Fundamentals

Course and Exercise Manual

Copyright 2013 AtTask, Inc.

All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, whether electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, sound recording, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of AtTask, Inc., except as permitted by law.
Printed in the United States of America.
July 2013 (rev. 20131003)

how to use the participant workbook

This workbook is designed to increase your knowledge of the AtTask tool. The margins
on the left are indented to take notes and record any ah ha moments you want to
remember as you progress through the course.

To Get the Most From This Course:

 our instructor will guide you through the objectives and give examples
Y
throughout the course. Follow along as the instructor demonstrates AtTask
using a real-life scenario.

 efrain from distractions. It is best to find a quiet workspace where you

R
can focus your attention fully on the course.

 ait until the instructor gives you directions to begin the simulated
W
exercises. Once you understand the concepts, you will be able to complete
the exercises.

Objectives

 his training is objective based. Each chapter begins with an objective and
T
explains the specific skill or process you will be able to accomplish once
you complete this course.

Scenario / Simulation

 t the end of each chapter, you will have the opportunity to practice what has been
A
taught in a simulated environment. It is recommended you complete all
exercises to allow the instructor to see if there are concepts that need to be
discussed further.

 he included scenarios present a possible real life use case that relates to the
T
topic discussed. Instruction for the course will follow these scenarios.

Table of Contents
Chapter 1 -What Am I Looking At? 

Chapter 2 - Understanding AtTask

Common Terms
Understanding Roles and Responsibilities 

Chapter 3 - Work Requests

8
10

Chapter 6 - Work Accountability and Work Reporting

Using Reports
Filters, Views, and Groupings
Dashboards
Customizing Tabs
Timesheets

Chapter 4 - Work Planning

Develop a Project
In-line Editing 
Creating New Tasks

Chapter 5 - Work Coordination and Collaboration

Viewing Recent and Favorite Items
Search Options
Updating Task Assignments
Working With Documents
Attaching Documents
Recording Issues 

52
52
55
58
59

12

Chapter 7 - AtTask Support and Services

Navigating the My Work Screen
Generating New Requests

50

14
18
21
23
24
25
29

AtTask Community
Education Services
Support Services
Consulting Services
Customer Success Program

62
63
64
67
68
69

Appendix
Practice Exercise Answers

71

31
32
33
37
39
44

Chapter 1
Introduction to AtTask

Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

Understand the basic structure of AtTask

What Am I Looking
At?
AtTask is a Work Management tool. AtTask is
a web-based End-To-End Work Management
system.
Work Structure Possibilities (Shown Right)
Projects are made up of work. Work is
represented as either tasks or issues. Issues and
tasks are tied to a project and updates are made
to each of these objects.
Issues can be recorded to a task. Tasks with
issues need to be resolved before the task can
be marked complete. Both tasks and issues
must be resolved in order to complete a project.
Users can track work progress from a 360
degree perspective within AtTask.

Request Queue
(Project)

Project

Project

Task

Task

Issue

Issue

Task

Task

Issue

Issue

Task

Task

Task

Task

Issue

Issue

Chapter 1What Am I Looking At?

Chapter 2
Understanding AtTask

Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

Recognize common terms

 ecognize roles and responsibilities in

R
AtTask

Common Terms

Avatar

An Avatar is the icon used to identify the logged in user. By Default, it is a blank silhouette.

Ad Hoc

An item that is made in the moment. This can be a personal task or a task or issue added last minute to a project.

Dashboard

A dashboard is comprised of several reports on the same page that the user establishes for their convenience.

Executive An Executive is the individual who is vested and interested in understanding what is happening with multiple projects, at a high functioning level.

Filter

Global Navigation Bar

The Global Navigation Bar is the primary system bar used for navigation through out the different areas of AtTask.

Grouping

A Grouping is a reporting element used to sort information displayed in a report.

Home Button

The home button will direct you to the default home screen. It is the AtTask logo in the top left corner.

Issues

These are items of work that develop randomly.

Project Manager

A Project Manager is the individual who oversees the day to day operations of a project.

Project Team

The Project Team consists of those individuals who are assigned to a task or role on the project.

Requests

Reports

Team member A Team Member is the individual who is completing the work on a project or task.

Teams

View

A Filter is a
 reporting element used to create reports by defining what information is available.

Requests is a method of assigning work to other users, initiating a new project, or identifying additional assistance
needed to complete your work, especially when encountering an issue.

 eports allows users to see information that is important to them easily and quickly in one location, regarding what
R
is important to them. Reports consist of Filters, Views and Grouping elements.

Teams consist of groups of individuals with similar job roles or skill sets.
A View is a reporting element that defines the columns of a report.

Chapter 2 Common Terms

My Attask Application

The Story
Marketing
You are part of the
marketing department,
which is responsible for
the creation and delivery
of your organizations
message to its targeted
markets. You are on
several teams within the
department, but your main
team is the creative services
team.

IT
You are a member of
the IT department. Your
department is responsible
for keeping your
organization's information
flowing freely through the
use of technology, both
internally and externally.
You are an IT generalist,
meaning you can handle
hardware and software
requests, as well as
understanding how your
internal database and
servers work.

PMO
You are a member of the
Project Management
Office. Your department is
responsible for the delivery
of projects that are on time,
on budget and meet the
goals of those projects.
Your team ensures that
the projects your company
is working on are in line
with the strategy of the
organization, and creates
internal processes that help
people get their work done.

Understanding Roles and

Responsibilities
Executive
His primary concerns revolve around having information in
one place. He likes viewing charts and graphs, and does not
like searching for information.

Project Manager
She is interested in knowing exactly what is happening with
projects. She needs to see reports, project status, and any
roadblocks that may inhibit project execution.

