Creating and Maintaining Task Templates

Task Templates are created and maintained by an FYI Admin, or a user in a User Group with Permissions enabled for Templates. To learn how to enable and set up Task Templates, refer to Setting up Task Templates.

Creating Task Templates

Follow these steps to create Task Templates:

1. From FYI, click the Knowledge menu option.
2. Go to the Task Templates tab and click the +Add button.
   
   
   
3. Enter the Template Name. This identifies the template internally and it is important that this clearly describes when the Template would be used.
4. Enter the task Name. This is the name that displays when the task is created from the template and displays as the Subject in Tasks lists. 
5. Select the default Assignee for the Task. The Assignee is the name of the user or user role assigned to the task. Refer to Custom User Roles.
6. Select the default number of days for the Due Date for the task, for example, 3 or 28 days. When a task is created using this template, the due date will display as the specific due date.

7. Select options for Task Categories.
   
   

   • If any Categories have been set up as Available in Tasks (refer to Managing Categories) these are included in the Task drawer.

     These can be Categories that are generally used for filing documents (such as Work Type or Year) or specific Categories can be set up that are used only for Tasks. An example of a Category used specifically for Tasks would be a Category Priority with the Options of "High", "Medium" and "Low", and Available in Tasks enabled. This allows users to identify high-priority tasks which may require a separate view and Automation Process(es) to give greater oversight for key team members.
     
     

   • If Task Security has been enabled in the Practice Settings for your practice, you can select a Cabinet for the task template. The Cabinet selected for a task sets the security and ensures that only users with access to that Cabinet can see the task. This is useful, for example, for sensitive areas such as HR or performance management. Refer to Managing Tasks and Managing User Groups.
     
     

   • If Task Job Category has been enabled in the Practice Settings for your practice (refer to Managing Tasks), you can also optionally select a Job Category for the task. Job Categories are from Xero Practice Manager.
     
     

8. Enter the default Details for the Task Template to provide further instructions for the recipient of the task. You can apply formatting such as bold or italics using the tools at the top of the Task Template Details.
   
   
9. Initially, the Status of the Template is set to "Draft". To set the Task Template to "Active", open the Filing section in the drawer and update the Status.
   
   
10. Click Create.

The Template now displays in the Task Templates list in the Knowledge Workspace.

Making Changes to a Task Template

You can make changes to a Task Template at any time.

1. Select the Template in the Knowledge - Task Templates list to display the drawer.
2. Edit the Template details as required.
3. To update Task Template Details, click Editor in the drawer.
4. Click Update to save your changes.
   
   Note: When a Task Template is changed, you can see a record of the changes in the Activity section in the drawer.

Copying Task Templates

When creating a copy of a Task Template, it creates a new Template containing the same information as the original.

1. Select the Task Template you want to copy from.
2. Click Copy Template in the toolbar.
3. Confirm the copy and the copied Template displays in the Task Templates list.
4. Select the copied Template to open the drawer and make any changes.
5. Update the Status to "Active".
6. Click Update to save your changes.

Archiving or Deleting Task Templates

You can archive a Task Template by opening the Filing section in the drawer and setting the Status to "Archived". A template will only be available for selection if it has a status of "Active".

You can delete a Task Template by selecting it in the Templates list and clicking Delete.

• If you need to archive or delete an Email Template, first check if it has been used in any Process Automations (refer to Automation Process Steps and Process Step Details - Creating Documents and Tasks).
• There is no restore facility for deleted Templates or Stationery. Instead of deleting a Task Template that is not in use, we recommend setting the Status to "Archived".