Managing Project Tasks, Phases, and Milestones in Keka PSA

This comprehensive guide covers adding tasks, phases, and milestones, as well as bulk import and deletion.

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• Structuring Projects with Tasks, Phases, and Milestones
• Task Billing Classifications
• Setting Timeframes and Task Status
• Adding Tasks and Phases
• Learn how to set up task stages by following these guidelines
• Adding Milestones
• Adding Tasks Using Templates
• Bulk Importing Tasks and Phases
• Best Practices for Managing Tasks

 

Efficient project management relies on breaking down a larger project into smaller, manageable tasks and phases. Keka PSA simplifies this process by allowing you to configure tasks, phases, and milestones. This functionality ensures better organization, accountability, and tracking of progress, ultimately leading to project success.

In this guide, we'll explore how to add, modify, and manage tasks and phases in Keka PSA, along with best practices for leveraging its robust features.

 

Structuring Projects with Tasks, Phases, and Milestones

Tasks and Phases:
Breaking down a project into tasks and phases makes it easier to manage resources, timelines, and deliverables. Phases act as a grouping mechanism for related tasks, allowing for better organization and tracking.

Milestones:
If your project follows a milestone-based billing approach, you can configure milestones during project setup. Milestones represent key deliverables or checkpoints that determine billing and progress evaluation.

 

Task Billing Classifications

Tasks can be classified as:

• Billable Tasks: Hours logged for these tasks contribute to the project’s billing.
• Non-Billable Tasks: Hours logged for these tasks are excluded from billing.

To configure or modify billing classifications, navigate to Projects > Policies & Settings > Billing Classification.

 

 

Setting Timeframes and Task Status

You can assign estimated timeframes to tasks to ensure accurate tracking and planning.

• If logged hours exceed the estimate but the task isn’t close to completion, adjustments can be made to timelines or task efforts.
• Task statuses, such as Not Started or Completed, can be updated to reflect progress.

 

Adding Tasks and Phases

Steps to Access Projects and Tasks

1. Go to Projects in the left navigation pane.
2. Select the Projects tab to view all listed projects.
   • Active Projects: Ongoing projects.
   • All Projects: Includes completed and archived projects.
3. Click on the desired project to access its Project Details page.
   
   
   
   

Adding Tasks and Phases Individually

1. Navigate to the Tasks tab within the selected project.
   
   
   
   
2. Choose either:
   • +Create Phase: Add a new phase to the project.
   • +Create Task: Directly add tasks under the project or a specific phase.
     
     
     
     
3. Provide the required details such as task/phase name, duration, and billing classification.
   
   
   
   

 

Now, it's time to add the tasks that have been set up under this phase. Simply click on the + icon to the left of the Phase Name you just created, then choose Task from the drop-down menu to add a new task within this phase.

 

For further process into the phase details, simply click on the > icon. From there, you can add a task to the phase by clicking on the + icon and selecting "Task" from the drop-down menu.

 

 

When adding a new task, provide the Task Name, set the expected duration by choosing the Start Date and End Date from the Duration column's drop-down menu. Additionally, you can specify if the task is billable by selecting the suitable classification from the icon in the Billable column.

 

 

Learn how to set up task stages by following these guidelines:

Once you have entered the details, click on Add to save the task. 

 

 

You have the flexibility to add tasks and phases by following the steps mentioned above. Additionally, you can easily rearrange the order of tasks or move them between phases. Simply click on the Reorder icon next to the task, and then drag and drop the task to the desired position for better organization.

 

 

To provide more details and assign the task to a resource within the project, you can add a description to the task. Simply click on the Description icon, then select the Edit icon from the drop-down menu. This action will take you to the Task Details page where you can input relevant information about the task.

 

 

On the Task Details page, you can provide additional information about the task to help the team members understand its scope and other important details. Simply enter a description in the designated field and click on Save to include it with the task.

Moreover, project managers and resources can add comments and attach files directly to the task from this page. To upload a file, click on the Attach File icon next to the comment box. The uploaded files will be visible on the screen.

