Famstack Users Guide

Complete Documentation & User Manual

Version 1.0

➕ Creating Tasks (Deliverables)

Understanding Tasks

Tasks (also called Deliverables) are specific work items within a project. They represent milestones, deliverables, or activities that need to be completed.

Where Tasks Live

Tasks are created and managed within projects. You can access them through:

Creating a Task from Project Details

Step 1: Open Project
Navigate to Project List and click on a project name to open Project Details
Step 2: Go to Deliverables Tab
Click on the "Deliverables" tab in the project details page. This shows all tasks for this project.
Step 3: Click Create Task
Click the "CREATE TASK" button (usually at the top right of the deliverables section)
Step 4: Fill Task Form
A sidebar will slide in from the right. Fill in the task details (see "Task Fields Explained" section below)
Step 5: Submit
Click "Create" button. The task will be added to the project.
Create Task Sidebar - Form with all task fields

Creating a Task from Task Board

Go to Project → Taskboard
Select the project from the project filter dropdown
Click "CREATE TASK" button
Fill the task form
The task will appear in the appropriate column based on its status

Creating a Task from Task Planner

Go to Project → Task Planner
Select project and date range
Click "CREATE TASK" or right-click on the timeline
Fill task details including dates
Task will appear on the timeline

📝 Task Fields - Complete Reference

Required Fields

Task Name

Enter a clear, descriptive name for the task. This should indicate what work needs to be done.

Best Practice: Use action verbs (e.g., "Design Homepage", "Implement Login Feature", "Write Test Cases")

Character Limit: Typically 255 characters

Project

The project this task belongs to. Usually auto-filled based on where you're creating the task.

Note: You can change the project if needed, but typically tasks stay within their project.

Estimated Start Date

When work on this task should begin.

How to Select: Click the date field to open calendar picker. Select the start date.

Validation: Must be within the project's date range.

Estimated Completion Date

When this task should be completed.

Important: Must be after start date and within project dates.

Optional but Important Fields

Description

Detailed description of the task, including:

  • What needs to be done
  • Acceptance criteria
  • Dependencies
  • Special instructions

Best Practice: Be as detailed as possible to avoid confusion.

Assignee(s)

Team members responsible for completing this task.

How to Assign:

  1. Click the assignee dropdown (may show "Select Assignee" or similar)
  2. Start typing a team member's name to search
  3. Select from the filtered list
  4. You can assign multiple people to one task

Note: Only team members from the project's team will be available.

Estimated Hours

How many hours this task is expected to take.

Format: Enter as a number (e.g., "40" for 40 hours)

Use: Used for planning, resource allocation, and reporting.

Priority

Task priority level (if enabled).

Options: Usually High, Medium, Low, or Critical

Status

Initial status of the task.

Default: Usually "Planned" or "To Do"

Options:

  • Planned: Task is planned but not started
  • In Progress: Work has begun
  • Completed: Task is finished
  • Closed: Task is closed (final state)

Task Type

Classification of the task (if enabled).

Examples: Development, Design, Testing, Documentation, Review

Dependencies

Other tasks that must be completed before this one can start.

How to Add:

  1. Click "Add Dependency" or similar
  2. Select the task that must be completed first
  3. Add multiple dependencies if needed

Tags/Labels

Optional tags for categorization (if enabled).

Use Cases: "Urgent", "Client Review", "Blocked", etc.

Advanced Task Fields

Recurring Task

If this task repeats on a schedule.

Configuration:

  • Select recurrence pattern (Daily, Weekly, Monthly, etc.)
  • Set frequency (every X days/weeks/months)
  • Set end date or number of occurrences

Checklist

Add a checklist of sub-items within the task.

How to Add:

  1. Click "Add Checklist Item" or "+"
  2. Enter item description
  3. Add more items as needed
  4. Check off items as they're completed

Attachments

Upload files related to the task.

Supported: Documents, images, spreadsheets, etc.

How to Upload: Click "Attach File" or drag and drop files into the attachment area.