Client Types
Team Member

Project Manager

Executive

COMPLETE WORK

SEE WORK

UNDERSTAND WORK

Chris Manning

Jennifer Campbell

Marc Lewis

Team Members
They want to get work done and stay updated on its status.
They want to know what is expected and receive recognition
for their accomplishments.

Chapter 2 Understanding Roles and Responsibilities

10

enerally, to complete work successfully, specific tasks

must be accomplished. AtTask supports all work roles to
assist team members in their needs through trusted visibility and best practices in work management. In addition, AtTask works well with different systems of engagement, to support various work management solutions.

Queues &
Routing
Rules

WORK
REQUESTS

Tracking &
Status

Prioritization
Framework

Goals &
Initiatives

Projects & Portfolios

Real Time Status Updates

Team Workload
& Capacity

Work Automation

Centralized Repository

Milestones &
Approvals

WORK
PLANNING

WORK
COORDINATION

WORK
COLLABORATION

WORK
ACCOUNTABILITY

Resource &
Work Modeling

Task Assignments

Work Spaces

Time & Expense Tracking

Contextual Work Streams

Work Plan &

Commitments

TEAM WORK

Achievements
& Results
Recognition &
Rewards

Reporting &
Dashboards

WORK
REPORTING

Utilizing best practices to support different work types

for the end-to-end work life-cycle will help to map
activities in AtTask, communicate areas of responsibility
at each stage, and generate a higher degree of data
integrity. Your role with work will shape how you see
and collaborate information throughout the information
life-cycle.

Individual &
Team Insight

This course book focus on AtTasks End-to-End Work

Management solution, showing how information
is shared between different roles to support work
development and the progression of information
through the work cycle.

Chapter 2 Understanding Roles and Responsibilities

11

Chapter 3
Work Requests

Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

Know how to navigate the AtTask homepage

Find work assigned to you

Submit work to a request queue

12

My ATTASK Application
The Story
Marketing

IT

PMO

Primary Audience

Graphic Designer

IT Hardware Engineer

PMO Project Manager

Top Pains

Youre given requests for your

graphic design services from
email, phone, water cooler
conversations, text messages,
and people stopping by your
desk. From all of those requests,
youre expected to prioritize
and complete each of them on
time. But you dont have a great
way of keeping track of each
of those requests, nor do you
have a great way to keep track
of time youve spent on each
task or keeping others up-todate on your progress. So you
continue to be interrupted and
sidelined in your progress.

You are asked to be on the project

team that is upgrading the servers
for the entire company. You
have been invited to the project
kickoff status meeting where you
are given a list of tasks you are
expected to complete. The project
manager flashes on a projector
screen the project timeline, but
you dont have time to memorize it
to understand where your tasks fall
in the project timeline. You expect
to have project status meetings in
the future, but they never happen
and you are completely lost as to
when your assignments need to
be done. Whats more, you keep
getting last-minute work requests
from people who stop by your
desk, call you or email you.

Youve been assigned to present

a business case about opening
an overseas office in Munich,
Germany. Your office has developed
a standardized procedure to present
the business case, with several work
items that you need to complete
before the business case is ready
to present. Your responsibility is to
keep your director updated on your
progress.

13

Navigating the
My Work Screen

AtTask Home and Navigation Menus

Clicking the AtTask logo returns you to

the homepage. The series of menus
at the top of the interface are known
as the Navigation Menus.

Calendar Clicking the calendar displays

the tasks or other work items completed
by the user.

Personal Information Each user can

edit the information displayed here.

Working On This is the list of work the

individual is currently assigned to complete.

Work Requests Items an individual has

been assigned to complete.

Approvals - Items awaiting the individuals

approval.

Sort How an individual can organize the

Working On tab.

Chapter 3 Navigating the My Work Screen

14

Finding Your Work

The My Work area will direct users to current, pending and
requested work items. Within this area, several items can help
complete work:

Calendar
A quick reference calendar is available to easily recognize when
work is scheduled to be complete.

Working On tab
This tab shows current items a user has have committed to
complete. View planned completion date, how many days an item
is over due, and description of items.. Users can quickly update an
items status, log time, or select the item for further review.

Work Requests tab

This area will highlight all of the items that a user has been
requested to complete. Begin to work on an item and move it to the
Working On list by selecting the Work On It button. Communicate
back to the originator of the request using the respond to requester
button.

Chapter 3 Navigating the My Work Screen

15

Additional Items:
Team Requests
Team requests can be found at the bottom of the Work Request
area. This will show all outstanding work requests sent to your
assigned teams. Items can be accepted from the Team request
area.

Approvals tab
Any outstanding approval needing attention can be found in
My Work. Submitted approval requests can be reviewed here.

Recent Updates
In addition to being able to quickly access current and pending
work, review updates to work. Rather than having to access
each item to review status updates, visblity exists on the most
recent updates within the last two weeks.

Chapter 3 Navigating the My Work Screen

16

Requesting Reassignment of Work

There may be times when you have been requested to work on an
assignment, but are not able to accept the request. AtTask is set up
to communicate a reassignment request to another user.

To request work to be reassigned:

1.Select the items link from the Work Request tab.
2.From the items home page, in the right sidebar, select
Reassign.
3.You can select whom to reassign the item to or remove it
from yourself.

Things to Note:

When assigning/reassigning work the Resource Owner

receives an email notification informing them the change
has occurred.

When working with Issues, the primary contact is notified.

The ability to turn on or off request reassignment is modified

by the System Administrator via the Setup area.

The process to request work to be reassigned is the same

whether a user has accepted the item or not.

