Create and use Planning Tasks in the Project Plan

Overview

Project Plan allows project managers to map out enhancements by defining groups and subgroups, such as phase, building, floor, and task durations to track real-time progress. Planning Tasks supports both office and technician task assignment, allowing for more granular and responsive project tracking.

Things to know

• Planning Tasks are a brand new task experience and are not related to or compatible with Task Management.

• This workflow is currently ideal for customers who are comfortable scheduling outside of ServiceTitan.

• Planning Tasks are only available on projects that were created after this functionality was enabled for your account.

• You cannot currently schedule directly against a task. This feature is primarily for general task management.

• If you need to use the ServiceTitan schedule, you can add a job to the Project Plan and add the Planning Task to that job.

• You cannot currently delete Planning Tasks. If you create a task by mistake, it is recommended that you either rewrite it with the correct info or change its status to Won't Do.

• Tasks can be assigned to both office staff and technicians.

• Technicians can view and update task progress (percentage complete) directly from the Field Mobile App.

Add and assign tasks in the Project Plan

You can break down projects into groups, phases, and specific Planning Tasks to create a granular timeline.

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Click Add Group to create your desired group (e.g., Trade, Phase, Building, or Floor).

3. Enter the name and set the target Start and End dates for the group.

4. Click Create. 

5. If needed, create additional subgroups by clicking More and selecting Add Group.

   Note: Task Templates cannot be used to create Planning Tasks.

6. Click Add Task to add a task to the group.

7. Enter a name for the task.

8. (Optional) In the task details, enter the following:

   1. Assigned To: Select an office employee or a technician.

   2. % Complete: The percentage of the task that is currently finished.

   3. Dates: Provide target start and end dates.

   4. Description: Enter details about the task.

   5. Subtasks: Break down the task further if needed.

9. When finished, click Add Planning Task. 

Delete a task or group in the Project Plan

Delete a task when it's no longer needed, or delete a group to remove it and its child items at once.

Note: Deleted tasks and groups cannot currently be restored.

Delete a task

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Find the task you want to remove and click More > Delete.

   

3. The task is removed immediately.

Delete a group

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Find the group you want to remove and click More > Delete.

   

3. A confirmation modal opens. Click Delete to confirm.

4. All child groups and tasks are deleted. Any jobs nested inside the group are not deleted—they're moved up to the project root instead.

   Tip: Click Cancel to close the modal without making changes.

Update task statuses in the Project Plan

After you create a task, you can also edit it and choose its status (To Do, In Progress, On Hold, Completed, Won't Do).

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Find the task you want and click More .

3. Select Edit. 

4. Click the Status dropdown and select a status. 

   Note: If the task has a dependency and Hard Blocking is turned on for the project, you won't be able to change its status until the related predecessor task reaches the required status. For more, see Add dependencies between tasks below.

Use messages and emails to communicate on Planning Tasks

After a Planning Task is created, you can send it to others at your company or to external sources through email.

Use Chat on Planning Tasks

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Find the task you want and click More .

3. Select Edit.

4. Click the Chat tab. 

5. (Optional) If you'd like to send the message to someone specific, enter in a @ and select the recipient.

6. Enter your chat message and click Send now.

   Tip: You can also attach files and format your text using the toolbar.

Use Email on Planning Tasks

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Find the task you want and click More .

3. Select Edit.

4. Click the Email tab.

5. Click Compose Email. 

6. Click the To field:

   1. If you'd like to send an internal email, select another person from the list.

   2. If you'd like to send an external email, manually enter in the appropriate email address and press Enter on your keyboard.

7. Enter a subject and write the email.

8. When finished, click Send now.

   Tip: You can also attach files and format your text using the toolbar.

When the email is responded to, it appears in the Task Email tab as a threaded email response to the original email sent. This ensures the conversation is contextual to that Task and you don't have to open your external email inbox to see it.

Manage tasks using the Gantt Chart in the Project Plan

The Gantt chart provides a visual representation of your project timeline and allows for quick scheduling adjustments.

1. In the Project Plan, click the Gantt tab.

2. To extend a timeline, click and drag the edge of a task bar.

3. To reschedule a task or group, click and drag the entire bar to shift the dates completely. 

   Note: If Auto-Reschedule is turned on, dragging a group's bar shifts every child task and nested subgroup by the same number of working days, keeping their relative spacing intact. Tasks linked by a dependency also recalculate automatically. For more, see Set start and end date logic and Add dependencies between tasks below.

