Create, update, and move activities
Projects, activities, and events (milestones and deliverables) are managed in the "Workplan" section.
Activities and events fall under projects and can be mapped into any desired structure, for example Work packages > Tasks > Sub-Tasks.
Before designing your work plan, you may review and set the desired level labelling and ID convention under the Customisation settings.
Tip: If you have already developed your project schedule outside the EMDESK app, you can import your project data into the Workplan.
Note:
- To add activities and events at least one project must be created (see "Create a new project").
- To create, edit, or move activities/events, you must have Manage access rights to the "Workplan" section or the respective "parent" activity (see "Roles, access levels, and access rights").
- In addition, the current plan version must be in the Edit mode (see "Manage workspace plan versions").
Creating activities
- Click Workplan in Home menu, this will open the "Workplan" section.
- Click + Add Activity at the bottom of the section, this will open the "New Activity" sidebar.
Tip: To add a new sub-activity, select "Add Sub-Activity" from the action menu of the desired parent item. This automatically sets the parent for the sub-activity:
- In the sidebar, you can set the following properties for the new activity:
- Name: Click the placeholder at the top and enter a name for the activity
- Select assignees (optional): Click the dropdown and select assignees for the activity
- ID: It is given by default, however you can customise the ID format under the Customisation settings; you can also override the auto ID number by clicking the "Edit" icon and typing in the preferred ID name
- Description (optional): Click into the field and provide a description for the activity
- Objectives (optional): Click into the field and set objectives for the activity
- Predecessors (optional): If another projects, activities, and/or events have to end before this activity can begin, select them as predecessors from the dropdown menu
- Lead. Participant (optional): Assign a participant responsible for the activity; click Add lead participants when you have several responsible participants (available up to 3 lead participants)
- Further Participants (optional): Assign further participants connected to the activity
- Activity Type: Choose the appropriate type from the dropdown menu (these types here are provided by the workspace template selected during the workspace creation; however, you can customise them under the Customisation settings)
- Start: Select a start month for the activity, with M01 aligning with the project's initial start date.
- Duration: Set the activity duration in months.
Note: When you add sub-activities to an activity, its duration automatically updates to span from the start of the earliest sub-activity to the end of the latest one.
- Tags (optional): Categorise the activity by adding tags
- Completion: As status updates are reported for the activitiy or its sub-activities, the progress bar will update to show the current completion percentage and most recent status.
- Enable Update Reporting: Toggle on/off to enable or disable direct status updates at the project level.
Tip: To add the activity at a specific position as a sub-activity under a specific project or activity, click the "Move to" icon in the path indicator at the top of the sidebar and choose the position by clicking the respective line.
If you do not define the position, the new activity is added as the last item at the bottom of the first project in your workspace.
Note: When you choose other than the last position, the IDs of the activity or any following activities and sub-activities automatically gets updated.
- Click Save Activity at the bottom of the sidebar, the activity is created at the selected position in the Workplan.
Editing and updating activities
- Click on the activity that you would like to update or on its "Edit" icon, this will open a sidebar for the activity.
- In the sidebar, you can update the following properties of the activity:
- Name: Edit the name of the activity
- Select assignees: Click the dropdown and update assignees for the activity
- ID: It is given by default, however you can customise the ID format under the Customisation settings; you can also override the auto ID number by clicking the "Edit" icon and typing in the preferred ID name
- Description: Edit the activity's description
- Objectives: Edit the objectives for the activity
- Predecessors: If another activities, projects, and/or events have to end before this activity can begin, select them as predecessors from the dropdown menu
- Lead. Participant: Assign the activity to another lead participant; click Add further participants when you have several responsible participants (available up to 3 lead participants)
- Further Participants: Update further assigned participants for the activity
- Activity Type: Choose the new type from the dropdown menu (these types here are provided by the workspace template selected during the workspace creation; however, you can customise them under the Customisation settings)
- Start: Edit the start month for the activity, with M01 aligning with the project's initial start date.y
- Duration: Edit the activity duration in months.
Note: When you update the activity duration, the duration of the parent project or activity automatically updates to span from the start of the earliest sub-activity to the end of the latest one.
- Tags: Categorise the activity by adding tags
- Completion: As status updates are reported for the activitiy or its sub-activities, the progress bar will update to show the current completion percentage and most recent status.
- Enable Update Reporting: Toggle on/off to enable or disable direct status updates at the project level.
Moving activities to another position
To move an activity to another position or under another project or activity, click the "Move to" icon in the path indicator at the top of the sidebar and choose the new position by clicking the respective line:
Note:
- In case an activity is moved under another project or activity and lasts longer or ends later than its parent, then the project and parent activity will adopt the new start and end of this child activity.
- When you move an activity other than to the last position, the ID of this activity and any following activities and sub-activities gets updated automatically.
- Once you have completed your editing, click Save Activity at the bottom of the sidebar.