Task lists are useful because they group together tasks that are commonly completed together. This eases data entry and allows the technician to have a clear and accurate sense of the assigned duties for a service appointment. To create new tasks for your list, see Working with Task Codes.

There are many options on how to categorize tasks into task lists. For example, you could create "Basic" and "Deluxe" task lists for different levels of a certain kind of service, such as an oil change. Similarly, you may create lists for certain types of maintenance, such as spring startup routines for air conditioners, that are relevant to much of equipment that is serviced.

Another option is to create a large task list for each specific model of equipment in the system. This list should contain all tasks that might be assigned to that equipment for any kind of service. These task lists can then be edited later to contain only the scheduled tasks needed for the specific contract, quote, or service call.

Task lists can also be set up with a hierarchical structure. Each task list is still comprised of tasks and subtasks, but instead of simply ordering the tasks within a task list, you have the option to hierarchically order them as well as have levels within the tasks.

Task lists can be created in two ways:

• By creating it from scratch in setup by individually selecting tasks and adding to a list that can then be saved and selected from a lookup in the record.
• By copying an existing task list from one record to another, then modifying it.

Task lists can be created for service calls, maintenance contracts, and contract quotes. However, once a task list is created, it can be edited and copied to another service call, maintenance contract, or quote.

Creating or Editing a Task List

Task lists can be accessed and used for quote task lists, service call task lists, and maintenance contract task lists.

1. Select Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Setup > Service Management > Lookup Setup > Tasks > Task Lists. 
2. In the Task List Maintenance window, enter a new task list ID number and complete the fields in the window.
   • Task List ID
     Enter a Task List ID.
   • Description
     Enter a description for the task list. This will vary depending on how you have decided to organize your tasks into lists. The task list description may state a type of service, a level of service, an equipment type, or a combination of these classifications based on the purpose of the tasks it contains.

   • Inactive
     Mark to inactivate the task list. 

     IMPORTANT

     Proceed with caution when you mark a task code or task list inactive. Inactivating a task code will inactivate it throughout Service Management as well as Equipment Management. History will not be affected, nor will existing contracts, quotes, service calls, and or scheduled maintenance (Equipment Management).

     When you inactive a task code, the following is true:

     • Inactive task codes and task lists are filtered out from displaying in any lookup and cannot be added to contracts, quotes, and/or service calls.
     • When a task code is marked inactive and already exists in a task list, the inactive task code is indicated with a red indicator .
     • When using hierarchy task lists, if a  parent task is inactive,  child tasks of that parent task are also inactive on the task list only. (Hierarchy child tasks are not automatically inactivated at the setup level.)
     • Existing contracts, quotes, and calls, that have task codes or task lists will not be affected by a task code or task list being marked inactive.
     • When renewing a contract (single, master, or mass), you can print a new Inactive Task or Task List report before renewing. If the contract has tasks that include inactive tasks and/or task lists, this report is automatically generated as well so that users can fix the data (reactivate the task code/task list or remove the inactive task codes or lists from the contract).
     • When creating a new contract using equipment at the location, if the equipment type has a task list associated and you choose to automatically add task codes based on equipment type, only the active task codes will be added to the contract. 
     • In Equipment Management:
       • Existing scheduled maintenance that has task codes or task lists will not be affected by a task code or task list being marked inactive.
       • When creating a service call from the On Rental Entry and/or the Rental Agreement Line Entry windows, only active task codes in the Equipment Model task list are added to the service call. (This task list is assigned to the equipment model in the Equipment Model Maintenance window.)
       • When processing scheduled maintenance to create a service call, only active task codes assigned in the Scheduled Maintenance Type Setup window are added to the service call.

   • Protected List
     After you've set up the task list and added tasks, mark Protected List to prevent the task list from being edited in the Task List Maintenance and Task List Details windows.

   • Use Hierarchy
     Mark this checkbox if you would like to set up your task list in a hierarchical list. See Setting up Task List Hierarchy for more information.
   • Task List Type
     This field is used to further classify task lists but is currently not functional.
   • Frequency
     Select how often this task list should be performed.
   • Schedule
     Select when this task list should be scheduled.

   • System, Major, Sub 1 - Sub 4
     These fields are used when assigning maintenance tasks to pieces of equipment. This information is useful for reference and sorting. 

     Once a list is marked as a Protected List, all setup fields will be disabled and you will be unable to add or remove tasks or subtasks from the list. Be sure to add all tasks and subtasks and complete all setup for the new task list before checking the Protected List box.

     When you have entered all the information for your new task list, use the Tasks button to add tasks to the list. The Task List Detail window opens. Use the task code lookup information to search for the task codes you want and Insert them into the list.

Other Task List Maintenance Windows

The Contract Quote, Maintenance Contract, and Service Call windows each allow you to create task lists on the fly. These task lists are created in the quote, contract, or service call but can be accessed later and copied for use in another quote, contract, or service call.

These specific Task List Maintenance windows function the same way as the Task List Maintenance window under Setup. However, they allow you to create new lists more conveniently and to make changes to a list that you wish to be unique to the service call, quote, or maintenance contract.

The following instructions will guide you to these windows.

Opening Quote Task List Maintenance Window

You must own the Maintenance Contract Quote Module to complete the following steps.

