Contracts, Phases, and Tasks

When you create a contract record, you can divide the contract into phases and tasks.

Phases and tasks allow you to identify and track individual segments of a contract by type or duration, by independently managed components of the contract, or by any other discrete contract elements that exist within the larger contract. Typically, firms use phases and tasks to accommodate internal reporting practices — for example, when different departments are responsible for different parts of a contract.

• Contract — A contract is one of your firm's individual jobs.
• Phase — A phase is an explicitly defined sub-contract or independently managed component of a contract. Phases group labor and expense activity within a contract. A phase is usually an element of work performed during the course of a contract with an expected duration, an expected cost, and expected resource requirements. Typically each contract has its own set of phases. Phases can be further divided into tasks.
• Task — A task is an explicitly defined sub-phase or independently managed component of a phase. Tasks group labor and expense activity within a phase. A task is usually an element of work performed during the course of a phase with an expected duration, an expected cost, and expected resource requirements. Typically each phase has its own set of tasks. You must have a phase to set up a task.

You can decide on a contract-by-contract basis whether to use phases and tasks.