Task Workflow Example
In this example, there is a Task assigned to one person (Tom) and a subsequent Milestone (assigned to Mary) that depends on the output of that Task. The Task itself is tied to a CAD file in the Catalog.
Milestone 15 (which has a cost estimate Output) is assigned to Mary and needs to be Approved (by Anne). The cost estimate in this Milestone depends on the Output of an earlier Task 7 (the design of a fixture), which is assigned to Tom.
Note that the fixture design - the Output of Task 7 - is linked to a CAD file in the APM (parts) Catalog, so that if that CAD file is updated (versioned), APM will detect the change and help coordinate assessment or take-up of it, including to the downstream Tasks or Milestones that have Dependencies on it.
Step | Action | Task 7 | Task 15 (A Milestone) |
1 | Task 7 (fixture design) had a Target Start Date last week and has not yet been worked on.
| Task 7: A Ready to Start Task that is Late to Start | |
2 | Task 7 Assignee (Tom) begins working on Task 7: Task status changes from Ready to Start to Started and the Actual Start Date is set.
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3 | Tom links a Catalog item as the Output for the fixture design. No Approval is required.
| Task 7: A Finished Task | |
4 | Task 15, to develop a cost estimate for the fixture, is also a Milestone (assigned to Mary) and has a Target Start Date next week.
| Task 15: A Ready to Start Milestone | |
5 | Task 15 Assignee (Mary) starts the task and begins to develop a cost estimate for this.
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6 | Mary attaches the cost estimate, and marks the Task as Ready or Finished, however an Approval is required.
| Task 15: A Milestone Pending Approval | |
7 | The Approver (Anne) accepts (Approves) the estimate provided by Mary
| Task 15: A Finished Milestone | |
(meanwhile) | … A week or so later, the fixture design (CAD Part in the Catalog) is versioned, by a colleague to reflect some changes requested by manufacturing. APM knows the Catalog Part has been versioned, so the Task 7 Output corresponding to this is marked to show the available later version | A new Version of the linked CAD file is available | |
8 | Tom, the Task 7 Assignee, reviews the changed fixture design. (If he decides to stick with the original version, nothing changes.) More likely, he will take-up the new version which updates the Output as V2. The Task history captures this, and updates the Actual Finish Date. If applicable, this Output may then require (re-Approval).
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9 | Next, APM flags any downstream Tasks (Task 15) that depend on this (as Requires Review) and notifies the Assignees of those Tasks | Mary receives a Notification. | |
10 | Task 15 (Assigned to Mary) depends on this Output, so it Requires Review
| Task 15: A Milestone that Requires Review | |
11 | Mary needs to evaluate this change, so she reverts her Output to In Progress.
| Task 15: A Started Milestone | |
12 | Mary examines the revised fixture (using Visualizer) and starts re-working the cost estimate, finishing it the next day and updating the Output (to Estimate V2).
| Task 15: A Milestone Pending Approval | |
13 | After some time, Mary’s revised Cost Estimate it is Approved (by Anne) , The Task is (again) Finished and the Actual Finish updated per the latest Approval date.. | Task 15: A Finished Milestone | |
14 | Both Task 7 and Task 15 are Finished !! | ![]() Task 15: A Finished Milestone |