General Tasks

Within General Tasks, you can create a task to track any sort of information you want. For those CAIRS 32 users, this is similar to the General Work Order. These tasks can relate to configured component, database items, dig permits, etc. Similar to a work order, each task can have related equipment and or services, as well as an account number.

Before you can start a general task, it is a good idea to add in both the task type and task status. These allow for better tracking of your active tasks.

Manage General Task Types

Managing your task types allows you to place each task into a category. For example: Funding Requests, Dig Permits, etc.

Managing Task Types

1. Click Orders/Troubles.
2. Within the Navigation pane, click General Tasks.
3. There are two ways to manage your task types:

• • Within the toolbar directly above the Navigation pane, click the Manage General Task Types button.
  • Within the Action pane, click the Manage General Task Types link.

4. With either option, the Manage General Task Types window opens.

Adding

5. In the Manage Task Types list pane, click the top row, marked with an asterisk (*) to add a new record.
6. You can add multiple types by clicking on the row marked within an asterisk (*).

Deleting

7. There are two ways to select the type to delete:

• • Right-click the record selector box and click Delete.
  • Highlight the name in the list and within the Actions ribbon group click the Delete button.

8. Once you click Delete, a message box displays verifying that you really want to delete the type. Click Yes within the box to continue or No to cancel the operation.
9. Once selected, CAIRS.net draws a line through the type allowing you to delete multiple items at once.
10. If you do not want to delete the type, right-click the record to access a pop-up menu, click Undelete.
11. Once you select Undelete, a message box displays verifying that you really want to keep the item. Click Yes within the box to continue or No to cancel the operation.
12. Within the Actions ribbon group, click Save (to save and stay) to continue working with the task, or Save & Close (to save and exit) to return to the General Tasks list.

Manage General Task Status

The Task Status allows you to place an action to the task, for example, you can create an in-process status, on hold, rejected, etc.

Managing Task Status

1. Click Orders/Troubles.
2. Within the Navigation pane, click General Tasks.
3. There are two ways to manage your task types:

• • Within the toolbar directly above the Navigation pane, click the Manage General Task Status button.
  • Within the Action pane, click the Manage General Task Status link.

4. With either option, the Manage General Task Status window opens.

Adding

5. In the Task Status list pane, click the top row, marked with an asterisk (*) to add a new record.
6. You can add multiple items by clicking on the row marked within an asterisk (*).

Deleting

7. There are two ways to select the status to delete:

• • Right-click the record selector box to access a menu, from the menu click Delete.
  • Highlight the name in the list and within the Actions ribbon group click the Delete button.

8. Once you click Delete, a message box displays verifying that you really want to delete the status. Click Yes within the box to continue or No to cancel the operation.
9. Once selected, CAIRS.net draws a line through the status allowing you to delete multiple items at once.
10. If you do not want to delete the status, right-click the record to access a pop-up menu and click Undelete.
11. Once you select Undelete, a message box displays verifying that you really want to keep the item. Click Yes within the box to continue or No to cancel the operation.
12. Within the Actions ribbon group, click Save (to save and stay) to continue working with the task, or Save & Close (to save and exit) to return to the General Tasks list.

Understanding the General Task Screen

The General Task screen has three panes of information: General Task Information, Accounts for Equipment and Services, and Equipment and Services pane. The General Task Information pane allows you to enter some basic task information, such as, task type, organization name, subscriber name, etc.

The Equipment and Services pane allows you to associate equipment and/or services to the task. This pane works in conjunction with the Accounts for Equipment and Services pane, if there is not an account associated within this pane, you will not be able to associate equipment or services to the task.

A General Task – Start to Finish

1. Click Orders/Troubles.
2. Within the Navigation pane, click General Tasks.
3. There are two ways to create a new task:

• • Within the toolbar directly above the Navigation pane, click the drop-down arrow next to New. Select General Task.
  • Within the Actions pane, click the Add New General Task link.

4. The General – General Task window opens allowing you to generate a task.
5. Within the General Task Information pane, complete the following fields (required fields are marked with an asterisk (*)):

• • Task Name * – type the name of the task to complete. (Example: cable pull to bldg. 211, funding for new sets, etc.).
  • Site * – click the drop-down arrow to access a list, select the site. The site drop-down list displays the bottom-most site first. After the ~~ is the complete path to the site. Each site level is separated by a >.
  • Task Subject – type the subject of the task, if applicable
  • Priority Number – type the priority number for the task.
  • Open Date – this field auto populates with the current date. To change the date, click the field to access a drop-down arrow. From the calendar, select the open date. To change the month and year click the right or left arrow, and once at the appropriate month and year, click the number to select the date. The date populates in the box.
  • Due Date – click the field to access a drop-down calendar to enter the due date for the task. . From the calendar, select the due date. To change the month and year click the right or left arrow, and once at the appropriate month and year, click the number to select the date. The date populates in the box.
  • General Task Type – click the drop-down arrow to access a list, select the task type.
  • General Task Status – click the drop-down arrow to access a list, select the task status.
  • Estimated Hours to Complete – type the number of hours needed to complete the task.
  • Estimated Days to Complete – type the number of days needed to complete the task.
  • Organization Name – click the drop-down arrow to access a list, and then select the name of the organization. The organization drop-down list displays the bottom-most organization first. After the ~~ the complete path to the selected organization displays. Each level of the organizational tree is separated by a >. Once you select an organization, the complete path populates within the field.
  • Subscriber Name – click the drop-down arrow to access a list, and then select the name of the subscriber associated with the task.
  • General Task Misc 1 – 5 – choose these fields for any miscellaneous information regarding the task.
  • Task Description – type a description of the task; be as specific as possible so that other users can quickly identify the purpose of the task.
  • Vendor Award Date – this field allows you to enter in a date of the vendor award, if applicable. To add a date, click the field to access a drop-down arrow. Once clicked a calendar displays, from the calendar, select the date of the award. To change the month and year click the right or left arrow, and once at the appropriate month and year, click the number to select the date. The date populates in the box.
  • Delivery Date – this field allows you enter in the delivery date for the task. To add a date, click the field to access a drop-down arrow. Once clicked a calendar displays, from the calendar, select the delivery date. To change the month and year click the right or left arrow, and once at the appropriate month and year, click the number to select the date. The date populates in the box.

