Phases and sub-phases

Phases divide a project into stages (for example “Analysis”, “Testing/UAT”, “Go-live”). Each phase holds that stage's tasks and can have sub-phases for finer detail. A project's progress and hours are calculated phase by phase, so the structure you choose determines how you read the summary.

The project's Phases section

This is each project's entry page (see Project summary). It shows a Phases heading, the List | Kanban switch (see Kanban boards) and, for the owning PM, the form for adding phases. Each phase is a collapsible card, closed by default; whether each phase and sub-phase is open or closed is independent.

In the image: 1 field for the new phase's name, 2 parent phase selector and 3 Edit phase button.

The header of each card shows:

When you expand a phase, its sub-phases appear first (with a vertical line on the left) and then the task table of the tasks that hang directly from it.

Levels: phases and sub-phases

There are three levels at most: phase (level 1) → sub-phase (level 2) → sub-phase of that sub-phase (level 3). A level 3 phase can no longer have sub-phases. Tasks can hang from a phase at any level.

Use sub-phases when a stage breaks down into blocks that stand on their own (for example, “Data migration” → “Customers”, “Items”). If you only need to group things, tasks may be enough.

Create a phase or sub-phase

In the Phases section, at the top right:

1. Type the name in New phase (the field shows “Phase name”). It is required: “The phase name is required.”.
2. If you want a sub-phase, choose its parent in Parent phase (optional). The default is No parent phase (level 1). The list only offers phases that can still take sub-phases (levels 1 and 2), and sub-phases are shown with dashes: “— Sub-phase”.
3. Press Add phase.

What happens:

• It is created with the next free code (F001, F002…).
• Its order is the last of its siblings plus one: each level and each parent phase has its own numbering starting at 1.
• No dates or notes are asked for on creation: you set them later when editing.
• In a project with no phases (for example, created as a Blank project) the section first shows “This project has no phases yet.”.

A project created from a template already starts with its level 1 phases. Those phases are copies that belong to you: you can edit, reorder or delete them just like the ones you create by hand.

Possible errors on creation: “The selected parent phase doesn't exist or doesn't belong to this project.”, “This phase is already at the deepest level allowed (3); it can't have sub-phases.”.

Edit a phase

Edit phase opens the edit screen (with a link back to the project). When you save with Save changes you return to the Phases section.

In the image: 1 order, 2 parent phase and 3 planned start date.

Reorder

You do not drag: you change the number in the Order field. Each phase has a number within its group of siblings, so each level is ordered separately. If two siblings have the same number, the programme does not guarantee which comes first: use distinct numbers. To insert a phase between 2 and 3, give it 3, for example, and renumber the one that was 3 to 4.

Move a phase

By changing Parent phase you turn a phase into a sub-phase of another, or a sub-phase into a level 1 phase. The selector already excludes the phase itself and its descendants. The server also rejects:

• A phase as its own parent: “A phase can't be its own parent phase.”.
• Moving it inside one of its own sub-phases: “A phase can't be moved inside one of its own sub-phases (it would create a cycle).”.
• A parent that is already at level 3: “This phase is already at the deepest level allowed (3); it can't have sub-phases.”.

When a phase is moved it keeps its Order number, which may coincide with that of the new parent's other children; check it on the same screen.

Delete a phase

On the edit screen, Delete phase. The browser asks for confirmation: “Are you sure you want to delete this phase? Its tasks will also be deleted and, if it has sub-phases, those too (with their own tasks).”. When you accept you return to the Phases section. It cannot be undone.

Deleted along with it:

• All its sub-phases, at any depth.
• All the tasks of the phase and its sub-phases, with their assignments, checklist, dependencies (including those other tasks had towards them) and the hours logged on those tasks.

Not deleted, but they lose their link to the phase or task: the risks, issues, communications, expenses and minutes that were linked to that phase or its tasks. They stay in the project as “unlinked” items. The agreements of a set of minutes whose task is deleted are kept without an associated task.

A phase's progress and hours

A phase's percentage is not typed in: it is the average of its tasks weighted by estimated hours, and if it has sub-phases, each counts as one more element with the weight of its estimated hours. A project's is the weighted average of its first-level phases. Rules and an example in Project summary.

The hours on the card (“logged / estimated”) add up the phase's tasks and those of all its sub-phases. The hours of issues do not go into phases; they are only added to the project total.

Who can do what

Related topics

• Project summary
• Create a project
• Tasks
• Planning and Gantt
• Kanban boards