The Task Manager is a centralized operational module inside Fabritec that enables teams to create, assign, track, and control tasks with full structural governance and traceability.Unlike generic task tools, Task Manager is built to align with Fabritecβs department hierarchy, project structure, and production workflow, ensuring that tasks are not isolated activities but structured operational actions connected to real manufacturing data.Using Task Manager, you can:
Create structured tasks with defined workflow stages
Assign tasks according to department hierarchy rules
Override assignment rules when business needs require it
Track work visually using Kanban or operationally using List
Configure task workflow statuses
Manage classification tags
Link tasks to Projects, Buildings, Phases, and Phase Items
Track comments, time logs, and audit history
Define task start dates, due dates, and estimated hours - Create parent tasks and sub tasks - Set dependencies between related tasks - Control dependency logic using relationship types, lead, and lag
Task Manager ensures clarity, accountability, and cross-department coordination across engineering, production, QC, and planning teams.
π Where to Find Task Manager
Navigate to:Task Manager β TasksTask Manager contains four main pages:
Tasks β Execution workspace for creating, assigning, and tracking tasks
Click Add Task to open the task creation panel.The updated Add Task form allows users to create tasks with planning details, ownership, classification, collaboration visibility, and dependency rules from the same panel.Tasks can still be created with minimal information and enriched later. However, users can now add more planning information during creation, including:
Defines the current lifecycle stage of the task.Default workflow:
To Do
In Progress
Done
The selected status controls where the task appears in the Kanban board and how it is grouped in task views.Workflow statuses can be configured from:Task Manager β Settings
The Start Date defines when the task is planned to begin.This field is optional, but it is useful when the task needs to be planned before the due date.Use Start Date when you need to:
Plan when engineering, production, QC, or shipping work should begin
Coordinate work across multiple teams
Track tasks that require preparation time
Build a realistic task sequence with dependencies
Avoid starting dependent tasks too early
Example:A task called Prepare fabrication drawings may start before its final due date to give the engineering team enough time to complete the work.
The Due Date defines the expected deadline for completing the task.The due date is optional and uses a calendar picker.Due Date supports grouping into:
Overdue
Due Today
This Week
Later
No Due Date
Use Due Date when the task is connected to a project milestone, production deadline, QC inspection, shipping date, or internal follow-up.
The Estimated Hours field allows users to define the expected effort required to complete the task.This field helps teams compare planned effort against actual work logs.Use Estimated Hours to:
Estimate how much time the task should take
Support workload planning
Help managers understand team capacity
Compare estimated work with logged work
Improve planning accuracy over time
Example:If a task is expected to take 4 hours, enter 4 in the Estimated Hours field.
Users who receive visibility and updates but are not responsible for execution.Watchers are useful when someone needs to stay informed without being assigned to complete the task.Examples:
A project manager watches an engineering task
A QC manager watches a rework task
A shipping coordinator watches a production readiness task
The Parent Task field allows the task to be linked under a higher-level task.This helps structure large work into smaller actionable tasks.Example:Parent Task:
Phase 01 Engineering Preparation
Sub tasks:
Prepare shop drawings
Review BOM
Confirm paint system
Submit drawings for approval
Use Parent Task when a task is part of a larger work package.
Task Manager now supports Task Dependencies, allowing users to define relationships between tasks.A dependency means one task is connected to another task in a planned sequence.This is especially useful for project-based manufacturing workflows where one activity depends on another before it can start, finish, or progress correctly.Examples:
Detailing must finish before production planning starts
Material preparation must start before cutting starts
QC review must finish before shipping confirmation finishes
Fabrication work cannot start until drawings are approved
Dependencies help teams move from simple task tracking to structured operational planning.
The Predecessor Task is the task that the current task depends on.Select the task that must happen before, start with, finish with, or control the timing of the current task.Example:If the current task is:
Start production planning
The predecessor task may be:
Finish drawing review
This means production planning depends on drawing review.
Finish to Start means the current task should start after the predecessor task finishes.This is the most common dependency type.Use it when one task cannot begin until another task is completed.Example:
Drawing Approval must finish before Production Release starts.
Cutting List Preparation must finish before Cutting Operation starts.
QC Inspection must finish before Shipping Preparation starts.
Practical meaning:Task B starts only after Task A finishes.
Start to Start means the current task should start when the predecessor task starts.Use it when two tasks need to begin at the same time or in close coordination.Example:
Material Preparation starts when Production Planning starts.