6. Within the Actions ribbon group, click Save (to save and stay) to continue working with the task, or click Save & Close (to save and exit) to return to the General Tasks list.

Equipment or Services Associated to a Task

At times, there is a need to associate equipment or a service directly to a task. Before any equipment or services can be added, you need to associate an account number.

Since adding, modifying, deleting and viewing equipment and services is the same throughout CAIRS, we have consolidated the process into one section on the manual.  Please see Common Elements à Equipment & Services to learn how to more.

Adding an Account for Equipment and Services

You can associate a few different account numbers to this set for the different charge types associated with your equipment and services. For example, you can a separate account numbers for recurring and one-time charges. Alternatively, you can have one account number for all charges associated with the equipment, services, and calls.

1. Click Orders/Troubles.
2. Within the Navigation pane, click General Tasks.
3. A list of the open tasks populates. If you have a large number of active tasks, the list may not populate. To populate the list, do one of the following:

• • Within the search box, type any portion of the record and then click the magnifying glass.
  • Click the Show All button.

4. Once the list opens, double-click the task name. The General Task window opens.
5. Within the Accounts for Equipment and Services pane, click the row marked with the asterisk to enter in a new account number for the equipment and services. Complete the following fields, required fields are marked with an asterisk (*):

• • Charge Type* – click the drop-down arrow to access a list, then select one of the following choices:
  • Both One Time and Recurring Charges – bills the account for all one time and recurring charges
  • Recurring Charges – bills the account for only recurring charges
  • One-time Charges – bills the account for only one- time charges

! If you choose to assign an account number as a default for call charges, you can still assign separate account numbers for certain buttons. The selections within the Accounts for Calls tab overrides the selection made within this pane.

• • Site* – once you click any of the drop-down lists, the site name auto-populates with the site selected on the General-Set Device window.
  • Subscriber Name – click on the drop-down arrow to access a list, and from the list select the appropriate subscriber
  • Organization – if you have selected an account, number associated to an organization, that organization name populates within the field. This is a read only field.
  • Account Number* – click the drop-down arrow to access a list of the account numbers and their associated organizations. If an account number is associated to multiple organizations, the account number appears in the list multiple times, for example if account number 2424 is associated to three different organizations, there are three appearances of the account number within the drop-down. Each account number references the different organization name.

From the list, select the account number and organization responsible for the charges.

! When you create an account number, you can assign it to an organization or to a subscriber; this designates the account as official or unofficial. If you select an account with an organization, it is most likely an Official Account. If you select an account where the organization is blank, it is most likely an Unofficial account and associated to a subscriber.

• • Billing Start Date* – click the drop-down arrow to access a calendar, from the calendar select the date to start the billing. To change the month and year click the right or left arrow and once at the appropriate month and year, click the number to select the date. The date populates in the box.
  • Billing End Date – click the drop-down arrow to access a calendar, from the calendar select the date to stop the billing for the equipment or service. To change the month and year click the right or left arrow and once at the appropriate month and year, click the number to select the date. The date populates in the box.

6. Within the Actions ribbon group, click Save (to save and stay) to continue working with the set, or click Save & Close (to save and exit) to return to the Set Management list.

General Tasks – Notes

Before you started adding notes it is a good idea to add some note categories.  These categories help to group the notes based on a common element.  For example, Update Ticket, Remove Component, etc.  To learn more about adding note categories, please see Common Elements à Managing Note Categories.

Since the process to adding, modifying, deleting and viewing notes is the same throughout CAIRS, we have consolidated the process into one section on the manual.  Please see Common Elements à Notes to learn more.

General Tasks File Attachments

Before you can attach files to a record, your CAIRS.net administrator must determine the allowable file types and size.  Please contact your CAIRS.net administrator if you are unable to attach files.

There are two different types of files that you can attach to a record; the first button allows you to attach a regular file. These files follow the record and other users are able to see them. Although, this is convenient, if changes need to be made to the file, the file will have to be saved and then re-attached.

The second file attachment type allows you to attach a link to a file that is in a shared location.  The benefit of this file attachment is that when changes are made to the file there is no need to reattach the file.  The disadvantage is that all CAIRS users have to have access to the shared file location.

Since the process to add, modify, delete and view file attachments is the same throughout CAIRS, we have consolidated the process into one section on the manual.  Please see Common Elements à File Attachments to learn more.