Chapter 3 Navigating the My Work Screen

17

Generating New Requests

AtTask allows users to generate new work requests in several
ways. While you can generate new work for yourself or others
through the creation of tasks or issues those processes can also be
centralized using the team page. One of the ways clients are most
successful with AtTask is through the centralizing of requests. This
chapter will demonstrate how to centralize requests using a project
request queue.

To Generate a Project Request:

1.Navigate to the Global Navigation Bar, select the Requests
option.
2.Select the New Request button.
3.Under the Select a Request Type dropdown, select Project
Requests.
4.In the Request Name field, give the request a name.
5.Add a description of the project if desired.
6.Select and add information in the remaining fields. Click
Save to submit the project request.

Chapter 3 Generating New Requests

18

My Attask Application

The Story
Marketing

IT

PMO

Primary Audience

Graphic Designer

IT Hardware Engineer

PMO Project
Manager

AtTask Tool

Work Requests and

Working On

Work Requests and

Working On

Work Requests and

Working On

Primary Benefit

Acts as a central
place to track your
work, your progress
and your time
without continuous
interruptions.

You understand what

work youre expected
to complete, when its
due and where it fits in
with the project.

Helps you keep

track of the
progress you
make following
the standardized
procedures
you office has
developed.

19

Practice Exercises
1.You need a new advertising handout from the marketing team. Create a
person-to-person request for the handout and assign it to the Corporate
Marketing team.
2.You receive a new email that you need to work on hiring an outside
agency to rework the design of a website. Go to your work requests, and
add the Hire Outside Agency to ReworkDesign task to your Working On
tab.
3.You also have the task Execute the hosting agreement contract with
our web hosting provider assigned to you, but you wont have time to
complete the work. Request the Execute Hosting Contract task to be
reassigned to another user.

Practice Exercises Answers are in the appendix

20

Chapter 4
Work Planning

Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

Create a Project

Create a Task

21

the story
Top Pains

Marketing

IT

PMO

The product manager

of your top widget sets
up a meeting to discuss
the delivery of several
collateral pieces for a
marketing campaign
she wants your help
with. These pieces
include a brochure,
a press kit cover, and
several advertising
slicks. Youve done
this type of project
thousands of times,
but it would be nice to
have a centralized place
where projects can
be requested as well
automate the creation
of the project.

The executive
committee for your
organization has
discussed the need to
upgrade your servers.
Your CIO stops by your
desk on his way back
from the meeting to
briefly discuss you
owning this project.
Because of the
casual nature of the
conversation, youre
not sure of the details
of the project, like when
it needs to be done and
what resources youve
got at your disposal.
This means you have
to set up another
meeting with him to
get answers to your
questions.

The PMO office receives

project requests from
various departments
in the organization
in a variety of ways,
typically phone calls
or emails. All to often,
those requests get
lost in the shuffle,
especially for PMO
offices that service
many departments
across several locations.

22

Develop a Project
Now it is time to begin building a project. Creating a new
project in AtTask includes entering information in the New
Project form.

To Create a Project:
1.Navigate to the Projects area of the Navigation Menu.
You will be redirected to the Project page.
2.Click the New Project button.
3.In the Untitled Project field, enter a name for the project.
4.Under the Project Actions menu, select Attach
Template. A light box will appear. Select a Template by
using the type-ahead option. Begin typing the name of
the template until it appears in the box.
5.Click Finish and Attach Template when done.
The template is now attached and the project is ready for work.
Keep in mind that a template does not have to be attached when
creating a project.

Chapter 4Develop a Project

23

In-line Editing
In-line editing allows quick and easy updating/
modifying of displayed information throughout
AtTask.

To in-line Edit a Task:

1.Navigate to the tasks tab on a project.
2.Double click a task to edit, for
Conceptual Mockups.

example

3.Notice all the fields have editable boxes

available.
4.Click in the Name box and change the
name of the task to Mockups.
5.Click elsewhere on the page to save
changes.

Chapter 4In-line Editing

24

Creating New Tasks

Users may find additional tasks need to be
developed within a project to account for work
that must to be accomplished.

To Add a Task Within a Project:

1.Navigate to the Tasks tab and select the
New Task button.
2.In the light box, add task detail
information.
3.Select Save, the task will be the last task
on the project.

Additional Options:

A task can be added by selecting the Add

More Tasks link, allowing users to quickly
add a task to the Task List.

Users can add tasks above or below an

existing item. Select a current task to add
task below it, when choosing the New Task
button a drop-down will generate allowing
the task to be added above or below the
selected task.

Chapter 4Creating New Tasks

25

Creating Ad Hoc Items

Sometimes users may wish to keep track of personal
tasks that are not tied to a project. Creating Ad Hoc
tasks keeps track of these tasks in AtTask. Or perhaps
Users need to add a task to a project on the fly. Using Ad
Hoc tasks allows the flexibility to do so.

To Create an Ad Hock Task:

1.From the My Work area, navigate to
the Working On tab.

2.Select the Add Icon.

3.Type the task name, due date (A), and assign(B).
4.Select the Add button to save.

To Create an Ad Hoc Task on a Project:

1.From the My Work area, navigate to
the Working On tab.

2.Select the Add Icon.

3.Type the task name, due date(A), and assign(B).
4.Select the Project button, type in the name of
the project.
5.Use the Add drop-down to identify the item as a
task or issue.
6.Select the + Add button to save.

Note
Ad Hoc items can be created as either individual tasks
or tasks/issues on a project. Those created on Projects
will be added as the last item on the project plan.
Chapter 4Creating New Tasks

26

the story
Marketing

IT

PMO

AtTask Tool

Project Request
Queue and Project
Creation from
a Template, and
updating the project
using in-line edit.

Project Request
Queue, Project
Creation, Templates.

Centralized Project
Request Queues,
standardized Project
Creation.

Primary Benefit

Centralizes the
project requisition
and saves time on
project creation,
scheduling and
assignments.