Field Validation

Validation Rules:
  • Task name is required and must be unique within the project
  • Completion date must be after start date
  • Task dates must be within project date range
  • Estimated hours should be a positive number
  • At least one assignee may be required (depends on configuration)

✏️ Editing Tasks

How to Edit a Task

Method 1: From Project Details

Open Project Details → Deliverables tab
Find the task in the list
Click the "Edit" button/icon for that task
Edit sidebar opens with all fields pre-filled
Make your changes
Click "Update" to save

Method 2: From Task Board

Go to Task Board
Click on a task card
Click "Edit" in the task details popup
Make changes and save

Method 3: From Task Details Page

Click on a task name to open Task Details
Click "Edit" button in the header
Edit and save

What Can Be Edited

Most task fields can be edited, including:

Bulk Editing Tasks

Some views allow bulk operations:

Select multiple tasks (checkboxes in list view)
Use bulk action menu
Choose action (Change Status, Reassign, etc.)
Apply changes to all selected tasks

📋 Task Board (Kanban View)

Understanding the Task Board

The Task Board provides a visual Kanban-style interface for managing tasks by their status. It's ideal for tracking work flow and seeing what's in progress.

Accessing the Task Board

Navigate to Project → Taskboard from the left sidebar
Select a project from the project filter dropdown (top of page)
The task board will load showing all tasks for that project
Task Board - Kanban view with columns for each status

Task Board Structure

The board is organized into columns, each representing a task status:

Planned / To Do

Tasks that are planned but not yet started. This is typically the starting column.

In Progress

Tasks that are currently being worked on. Team members move tasks here when they start work.

Completed

Tasks that are finished but may need review or final approval.

Closed

Tasks that are fully complete and closed. This is the final state.

Using Drag and Drop

The primary way to update task status on the Task Board is through drag and drop:

Find the Task
Locate the task card in its current column
Click and Hold
Click on the task card and hold the mouse button down
Drag to New Column
While holding, drag the card to the target status column
Drop the Card
Release the mouse button when over the target column. The task status will update automatically.
💡 Tip: On touch devices, tap and hold the task card, then drag it to the new column.

Task Cards on Board

Each task is displayed as a card showing:

Filtering on Task Board

You can filter tasks on the board:

Use the project dropdown to switch between projects
Use assignee filter to see only tasks assigned to specific people
Use date range to show only tasks within a timeframe
Use search to find specific tasks by name

Creating Tasks from Board

Click "CREATE TASK" button (usually top right)
Fill in task details
Select initial status (which column it should appear in)
Click "Create"
Task appears in the selected column

Viewing Task Details

Click on any task card
A popup or sidebar will show full task details
You can edit, add comments, update checklist, etc.
Close the popup to return to board view

Collapsing Columns

To focus on specific columns:

📅 Task Planner

Understanding Task Planner

The Task Planner provides a timeline/Gantt-style view of tasks, showing when work is scheduled and helping with resource planning.

Accessing Task Planner

Navigate to Project → Task Planner
Select project(s) from the filter
Select date range to view
Tasks will be displayed on the timeline
Task Planner - Timeline view showing tasks across dates

Task Planner Views

Timeline View

Shows tasks as horizontal bars on a calendar timeline:

Resource View

Shows tasks grouped by assignee:

Creating Tasks in Planner

Click "CREATE TASK" or right-click on timeline
Fill task details
Set start and end dates (these will position the task on timeline)
Assign team members
Task appears as a bar on the timeline

Modifying Tasks on Timeline

Resize Task: Drag the edges of a task bar to change its duration
Move Task: Drag the entire bar left/right to change dates
Edit Details: Click on task bar to open edit dialog

Viewing Dependencies

If tasks have dependencies, they may be shown with connecting lines on the timeline.

Zoom and Navigation

⏱️ Work Items

Understanding Work Items

Work Items are the smallest unit of work tracking. They represent actual time spent on tasks, typically logged daily or per activity.

Relationship: Project → Task → Work Item

Project: High-level container (e.g., "Website Redesign")

Task: Specific deliverable within project (e.g., "Design Homepage")

Work Item: Actual work entry (e.g., "Worked on homepage layout - 4 hours")

Viewing Work Items

From Task Details

Open a task (click task name)
Navigate to "Work Items" tab or section
See all work items logged for this task

From Project Details

Open project details
Go to Activity or Work Items section
View all work items across all tasks in the project

Work Item Information

Each work item typically shows:

Field Description
Date When the work was performed
Task Which task the work relates to
Employee Who did the work
Hours Time spent (e.g., 4.5 hours)
Description What work was done
Status Work item status (if applicable)

Creating Work Items

Work items are typically created through:

Adding Work Item from Task

Open task details
Go to Work Items section
Click "Add Work Item" or similar
Enter:
  • Date
  • Hours worked
  • Description of work
Click "Save"

Work Item Timer

Some tasks may have a timer feature for real-time tracking:

Open task details
Click "Start Timer" button
Timer starts counting
Work on the task
Click "Stop Timer" when done
Add description and save as work item

Editing Work Items

Find the work item in the list
Click "Edit" (pencil icon or edit button)
Modify date, hours, or description
Save changes
⚠️ Note: Work items may be locked after timesheet submission. Check with your administrator about editing policies.