Add dependencies between tasks in the Project Plan

Dependencies let you link tasks and milestones so the schedule reflects which items rely on others to start or finish.

Dependency types

• Finish to Start (FS): The most common type. A task can't start until its predecessor finishes. Default lag time: 1 day.

• Start to Start (SS): A task can't start until its predecessor starts. Default lag time: 0 days.

• Finish to Finish (FF): A task can't finish until its predecessor finishes. Default lag time: 0 days.

• Start to Finish (SF): A task can't finish until its predecessor starts. Default lag time: 0 days.

Lag time is a built-in delay (in working days) between a task and its predecessor. For example, a day to let paint or cement dry before the next task can begin. You can set a lag time for each dependency. A task can have more than one dependency (1:many), and circular dependencies aren't allowed. For example, if Task B depends on Task A, you can't also make Task A depend on Task B.

Add a dependency from the task details

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Find the task you want and click More > Edit.

   

3. Click + Add Dependency.

   

4. Choose the dependency type.

5. (Optional) Adjust the lag time. It defaults to 1 day for Finish to Start dependencies and 0 days for all other types.

6. When finished, click Add.

   

Add or remove a dependency from the Gantt chart

You can also view, create, and delete dependencies directly from the Gantt chart:

1. In the Project Plan, click the Gantt tab.

2. Hover over a task bar to reveal connection points at its start and end.

3. Click and drag from one task's connection point to another task to create a dependency between them. This defaults to a 1-day lag time for a Finish to Start dependency, or 0 days for any other type.

   

4. To remove a dependency, double-click its arrow in the Gantt chart then select Ok to confirm.

   

Dependency arrows on the Gantt chart indicate the dependency type by which end of each bar they connect:

• Finish to Start: The arrow runs from the end of the predecessor's bar to the start of the dependent task's bar.

• Start to Start: The arrow runs from the start of one bar to the start of the other.

• Finish to Finish: The arrow runs from the end of one bar to the end of the other.

• Start to Finish: The arrow runs from the start of the predecessor's bar to the end of the dependent task's bar.

Set up dependency blocking

Choose whether dependencies are strictly enforced (Hard Blocking) or informational only (Soft Blocking).

1. Go to Project Settings for your specific project.

2. Under Dependency Blocking Logic, choose between Soft Blocking (Allow status changes even if dependencies aren't met) or Hard Blocking (Prevent status changes if dependencies aren't met). Soft Blocking is the default.

3. When finished, click Save.

   

With Soft Blocking on, you can change a task's status (start or complete it) even if its predecessor hasn't reached the required status yet—dependencies are informational only. With Hard Blocking on, you can't change a task's status until its predecessor reaches the status the dependency requires.

Tip: You can also find Dependency Blocking Logic in Settings > Operations > Project Settings > Project Setup.

Set start and end date logic in the Project Plan

Project Settings includes a Start / End Date Logic option that determines how task and group dates are entered and maintained:

1. Go to Project Settings for your specific project.

2. Find the Start / End Date Logic section and choose one of the following:

   • Manually set start and end dates: You enter the start and end date for every item yourself.

   • Auto-reschedule: You enter a duration, in working days, for each item instead of fixed dates. When you set or change a start date, the end date is calculated automatically to preserve that working day duration. If you edit the end date directly, the duration updates instead—but your chosen duration is always preserved whenever you update the start date.

3. When finished, click Save.

   

Regardless of which option you choose:

• If you enter a start date without an end date or end date without a start date for a task, the missing date automatically fills in to match. You'll see an error if you try to set an end date earlier than the start date.

• With Auto-reschedule turned on, shifting a group's start or end date automatically shifts every child task within that group, and any nested subgroups, by the same number of working days—you don't have to manually re-date each task after moving a group. For example, Group A runs 1/5–1/20, with Child 1 at 1/5–1/10 and Child 2 at 1/11–1/20. If you move Group A's start date to 1/12 (a 5 working-day shift), Child 1 moves to 1/12–1/17 and Child 2 moves to 1/18–1/27—the spacing between them is preserved. If shifting a group's start date would move a job in the tree outside the range of that job's earliest and latest appointment dates, you'll see an error and the change is blocked.

• If a task has a dependency, changing the date or duration of the task it depends on automatically recalculates its own dates, and cascades to any further downstream dependent tasks—this happens whether you're using Manually set start and end dates or Auto-reschedule. For example, entering or updating a start/end date on the first task in a dependency chain automatically populates every downstream task's dates based on lag time and duration.

