i-lign 8.2 release information

By Rachel | August 28, 2017

This post contains more detailed information on our plans for 8.2 in relation to tasking. It also contains release timetable information. As always, please get in touch if you have any questions or comments.

Release timetable

Our timetable for the release is below. The release date is tentative as it’s subject to final testing.

Action Timeframe
Customer review & feedback on 8.2 Friday 25 August to Wednesday 6 September (Feedback via i-lign’s Support Portal )
Preview of 8.2 available on request Friday 25 August
Meeting to talk through changes On request
Release date (subject to final testing) Sunday 17 September

Simpler project tasks and task pools.

As you’re aware, the focus of this release is to simplify tasks and tasks pools for projects. We plan to make similar changes to the tasking functions for activities and services in the following release (8.3).

The key changes relate to the way you set-up and edit tasks. You’ll see from the screen shots below that we’ve moved away from asking people to identify the task as fixed duration, fixed effort or fixed effort & duration. Instead we show the key information you need to set up a task: start and end dates, effort, assignments. You select, via the icons, which information you’d like to enter manually and which information you’d like i-lign to calculate for you.

Task edit example 1

In the example below, you’ve opted to enter the start & end dates of your task and resource allocation rates. The system calculates the task’s effort based on the information you’ve entered. This is the default setting and similar in function to current fixed duration tasks. In this scenario, individuals can have different resource allocations for different timeframes (variable allocations).

To edit an individual’s resource allocations, click on the section of their allocation graph you want to edit. This expands the allocation information for this individual, as shown in the screen shot below. You also see this expanded view, when you add someone to the task. To collapse this view, click on the graph again.

Task edit example 2

In this second example, you’ve opted to enter the start date, effort and resource allocation rates. The system calculates the task’s end date based on the information you’ve entered. This is similar in function to current fixed effort tasks.

Task edit example 3

In this third example, you’ve opted to enter the start & end dates, effort and the amount of effort each resource will carry out (resource allocated effort). The system calculates resource allocation rates. This is similar in function to current fixed effort & duration tasks.

Task pool edit

Task pools are now very similar to tasks in the way they work. When you add a new task pool, the edit screen will default to manual start & end dates and system generated effort. When you add allocation rates to individuals, you’ll only be able to do this in weekly chunks.

Task information

To be consistent in terms of look and feel, the task and task pool information screens have also been updated.