Question
I've related some tasks to each other and am not sure what determines the order they're listed in. What can I do to change the order?
Example: I have a task with three other tasks related to it, and I want to organize those related tasks so that the job that needs to be completed first is at the top of the related task list. The main task is 'T-stat conflicts with Shelving.' The first related task that needs to be completed should be 'Repaint wall,' followed by 'Tape & Finish gyp board' and finally 'Repair wallboard once t-stat is moved', but they're currently in the opposite order:
Answer
Related tasks are organized by three attributes, in order:
1. Status:
- P1s
- then P2s
- then P3s
- then Complete
- and Verified at the bottom
If the Project leverages custom task statuses, the tasks will also be organized by the status "type":
- Open
- Tracked
- Verified
Project Admins can adjust the status type under the 'Settings' tab or from the Kanban view.
2. Related tasks within the same Status are then sorted by Category:
- Categories are listed in alphabetical order, so those that start with A will be at the top and Z at the bottom
3. Related tasks within the same Status and Category are then sorted by Task number:
- Each task is assigned a sequential task number as you create them, so #1 is the first task you create in a given project and so forth
- The smallest task number (so the one created first) is listed at the top, the largest (the one created most recently) at the bottom
Example:
I changed 'Repaint Wall' from a P2 to a P1 (and the other two are still P2s), so it is now on top of the related tasks list.
Note: We don't currently have automatic task dependencies (where updating the start and end dates of a task would automatically update the start and end dates of a related task that's dependent on it, for example), so please email support@fieldwire.com if you'd like to upvote this popular feature request. The more requests we get, the sooner it will be added to our roadmap.
How to Manage
Use the logic laid out above to rearrange your related tasks whenever necessary. For any tasks you want listed higher in the list (that should be done first, for example), promote them to a higher status versus the other related tasks.
For related tasks with the same Status, update the ones you want listed highest to categories that are higher in the alphabet (you can always edit the category name to game the system, for example "A - concrete" and "Z - finishes").
For related tasks in the same Status and Category, create the tasks you want done first before you create the tasks you want done next/last. Keep in mind task number is simply a function of the order in which tasks are created.
If a task is associated as a related task on multiple other tasks and you make a change to rearrange it in the related task list on one task, keep in mind it may also affect how it's ordered in the related task list on the other tasks it's related to.
More Information
Here are a few additional articles on related Task topics: