Managing Tasks

This article was developed to describe the steps involved in managing Tasks within the FORTH system. It is organized into the following sections:

• Overview
• How to Access
• How to Use
  • Setup Task Items
  • Create Task Group
  • Assigning Tasks from the Calendar
  • Assigning Tasks from the Client Dashboard
  • Task Settings
  • Task Round Robin Assignment System

Overview

Tasks are one of two tools within the FORTH CRM with the purpose of assigning work to a contact. The main difference is that Tasks are set to be completed over a certain time and will have a deadline. The second tool - Events - are set for a specific time and date to be done. For more information on Events, see our Help Center article titled Calendar Tab.

How to Access

(Calendar Tab > Tasks)

A series of dropdown menu options are available to filter the already scheduled tasks shown on the right side (see above). Also at the top of this section is the Create New Task button. At the bottom left, below the dropdown options, are three (3) links to set up task items, edit task settings, and set up task triggers.

IMPORTANT: On the "Due Date" dropdown menu in the image above, 
please note that past dates will be grayed out and disabled.

How to Use

Setup Task Items

Go to the Calendar Tab and select Tasks from the Navigation Bar. Then, select Setup Task Items at the bottom left of the page.

A page similar to the one shown below will appear.

From the Task Items page, you can create different preset tasks with varying ways of assigning and restricting user access to them. 

Create Task Group

First, create a Task Group to assign the task to by clicking add task group in the upper left portion of the window as pictured above).

Task Groups allow you to create a group of users able to assign tasks to other users. Be sure to create a Group Name for this group. You can use Teams previously created (see our Help Center article on How to Create Teams), or you can select multiple users to include in the group; multiple items can be selected by holding down the Ctrl button while clicking your selections with the mouse.

NOTE: You can filter tasks by Task Group directly from the Tasks Report under the Calendar Tab. This multi-select dropdown filter allows you to easily manage and monitor tasks assigned to specific teams.

Once you have created a Group, complete the fields on the page (fields are listed below).

Add / Edit Task Item - Enter or edit the name of your task.

Available to File Types - Checked boxes make this task available to clients under these specific file types. The file types are Business Loans, Debt Settlement, General/Not Defined, Student Loans, and Debt Validation clients.

          NOTE: The task option is not available for clients under the “New Purchase/Refinance” File Type.

Add to Group - Here you select which groups you have created you will make this task available for assignment. 

Click Save Task when complete.

You will now find the Task Item you created on at the bottom of the page.  It also identifies how many groups in which it is included.  Now that you have created a Task Item, it is time to assign this task. This can be done in two ways - Assigning Tasks from the Calendar or Assigning Tasks from the Client Dashboard.

Assigning Tasks from the Calendar

Click the Calendar Tab, and click Tasks on the Navigation Bar.

Now click Create New Task at the top left of the page (see below).

Assigning Tasks from the Client Dashboard

Locate the Client Dashboard through the Enrollments tab or the Contact tab, then select the Tasks Nested Tab. Clicking on the green "plus" sign (see the image next to the red arrow below) launches the Add Task function. Click that green "plus" sign.

Once you assign a task from the Calendar, the popup window on the left will appear. If you assign a task via the Client Dashboard, a popup window like the one shown on the right (with the Contact field pre-filled) will appear.

Task - Select a task to assign from this dropdown option. Tasks will be listed under the groups your user profile belongs to.

Due Date - Select a date by entering it manually or choosing a date from the pop-up calendar. (NOTE: past dates are grayed out and disabled).

Task Status - Select a status for this task, such as "In Progress".

Assigned To - Use the radio buttons shown to select a user, team, or client. Then, click on the dropdown menu for each user or team to select the appropriate user or team (this does not apply to the client) to assign a task for completion. For information about teams, see our How to Create Teams help center article.

Contact - Enter the name of the contact assigned to the task. If a task is added from the client dashboard, the contact name will automatically appear.

Notes - Additional notes can be entered here.

When you are finished, click Save Task.  A notification will appear in the lower right side of the page of the user to whom the task has been assigned. Due date reminders, as dictated on task settings, will appear in the same area.

The task is now listed under the client dashboard and on the All Tasks list on the calendar page (see image above). Click on the open checkbox to make any edits or to delete this task. 

NOTE: The "Completion" column (highlighted above by the purple arrow) is now sortable in ascending order. Click the column header to sort.

To mark a task complete, click the green and white checkmark, and then confirm your selections in the pop-up window that will appear by clicking OK.

Task Settings

To access "Task Settings," return to the Calendar Tab and click "Tasks" in the Navigation Bar. 

Click Edit Task Settings from the left bottom panel (see below).

The Task Settings page asks for the information shown below:

Notifications Before Due Date - Allows you to set up to four reminders before the Task is due to be completed.  If you set it for 0 days, the CRM will notify the contact on the scheduled completion day.

Notification After Due Date - Set up to four notifications for the completion of an overdue task. These notifications will not be sent for completed events.

Colors - This option allows you to color code a task's statuses. Tasks will then be color-coded when viewed from the calendar or in a list.

Other Settings

• Send the Task Creator an Email when Tasks are Completed - Notifies the Task Creator via email when a task is completed.
• Notify the Task Assignee Upon Task Creation - Notify the task assignee when a task is created for them.
  • When a task is assigned, the system now retrieves specific data to give the assignee full context directly in their inbox. The following details are pulled into the notification email:
    • Creditor Name: The original lender.
    • Collection Agency: The entity currently managing the debt.
    • Original & Current Balances: Financial snapshots to help verify the account status.
    • Account ID (Last 4): The final four (4) digits of the account number for secure, precise identification.
  • If a contact has multiple debts with the same creditor, the email will now dynamically populate with the unique details of the selected debt rather than a generic creditor notification.
  • Workflow Consistency: If you create a task that is not linked to a specific account, the email will default to the standard format without these extra fields to ensure your notification remains clean and relevant.
• Strike-Through Completed Tasks - Will use a special font style, and completed tasks will appear with striked-through lettering, further indicating they have been completed.
• Allow Completion As Percentage - This activates an option on tasks to mark them with partial completion percentages.
• Allow Free Form Task Entry - When checked and tasks are created, the option for different task types will not appear in a dropdown menu as normal. The word “Tasks” will be underlined and when clicked, you can enter a custom task type. Otherwise, tasks will be created without a type. 
  • NOTE: This is for advanced users only.

Task Round Robin Assignment System

The Task Round Robin Assignment System allows assignments to rotate automatically throughout the membership of the assigned team, ensuring an easy and equal distribution of task assignments. For information on this feature, view our Help Center article titled Task Round Robin Assignment System.

Once all sections of this page are complete, ensure that the settings shown match your intended selections, and click Save Settings in the navigation bar at the top of the page. The settings have been saved when you see the following at or near the bottom of the page.

Task Triggers

Task Triggers are used to setting up tasks to be created and triggered by system events. Click Create a New Trigger on the right side of the page, and follow the instructions in our Help Center article titled Task Triggers.

Once set up, click Save & Create Trigger, and the trigger task will be listed (see the example below). Edits can be made by clicking the Pencil image next to the trigger you wish to edit. Multiple trigger tasks can be created under a system event.

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