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.

  • The Task is Ready to Start (not been worked on yet) and is Late To Start (was supposed to have already been Started)

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.

  • The Target Finish Date is still +5 days away; so it is not now Overdue.

Task 7: A Started Task



3


Tom links a Catalog item as the Output for the fixture design. No Approval is required.

  • Task 7 is Finished. The Actual Finish Date is set (to today).

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.

  • The Milestone is Ready to Start and not Overdue.


Task 15: A Ready to Start Milestone


5


Task 15 Assignee (Mary) starts the task and begins to develop a cost estimate for this.

  • The Milestone is Started


Task 15: A Started Milestone


6


Mary attaches the cost estimate, and marks the Task as Ready or Finished, however an Approval is required.

  • The Milestone is Pending Approval


Task 15: A Milestone Pending Approval


7


The Approver (Anne) accepts (Approves) the estimate provided by Mary

  • Task 15 is Finished and Actual Finish Date is set to the Approval date.



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). 


  • The Task is (again) Finished.



Task 7: A Finished Task


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 (previously Finished) is now in Requires Review.


Task 15: A Milestone that Requires Review

11


Mary needs to evaluate this change, so she reverts her Output to In Progress.

  • The Task is now (back in) “Started” (not Finished). 


 

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 is now Pending Approval,


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 7: A Finished Task


Task 15: A Finished Milestone