• If a task has a dependency, you can't select a start date that violates that dependency. For example, if a task has a Finish to Start dependency with a 1-day lag and its predecessor ends on 9/9, the earliest you can start the task is 9/10. Trying to select an earlier date is blocked.

Track task progress

Project managers can monitor task status from the office, while technicians can update progress from the field.

1. Go to the Project Portfolio screen.

2. Click the Tasks tab.

3. View the list of tasks across all your projects.

4. Filter the list by Assignee, Start Date, Date, or Status to find specific tasks. 

Set a Baseline in the Project Plan

Use a baseline to track whether your project is running on schedule by comparing your original planned dates against your current actual dates. When you set a baseline, ServiceTitan captures a snapshot of the start and end dates for every item in your Project Plan, including the overall plan, groups, segments, jobs, and tasks. As you progress, you can compare to your baseline/targets.

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Click Set Baseline. 

3. In the Set Baseline modal, review the following:

   1. Actual: The current start and end dates for the overall project.

   2. Baseline: Pre-filled with the current start and end dates. These become your saved baseline after you confirm.

   3. Variance: The difference between the baseline end date and the actual end date. Displays one of the following:

      1. On schedule: No difference between the baseline and actual end dates.

      2. Behind X days: The actual end date is later than the baseline end date.

      3. Ahead X days: The actual end date is earlier than the baseline end date.

4. Click Set to save the baseline. The Baseline Start and Baseline End columns in the Project Plan table populate with the saved dates. 

   Note: If start and end dates haven't been entered for the overall project row, the Baseline and Variance fields in the modal will be empty. Add dates to the Project Plan before setting a baseline.

Reset a baseline in the Project Plan

Reset the baseline to update all stored baseline dates to match the current schedule.

1. In the Project Plan, click Set Baseline. 

2. In the Set Baseline modal, click Reset. 

3. Click Reset to confirm. The project plan replaces the baseline start and end dates for every item with the current start and end dates.

Edit individual baselines in the Project Plan

Use Edit Mode to change the Baseline Start or Baseline End for each item in the Project Plan.

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Enable the Edit Mode toggle. 

3. Click Edit for Baseline Start or Baseline End for any item. 

4. Select a new date.

5. When finished, click the Edit Mode toggle.

Remove a baseline in the Project Plan

Remove a baseline to clear all baseline dates from the Project Plan. This action cannot be undone and any schedule comparisons using the baseline will no longer be available.

1. In the Project Plan, click Set Baseline. 

2. In the Set Baseline modal, click Remove. 

3. Click Remove to confirm. All baseline dates are cleared from the project plan.

Bulk edit tasks in the Project Plan

Use bulk edit to update the status, assignee, or percent complete for multiple items in your Project Plan at the same time, without opening each one individually.

Note: If you select different items like jobs and tasks for bulk editing, some fields won't be editable because they only apply to one item. For example, if you select jobs and tasks, you won't be able to edit Assigned To or Status because job statuses are pulled from actions taken on the job and technicians assigned to the appointments.

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Enable the Edit Mode toggle. 

3. Select the checkboxes next to the items you want to edit. The Bulk Edit button appears in the toolbar.

   Tip: To select all items, select the checkbox in the column header row.

4. Click Bulk Edit. The Bulk Edit panel opens and displays the number of items selected. 

5. Update any of the following fields:

   1. Status

   2. Assigned To

   3. Percent Complete

      Note: Only the fields you change will be applied. Any field left as Keep as is remains unchanged on each selected item.

6. When finished, click Save. 

Duplicate a segment in the Project Plan

Duplicate a segment to create a copy of it, along with its configuration, within the same project or in a different project. This saves time when similar segments repeat across a project or need to be reused in another plan.

Duplicate a segment within the same project

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Hover over the segment you want to duplicate and click More .

3. Select Duplicate. 

4. In the Duplicate Group modal, choose one of the following:

   1. Without Nested: Duplicates the segment only, without any of its nested items (segments, tasks, jobs).

   2. With Nested: Duplicates the segment and all of its nested items. 

The duplicated segment appears in the Project Plan directly below the original.

Duplicate a segment to another project

1. Go to the Project Plan for your specific project.

2. Hover over the segment you want to duplicate and click More .

3. Select Duplicate to another Project. 

4. In the Duplicate to another Project modal, search for and select the other project.

5. (Optional) Enable the Include nested items toggle to copy all nested items within the segment.

6. Click Duplicate to confirm. 

Want to learn more?

• See Project Plan overview

• See Manage your assigned Planning Tasks in the ServiceTitan Field Mobile App