Obtain a detailed
understanding of
the project from
the outset. Get
underway faster
without having to
schedule several
meetings.

Management and
prioritization of
project requests
based on the goals
of the company,
centralization and
standardization of
project creation.

27

Practice
Exercises
1.You need to launch a new project to develop a new line of sports products
for women. Create a project using the New Product Development template.
2.You need to account for warehousing and shipping logistics for this project.
Under the Distribution task, add the tasks called Plan Warehouse Logistics
and Find a Shipping Carrier.
3.The Warehouse Logistics task should have a duration of 5 days. Assign it to
Matt Fazzio.
4.The Find a Shipping Carrier should have the same duration as the
Warehouse Logistics. Assign it to the Accounts Receivable team.

Practice Exercises Answers are in the appendix

28

Chapter 5
Work Coordination and Collaboration

Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

Customize work space

Conduct searches in the system

Update Tasks and Issues

Record an Issue on a Task

29

the story
Marketing

IT

PMO

Primary Audience

Creative Director

Director of IT

Project Managers

Top Pains

Youve sent your

designs to the printer
to be proofed before
you are ready to run a
mass production. The
printer has sent back a
proof that is blurry and
needs to be corrected
on your end. In the
past, you have set up a
meeting to talk to the
graphic designer that
produced the graphic.
But that costs you
time and efficiency.
You also dont have
a streamlined way
of tracking those
problems.

You need to change a

setting on your internal
servers. The change
will involve some
downtime to the entire
system, so youll want
to make sure it gets
done either at night or
over the weekend, and
that it get tested before
coming back live. You
need the whole team to
work on it.

Youve got most of

your business case
complete. There are
some risks and costs
that youve asked a
colleague to help you
with. They have been
gathering the numbers
for about a week,
but they became ill
yesterday and will not
be able to get you the
numbers you need by
the time you present
your business case
tomorrow. But you
dont have time to get
that information. You
need to get help from
someone else.

30

Customizing Work Space

As users navigate through the work process and socially collaborate
with colleagues, customizing their workspace would be beneficial.
AtTask allows thecustomizing of workspaces to display tabs and
menus that are relevant for the work users will be completing.
Part of the information we will cover in this chapter will include
how to customize workspace.
The team member tutorial also covers some specifics regarding
customizing workspace. This tutorial can be found on the
community site. https://learning.attask.com

Viewing Recent and Favorite

Items
AtTask makes it easy for users to view recently viewed and favorite
items from anywhere in the system.
To access recent items select the Star icon in the Global Navigation
Bar. The populated window will display three of the most recent
items from the five most common object types. Users will also see
the favorite items listed in this window.

Favorites can be added into the recent/favorite menu from

an objects landing page or directly from the recent menu.
1.When you are in an objects landing page, like a task item,
in the action menu above the right sidebar, selecting Add
To Favorites will add the object to your favorites menu.
2.To add a favorite from the recent menu, scroll over the
object in the menu; select the star icon that appears. This
action will identify this object in your favorite menu.

Chapter 5Viewing Recent and Favorite Items

31

Search Options
Sometimes users need to find a task or issue, but the item does not appear in
their work area. Common reasons the work item does not appear:

The task is not yet due to start.

The task or issue is already completed.

It is an issue or task you submitted, but is not assigned to you.

Search
Whether users need to find a project, task, or a user conduct a search from
your Global Navigation Bar.

To Use Search
1.Select the object type, for example Projects.
2.Type in the name of the Project being serached for.
3.A search can be conducted with recent Project items or all Projects.
4.Results will generate.
5.In the left sidebar menu, Project results can be filtered further.

Quick Note:
When using the quick search bar the object type needs to be adjusted to reflect
what is being looked (Project icon for projects, Task icon for tasks, etc.).
The Search field is useful when you know the specific name or ID of a task
or issue, or when searching for an item of work based on a keyword from the
description. The keywords inputed in the Search field are matched against
the following attributes: Name, Description, or ID. The items returned in the
search results are dependent on the object type selected.

Chapter 5Search Options

32

Updating Task
Assignments
Managers can rely on team members to
provide updates so they know when the next
steps of the project can begin.
They will also benefit from updating their tasks
because it eliminates work from their own
to do list and they will not have to remember
where they left off.

To make a comment on the Updates Tab:

1.From the AtTask Home page, go to the
My Work tab.
2.Select the Working On tab.
3.Identify a task you need to update.
4.Click the Updates Status link, below
the task name.
5.The update field for the task will display.
This is where users can update the
schedule, condition, and status of the
task.

Chapter 5Updating Task Assignments

33

Updating Task Assignments:

Users can view previous updates and make new updates from
the tasks landing page.
1.From the Working On tab, identify a task to
update.
2.Click on the tasks name.
3.This will direct users to the tasks main page.
4.Locate the Updates tab.
5.Update the status, schedule, and condition of the task.
6.Users can review see any previous updates made on
that Task.

Chapter 5Updating Task Assignments

34

Including Others in Notifications

When users communicate a status update on work
items, everyone on the project team will be able to
see the communication by going to the updates
tab.
However, a specific user can be included on an
update to provide them visiblity on the item. By
including a specific user, you are ensuring they
are personally notified of the update. Users will
see the messages illuminated in their notification
icon when they are in the system.

To include specific users on an update:

1.In the Updates tab, select the
multi-user icon.
2.Type the name(s) of the individual(s)
you wish to be included on the update.
3.Include the update in the update
status bar.
4.Select Update.
The update will show on the Notifications Icon for
each individual included in the update.

Chapter 5Updating Task Assignments

35

Condition Status/Task Status

The two fields that help communicate task performance are Status
and Condition.

