Project Management - Work Items

Purpose

Work Items represent the executable elements of a project. They define what needs to be completed, when it should take place, who is responsible, and the effort and cost involved.

Work Items support the complete project execution cycle, including:

• Planning and scheduling
• Work assignment
• Effort and cost estimation
• Progress monitoring
• Resource planning
• Status management
• Document management

The available Work Item types, statuses, views, and behaviours are determined by the Project Process associated with the selected project.

Access Path

Project Management → Work Items

From this area, users can:

• View Work Items across different projects
• Switch between List, Calendar, and Board views
• Create new Work Items
• Filter and organize existing records
• Review assignments, effort, costs, and schedules
• Attach supporting documents
• Monitor Work Item history and activities

What Is a Work Item?

A Work Item is a defined unit of work within a project.

Depending on the Project Process configuration, Work Items may represent:

• Phases
• Tasks
• Issues
• Agile work types
• Other organization-specific types

Each Work Item can contain:

• A type and lifecycle status
• An estimated execution period
• A parent and predecessor relationships
• Impact information
• Assignments and services
• Estimated and actual effort
• Cost information
• Supporting documents

Work Items Landing Page

The Work Items landing page provides three ways of viewing and managing project work:

1. List
2. Calendar
3. Board

The available views depend on the configuration of the Project Process associated with each project.

List View

The List view displays Work Items in a table, providing a consolidated overview of their main attributes.

List Columns

Additional columns may be available by scrolling horizontally or using the Columns option.

Select the View icon next to a Work Item to open its details. The contextual menu at the end of each row provides additional record actions.

Available Actions

Column-level controls can also be used to filter or sort the displayed information.

Calendar View

The Calendar view displays Work Items according to their planned dates.

Each Work Item appears across its scheduled period, allowing users to identify:

• When work is expected to take place
• The duration of each Work Item
• Work Items scheduled during the same period
• The estimated effort associated with the displayed records
• Periods containing multiple overlapping Work Items

Calendar Controls

Users can:

• Move backward or forward through the calendar
• Select a month or reference period
• Return to Today
• Apply filters
• Refresh the calendar
• Enable or disable automatic fitting
• Change the calendar layout

Available layouts include:

• Day
• Timeline Day
• Agenda
• Week
• Timeline Week
• Month
• Timeline Month
• Timeline Year

Select the most appropriate layout based on the level of scheduling detail required.

Board View

The Board view presents Work Items in a Kanban-style layout.

Each column represents an available Work Item status, such as:

• New
• On Hold
• In Progress
• Blocked
• Pending Review
• Deferred
• Cancelled

The displayed columns are determined by the statuses configured for the selected Work Item Type.

Board Filters

Before reviewing the Board, select:

Each card may display:

• Work Item name
• Associated project
• Assigned users or services

Select the View icon on a card to open the Work Item.

The + option in a status column can be used to create a Work Item within that stage of the workflow.

Creating a Work Item

To create a Work Item:

1. Open the Work Items landing page.

2. Select Add Work Item.

3. Complete the information in the Overview tab.

4. Add supporting documents when required.

5. Select Save or Save and New.

The creation form is organized into:

• Overview

• Assignments

• Documents

Some options may become available only after the Work Item has been saved.

Overview

The Overview tab contains the Work Item’s core identification, classification, scheduling, and impact information.

Core Fields

Fields marked with an asterisk are required.

The available fields and values may vary according to the selected project, Work Item Type, and Project Process configuration.

Save Options

Work Item Details

After a Work Item has been created, its information is organized into four tabs:

1. Overview
2. Assignments
3. Cost
4. Documents

The header identifies the Work Item and displays information such as:

• Work Item name
• Current status
• Estimated dates
• Real dates, when available

The following options are also available:

Work Item Hierarchy

Work Items can be organized hierarchically by selecting a Parent.

For example:

• Project

  • Phase

    • Task

      • Sub-task

This structure helps organize complex project plans and clarify the relationship between high-level deliverables and their underlying activities.

When Work Item inheritance is enabled in the Project Process, parent Work Items can inherit dates, resources, and effort from their child items.

Assignments

The Assignments tab identifies the services and users required to complete the Work Item and records their planned execution dates and effort.

