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User Manual › Volume 6: Field Service Job Cards, Technician Dispatch, Projects, Tasks & Time Billing
Verified Guide • Updated 16 Oct 2026
User Manual Volume 6: Field Service Job Cards, Technician Dispatch, Projects, Tasks & Time Billing Verified Guide

#20: Task Execution Command Center, Kanban Workflow, Subtask Checklists, Live Timers, Recurring Schedules & Studio

Updated 21 hours ago 10 min read 1 views
Volume 6 • Field Service, Projects & PSA Engine

Task Execution Command Center, Kanban Workflow, Subtask Checklists, Live Timers, Recurring Schedules & Studio

Everything you need to manage daily team deliverables, standalone billable client tasks, SOP subtask blueprints, live stopwatch time tracking, automated recurring task schedules, and 1-click task-to-invoice billing.

In This Article

1. Tasks vs. Projects vs. Job Cards: When to Use Which?

Keystone X provides three interconnected operational work units. Here is how they fit together:

Tasks (TSK-XXXX)

Granular Deliverables & Desk Work: Use Tasks for individual work items—whether part of a larger Project (`project_id`), linked to a specific Milestone (`milestone_id`), or performed as a standalone billable service for a Customer (`customer_id`) such as *Monthly Payroll Run*, *Remote Server Patching*, or *Graphic Design Revision*.

Projects (PRJ-XXXX)

Multi-Task Containers & Contracts: Use a Project when a client engagement spans multiple Tasks, Milestones, Team Members, and Direct Expenses under a unified budget (`budget_amount`). As tasks inside a project are completed, the parent Project's completion percentage (`progress %`) updates automatically!

Job Cards (JC-XXXX)

Physical On-Site Field Dispatches: Use a Job Card whenever a technician or subcontractor must travel to a physical location, consume physical warehouse spare parts/serials, and capture a customer's signature on glass. (A Job Card can also be linked to a Project and a Task!)

2. The Task Execution Command Center (/task)

Navigate to **Operations → Tasks** (`/task`) to open the **Task Execution & Workflow Command Center**.

📸 SCREENSHOT PLACEHOLDER tasks-command-center-overview.png

How to capture this screenshot:

  1. Navigate to /task (List View).
  2. Ensure several sample tasks exist across different stages (To Do, In Progress, In Review, Done) with subtask checklists and logged hours.
  3. Capture the full screen showing the Header Toolbar (List View, Kanban Board, Projects, Customize, Quick Task, Full Task Wizard), the 4 Telemetry KPI Cards, the Workflow Pipeline Stepper, and the 4-Tab Deliverables Table.
The 4 Task Telemetry KPI Cards
KPI Card Title Primary Metric & Sub-Badge What It Measures
1. Active Deliverables Open Task Count + In Progress & Due Today badges Counts all tasks in non-completed stages, highlighting how many are actively being worked on right now and how many have a `due_date` of today.
2. High / Critical SLA Urgent Task Count + Overdue & Recurring badges Counts open tasks marked `Critical` or `High` priority, plus a red alert badge for tasks past their `due_date` and a count of active recurring task templates.
3. Total Effort Logged Logged Hours (`Xh`) vs. Est. Budget (`Yh`) + Burn % Compares actual hours logged via live timers and manual entries (`logged_hours`) against estimated task budgets (`estimated_hours`).
4. Unbilled Task WIP Unbilled Value (`R`) + Completion Rate % Calculates the exact rand value (`R`) of unbilled time entries (`hours × hourly_rate`) ready to be converted into Tax Invoices, alongside your overall task completion rate.

3. Interactive Workflow Stepper & 4 Deliverable Tabs

Clicking any stage pill in the **Task Workflow Pipeline Bar** (`All Stages`, `To Do`, `In Progress`, `In Review`, `Done`) filters the active table. Beneath the pipeline bar sit **4 specialized workspace tabs**:

