Structure project tasks in a hierarchical format, dividing them into parent tasks and subordinate tasks to effectively organize the various elements of a project.

Tasks are categorized into two types:

1. Work Task: This involves a task record that tracks actual project activity, such as time worked.

2. Parent Task: This pertains to a task record specifically designed to aggregate information related to subordinate tasks essential for completing a project.

For example, when managing an installation project with three distinct tasks, you can arrange task records as follows:

1. Create a task record for the installation: Initially, this task serves as a parent task and later becomes the parent for other tasks.

2. Establish a work task for each task: Create a work task for each of the three tasks associated with the installation. Designate each task as subordinate to the installation task by selecting it as the parent.

3. Record time spent on installation: Log the time employees spend working on the installation on each child task. The data for each child task is then consolidated on the parent task record.

NOTE:The Parent Task field becomes visible only when there is at least one task associated with the project.

Important:A parent task cannot have resources assigned to it as parent task records do not directly track work; they only monitor other tasks.

Parent task records capture the following data from their subordinates:

- Start Date: The earliest start date among all subordinate tasks.
- End Date: The latest end date among all subordinate tasks.
- Estimated Work: The cumulative total estimated work for all subordinate tasks.
- Actual Work: The cumulative total actual work done for all subordinate tasks.
- Remaining Work: The cumulative total work remaining for all subordinate tasks.
- Percent Complete: The percentage of work completed for the task overall.

If Resource Allocations are employed, the Allocated Work and Percent Complete by Allocated Work fields are also sourced from the subordinates of the parent task.

To establish parent and subordinate tasks, access the task record and designate a parent in the Parent Task field.

When reviewing the task list on a project record, each parent task exhibits its subordinates indented beneath it.

NOTE:If CRM Tasks are integrated with projects, refer to "Including CRM Tasks in Project Totals" for insights into task hierarchies.