To create an assignment:

1. Open the required Work Item.

2. Select the Assignments tab.

3. Select Add Assignment.

4. Complete the assignment details.

5. Select Save.

The availability and behaviour of assignment fields depend on the associated Project Process.

Assignment Information

The main assignment table displays:

The value shown in parentheses beside the effort may represent the effort calculated or consolidated by the system.

Select the View icon to open the assignment and review its complete details.

The lower table provides a summarized view grouped by assignment or service name, showing:

• Name

• Estimated dates

• Total estimated effort

Assignment information can be filtered, exported, and customized using the available table controls.

Assignment Configuration

Depending on the Project Process, an assignment may include:

The Project Process can control:

• Whether services can be associated with Work Items
• Whether users can be selected manually
• Whether assignments are completed through sourcing
• Whether service costs are visible
• Whether sell price or margin information can be modified

Cost Monitoring

The Cost tab provides a consolidated overview of the Work Item’s effort, schedule, and cost performance.

Performance Indicators

Additional indicators may be accessed using the navigation control beside the cards.

These indicators help users compare planned and actual performance and identify effort, schedule, or cost deviations.

Timeline

The Timeline section presents the Work Item’s estimated execution period in a Gantt-style calendar.

It includes:

• Estimated start and end dates
• Calendar divisions appropriate to the Work Item’s duration
• A progress bar showing the completion percentage
• Horizontal navigation across the schedule
• Zoom controls
• Controls for adjusting, expanding, or reducing the displayed timeline

The Timeline helps users compare the Work Item’s progress with its planned execution period.

Predecessor relationships defined in the Overview tab support the sequencing of related Work Items.

Resource Manager

The Resource Manager section displays how effort associated with the Work Item is distributed over time.

Planning Grid

The colors displayed in the planning grid distinguish the different effort categories.

Available Controls

Users can:

• Apply filters
• Filter by Work Item
• Remove an individual filter
• Select Clear All to remove all filters
• Switch between daily, weekly, and monthly views
• Select a reference date
• Navigate backward or forward through the calendar
• Expand or collapse all records
• Expand an individual record to review its underlying information
• Change the effort category represented in the grid using the available view controls

The Resource Manager is available only when the corresponding feature is enabled in the Project Process.

Documents

The Documents tab stores supporting files related to the Work Item.

Documents can be added by:

• Dragging and dropping files into the upload area

• Selecting Browse and choosing files from the device

After adding the required documents, select Save.

This section can be used to store relevant materials such as:

• Requirements
• Specifications
• Evidence
• Project deliverables
• Supporting documentation

Status Management

Each Work Item follows the statuses configured for its Work Item Type in the associated Project Process.

The selected configuration determines:

• Which statuses are available
• Which columns appear in the Board view
• How Work Items are categorized during execution

Status updates help maintain accurate visibility over:

• Work in progress
• Blocked or deferred activities
• Completed work
• Project progress
• Summary indicators and reporting

Users should update the Work Item status whenever its execution stage changes.

Agile Execution

When Agile features are enabled in the Project Process:

• Work Items can be organized in Backlogs
• Work Items can be planned into Sprints
• The Board can support day-to-day execution
• Status columns represent the configured workflow
• Burnup and burndown information can support progress monitoring

The availability of Sprint and Backlog functionality depends on the configuration of the selected project.

Best Practices

• Select the correct project before configuring the Work Item.
• Use clear and action-oriented Work Item names.
• Choose the correct Work Item Type and status.
• Keep the hierarchy meaningful and manageable.
• Define realistic estimated dates.
• Use predecessors to coordinate related Work Items.
• Add assignments and estimated effort for accurate resource planning.
• Enable Allow Submission only when operational records should be submitted against the Work Item.
• Update statuses and actual information regularly.
• Attach relevant supporting documents to the Work Item.
• Review effort, cost, and temporal deviations throughout execution.

What’s Next?

After Work Items have been created, teams can:

• Add and manage assignments
• Monitor effort and costs
• Review the project schedule
• Plan resource effort
• Organize Agile work into Sprints and Backlogs
• Track project milestones and progress
• Attach and maintain supporting documentation

Related Articles

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