  • 1. Active Deliverables (#tab-active): All open tasks across the business (both standalone client tasks and project tasks).
  • 2. Project Deliverables (#tab-project): Filters strictly to tasks linked to an Enterprise Project (`project_id`), showing the parent Project and Milestone phase badges.
  • 3. Completed Archive (#tab-completed): Historical log of all completed (`Done`) deliverables.
  • 4. Recurring Automation Templates (#tab-recurring): Dedicated management table for recurring task blueprints (`is_recurring = 1`) showing their frequency (`weekly`, `monthly`, `quarterly`, `yearly`) and next scheduled spawn date (`next_recurrence_date`).
Deliverables Table Columns & Row Action Buttons
Column / Control Details & Interactive Triggers
1-Click Check Circle ( / ) Clicking the circle icon in the first column (`task/toggleStatus/{id}`) immediately toggles a task between `To Do` and `Done`—and automatically recalculates the parent Project's completion percentage!
Deliverable & Code Displays the clickable **Task Title**, the auto-generated **Task Code** (`TSK-0001`), the **Category** badge (e.g., *Development*, *Consulting*, *Support*), and a `Recurring` badge if automated.
Context (Project / Client) Shows clickable links to the parent **Project** (`/project/details/{id}`), **Milestone Phase**, or standalone **Customer** (`/customer/details/{id}`), or marks the task as `Internal / Standalone`.
Assignee & Priority Displays the assigned staff member's avatar and name (`assigned_name`) alongside the color-coded **Priority Badge** (`Critical`, `High`, `Medium`, `Low`).
Stage & Due Date Shows the current workflow stage badge and `due_date` (highlighting `Due Today` in amber or `Overdue` in red).
Subtasks & Effort Displays a live **Subtask Checklist Progress Bar** (`X/Y subtasks completed`) and compares `Logged Hours` vs. `Estimated Hours`, plus a live **Unbilled WIP (`R`)** badge when billable hours are waiting to be invoiced.
Row Action Buttons
  • Start / Stop Live Stopwatch ( / ): Starts a real-time timer (`task/startTimer/{id}`) or opens `#stopTimerModal` to stop the timer and record work notes (`task/stopTimer`).
  • Log Manual Hours (): Opens `#logTimeModal` with a live duration and billable rand value calculator.
  • 1-Click Convert to Invoice (): Appears whenever a task has unbilled WIP (`unbilled_amount > 0`) and is linked to a Customer or Project (`task/convertToInvoice/{id}`).
  • Open Task Execution Cockpit (): Opens `/task/details/{id}`.
  • Quick Edit Modal (): Opens `#quickEditTaskModal` to update stage, priority, assignee, category, or due date inline.

4. Task Kanban Board (/task/kanban) & Quick Create / Edit Modals

Clicking **Kanban Board** (`/task/kanban`) displays all active deliverables across draggable workflow columns (`To Do`, `In Progress`, `In Review`, `Done`, plus any custom stages configured in `/task/settings`).

  • Multi-Filter Top Bar: Filter the Kanban cards in real time by **Project**, **Assignee**, or **Priority** without reloading the page.
  • WIP Limit Monitoring: Each column header tracks `Active Cards / Max WIP Limit`. If a stage exceeds its configured WIP limit, the header badge turns red to highlight bottlenecks.
  • Smart Category Auto-Fill on Quick Task Modal (#quickTaskModal): When creating a task via the **Quick Task** modal or **Full Task Wizard** (`/task/add`), selecting a **Task Category** automatically populates the default **Hourly Billing Rate (`R/hr`)** and **Billable Status** from your Studio Rate Card!

5. Inside the Task Execution Cockpit (/task/details/{id})

Clicking any task title opens the **Task Execution Cockpit** (`/task/details/{id}`).

📸 SCREENSHOT PLACEHOLDER tasks-execution-cockpit-details.png

How to capture this screenshot:

  1. Navigate to /task/details/{id} for a task with subtasks and time logs.
  2. Capture the Top Action Bar (including the live Start Timer / Stop Timer button, Log Hours, and Invoice Time button), the Interactive Stage Progression Bar, the left-hand Deliverable Metadata & Effort Budget card, and the right-hand Subtasks & Acceptance Criteria Checklist and Billable Time & Effort Ledger cards.
Subtasks & Acceptance Criteria Checklist

Break complex deliverables into granular verification steps:

  • + Inject SOP Blueprint Dropdown (task/applyChecklistTemplate/{id}): Select any pre-built Subtask Blueprint (e.g., *Monthly VAT Reconciliation Steps*, *New Server Hardening SOP*, *Code Review Acceptance Criteria*) to populate all required checklist items in one click.
  • Ad-Hoc Subtask Input (task/addChecklist/{id}): Type and add custom checklist items on the fly.
  • AJAX Checkboxes (task/toggleChecklist/{itemId}): Ticking or unticking a subtask updates the live completion progress bar (`%`) without reloading the page.
Billable Time & Effort Ledger + Collaborative Notes

Every minute spent on the task is audited in the **Billable Time & Effort Ledger**:

  • Displays **Date & Time Range**, **Staff Member**, **Work Performed Notes**, **Hours (`Xh`)**, **Value (`R`)**, and **Billing Status** (`Unbilled WIP` vs. `Invoiced`).
  • Edit or Delete Time Entries: Unbilled time entries can be edited via `#editTimeModal` (`task/editTime/{timeId}`) or deleted (`task/deleteTime/{timeId}`). Once a time entry is swept onto a Tax Invoice (`is_billed = 1`), it is locked to protect your accounting audit trail.
  • Task Notes & Activity Feed: Post timestamped comments and technical updates (`note/add`) at the bottom of the cockpit.

