Setting up and Managing Tasks

This article introduces Task Management and explains how to add new tasks, task schedules and statuses, edit individual tasks, edit schedule, copy and delete tasks and also export tasks.

The Tasks feature is available for the following products:

• Cafe
• Roast Professional and higher tiers
• Origin Professional and higher tiers
• Lab

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• Why use Tasks?
• Adding new tasks or task schedules  
  • One-time tasks
  • Recurring tasks based on date / time
  • Recurring tasks based on production metrics
• Editing individual tasks and task schedules
• Task statuses
• Exporting tasks
  • Utilizing the Filter feature on the Task Management overview Page

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Why use Tasks?

The keywords are: monitoring, communicating and connecting.

With Tasks you can create one-time or recurring tasks to assign different chores to the team or even directly to each members. You are also able to verify task compliance across roast machines, cafe equipment, locations and most importantly, your team.

Tasks helps you to:

• maximise the efficiency of your team

• monitor the daily chores and take actions when it is needed

• maintain a healthy hardware and comply with the health and safety regulations

• improve the quality and also customer experience

Task Management and Task Board

In the main menu bar, navigate to Tasks to access the Task Board or the Task Management overview page.   

Task Management

Task Board

Adding new tasks and task schedules

You can add one time tasks or set up task schedules by date/time or production value.

• One-time tasks
• Recurring tasks based on date / time
• Recurring tasks based on production metrics

One-time tasks

1. Log in to the online platform C-sar.
2. Navigate to Tasks > Task Management. 
3. Click + Add new task to create a new one-time task or schedule recurring tasks. 
   
4. Enter the following information:
   * is indicating mandatory fields. 
   
   • Task name*: name your task e.g.: Empty the chaff.
   • Location*: you need to assign your task to a specific location.
   • Link with equipment: this field is only relevant when there is an equipment assigned to the location. You can optionally link the task to a Cafe equipment or Roasting machine if related. If the task is assigned to a Roasting machine, you can show this task in Roasting Intelligence when the machine is being used. 

1. • Assign task to*: you can assign the task to anyone in the selected location or to a specific person. 

   • Task categories: Select a category to group similar tasks together. 

   • Task description: Add comments and instructions to the task.
   • Add link: you can add a link to manuals or external documents (e.g. Google worksheets) if relevant.
     
2. Schedule task: in case of a one-time task, select Never and set the Due date*. You can also add a specific a time by toggling on the Specify a time button. 
   • You can also schedule recurring tasks Based on date / time or Based on production metrics.
3. Click Create task to add the new task.

The new task will show on the Task board when it is due. 

Recurring tasks based on date / time

You can set up recurring tasks based on date and time. 

1. Select Based on date / time.
2. Add Frequency* to the task:
   • Daily
   • Weekly
   • Monthly
   • Yearly
   • Working days (select the week days when the task needs to be fulfilled by checking the checkboxes)

3. Add the Starting from* date. 

4. Toggle on Specify a time to enter a time when the task becomes due. 
   

5. Click Create task add the task schedule. 

Recurring tasks based on production metrics

You can set up recurring tasks based on production metrics.

1. Select Based on production metrics. The linked equipment shows up. 
   
2. Select a Production metric* that should trigger the task: 
   • For Roasting machines: Roast volume, Number of batches, Roasting time. 
   • For Cafe equipment: Number of brews, Dosage (coffee weight), Brew water pulses.
3. Add the Starting from* date.
4. Click Create task add the task schedule. 

Each scheduled task will show on the Task board as soon as it becomes due. 

Editing individual tasks and task schedules 

With access to the Task Management board you will have one place where you can choose if you would like to edit either the task instance or the repeating task. 


You can see  the following icons next to each task schedule or one-off task.

Task statuses

A task can have the following statuses: 

1. To do: Once a task reaches its due date, it will automatically appear as "To do" on the Task Board.
2. In progress: Tasks that are actively being worked on.
3. Done: Tasks that are fulfilled.
4. Won't do: Tasks that are deemed unnecessary or are not feasible to complete.
5. Missed: For tasks that are scheduled based on specific dates, a task is marked as "Missed" when the next occurrence of that task is completed without the previous instance being fulfilled.

If you're wondering what occurs when a task becomes overdue, here's what you need to know:

You will be alerted when a task is overdue:

• An overdue task is indicated by an orange date or production volume displayed in the Due column on the Task Board.
  
• In Roasting Intelligence, overdue tasks are highlighted in orange, indicating their overdue status along with the duration for which they have been overdue:
  

You can conveniently edit the statuses of multiple tasks at once directly from the Task Management overview page:

1. Select the checkboxes next to the tasks/task schedules you wish to update.
2. Choose the desired status from the dropdown menu labeled "Change status" located at the top right of the page.
   

Exporting tasks 

Exporting tasks helps you to keep track of your tasks e.g. you can filter for the tasks that need to be completed, import and print them for employees with no access to Cropster as a checklist.
💡It also assists you in meeting any legal obligations you may have, such as submitting maintenance records.

By following these steps you can export tasks to Excel:

1. Log in to the online platform C-sar and navigate to the Task Management overview page.
2. You can select tasks from the dashboard by clicking on the respective checkboxes, and then clicking on Export (.xls) on the top of the right side of the page.
   

Utilizing the Filter feature on the Task Management overview page 

You can also refine your search for specific tasks you wish to export or view by utilizing the filtering options available on the Task Management overview page.

1. Click on the  Filter button on the top right side of the page.
   
2. The filter sidebar will appear, allowing you to set various criteria to display the tasks that are most relevant to your needs:
   
   • Task name
   • Task status
   • Incomplete tasks status
   • Task frequency
   • Due date from / Due date to
   • Completion date from / Completion date to
   • Assigned to
   • Completed by
   • Roast machine
   • Cafe equipment
   • Location
   • Task category
3. After choosing the desired filters, simply click the green Apply filters button to refine your task view.

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Related content

• Fulfilling Tasks
• Using the Task Report 
• Managing Locations
• Managing Equipment

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Congratulations! You are now ready to set up and manage Tasks!

Your opinion matters. If you have further questions, feedback, or concerns, please feel free to reach out by submitting a support ticket directly from support.cropster.com.