1. Select Cards > Service Management > Service Manager.
2. Select a customer that has a contract quote and select the Quote indicator.
3. Select Coverage.
4. Select Tasks.
5. Select an equipment record and zoom on the Quote Task List ID field. The Quote Task List Maintenance window opens. For more information on the Quoted Tasks window, see Edit tasks and subtasks attached to the quote in the Maintenance Contract Quote section.

Opening the Maintenance Contract Task List Maintenance Window

1. Select Cards > Service Management > Service Manager.
2. Select a customer and select the Contract indicator.
3. Select the Coverage button.
4. Select the Tasks button.
5. Zoom on Contract Task List ID field. The Contract Task List Maintenance window opens.

When a task list is entered in the Contract Task Maintenance window Contract Task List ID field, only the tasks and subtasks making up the list display in the right scrolling window. Stand-alone tasks appear in the right scrolling window when the Contract Task List ID field is blank.

If there are tasks assigned to your equipment records that you didn't assign per the procedure above, the tasks may have been assigned with the equipment type record, which is part of your equipment record. If the equipment type had a task list assigned, those tasks appear with the equipment record. See Setting Up Equipment Types.

Opening Service Call Task List Maintenance Window

You can add task lists to a service call from the Service Call Tasks window using the Task List button. All tasks and subtasks that are part of the task list are added to the service call. Once a task list is added to a service call, it can be edited and reused on other service calls, maintenance contracts, or maintenance contract quotes.

1. Select Cards > Service Management > Service Manager.
2. Select a customer and select the History indicator.
3. Double-click a service call and select Tasks.
4. Select Task List.

5. Use the lookup to select a Task List ID. Zoom on the Task List ID and the Task List Maintenance window will open. 

   Unlike Maintenance Contracts, a service call may not automatically have equipment assigned to it. You can add task lists to equipment for the service call in the Add Task List window.

6. If you want to assign the task list to a piece of equipment and sublocation, complete the Equipment ID and Sublocation ID fields.
7. Select Save.
8. The total hours of all tasks entered display in the Total Task Hours field at the bottom of the Service Call Tasks window. Select Save to schedule the service call. After saving the service call, the estimated hours for the appointment will calculate per the total task hours for all equipment and will display in the Total Appointment Hours field. Total task hours and appointment hours should be equal.

Using the Copy Task List Window

Using the Copy Task List window, you can create a new task list by copying an existing task list. You can use task lists, contract task lists, service call task lists, or quote task lists to create any other type of task lists. You can use the Copy Task List utility at Microsoft Dynamics GP > Tools > Utilities > Service Manager > Copy Task List to copy task lists from one record to another. When it is more convenient, you can also copy the task list directly from the record.

Opening the Copy Task List window from a service call

1. Select Cards > Service Management > Service Manager.
2. Select a customer and select the History indicator.
3. Double-click a service call and select Tasks.
4. Select Copy Task List. The Copy Task List window opens.

Opening the Copy Task List window from a quote

You must own the Maintenance Contract Quote module to complete the following steps.

1. Select Cards > Service Management > Service Manager.
2. Select a customer that has a contract quote and select the Quote indicator.
3. Select Coverage.
4. Select Task List. The Copy Task List window opens.

Opening the Copy Task List window from a contract

1. Select Cards > Service Management > Service Manager.
2. Select a customer and select the Contract indicator.
3. Select the Coverage button.
4. Select the Task Lists button to open the Copy Task List window.

Copying a Task List

Any task list can be copied over to create a new task list for a service call, quote, or maintenance contract.

1. In the Copy Task List window, complete the following fields, as necessary.
   • Source
     Select Task List ID, Contract Task List ID, Service Call Task List ID, or Quote Task List ID for the source task list.
   • Customer ID, Location ID, Contract Number / Service Call ID / Quote Number, Equipment ID:
     The Location ID and Equipment ID default from the records you select.
     
     • If the source is a contract task list, select a Customer ID and Contract Number.
     • If the source is a service call task list, select a Service Call ID. It is not necessary to select a Customer ID first unless you want to filter the service calls in the lookup data.
     • If the source is a quote task list, select a Customer ID and Quote Number.
• Task List ID / Contract Task List ID / Service Call Task List ID / Quote Task List ID
  Select the source task list that you are copying, depending on which source type you have selected.
• Protected List
  This checkbox pertains to the task list you chose and is display-only on this window.
• New
  The type of task list you are creating. This will default as the type of list you are copying, but it can be changed.
• Customer ID, Location ID, Contract Number
  Enter customer, location, and service call information defaults for the new task list.
• Equipment ID, Contract Task List ID, Description, Task List Type
  Complete these fields for the new task list.
• Start Task Schedule based on first available service date
  Mark this checkbox if you want the maintenance tasks on a contract to be scheduled on the first available service call date, regardless of the task's schedule. For instance, if the tasks are to be performed every Monday, but the soonest available appointment is a Wednesday, marking this box will cause the first appointment to be scheduled on Wednesday. Appointments will then be scheduled on Mondays from that point on. This is useful if the customer needs an initial inspection or service right away as part of their contract.
• Control Frequency and Schedule
  Select whether to control the frequency and schedule of the tasks assigned to this list.

• Frequency, Schedule
  If you mark the Control Frequency and Schedule checkbox, enter a frequency and schedule. 

  To keep the existing task schedule of the source task list when copying within the same contract and contract period, leave this checkbox empty.

2. Select Copy.