the task, like this:
Customer | Project | Subproject
Of course, this increases the number of tasks in the menu and doesn't necessarily make it any clearer (I make do with standardized colors for each customer)
I use tags to record the activity, i.e. the actual task, because these are always similar in the sub-projects (e.g. conception or project management). The tags are ideal for this purpose
I record the differentiation of the tasks in the description, i.e. the information that the customer absolutely needs when listing the activities.
Of course, this is all a bit cumbersome, but it works in principle.

If I then interrupt a task and want to continue it (with the same description, of course), I open the app and start the task via the context menu.

Of course, it would be a better user experience if the hierarchy could be displayed directly in the menu and it would be perfect if you could also start the last tasks tracked for this project directly from the menu including description. Without description that I would have no difference, only the description as menu item would be sufficient if the hierarchy is visible. The latter would be a dream :-)

Of course, it would also be ideal if the hierarchy were not limited to just a few levels.

timo

Let's please stick to English, as this thread was started in English as well. I also think you are still mixing up "tasks" and "work units" in German ("tasks" = "Aufgabe", "work unit" = "Arbeitseinheit"). It is confusing when you write "task", but you actually mean "work unit".
This feature request is about having hiearchical "tasks" or "sub-tasks" - it's not about"work units". I understand what you mean with your suggestion to show the last work units in the menu bar, but I am not sure if this would be helpful for the majority of users. You can create a new feature request for it and link to it from here.

To come back to your comment from February:

fishmi At the moment, I make do by recording the customer, the project and the subproject in the task, like this:
Customer | Project | Subproject

I would just use a single task for each customer and then use tags for the (sub)projects. That ensures there won't be too many tasks when starting work. You can also (temporarily, e.g. while you work on a certain project for a customer) link tags to tasks that ensures that certain tags are added to new work units for that task. That doesn't fix the requirement to also carry over the "work unit description" to the new work unit, you would still need to use the "continue work" button in the context menu for that

fishmi

I have created a quick scribble based on my ideas, sorry for the colors.

Display of "Recent Tasks" must of course be configurable, i.e. "Display" and "Number".
In principle, the depth of the hierarchy must be limited, otherwise it can become too wide.
Of course, I don't know whether this is basically not an option or too complex to implement.
It's just a suggestion.

Of course, it is important that folding and unfolding only works via the icons, otherwise the other elements in the hierarchy could not be started.
Designations such as customer name or sub-project remain freely selectable.

plackyfantacky

I was about to make a new post, but this one sums up my predicament perfectly. I'm part of a dev team that uses Jira as our project task/ticket system, but we're able to choose what software we use to track our times.

This app is perfect for smaller jobs and tasks. For those I've been able to use tags as stand-ins for 'clients' or 'projects'. All good until you get a project like this:

I've tagged so many tasks with the same tag, that now I can't even go back and edit the job number! I do find it amusing that I'm pushing this app to its limits.

Some sort of 'task/sub-task/category/project' system would help greatly.

fishmi

I would like to bring this feature request to the top again.
I realise that the desired hierarchy of tasks is a fundamental and time-consuming intervention.
But it annoys me every day that I always have to search for the tasks that I want to continue with several clicks.
Perhaps the following idea would be easier to implement.
There is a list in the "Time recording" screen with the times for the tasks and all other individual details (tags, notes).
Could this list possibly be displayed in a submenu in the menu bar?
This submenu could then be used to quickly and easily continue the tasks I have individualised using tags and notes.

To limit the number of tasks in this submenu, I see the following possibilities:

Limit the number to the last 10 (probably the easiest)
Limited to the last X days (risky if there are a lot of tasks)
Only the display of favourites: this of course requires a marking option for the tasks: the charm of this solution is obvious, because then I could decide which tasks I will continue later

fishmi

What just occurred to me and which in my view would be the most useful labelling:
I can mark when a task is finished and the suggested submenu only shows me the tasks that are still open.
Of course, it can happen that a task is opened again, but in that case I'm willing to open the app again.

timo

@fishmi What platform are you using the app on? On Windows, there is a "quick access" task selection menu that can be enabled in the app settings.
Also, you can sort your tasks by "most recently used" and then they will show up on top in the task selection when starting the timer.
You can also hide certain old tasks, and they will no longer show up in the task selection menu.
Can you elaborate if and why this is not sufficient?

fishmi

I am on a Mac and unfortunately have no idea what is behind the Quick Access Menu.
I also have access to the tasks on the Mac and, with the appropriate sorting, also to the most recently used tasks.
But unfortunately that's not what I need:
I want to start tasks that have certain tags and notes, because I "misuse" the tasks for the designation customer project sub-project, i.e. not for the specific task. I only describe the task in the notes and in combination with tags (these tags i use for all tasks, e.g. project management, ux-design, testing).
Please don't misunderstand: if the basic philosophy of your app doesn't match my requirements, then I simply have to look for an alternative. There are enough apps that offer exactly what I have already written in this thread. Unfortunately, these apps have other disadvantages and that's why I have to weigh up what I'm more likely to accept.