Status: Allows users todetermine if the task has begun. This dropdown is customizable. The default options are:

New

In Progress

Complete

Condition: The condition communicates how the task is

progressing. To set the condition of the task, click into the task you
want to update and select from the options in the condition dropdown.

Going Smoothly

Some Concerns

Major Roadblocks

Chapter 5Updating Task Assignments

36

Working With
Documents
Documents are an integral part of work processes.
AtTask has made it manageable and effortless to
work with documents on a work item as well as
documents throughout your system.
Documents can be stored directly on an item,
within a folder, or with the use of document
integrations. Documents can be shared, approved,
and updated.
The Documents area consists of pre-generated
Smart Folders and My Folders (user created).
Smart Folders allow you to filter what information
is shown in a folder. Up to three folders will be
pre-generated. For example, you can create
a folder to show All Documents in AtTask.
Alternatively, if users want to find all documents
shared with them, a Smart Folder can be created
to meet that need. Using Smart Folders makes
it easy to come to one location to find all the
documents you would be interested in.
Users can also create Manual folders. Manual
folders allow assets to be organized that are
important to them. Moving documents into a
folder in the Documents area doesnt move the
document; rather it creates a link thus creating a
shortcut to access the file(s). Documents can be
added to manual folders by using drag-and drop.

Chapter 5Working With Documents

37

Documents on Work
Like the Documents area, manual folders can be
created on the Documents tab located on Projects,
Tasks and Issues pages.

To Create a folder:
1.Navigate to the desired work items
Documents tab, try Cruzer Web Site.
2.Select the Add Folders icon.
3.Name the folder.
4.Add additional folders as needed.

Note:
Documents attached to tasks and issues will roll
up and be visible on the Projects Documents tab.
However, items stored in folders will not roll up to
the Projects Documents tab.

Once folders are created, place files into folders

by dragging them into the desired folder for
organization.

Chapter 5Working With Documents

38

Attaching Documents
In AtTask, electronic files (document, image file,
etc.) can be uploaded and attached to an item.
Users can load more than one file at a time. Users
can even upload different versions of a document.

To Attach a Document to a Project:

1.Navigate to a project page.
2.In the projects header bar, select the
Documents tab.
3.Click Add Documents and upload the
document.

Note:
Documents can be dragged on to the Documents
tab. When dragging, documents will be shifted
down to accommodate the attach documents box.

Attach Documents using an Integration:

1.Select the Add Documents drop-down.
2.Choose Add Service or select one already
added.
3.Link your account.
4.Find and select the desired file to link.
The file will be linked to the documents tab. The
ability to use integrations needs to be activated by
your System Administrator.

Chapter 5Attaching Documents

39

Attach Document Options

Versions
AtTask will help keep track of multiple versions of
a document you are storing. Maintaining multiple
file versions in one location will allow team
members to easily access historical information
regarding document updates, view changes as
information progresses, and find information all
in one location.

To update a new file version:

1.Select the document to update.
2.Hover over the document line, click
Document Actions
3.Choose Details.
4.Select the All Versions tab.
5.Using the New Version button, user can
upload the next version.
6.The latest version will show at the top of
the All Versions tab.

Update a new file version (alt option):

1.Go to the Documents tab.
2.Drag the new file version on top of the file.
3.When users see the upload new file
version message, release the file.
4.The new version will have been uploaded.

Chapter 5Attaching Documents

40

Checking Out
Users can check out documents allowing users
to see who currently has the document under
review. Checking out documents prevents others
from uploading new versions of the file. Only one
person can check out a file at a time. Documents
can still be downloaded if checked out by
someone.

To Check out a File Version:

1.Select the document to update.
2.Hover over the document line, click
Document Actions
3.Choose Details.
4.In the top right corner, choose the
Document Actions menu.
5.Select Check Out.
6.The document will remain checked out
until its checked back in.

Deleting a Document
1.Select the document to delete.
2.Go to the Document Actions menu.
3.Select Delete.

Chapter 5Attaching Documents

41

Requesting a Document
Sometimes when working on a project users need
a specific item, like a document or image to help
complete your work. Instead of sending a work
request or email requesting the item, a document
can specifically be requested from another party.

To Request a Document:
1.Navigate to the project/task.
2.Select the Documents tab, Add
Documents button.
3.Choose Request a Document.
4.Identify the User who will receive the
document request.
5.Provide a statement of what you need.
6.Select Send Request.

Receiving a Document Request

Users who receive a document request will receive
an email message requesting they provide a
document. They can enter AtTask and upload the
document or they can attach it in the original
email.
Users do not have be a part of the project to provide
a document when they receive a document
request. For example, Jane Smith receives a
document Request from Jennifer Campbell for
a task on the Cruzer Website, but Jane is not on
the Project team; however, she will still be able to
provide Jennifer with the requested document.

Chapter 5Attaching Documents

42

Pasting from Clipboard

Adding an item to work has never been easier.
Any images on a clipboard can be easily
uploaded from a users computer right into the
document section.

To Add an image From the Clipboard:

1.Navigate to a project.
2.Select the Documents tab.
3.Using the Add Documents button, select
the Paste Image from Clipboard option.
4.Upload the image.
5.Select Save.
The image will now be available like any other
document associated with the project.

Chapter 5Attaching Documents

43

Recording Issues
While working on a project or task, it is not unusual for
problems and obstacles to arise. AtTask refers to these obstacles
as issues.
AtTask allows you to document issues, communicate the issue
to the project team, and track the progress. Issues can be logged
against a project or a task. Outstanding issues will prevent the
completion of these items.

Project
The following offers some suggestions to help you determine

Request Queue
(Project)

Project

where to log an issue:

When should the issue be recorded at the projectTask
level?