 

 

To assign employees to a task that you have added to the system, simply click on the "Assign Employee" icon located on the tasks page.

 

To assign an employee to a task, simply utilize the search bar in the drop-down menu to look for the specific employee you wish to assign. You can also directly select the employee from the list that appears in the drop-down. Once selected, the task will be assigned to the chosen employee.

 

 

 

 

Adding Milestones

Milestones are crucial for milestone-based billing

 

 

You can easily add a milestone to your project in a similar manner as adding a phase or a task. Simply click on the Task window's + icon, then select Milestone from the drop-down menu to include a milestone in your project.

 

When adding a new milestone to your project, fill in the Milestone Name, completion Date, and the Amount to be paid upon milestone completion based on your client agreement.

You can indicate whether it is a billable or non-billable milestone by selecting the appropriate icon next to the date field. If marked as non-billable, you won't be able to enter a payment amount.

Click the Add icon to save the milestone with these details.

 

 

Adding Tasks Using Templates

Importing from Task Templates

To import tasks and phases from task templates, simply go to the tasks page and click on the arrow next to the +Add Task button. From the drop-down menu that appears, select Import from template to add pre-configured tasks and phases to your project.

 

 

When you access the Import Task Template screen, you will find a list of pre-configured templates to choose from. Select the template that contains the phases and tasks you want to import. You can then easily select the specific tasks or phases you wish to add to your project by using the checkboxes provided.

Whether you want to import a whole phase with its tasks or individual tasks, you have the flexibility to make your selections. Additionally, you can streamline the process by using the Select All checkbox at the top of the screen to import all tasks at once.

 

 

After you have finished selecting your choices, proceed by clicking on the Next button.

 

 

Within the Preview Template section on the page, you have the opportunity to input details for the tasks being imported. This includes the expected duration of the task, billing classification, estimated hours, and task stage. You can also assign these tasks to the employees who are part of the project. Simply click on Save to complete the task import process.

 

Bulk Importing Tasks and Phases

To import tasks in large quantities, go to the Tasks page, click on the dropdown arrow, and select Bulk import tasks and phases from the options provided.

 

 

Upon selecting this option, you will be directed to the Bulk Import Tasks/Phases page. Here, you can access the Excel template designed for importing tasks and phases in large quantities. Simply click on the "Download Excel Template" button to get the template. Make sure to review the instructions provided on this page before populating the Excel file with the phases and tasks.

 

 

Within the Excel template, input a Phase Name field, followed by adding a task in the Task Name field to create a phase and configure a task underneath it.

If you wish to add another task to the same phase, use the phase name again and include the second task name. You can also solely create a phase by entering only the phase name without any task name linked in the same row. Similarly, you can create a standalone task by leaving the phase name field empty and including only the task name in a single row.

Include other essential details such as the task's start date and end date, a description of the task, and the estimated hours needed for completion. Additionally, you can designate a task stage by choosing it from the drop-down menu.

 

 

After entering the necessary details, save the file. Then, return to the Bulk import tasks/phases page and click on the "Upload Excel File" button to upload the Excel file that you have prepared and saved.

 

 

Upon reaching the Match Columns section, you can double-check that the columns in your Excel file match up correctly with the corresponding fields in Keka. Once you've confirmed this, simply click on Continue to move on to the Preview Data section. Here, any errors found in the uploaded file will be shown. Make any necessary changes to the file and re-upload if required. If there are no errors, click on Complete to finish uploading your tasks and phases.

 

 

This action will import the tasks and phases into the selected project.

Removing a phase, task, or milestone - To delete any of the elements you have added to the project, simply click on the three dots on the row associated with the element you wish to remove, and then choose the Delete option from the drop-down menu.

 

 

After confirming in the pop-up window, proceed by selecting "Confirm" to delete the task.

 

For more advanced features, such as bulk importing tasks or managing billing classifications, refer to Keka’s documentation or reach out to our product experts for assistance.

 

To explore more about the bulk import functionality for project tasks, please click here for detailed guidance. How to Import project Tasks in Bulk?