6. Live Stopwatch Timers, Manual Time Logs & 1-Click Task Invoicing

Keystone X supports two ways to record billable effort on a task, plus a 1-click bridge to your Accounts Receivable ledger:

  1. Live Background Stopwatch (`task/startTimer/{id}` → `task/stopTimer`): Click **Start Timer** when you begin working on a task. You can navigate freely around the ERP while the timer runs in the background (only one active timer per user is allowed at a time to prevent accidental overlapping billing). When you click **Stop Timer**, a modal prompts you to describe what you accomplished and automatically calculates the exact decimal hours elapsed (minimum `0.05` hrs / 3 minutes).
  2. Manual Time Entry Modal (`#logTimeModal` → `task/logTime`): Enter a specific date, start/end times (which auto-calculate decimal hours!), or type the decimal hours directly (e.g., `1.50` for 1 hr 30 mins). As you type, the modal displays a live preview of the **Billable Value (`R`)** based on the task's `hourly_rate`.
  3. 1-Click Task-to-Invoice Conversion (`task/convertToInvoice/{id}`): Clicking **Invoice Time** on any task linked to a Customer (either directly via `customer_id` or through its parent Project's `customer_id`) sweeps all unbilled billable time logs (`is_billable = 1` and `is_billed = 0`)—or falls back to the task's `estimated_hours × hourly_rate` if no logs exist—into a Draft Tax Invoice (`INV-XXXX`) and marks those time logs as `is_billed = 1`!

7. Automated Recurring Task Templates (Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly, Yearly)

For compliance deliverables, monthly bookkeeping runs, preventative maintenance checks, or weekly reporting, you can turn any task into an **Automated Recurring Template**:

  • When creating or editing a task (`/task/add` or `/task/edit/{id}`), toggle **Enable Recurring Schedule (`is_recurring`)** on.
  • Select the **Recurrence Interval** (`weekly`, `monthly`, `quarterly`, or `yearly`) and the **Next Spawn Date (`next_recurrence_date`)**.
  • Whenever `/task` is accessed and `next_recurrence_date` has arrived, Keystone X's background recurrence engine (`Task::processRecurringTasks`) automatically clones a fresh `To Do` task with the same assignee, priority, category, customer/project links, hourly rate, and subtask checklist, and advances `next_recurrence_date` to the next cycle!

8. The 5-Tab Task Customization Studio (/task/settings)

Administrators can click **Customize** (`/task/settings`) from the Task Command Center to configure the **5-Tab Task Customization Studio**:

📸 SCREENSHOT PLACEHOLDER tasks-customization-studio-tabs.png

How to capture this screenshot:

  1. Navigate to /task/settings.
  2. Open Tab 2 (Categories & Rate Cards) or Tab 4 (Subtask Blueprints).
  3. Capture the 5-tab studio navigation bar and the active configuration tables.
Studio Tab Configurable Rules, SLA Targets & SOP Blueprints
1. Workflow Stages & WIP Limits (#tab-stages) Define custom task lifecycle stages (e.g., `To Do`, `In Progress`, `In Review`, `Blocked`, `Done`), set custom badge colors, set a **Max WIP Limit** per stage for the Kanban Board, and designate which stage represents completion (`is_completed`).
2. Categories & Rate Cards (#tab-categories) Create work categories (e.g., *Software Engineering*, *Financial Advisory*, *Remote IT Support*, *Admin*) with a **Default Hourly Billing Rate (`R/hr`)**, a **Billable by Default** switch, and a badge color.
3. Priorities & SLA Targets (#tab-priorities) Configure priority levels (`Critical`, `High`, `Medium`, `Low`) along with their **Target SLA Resolution Hours (`sla_hours`)** and visual badge colors.
4. Subtask Blueprints (#tab-checklists) Build reusable SOP checklists (`name`, `category`, and line-by-line acceptance criteria) that staff can inject into any task in one click from `/task/details/{id}`.
5. Automation & Governance (#tab-defaults)
  • Task Code Prefix (task_code_prefix): Default `TSK-` (generates `TSK-0001`, `TSK-0002`, etc.).
  • Default Hourly Rate, Default Priority & Default Stage: Pre-populated on every new task.
  • 3 Operational Governance Switches:
    1. task_default_billable: Mark newly created tasks as Billable to Client by default.
    2. task_auto_log_project_progress: Automatically recalculate parent Project completion percentage (`progress %`) whenever a child task is completed or reopened.
    3. task_require_time_notes: Require staff members to type work notes describing what they accomplished whenever stopping a timer or logging manual hours.
© 2026 Keystone X — Official Technical Documentation https://keystonex.co.za/docs/volume-6-operations-field-service-helpdesk/20-task-execution-command-center-kanban-workflow-subtask-checklists-live-timers-recurring-schedules-studio
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