timo

I am having difficulties understanding your particular use-case and why the "sort by recently used" not sufficient or how exactly a submenu with the last 10 tasks would have any advantage over that.
You were also suggesting to "mark a task as finished", while the app already supports something like that (hide task).
Also, maybe you mean something completely different with "tasks", because "tasks" are what is "Aufgaben" in the German translation of the app and "Arbeitseinheiten" / "work units" are the elements that show up in the main time-tracking view.

fishmi

Bitte entschuldige die Verwirrung mit den Begriffen. Ich versuche es mal auf deutsch :-)
Wenn ich schreibe "mark a task as finished" meine ich eine unter "Zeiterfassung" getrackte Aufgabe, die ich mit Tags und Notizen angereichert habe, damit diese für den Kunden eindeutig zugeordnet werden kann.
Diese getrackten Aufgaben kann ich ja in der "Zeiterfassung" über das Kontextmenü fortsetzen (Arbeit fortsetzen): Und exakt diese Funktion hätte ich gerne direkt in einem Menü, dass ich oben über die Menüleiste erreichen kann.

Das würde sich also von dem jetzt zur Verfügung stehenden unterscheiden, weil ich über das bestehende Menü in der Menüleiste nur Aufgaben starte, die keine Tags und und vor allem keine Beschreibung enthalten. Tags könnte ich theoretsich noch hinzufügen, aber das passt bei mir nicht, denn die "Aufgaben" erhalten bei der Zeiterfassung unterschiedliche Tags, mal PM, mal Konzeption, mal Programmierung, weil ich verschiedene Rollen in einem Projekt habe.
Und meine Aufgaben bestehen eben aus "Kunde" plus "Projekt" plus "Subprojekt", die konkrete Aufgabe fehlt.

Vielleicht wird es an einem Beispiel anschaulicher:
Eine Aufgabe hat bei mir den Titel "Kunde | laufende Betreuung". Oder "Kunde | Projekt | Redesign"
Wenn ich so eine Aufgabe initial starte füge ich als Tag zum Beispiel "Programmierung" hinzu und im Feld "Beschreibung" das konkrete ToDo, zum Beispiel "Ergänzung Captcha im Kontaktformular".
Wenn ich eine weitere Aufgabe für diesen Kunden unter laufende Betreuung starte, füge ich einen Tag und eine neue Beschreibung hinzu, zum Beispiel als Tag "Videocall" und als Beschreibung "Besprechung Anforderungen Kontaktformular"
In der App lassen sich dann sehr leicht alle erfassten Zeiten für den Nachweis der Arbeitszeiten gruppieren und für das Projekt "laufende Betreuung" ausgeben.

Wenn ich nun dieses konkrete ToDo heute unterbreche und sagen wir übermorgen fortsetzen will - und bei mir ist das Todo ja nur über die Kurzbeschreibung identfizierbar - öffne ich die App, suche die Aufgabe unter "Zeiterfassung" und klicke auf die getrackte Aufgabe mit diesem in der Kurzbeschreibung enthaltenen ToDo und wähle "Arbeit fortsetzen". Damit brauche ich Tags und Kurzbeschreibung nicht neu eingebenund habe beides gleich korrekt für die spätere Gruppierung in der Rechnung.
Aber wenn das ToDo schon mindestens einen Tag her ist, muss ich die Aufgabe in der "Zeiterfassung" erst "finden", heißt entweder suchen oder andere Tage aufklicken, also eher umständlich.
Deswegen wäre es genial, wenn ich die getrackten Aufgaben mit den konkreten ToDos und zugehörigen Tags direkt aus dem Menü starten könnte.
Ich hoffe, dass ist verständlicher.
Wie gesagt, das sind meine Anforderungen, vielelicht sehr speziell.

fishmi

Sorry again for the inaccurate use of terms.
And thank you for your patience and feedback.
The feature request for the submenu had arisen for me from this topic here. This request was already included in the scribble posted above.
But in the alternative form as a submenu, this is of course a separate request.
As there are very different types of timesheets, the requirements are of course also different. I know many who only specify the projects and no details. For me, it has become established that we also specify the specific details of the ToDos. And because we have different daily rates for different roles/general activities, this information must of course be taken into account.
And then we also have different customers, which of course also has to be recorded in the time recording.
This brings me to 4-5 criteria for describing a task
Customer - Project - Sub-project (only sometimes) - Role/general activity - Specific ToDo
This doesn't seem that unusual to me, so I would consider it standard in my business.

However, there are only two criteria available to me in your app that are directly reusable:
Task and Tags
If I were to use the tags for the projects & sub-projects, I would not have a reusable field for the role. However, the roles are identical across all projects.
That's why it makes sense for me to use the tags for this.

I don't want to go into the subject any further now, it's only about comfort functions, everything is generally available.