Using Teams to Manage Custom PLM Training Projects (Adding the Tasks app)

This blog is part of the “Using Teams to manage custom PLM Training Projects” blog series. It relates to adding the Tasks by Planner and To Do app to a Teams channel tab. The app provides you with, as the name suggests, the tools for planning project-related tasks and communicating the status of these To Do tasks. One of the tools is a board, like a Kanban board, to help visualize all the tasks in the project. Information that can be captured and displayed includes the task details, the state of the task in the workflow, and who is working on the task. 

NOTE: The Tasks by Planner and To Do app is to be renamed to Tasks at some point in the future as communicated by Microsoft. 

Shown below are the steps on adding the Tasks app to a Channel tab. If you would like to view the other blogs in the series, you can access them via the links below. As each blog is released, they will be available here:  

• Using Teams to Manage Custom PLM Training Projects (Creating the Team) 
• Using Teams to Manage Custom PLM Training Projects (Adding the Tasks app) 
• Using Teams to Manage Custom PLM Training Projects (Adding Excel and Lists apps) 
• Using Teams to Manage Custom PLM Training Projects Part 4 (Adding the OneNote App)
• Using Teams to Manage Custom PLM Training Projects Part 5 (Adding the Website App)  
• Using Teams to Manage Custom PLM Training Projects Part 6 (Adding the SharePoint App)

How To: Add the Tasks app to a Channel tab 

1. At the top of a channel, select the plus-sign (+). 
2. The available apps display in an Add a tab window. Select the Tasks app (Tasks by Planner and To Do), as shown in the image below.  
   

3. Select one of the following options available: Create a new plan or Use an existing plan from this team. 

4. Enter the Tab name (default is Tasks). Select the Post to the channel about this tab option if you would like to share that you added a tab, and then click Save, as shown in the image below. 

   

5. An example of the Tasks app added to the General channel tab called Tasks is shown in the image below.  

NOTE: You can set up multiple tabs with the Tasks app each with a unique Name and its own purpose. For example, you may want to have one for your individual detailed tasks and another one for the overall project tasks. 

6. Select Add new bucket from the To Do bucket and enter a name for the buckets. Create additional buckets as needed. To provide some context, the Develop and Review phase of our projects was discussed in a previous blog, Custom PLM Training Development Part 4: Module Development and Review. That blog addressed the process we use for development and review of each training module/chapter. The bucket names represent the states of the module deliverables. 

7. Click + Add task and enter a name for the task. In our training development projects, the task name is the module or chapter name. 

8. Optionally you can define the following task details: 

• Select Set due Date and select a due date for the task. 
• Select Assign and choose who to assign the task to. 

9. Click Add task to complete the creation of the task. To update the task at any time, click on the task name. 

10. You can use labels to provide additional information to the task. To add a label to a task, click the 3-dots menu then select Label, as shown in the image below. The label names can be changed at any time when updating the task. 

11. Building upon our example, the board in the image below shows tasks representing each of the 8 training modules being developed, buckets representing the development phases of the modules, and labels representing details of the work being done on each module. As the project progresses in the workflow, the tasks (or modules in this example) can be moved by dragging and dropping them to the next development phase. The goal is to move all of the tasks to the DONE/Delivered bucket! 

NOTE: Besides the Board functionality, there are options for Group by Bucket, Filter, List, Charts, and Schedule that you can explore. 

12. OPTIONAL step. You can also consider adding task notes and a checklist. To do this, click the task to update it. Enter a detailed description or notes in the Notes field and select the Show on card option if you want it to show it on the board. Under Checklist, select Add an item and enter the checklist item name. You can also select the Show on card option. Click anywhere outside the task to close it. An example of an updated task with the checklist items shown on the board is shown below. 

Hope this gets you started and thinking about how you can design your board to suit your project needs!

About the Author

Product Lead – Learning Content Development<br><br>Barb's primary responsibilities include the design, development, and project management of courseware for Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) products such as Autodesk Vault, Autodesk Fusion Lifecycle, ENOVIA V6, and PTC Windchill. Her work also involves the development of custom training that is designed and configured to an organization’s specific environment, processes, and roles. Barb is a Professional Engineer and holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and trained in Instructional Design.

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