Concept #2
Task
Tasks in RB are services requested with a job — such as reporting, interpreting, or video — that require a separate resource (person, company, thing) to accomplish. Work performed in-house — such as creating condensed transcripts or shipping out finished products — is usually not considered a task in RB. RB includes a set of tasks which you can customize to your business by adding, editing, and deleting tasks from the set.
Task examples
- Reporting
- Videotaping
- Interpreting
- Conference Room-Inhouse
- Conference Room-Outside
- Catering
Non-task examples
- Creating condensed transcripts
- Shipping out finished product
- Doing other production work
- Compiling invoices
- Billing clients
- Following up on outstanding amounts due
All jobs include a default task which you define in Setup > Lists. You can change the task in a job if the job does not require the default task but all jobs must have at least one task included. A job can have an unlimited number of tasks. You can enter tasks in a job when scheduling the job or at any time later.
Tasks simplify & speed up job scheduling while reducing errors:
- When assigning a resource to a task, only those resources who are available during the task’s scheduled time will be listed for you to select from so you don’t assign a task to someone who cannot appear. The scheduling client’s preferred resources will appear at the top of the list so you can easily select them. You can further refine who appears in the list by selecting their priority level (e.g., staff or overflow), specific resource types (such as reporter or scopist), or specialities needed (such as RealTime or Medical). You can also override the system selection to show resources who are listed as unavailable for that time slot. If you attempt to assign a resource that the scheduling client has on their Blocked Resources list, RB will alert you and will not allow the assignment.
- You select tasks from a list to assign to resources so if you have multiple tasks on a job you want to assign to the same resource, you can select the tasks and assign them all at the same time to the one resource.
- If the job is canceled, all of the tasks are canceled too. When changing a time, date, or location for a job, all related tasks are updated.
- If a job includes multiple tasks and the client cancels one aspect — for example, they no longer need interpreting, but the rest of the job is a go — you cancel only the one task; it doesn’t affect the rest of the job.
- Canceling a task adds the assigned resource back to your available resources list for new assignments. And automatically prompts you to send an Assignment Cancellation notice to the resource.
- RB keeps track of when tasks were canceled. This is helpful in situations where there is a cost incurred in late cancellations — such as a hotel’s conference room — you will have a paper trail to back up any cancellation fees charged to your client.
- Designating Back Order as a task instead of a job status helps with job management because back orders will have their own order date, due date, notified date, acknowledged date, and cancelled date like other tasks.
- As resources are assigned to or removed from tasks, the related job’s Notes Logs automatically records that information including the staff responsible so you refer back to that history.
- Job files that resources need access to can be added to the job’s task repository so you can easily email those files to resources when sending them assignment notifications and resources can download the files from RB Connect instead of having access to all of the job’s files.
Task information includes:
- Type of task
- Order date and due date
- Resource assigned
- When resource was notified of the task and when they acknowledged the assignment
- If task was canceled, when it was canceled
- If the task required the resource to be somewhere, when they checked in at the location (resources can check in using RB Connect or RB Connect Mobile, or you can manually enter check-in date and time in RB)
- Estimated page count and delivery date
- Actual completed date and time
- Notes about the task
- Task-related files
Tasks or linked jobs?
For services you will bill separately — such as video done by a third party of a depo — set up a linked job instead of a task. Linked jobs are separate jobs on the calendar, but because they are tied together you will be notified when a depo is canceled that there is a linked video job so you can cancel the video job too and notify the videographer.
TL;DR: A task is a service requested by a client that requires a separate resource to accomplish. A job in RB can include one or more tasks, and canceling one task does not affect the rest if the job. You define tasks based on your company’s services.
Related RB concepts
Blocked Resource: Resource that a particular firm or contact does not want assigned to tasks on jobs they schedule or order from you.
Job: Usually the reporting of a deposition, but can also be any kind of service you provide with your reporters or other resources. More >
Linked Jobs: Separate jobs on the calendar, but connect to each other. When one is confirmed or canceled, RB notifies you that there is a linked job, so you can confirm/cancel the linked job too.
Notes Logs: Un-editable internal-use only notes entered either by a user or automatically by RB appear in chronological logs in the database record where they occurred.
Preferred Resource: Resource that a particular firm or contact wants you to assign to tasks on jobs they schedule or order from you.
RB Connect: Online repository, calendar, and access to your office for clients and resources. More >
RB Connect Mobile: Clients and resources can access your RB Connect on their smartphones and tablets in an interface optimized for mobile devices. More >
Resource: Person or thing that provides your business with a service, such as reporters, videographers, interpreters, scopists, account executives, other agencies that cover jobs for you, or a conference room.