Deleting Work Items

Find the work item
Click "Delete" (trash icon)
Confirm deletion
⚠️ Warning: Deleting work items affects time tracking and reporting. Only delete if absolutely necessary.

🔄 Task Status Management

Understanding Task Statuses

Tasks move through different statuses as work progresses. Understanding each status helps track project progress.

Status Meaning When to Use Can Move To
Planned Task is planned but work hasn't started When creating new tasks In Progress
In Progress Work has begun on this task When starting work Completed, Closed
Completed Work is finished, may need review When task work is done Closed
Closed Task is fully complete and closed Final state after review/approval None (final state)

Changing Task Status

Method 1: Drag and Drop (Task Board)

Go to Task Board
Drag task card to new status column
Status updates automatically

Method 2: Status Dropdown

Open task details
Find Status field
Select new status from dropdown
Save changes

Method 3: Quick Actions

In task list or board, use action buttons
Click status change buttons (e.g., "Move to In Progress", "Mark Complete")
Status updates immediately

Status Change Notifications

When you change a task status:

Bulk Status Changes

To change status of multiple tasks:

Select multiple tasks (checkboxes)
Use bulk action menu
Select "Change Status"
Choose new status
Confirm - all selected tasks update

👥 Assigning Tasks

Assigning During Creation

When creating a task, you can assign team members:

In the Create Task form, find the "Assignee" or "Assigned To" field
Click the dropdown (may show "Select Assignee")
Start typing a team member's name
Select from the filtered list
To assign multiple people, select additional assignees

Assigning to Existing Tasks

Method 1: Edit Task

Open task for editing
Find Assignee field
Add or remove assignees
Save changes

Method 2: Quick Assign

In task list or board, find the task
Click assignee area (may show avatars or "Unassigned")
Select team member(s) from popup
Assignment updates immediately

Reassigning Tasks

To change who's assigned to a task:

Edit the task
Remove current assignee(s) if needed
Add new assignee(s)
Save - previous assignees are notified of removal, new ones are notified of assignment

Multiple Assignees

Tasks can have multiple assignees:

Unassigning Tasks

Edit task
Remove all assignees (clear the assignee field)
Task becomes unassigned
Can be assigned later when ready
📌 Note: Some organizations require tasks to have at least one assignee. Check with your administrator.

✅ To Do List

Understanding Your To Do List

The To Do List shows all tasks assigned to you across all projects. It's your personal task management view.

Accessing Your To Do List

Navigate to Project → To Do List
Your assigned tasks are displayed automatically

To Do List Features

Task Display

Tasks are shown with:

Filtering Options

Filter your tasks by:

Sorting

Sort tasks by:

Quick Actions from To Do List

From your To Do List, you can:

Marking Tasks Complete

Find the task in your To Do List
Use quick action button to mark as "Completed"
Or open task and change status to "Completed"
Task moves out of active To Do List

📅 Task Activity Calendar

Understanding Task Activity View

The Task Activity Calendar provides a calendar view of all tasks and work items, showing when work is scheduled and performed.

Accessing Task Activity

Navigate to Project → Task Activity
Select date range and filters
Calendar displays tasks and activities

Calendar Views

Month View

Shows a monthly calendar grid:

Week View

Shows a weekly timeline:

Day View

Shows a single day in detail:

Navigating the Calendar

Use arrow buttons to move between months/weeks/days
Click "Today" button to jump to current date
Use date picker to jump to specific date

Interpreting Calendar Colors

Color/Indicator Meaning
Blue Active/In Progress tasks
Green Completed tasks
Red Overdue tasks
Orange/Yellow Due soon or high priority

Creating Tasks from Calendar

Click on a date in the calendar
Select "Create Task" from popup
Start date will be pre-filled with selected date
Complete task creation form
Task appears on calendar