Project Management – Work Items

Project Management – Work Items

Purpose

Work Items represent the executable elements of a project. They define what needs to be done, when, by whom, and at what cost.
All planning, execution, progress tracking, and reporting inside a project are ultimately driven by work items.

Work Items are structured, status-driven, and governed by the Project Process selected during project creation.

Access Path

Project Management → Projects → Open a Project → Work Items

What Is a Work Item?

A Work Item is a unit of work within a project. Depending on configuration and methodology, work items can represent:

• Timelines
• Phases
• Tasks
• Issues
• Epics / Stories (Agile)
• Other organization-specific types

Each work item has:

• A defined type
• A lifecycle status
• Dates and effort
• Optional assignments, services, and costs

Work Item Structure

Hierarchical Organization

Work items are typically organized in a hierarchy, for example:

• Project

  • Phase

    • Task

      • Sub-task

Parent work items usually aggregate:

• Dates
• Effort
• Cost
• Progress
• This structure ensures consistent planning and reporting.

Work Items Views

Depending on the Project Process configuration, work items may be visualized in different ways:

• Timeline (Gantt) – Planning, dependencies, and scheduling

• List / Tree View – Hierarchical structure and details

• Board – Kanban-style execution (Agile)

• Calendar – Date-based visualization

Users can switch between views when multiple are enabled.

Creating a Work Item

Select Add Work Item to create a new item.

Core Fields

Available fields may vary based on work item type and configuration.

Assignments & Costing

Work items can include assignments that define who does the work and how it is costed.

Assignment Options

• Users – Assigned team members
• Services – Linked services from Assortment Planning
• Effort – Planned effort (hours, days, etc.)
• Unit Cost – Cost per unit (if applicable)

Assignments enable:

• Effort tracking
• Cost calculation
• Margin analysis
• Resource planning

Dependencies & Scheduling

Work items can be linked using dependencies such as:

• Finish-to-Start
• Start-to-Start
• Finish-to-Finish

Dependencies allow:

• Automatic date adjustments
• Critical path visibility
• Improved planning accuracy

These relationships are typically managed in the Timeline view.

Status Management

Each work item progresses through statuses defined in:

Control Center → Project Management → Status

Rules include:

• Allowed statuses per work item type
• Type-specific lifecycle constraints
• Prevention of invalid transitions

Status updates directly affect:

• Project progress
• KPIs
• Dashboards
• Milestone completion

Agile Execution (If Enabled)

When Agile features are enabled in the Project Process:

• Work items can be assigned to Backlogs
• Work can be planned into Sprints
• Boards are used for daily execution
• Progress is tracked via burndown and burnup charts

Agile execution follows the same work item principles, with additional planning layers.

Best Practices

• Define the work item structure early in the project
• Keep hierarchies meaningful and manageable
• Use dependencies for realistic scheduling
• Assign effort and services to enable accurate costing
• Update statuses regularly to reflect real progress

What’s Next

Once work items are defined, teams typically move on to:

• Milestones – Track key delivery points
• Billing Plan – Align execution with invoicing
• Resource Manager – Monitor allocations and capacity
• Project Progress & KPIs – Monitor performance

Related Articles

Project Management – Projects (Overview)
Project Management – Create a Project
Project Management – Manage Project Information
Project Management – Milestones
Project Management – Resource Manager
Project Management – Track Project Progress & KPIs