Task

Issue

Issue

Issue

Issue

If the problem impacts the completion of theTask

overall
project, and not a specific task.

Task

Task
If there is an omission in the task plan that impacts
the
quality of the project.

Task

Errors or defects are found in the project

documentation or charter.

Task

When should the issue be recorded on a task?

If the problem is specific to one task.

If you are given a task and feel the assignment was

incorrect.

If an unforeseen limitation has come up that needs to be

resolved before you can continue working on the assignment.

Issue

Task
Issue

For example, a user might record an issue if materials or data

needed to complete the task have not yet arrived.

Chapter 5Recording Issues

44

Creating Issues
To Create an Issue on a Project
1.From the project page, select the Issues
tab.
2.On the Issues tab, select the New
Issue button.
3.Enter a name for the issue in the
Name field (this is a required field).
4.Enter any other relevant information
in the other form fields.
5.Click Save New Issue when finished.

To Create an Issue on a Task

1.Navigate to a project, select a task, and
select the Issues tab.
2.On the Issues tab, select the New
Issue button.
3.Enter a name for the issue in the
Name field (this is a required field).
4.Enter any other relevant information
in the other form fields.
5.Click Save New Issue when finished.

Chapter 5Recording Issues

45

Viewing, Managing and Updating Issues

Now that you have learned how issues are created,
lets discuss how to view issues associated with a
task or a project.
A manager will be very interested in reviewing
issue progress. Other team members can also
use Open Issues to assist with assignments and
provide updates.

To View and Update Issues on a Task or Project

1.On the Projects page, select the Issues
tab.
2.On the Issues tab, view Open Issues
(Default), Completed Issues, and All
Issues. Open issues are unresolved issues
that need attention.
3.Select the Issues name, to be directed to
the Issues landing page. Click into the
update status box, to update the condition,
status, commit date, etc...
Alternative views included: Completed Issues and
All issues. The All Issues report displays all issues
for the project, resolved or not.
When the issue icon is shown in any list of
projects or tasks, can click the icon to go to the
associated issues.

Chapter 5Recording Issues

46

Team Page
AtTask allows users to communicate with
individuals in similar job functions or in groups
that work collectively. We call this a Team.
Users go to the Team page to see any outstanding
work requests assigned to the team (also viewable
on My Work) in addition to updates Team
members have made to work.

To View Outstanding Team Work:

1.Navigate to the People area.
2.Select the Teams tab.
3.Select your team, Creative.
4.View all updates, see who is Working
On items, and see all outstanding Team
Requests.
In addition to viewing work requests, users can
send a work request to the team.

To send a work request to a team:

1.Navigate to the People area.
2.Select the Teams tab.
3.Select your team, Creative.
4.In the top menu, select Send a Work
Request To Creative.
5.In the box, identify the task.
6.Hit Send Request.

Chapter 5Recording Issues

47

the story
Marketing

IT

PMO

AtTask Tool

Recording and
assigning an issue.

Record and assign an

issue to a team.

Record and assign

an urgent issue to a
team member that is
available.

Primary Benefit

Efficiency, issue
tracking and
resolution time.

You can get everyone

on the problem, while
still keeping track
of the problems that
come up.

Efficiency, issue
tracking and
resolution time.

48

Practice
Exercises
1.You want to provide an update on your Hire Outside Agency to
Reworkdesign task. Update the task to indicate that your bids for the redesign are coming in higher than you expected, and include Marc Lewis on
the update. Also, change the condition to Some Concerns.
2.Youve just received word that your back-end programmer for the Cruzer
Website Project had a catastrophic hard drive failure, just as he was
beginning work on his tasks in your project. Navigate to the task We need
to complete the back end of this project and log an issue indicating that
Andrew needs his computer repaired as soon as possible. Assign the issue to
the Infrastructure team.
3.You are a member of the Creative team, and your team has been assigned
a task to do the copywriting for the Localization project. Navigate to your
team requests and add the CopyWriting task to your working on list.
4.You have completed the work for the Production Planning task on the Grid
Indoor Ball Launch project. Log three hours of work to the task for today
and mark it as Done.

Practice Exercises Answers are in the appendix

49

Chapter 6
Work Accountability and Work Reporting

Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

Use reports with Filters, Views and

Groupings

Export and Organize Reporting Elements

Create and Customize a Dashboard

50

The Story
Marketing

IT

PMO

Primary Audience

Creative Director

Chief Information Officer

PMO Director

Top Pains

You dont have any

insight into the true
progress of the tasks in
the projects you own.
You rely on weekly status
meetings to gain that
insight, but you have
found that people either
dont come prepared
or they paint a rosier
picture than is accurate.
Moreover, the status
meetings decrease your
teams efficiency and
progress on their work.
Finally, you spend hours
wasting time trying to
track down the right
information.

As a centralized office
in the organization, not
only do you have internal
projects that your team
works on, but you also
have people from various
parts of the organization
that constantly ask your
team members to work
on or fix something for
them. You have no idea
how thinly spread your
team is. So you rely on
time-consuming status
meetings to try to figure
it out.

You need to be able to instantly

track the progress of all projects
in your organization with up-todate information that you can
trust. You typically rely on regular
status meetings to give visibility,
but youve found that information
in status meetings is out-of-date
and unreliable. Moreover, youd
like to reduce the number of status
meetings your office is holding.

51

Using Reports
Filters, Views, and Groupings
FILTER

AtTask allows users to view reports in a variety

of ways. Choose the method that best fits your
needs to hone on the information needed. To
modify report results use Filters, Views, and
Groupings.

(Define)

REPORT
COLUMNS
(Views)

GROUPING
(Sort)

Users can search for and view projects that

have common elements. AtTask allows the
flexibility to use reports in a way that is most
helpful to an organizations reporting needs.

