This feature is available on the following TaskRay Product Editions:
- Standard
- Premium
Setting time estimates on project tasks helps define the project scope and determine how much time should be allocated for completing the work. When team members are assigned tasks, they can use time estimates to plan and prioritize work. As work progresses, team members will log time for the hours spent on their tasks. By comparing actuals against previously set estimates, you will be able to get insight into project performance and make informed adjustments for future work.
For the Premium Edition of TaskRay, time-tracking data is integral to the Resource Management functionality and is used for capacity planning and measuring resource utilization. More specifically, time estimates are required for capacity planning when using the Resource Planner.
Set Time Estimates
All of the main TaskRay objects (TaskRay Task, TaskRay Task Group, TaskRay Project) have an Estimated Time (hrs) field. That being said, time estimates are set at the task level, which are then automatically rolled up and summarized at the parent level, such as on the related task group and project.
- Locate the task on which you would like to set time estimates and open its Task Details.
- Locate the Estimated Time (hrs) field and double click on it to edit.
- Enter the number of hours that are estimated to complete the work on the task. Use decimal points to set partial hours (e.g. a .5 value correlates with 30 minutes).
- Click Save.
Once the estimates are set on tasks, you can view summarized estimates on their related task group or project in the Estimated Time (hrs) fields.
If you do not see the Estimated Time (hrs) field on TaskRay Task, TaskRay Task Group, or TaskRay Project objects, then you will need to add the field to the page layouts of applicable objects.
Billable Time Estimates
TaskRay also allows setting the default for billable or non-billable time type on tasks. For Standard Edition customers, this prescribes the default Billable value on time entries whenever users log time against a task. For Premium Edition customers, this also allows delineating between billable and non-billable types of work for capacity planning. You can read more about this in the following article: Set the Default for Billable Time Entries.
Time Estimates and Templates
If you are using templates to create projects, it is recommended to set time estimates on tasks at the template level. When templates are used to create new projects, set time estimates from templates are copied over to new projects. Not only does this help eliminate manual steps for setting up project data, but it also sets a consistent structure for project plans.