TaskPilot 101 Guide: Getting Started with Your Account

Welcome to TaskPilot!

As a manager on the platform, you’re now equipped with powerful tools to streamline your operations, manage resources, and oversee tasks efficiently. This guide will walk you through the initial setup and key features to help you get started.

Once you log into your TaskPilot account, you’ll be greeted by the Dashboard`s Planner page. This is your command center, where you can visualize and organize your tasks, projects, and overall workflow.

Before you start planning, it’s important to set up your account by configuring the general settings and populating the various sections with necessary items.

Step 1: Configure General Settings

To begin setting up your TaskPilot account, navigate to the cogwheel Settings icon at the bottom of the left-side menu bar. The Settings page is essential for customizing TaskPilot to fit your organization’s specific needs.

• Global Settings: Begin by selecting the correct time zone for your operations. Enter your billing details, security contacts, and pre-check issue contacts to ensure that TaskPilot is aligned with your organizational requirements.
  
  
• Information: Provide your personal details as well as your company’s information. This helps in maintaining accurate records and streamlining communication.
  
  
• Time Tracking: Configure settings related to task time limits and break time notifications to help manage workflow and ensure proper time management.
  
  
• Notifications: Customize the notification preferences for your entire organization to ensure that all key updates and critical events are communicated effectively. This centralizes important alerts and ensures that everyone stays informed about significant changes and operational updates.
  
  
• Integrations: If your organization uses Xero for accounting, you can link it with TaskPilot via the Integrations tab. This integration allows seamless synchronization of financial data, such as invoices. For a step-by-step guide on connecting TaskPilot to Xero, please refer to our detailed instructions.
  
  
• Billing Contact: Review your subscription details to ensure that your account is up to date.

Step 2: Add Resources

The next step in setting up your TaskPilot account is to add the essential resources you’ll need to manage your tasks and projects. You can do this by navigating to the Resources section in the left-side menu. Resources are the backbone of your operations, and setting them up correctly ensures smooth task management.

Here’s a brief overview of the resources you’ll need to configure:

• Products: Add the products that will be used in your tasks. Each product can be tracked for usage, quantity, and availability. Learn more about setting up products here.
  
  
• Machines: Register the machines and equipment that your team will use. Tracking machine hours and usage is vital for maintaining efficiency. Get detailed instructions here.
  
  
• Implements: Similar to machines, implements are tools or attachments that enhance your machines. Properly adding them helps in tracking their usage across tasks to calculate for task value. Explore more about implements here.
  
  
• Products Required: Specify the necessary products for different tasks. This section allows you to allocate resources efficiently, avoiding shortages during operations. More information can be found here.

Step 3: Structure Your Organization

To bring more structure to your organization, head over to the Administration tab in the left-side menu. This is where you define the building blocks of your operations, making it easier to assign tasks and manage workflows.

In the Administration section, you can create and manage:

• Divisions: Organize your company into various divisions to streamline task management and operational oversight. For more details on creating and managing divisions, see our guide on How to Create/Edit/Delete Divisions.
  
  
• Projects: Create project names to group related tasks. This helps in tracking progress and ensuring that all related tasks are organized under a single project. For further instructions on setting up projects, refer to our article on How to Create/Edit/Delete Projects.
  
  
• Tasks: Set up specific tasks that will be assigned to contractors or teams. These tasks are the actionable steps that drive your projects forward. To learn more about creating and managing tasks, check out our guide on How to Create/Edit/Delete Tasks.
  
  
• Clients: Add and manage client information to track the work done for each one. Effective client management is crucial for maintaining strong relationships and ensuring client satisfaction. For detailed instructions on managing clients, see our article on How to Create/Edit/Delete Clients.

Step 4: Add and Manage Users

After establishing your organizational structure, the next step is to add and manage users within the Team tab. This process involves setting up both desktop platform managers and mobile app contractors.

• Add Users: Users use the desktop platform to oversee and manage tasks, projects, and resources. To learn how to add managers to your team, refer to our guide on How to create a user.
  
  
• Add App Users: App Users are typically contractors who use the TaskPilot mobile app to perform tasks and update their work status. For detailed instructions on adding app users, see our article on How to Create an app user.

It is crucial to assign appropriate roles and permissions to ensure users have the correct access levels and can efficiently perform their duties. If you want to learn more about how to assign roles and manage permissions, please review our comprehensive guide on Roles and Permissions.

Step 5: Start Planning Your Workflow

With your resources, users, and organizational structure set up, you can now begin planning and managing your workflow. The Workflow tab is where you will create, assign, and track tasks and projects. Here's how to efficiently use the features available:

• Projects: Projects are essential for organizing related tasks and tracking progress. To learn how to create and manage projects, refer to our detailed guide on How to create projects.
  

• Tasks: Tasks are actionable items that are assigned to users or teams. To understand how to create, assign, and manage tasks effectively, see our article on How to create tasks.
  
  
• Templates: Templates allow you to save and reuse tasks setups, which is especially useful for recurring activities. For more information on how to save and use templates, check out our guide on How to create templates.
  
  
• Issue Reports: When contractors encounter problems, they can report them via app and managers will receive it in the Issue Reports tab. This helps in tracking and resolving issues efficiently. To understand how to use and manage issue reports, see our article on How to use issue reports.
  
  
• Archive: The Archive section is where all deleted or archived tasks, projects, and resources are stored. This area helps keep your active workflow organized and clutter-free while preserving essential records. If you need to reactivate any archived items, you can easily retrieve them from here. For more details on managing the archive, refer to our guide on How to return the deleted items.

After successfully entering all this information into the platform and scheduling your tasks in the Workflow, you’ll be able to see everything come together on the Dashboard Planner where it all started. This centralized view will provide you with a comprehensive overview of your planned, in-progress, and completed tasks, helping you stay organized and on top of your workflow. Enjoy the streamlined planning and task management experience with TaskPilot!