FILTERS
A Filter controls the results that will appear in
a report. Use the Filter drop-down menu to
modify what appears in a report.
For example, when looking at a Task Report,
from the Filter drop-down menu, select
Upcoming Tasks. Only tasks assigned to the
logged-in user appear in the view.
Toggle through some of the filter options such
as Incomplete Tasks or My Late Tasks. Choose
All to return to the default filter originally used
to create the report. Selecting a filter from the
filter drop-down applies the selected filter on
top of the default criteria of the report.

Chapter 6Using Reports

52

Views
Views control the columns displayed in a
report. Change the fields using the View dropdown menu. Try toggling through some of
the views from the View menu, like Revenue
or All Dates or Condition, to see the difference
views can make in a report. Again, similar to
the filters, the purpose of the Report Default
option is to return to the default view of the
report.

Groupings
Items in a report can be organized in AtTask
using Groupings. Groupings categorize
information based on the information needed.
Try different groupings from the Group menu
such as Priority or Status. Click the blue
heading to hide or show grouped rows. Select
Nothing to eliminate groupings from the
report.

Chapter 6Using Reports

53

Exporting Search Results and Reports

Users have the ability to export data from
reports in AtTask. For example, a list of tasks
can be exported to one of several formats. This
functionality is available for all lists in AtTask.
AtTask gives you the option to export to these
formats:

PDF

Excel (xslx)

Excel

Tab Delimited (tab-separated values or

TSV)

To Export Lists
1.Navigate to the list or report that will be
to exported using AtTasks navigation
screens.
2.In any list, mark the checkbox to the left of
the results you want to export.
3.Click the export icon.
4.From the export menu, select the format
into which you want to export the data, as
listed above.
5.Depending on the operating system users
may have the option of opening or saving
the file.

Chapter 6Using Reports

54

Dashboards
Dashboards allow users to customize their
own reporting tabs. Any full-license user can
customize a dashboard. Users can customize
dashboards in the Reporting Area.

To Create a New Dashboard

1.From the Global Navigation Bar, click
the Reporting area.
2.Select the Dashboards tab, New Dash
board button.
3.Give the new dashboard a name. This
is required.
4.Next, select a layout. There are seven
layouts available: One for a one-column
layout, then three each for two-column
and three-column layouts.
5.Select the reports to see on the
dashboard from Available Reports by
dragging and dropping them onto
the layout pane. Search for reports in
the search/filter box at the top of the
section.
6.Use the remove icon to remove reports
from the layout.
7.Click the Save + Close button.

Note:
Users are not limited to the number or reports
on a dashboard.

Chapter 6Dashboards

55

Sharing your Dashboard

Users can share their dashboard with other
users. This will allow users to have access
to the same information from one centrally
designated location.

To Share a Dashboard:
1.From the My Dashboards area, select the
dashboard My Current Tasks.
2.Use the Dashboard Actions menu to
share.
3.Dashboards can be shared with specific
users or Company wide.
4.Select whom you wish to share the
dashboard with.
5.Save.

Chapter 6Dashboards

56

Additional Dashboard Options

External Pages
An external page can be added into a dashboard.
External pages can link to pages internal or
external to your organization.

To Add an external page:

1.While creating a dashboard, select external
page at the bottom of the layout.
2.In the light box, add a name and URL,
AtTask & URL https://www.attask.com.
3.Select Save.
4.Add the external page from the Available
Report menu.
5.Select Save + Close.
Your external page will now show on your
dashboard.

Chapter 6Dashboards

57

Customizing Tabs
Dashboards are a great way to organize and
access multiple reports in one location. They
are even better since they can be added to
different areas through out AtTask. Do you have a
Dashboard pertaining to project information that
you want to view on the Projects area page? Not a
problem! Customizing tabs allows you to add the
dashboard right on to that area.

To Customize Tabs
1.Navigate to the area you want to
customize.
2.Select the More drop down.
3.Choose Customize Tabs.
4.Select Custom Tab.
5.Name the Tab.
6.Identify the Dashboard.
7.Save the tab.

Note
Tabs can be arranged in any order. The far left tab
will be the default display tab. If a custom tab isnt
showing as one of the six options, arrange the
tabs to display the newly created tab, or go to the
more drop down to locate it.

Chapter 6Customizing Tabs

58

Timesheets
AtTask users can update the status of their work in
several ways. One way is to indicate time spent on
a project, task, or issue.
While time can be recorded on the update status
bar, it can also be updated in one central location
through a timesheet.
An introduction to recording timesheets is
presented in the Team Member On-Demand
learning module available on the community site.

Chapter 6Timesheets

59

The Story
Marketing

IT

PMO Director

Primary Audience

Creative Director

Chief Information Officer

PMO Director

AtTask Tool

Reporting

Reporting

Reporting

Primary Benefit

Instant insight
into work progress,
reduced number of
status meetings, and
improved efficiency
for your team.

Instant insight
into work progress,
reduced number of
status meetings, and
improved efficiency for
your team.

Instant insight
into work progress,
reduced number of
status meetings, and
improved efficiency for
your team.

60

Practice
Exercises
1.Search for the My Projects report. You want to see only late
projects, in the All Dates view, grouped by priority.
2.Export this list to pdf to share with your manager.
3.You have a group of reports that you and your team review
on a regular basis. Create a dashboard that includes the
Approved Projects, Actual Revenue by Group, Project
Performance and Change Request reports and share it
with the Product Marketing team as well as Marc Lewis.