Shop Drawing Review starts when BOM Review starts.
Site Coordination starts when Shipping Planning starts.
Practical meaning:Task B starts when Task A starts.
Finish to Finish means the current task should finish when the predecessor task finishes.Use it when two activities must be completed together or aligned at the end.Example:
Packing List Preparation should finish when Shipping Readiness Review finishes.
QC Documentation should finish when Final Inspection finishes.
Client Progress Update should finish when Internal Weekly Review finishes.
Practical meaning:Task B finishes when Task A finishes.
A positive value creates a delay after the dependency point.Use a positive value when the current task should wait before starting or finishing.Example:Dependency type:
Finish to Start
Lag value:
2
Meaning:The current task starts 2 days after the predecessor task finishes.Use lag when:
A review buffer is required
Material needs time to arrive
Drawings need internal approval after completion
QC results need time before the next step
A task should not start immediately after the previous task
A negative value creates overlap with the predecessor task.Use a negative value when the current task can start or finish before the predecessor is fully complete.Example:Dependency type:
Finish to Start
Lead value:
-1
Meaning:The current task can start 1 day before the predecessor task finishes.Use lead when:
Work can overlap safely
Planning can begin before approval is fully complete
Shipping preparation can begin before production is fully finished
Teams need to compress the schedule without losing control
The system displays guidance under the dependency fields:Use a positive value for lag, which delays the task after the dependency point. Use a negative value for lead, which lets the task overlap the predecessor. Use 0 for no delay or overlap.If no dependency is added, the task remains independent.
Practical Example: Production Planning Dependency#
Scenario:The production team cannot start planning until engineering finishes the detailing package.Current Task:
Production planning for Phase 01
Predecessor Task:
Detailing of Phase 01
Dependency Type:
Finish to Start
Lag:
0
Meaning:Production planning starts after detailing is completed.If the team needs one extra day for review, set Lag to:
1
If planning can begin one day before detailing is fully finished, set Lead to:
The Description field allows users to add detailed instructions or notes.The description editor supports rich text formatting, including:
Bold
Italic
Underline
Paragraph formatting
Lists
Links
Undo / redo
Use Description to capture:
Task scope
Instructions
Acceptance criteria
Notes for assignees
Required documents
Production or QC context
Example:βReview all Phase 01 shop drawings and confirm that the latest approved revision is ready before releasing the task to production planning.β
Opening a task displays a structured task panel.click on the card to open its details.The updated Task Details panel gives clearer visibility into the full task structure, including planning fields, ownership, collaboration, work tracking, and dependency controls.The Task Details panel includes:
The Start Date shows when the task is planned to begin.Inside the Task Details panel, users can update the Start Date if the task schedule changes.This is useful when:
Work is postponed
A task needs to start earlier
A dependency affects the task timeline
Planning dates need to be adjusted during execution
Estimated Hours defines the planned effort for completing the task.This helps compare planned work against actual logged time.Use Estimated Hours together with Work Logs to understand:
The Reporter field shows the user who created or reported the task.This helps identify who initiated the task and who may need to be contacted for clarification.
Dependencies can also be viewed and updated from inside the Task Details panel.This allows users to adjust task relationships after the task is created.Inside Task Details, users can:
Select a predecessor task
Choose the dependency type
Set lead or lag value
Add the dependency using the + button
Review existing dependencies
This is useful when project conditions change and task sequencing needs to be updated without recreating the task.
Task Manager supports flexible board configuration.You can define:
Group By (Columns)
Swimlane By (Rows)
Available grouping options include:
Status
Priority
Due Date
Examples:Group by Priority Swimlane by StatusGroup by Due Date Swimlane by PriorityThis enables dynamic operational dashboards without modifying task data.
Navigate to:Task Manager β ArchiveThe Archive page stores tasks that have been archived from the Tasks workspace. Archived tasks are not active but remain saved in the system for reference, recovery, or permanent removal.This helps teams keep the active task workspace organized while preserving operational history.
Navigate to:Task Manager β Notification SettingsThe Notification Settings page allows users to control how they receive notifications related to task activities.Fabritec automatically sends notifications when important task events occur, ensuring users stay informed about updates that affect their work.Examples of events that trigger notifications include:
When a task is created and assigned to a user
When a user is added or removed as an assignee
When a user is added or removed as a watcher
When comments, attachments, or work logs are added
When key task fields such as status, priority, or due date change
When a task is archived, restored, or deleted
Users can customize how these notifications are delivered.