Odoo 18 introduces several enhancements to project management, including refined workflows for tasks and project stages. Properly configuring these stages ensures effective project tracking, improved team collaboration, and efficient task progression. This blog provides a detailed walkthrough on setting up and managing task stages and project stages in Odoo 18.
Task stages define the different statuses that a task can go through within a project. These stages help teams track progress and identify bottlenecks efficiently. Examples of task stages include:
* New, when a task is created
* In Progress, when work has begun on the task
* Review, when the task is under evaluation
* Completed, when the task is finished
* Cancelled if the task is no longer required.
Project stages represent a project's overall phases from initiation to completion. Defining project stages allows businesses to monitor the broader lifecycle of a project. Common project stages include Planning, the initial stage where objectives are set; Execution, the active phase of task completion; Monitoring, which involves evaluation and progress tracking; and Closure, the stage for completion and final review.
To configure task stages in Odoo 18, users must navigate to the Projects module from the main dashboard. Then, select an existing project or create a new one by clicking on the New button.
Enter the project name, enable Timesheets to log the time on the project, and enable the Billable option if the time and materials have to be invoiced to the customer. Also, an email alias can be provided so that the tasks are created for the project when an email is sent to that email alias in the Create tasks by sending an email to the field.
When the Create project button is clicked, a new page appears where the task stages can be configured.
Click on the + Stage button to provide the name of the stage and click on Add so that the task stage is created.
Also, there is an option called See Examples, which provides different kanban examples. One of them can be selected so that the task stages are automatically added based on the chosen example. That is with this feature, Odoo provides suggestions for the task stages once the related project has been chosen from the given examples. After selecting, click on the Use This For My Project button.
After adding the task stage names, rearranging their order through drag-and-drop functionality is possible. Additionally, stage-specific configurations are available. For that, click on the settings icon.
The Fold option allows the folding of the stage in the Kanban view to hide the completed stages.
To view the stage again, click on the folded stage name, and it can be viewed. The next option, Edit allows you to edit the stage configurations.
* Name: The name of the stage.
* SMS Template: A template can be set so that an SMS will be sent when the task reaches that stage.
* Email Template: A template can be set so that an Email will be sent when the task reaches that stage.
* Sequence: Defines the order of this stage in the task pipeline.
* Folded in Kanban: If checked, this stage will be collapsed in the Kanban view.
* Projects: Lists the projects using this stage.
Next, the Automation option allows automation of task stage transitions through workflows and rules, where automation rules can be created to update task stages based on conditions like due dates or task status.
Clicking on Automation directs the users to a new page where new automation rules can be created by clicking on the New button. The Delete option allows the deletion of a particular stage.
Click on the Delete button to delete the stage on the resulting wizard. The Archive All option allows the archive of all the data in that column, that is, when the tasks are added to the stage, this feature allows to archive of the tasks in that stage. To archive, click on the Archive All button.
To unarchive the archived data, click on Unarchive All. Next, add tasks to the stage by clicking on the + icon next to the stage name. Add the task name in the Task Title field and also the Assignees for the task.
The task stages can be managed from the configuration menu of the setting under which the option called Task Stages is available.
Click on that and all the task stages that currently exist can be viewed from there. It has been grouped by the project name and all the stages that are available for different tasks can be viewed from there. For each stage, all the projects that uses the stage is listed, and if the task is folded in Kanban, it can be viewed from here.
Also, to view the detailed view, click on View, and the detailed view appears.
To create a New stage, click on the new button at the top left corner of the Task Stages page.
A new page appears where the following details have to be provided.
* Stage Name: The name assigned to the stage.
* SMS Template: A predefined SMS template that will be sent when the task reaches this stage.
* Email Template: A predefined email template that will be sent when the task reaches this stage.
* Sequence: It specifies the position of this stage within the task pipeline.
* Folded in Kanban: When selected, this stage will appear collapsed in the Kanban view.
* Projects: Displays all the projects that include this stage.
To manage the project stages. enable Project Stages, from the settings. Navigate to Configuration > Settings.
Under the Tasks management section, enable the Project Stages option before saving the changes by clicking on the Save button.
Once enabled, project stages can be defined by going to the internal link called Configure Stages right below the feature or by navigating to Configuration, where the option called Project Stages will be added.
By selecting Project Stages, users can view the pre-configured project stages and also create new stages by clicking on the New button. Also, if the stage is folded, the Folded in Kanban option will be enabled, which can be viewed here.
When the New button is clicked to add the stage an extra line is shown where the name of the stage can be provided and then click on the Save button to save the stage. Also, the stage names can be rearranged from here by dragging and dropping them to the desired position.
When the Project stages feature is enabled from the settings, the projects are organized into different stages according to their progress.
Also, similar to the task stages, there are options available for the project stages as well, which include Fold, Edit, Automations, Delete, Archive All, and Unarchive all.
The Fold option enables collapsing the stage in the Kanban view to hide completed stages. Click on the folded stage name to expand the stage.
The Edit option allows to make edits to the project stage configuration, such as the name of the project stage can be changed, and an Email Template and SMS Template can be provided so that an email or SMS is sent when a task reaches this stage. If the stage has to be hidden from the Kanban view, enable the Folded in Kanban option. Then, the Sequence can be provided, which defines the position of the stage within the pipeline. Also, the company can be given in the Company field.
The Automation option allows the creation of different automation rules with which different actions like updating a record, setting up activity, etc. can be performed automatically upon the trigger that has been defined. Click on Automation, and a new page appears where all the pre-defined automation rules can be viewed.
To create a new automation rule, click on the New button and define the rule on the resulting page.
Next, the Delete option enables the deletion of the project stage. Click on the Delete button on the resulting pop-up so that the stage gets deleted. If there are projects in that particular stage, the project has to be either deleted or archived before deleting the stage.
The Archive All option archives all the projects that are in that stage.
Unarchive All options allow you to unarchive the archived projects.
Configuring task stages and project stages in Odoo 18 is essential for managing workflows effectively. Task stages allow teams to track work at a granular level, while project stages provide a higher-level overview of project progress. By customizing and optimizing these stages, businesses can ensure seamless execution of tasks and projects, improving overall efficiency and productivity. With automation options, Kanban views, and intuitive configurations, Odoo 18’s project management module offers a comprehensive solution for businesses of all sizes.
To read more about How to Manage Project Stages & Task Stages in Odoo 17, refer to our blog How to Manage Project Stages & Task Stages in Odoo 17.