Practice Exercises Answers are in the appendix

61

Chapter 7
AtTask Support and Services

Objectives
After completing this chapter, you will be able to:

Navigate to Community Site

Find additional AtTask Services

62

AtTask Community
community.attask.com
Have a question? Visit AtTask community for help articles, ondemand learning courses, register for AtTask courses, attend free
webinars, or schedule post-implementation consulting services.
sign-up for the AtTask community*
GO TO THE COMMUNITY PAGE. community.attask.com
1.ON DEMAND USERS: SIGN IN USING YOUR EXISTING
USERNAME AND PASSWORD.
2.IF YOU ARE NOT ON DEMAND, CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT
BY CLICKING THE ALL OTHER CUSTOMERS TAB, AND
SELECTING CREATE NEW ACCOUNT.
3.FILL OUT THE REQUIRED FIELDS IDENTIFIED WITH AN
ASTERISK (*).
4.CLICK THE CREATE NEW ACCOUNT BUTTON.
5.GO TO YOUR EMAIL INBOX AND FOLLOW THE
INSTRUCTIONS IN THE VALIDATION EMAIL.
*Registration is required to access some community content.

COMMUNITY USER GROUPS

User groups allows clients to collaborate and communicate with other AtTask users,
read blog postings, and network with users in the work management world.
You can join an existing group or create a new group that others can join.
Join a group by clicking the All Groups tab. From the list, select the group you wish to
join. Select Join Group. View your groups on the My Groups tab.

Chapter 7AtTask Community

63

Education
Services

attask courses

AtTask Fundamentals

Work Management

AtTask Administrator

Reporting Essentials

Portfolio and Resource Management

Intermediate Reporting

Advanced Reporting

AtTask Education offers something for

everyone: on-demand learning for the
busy professional, online webinars with
certified AtTask trainers, and the Pick
3 Program; tailored to your specific
needs, and private education sessions
for your business. New AtTask users and
AtTask veterans looking to expand their
product knowledge or needing a quick
refresher, should review the education
plan and course catalog for detailed
information about the right courses for
your individual needs.

The Help Site

When you have questions, this is the first
place you should look for answers.
You can access the Help Site by clicking
the Help icon in the upper right hand
corner of any page in AtTask.

Help Site contains:

Announcements

Training Videos

Help Articles

Visit us: help.attask.com

Chapter 7Education

64

Education
Services
On-demand Learning
AtTask is now offering a variety of
eLearning courses to help optimize
your use of the product and really drill
down into the core functionality that
will make work easier for you and your
organization.
New courses are being added all the time
so check back often to see what is new.

webinars
Webinars are live, instructional sessions
designed to provide information for up
to one hour.
Webinars are topic-specific, they are
available to anyone who would like to
attend. They are free of charge.
You can find a list of upcoming webinars
and recordings of past webinars on the
community site.
Visit: community.attask.com/webinars

Chapter 7Education

65

Education
Services
pick 3 program
A Pick 3 session allows you to organize
& tailor courses to your specific needs,
creating private education for your AtTask
users. It allows you to provide focused
education for your team on the topics and
functions they need most to be successful
when using AtTask to manage their work.
Each Pick 3 session allows you to pick three
topics and the AtTask Education team will
conduct a private three hour education
session for your organization. Each session
will be accompanied by a workbook that
covers the topics selected.
If you have questions about the Pick 3
program, feel free to contact your Account
Executive or email
educationinfo@attask.com
Sample Pick 3 Sessions:

Best Practices in Project Initiation

Work flow Management

Project Prioritization

Chapter 7Education

66

Support
Services
AtTask offers four customer support plans,
ensuring you receive the level of support
that is appropriate for your business.
Support plans can be adjusted at any time.
Online Help Desk: 24x7
Phone Support: Sunday 8pm Friday 8pm
(Eastern Time)
Telephone: 801-373-3266 opt. 2
Toll Free: 866-441-0001 opt. 2
Visit the Community Site for release notes
and additional support guides.

Chapter 7Support

67

Consulting
Services
The AtTask roadmap for success follows this
simple formula:
Success = Realistic Scope + Right Resources + Achievable timeline

Following this formula, AtTask consultants

provide best practices consulting to businesses
looking to implement work management
principles to their projects and processes.
Additionally, AtTask consultants provide design
and implementation approaches, tailored to your
business needs, to get your AtTask solution into
production quickly and easily.

Chapter 7Consulting

68

Customer Success
Program
The customer success program puts you,
the AtTask user, at the forefront of the AtTask
business model. Our customer success
consultants connect and engage with you
to ensure you receive maximum value from
the AtTask platform by providing additional
resources and expertise tailored to your AtTask
solution.

Customer success program:

Dedicated customer success consulting

Conference calls

Quarterly reviews of your account

Customized success road-map

For more information contact

Dustin Kenyon
Global Director, Customer Success
Desk Phone: 801-477-9528
dustinkenyon@attask.com

Chapter 7Customer Success

69

Appendix

Practice Exercise Answers

70

Practice Exercise Answers

Chapter 3-1

Chapter 3-2

AppendixPractice Exercise Answers

71

Practice Exercise Answers

Chapter 3-2

Chapter 3-3

AppendixPractice Exercise Answers

72

Practice Exercise Answers

Wo m e n s A t h l e t i c G e a r

Chapter 4-1

Chapter 4-2

AppendixPractice Exercise Answers

73

Practice Exercise Answers

Chapter 5-1

Chapter 5-1

AppendixPractice Exercise Answers

74

Practice Exercise Answers

Chapter 5-2

Chapter 5-3

AppendixPractice Exercise Answers

75

Practice Exercise Answers

Chapter 6-1

Chapter 6-1

AppendixPractice Exercise Answers

76

Practice Exercise Answers

Chapter 6-2

Chapter 6-2

AppendixPractice Exercise Answers

77

Practice Exercise Answers

Chapter 6-2

AppendixPractice Exercise Answers

78