How to Create a Sequential Task Template in Planfix
A sequential task template lets you build a chain of tasks once and reuse it for every order that follows the same route. Sequential tasks in Planfix appear to assignees one at a time: the rest of the chain waits in drafts, so nobody is distracted by work that is not their turn yet. This two-minute video builds such a template from scratch, then creates a task from it and lets the chain run.
What you’ll learn: how to build a sequential task template
- Why a chain of sequential tasks keeps future work out of assignees’ task lists.
- How to create a task template and mark it as a sequential task.
- How to add a subtask template for every stage of the chain, each with its own assignee.
- How to extend the chain to any number of stages.
- What happens when you create a real task from the template and the first stage is completed.
How to create a sequential task template in Planfix, step by step
Step 1. Create the template for the chain
Open the Tasks section, go to the Templates tab and create a new task template. Name it after the process you are automating, such as a print order or an onboarding, and check Sequential task. Planfix switches the template to Draft as soon as the attribute is on, and that is what keeps the chain out of sight until its time comes. Click Create and go to open the template you have just saved. Regular task templates already store the project, assignee and description; the sequential attribute adds the order of completion on top of that.
Step 2. Add the first stage as a subtask template
Inside the template, add a subtask template for the first task in the chain. In the video it is Develop a layout: give it a name, describe the work, add the assignee and create the template. Subtask templates created inside a sequential parent inherit the Sequential task attribute and the Draft status, so you don’t have to set them again for every stage.
Step 3. Add the remaining stages in order
Repeat the same step for each following stage, for example Printing and trimming, and give every one of them a responsible assignee. Chains can be of any length. The order of the subtasks in the parent template’s checklist is the order in which they are activated, so add them in the sequence the work actually follows. Each stage can belong to a different person: the printing stage starts only when the design stage is done, and neither assignee has to keep track of the other.
Step 4. Create a task from the template and start the chain
Now create a task using the template and name it after the current order. The root task and the first stage, Develop a layout, are activated right away, while the rest stay in Draft. When the assignee completes the first stage, or moves it to any inactive status, Printing and trimming is activated automatically, and so on until the chain is finished. Each activated task leaves Draft for the status set in its own template. The full set of rules is in the Help Center guide to sequential tasks.
A print order as a chain of two stages
The example in the video is a print order with two stages: Develop a layout goes to its assignee, Jack Williams, and Printing and trimming waits in drafts until the layout is ready. The template is named after the chain, and every task created from it is named after the current order, so the production route stays the same while the order details change.
Because only the active stage reaches its assignee, someone in the middle of the chain sees an ordinary task rather than a process diagram.
Who it’s for
- Production and print teams: a fixed route from layout to printing, with one assignee per stage.
- Design and development teams: the coder’s stage opens when the designer’s stage is complete, with no handoff message in between.
- Team leads: the creator of the chain sees all of it, while each assignee sees only their own task.
- Teams new to Planfix: this is the simplest way to organize a workflow; Planfix has more complex process tools, but sequential tasks are enough for most business processes.
FAQ
Does editing a sequential task template change tasks that already exist?
No. Tasks that have already been created keep their data, and every task created from the template after the change uses the new settings, including new stages and assignees.
How many stages can a chain of sequential tasks have?
Any number. Add one subtask template per stage inside the parent template, and the chain can be as long as the process needs.
Which tasks are active when a task is created from the template?
The root task and the first subtask in the chain are active immediately. The remaining stages stay in Draft and are activated one by one as the previous stage is completed.
Turn one repeatable process into a template
Pick one process your team runs the same way every time and build it once as a sequential task template. Chains like this are an entry point to business process automation in Planfix. If you would rather assemble a chain by hand under a single parent task, see how to set up sequential tasks. New to Planfix? Sign up to try it.
