Work Item
Define your work with various properties and link it to other Timebook objects.
Work Items in Timebook
Tasks, stories, jobs, assignments—whatever you call them, we use 'Work Items" as a collective term for all work displayed in measurable units. You can use Work Items in Timebook to create objects that represent pieces of your work. Each Work Item can be of a different type, covering anything from the smallest tasks to the largest epics.
This article explains the Timebook's concept of a Work Item. You will also find here information on sections, tabs, properties, and other features of Work Item cards. But we have a separate article that explains how to manage your Work Items and how they can be used in a Timebook Team. For more information, see Work Items (in Teams)
As mentioned above, you can define your Work Items using multiple types.
Timebook offers several types out-of-the-box, allowing you to use Tasks, Stories, and Epics, among others.
But to give you even more flexibility, Timebook has the [Item library] module that lets you easily define your own types. For more information, see Item library
You can customize certain aspects of your Work Items and how they behave in Timebook. For more information, see Work Item preferences
Work Item cards
In Timebook, each Work Item has its own card that displays all the options and properties you can use to manage the Work Item. You can also use cards to move your Work Items around. For example, you can drag and drop a Work Item card across different statuses in the Board layout to mark progress.
After you open a Work Item card, you can use the top bar to manage and navigate:
[Navigation arrows] They will help you move between recently opened Work Items. Use the arrows to quickly return to the previous object and then jump back to your Work Item. This is especially useful when navigating between linked Work Items.
[Item ID] This field shows the unique number of your Work Item in Timebook. Press the ID field to copy it for future reference.
[Collapse/Expand] With this button, you can show or hide the right-side drawer. The drawer contains all the properties of your Work Item, such as assignee, status, priority, and more. Expand the drawer to modify properties or collapse it to focus on the description or attachments.
[Copy link] Use this button to copy a link to your Work Item for quick sharing with others.
[Watch] This feature is useful if you are not the creator or assignee but still want to track changes. When you start watching a Work Item, we will notify you about all important changes. You can also assign others to watch a Work Item.
[...] Use this additional menu for more options. You can [Duplicate] your Work Item to create an identical copy in the same location, [Link parent] to select a parent object for your Work Item, or [Delete] the Work Item if it's no longer needed.
You can safely close a Work Item card by clicking out of it. We will save all the changes you made to the Work Item.
Work Item cards: sections
When you look at the left side of a Work Item card, you'll notice several sections. Each serves a different purpose and allows you to describe your work, categorize it, and support it with additional resources.
This is an overview of the Work Item card sections and their purpose:
[Name] You can edit this field at any time to change your Work Item's title. Next to this field, there is the switch you can use to change the type of your Work Item. Press on the icon next to the name and select a different type.
[Tags] This section is where you can categorize your Work Item using tags. Tags will help you find and identify objects in Timebook, as you can filter or group content by tags in many places across the app. In this section, you can either [Add tags] with the dedicated button or remove them by hovering over them and pressing [X]. For more information, see Tag concept
[Description] This is where you provide more information about your Work Item. You can enter text here or press "/" to see more advanced options. Use them to format your description, link other Timebook elements to it, or even insert embedded content from external sources. These text-formatting options are nearly identical to the ones you can use in Timebook Documents. For more information, see Blocks
[Attachments] If you need to support your Work Item with files, this section is the place to do it. Press the [+] button there to upload a file from your device or Google Drive, or select a file you previously uploaded in Timebook. After you upload a file, it will show in this section as a new tile. Use the [...] button on an attachment to rename, download, or remove it from the Work Item.
[Sub-items] In Timebook, you can create a hierarchy of Work Items by adding sub-items. They represent work at a lower level that must be completed before the original Work Item can be considered done. Press the [+] button in this section to create sub-items - they will show as tiles which you can unlink from the main Work Item at any time.
[Linked items] While sub-items show the parent-child relationship, linked items focus on the dependency between different Work Items. Press the [+] button in this section and use the dropdown menu to select the type of dependency, such as "Is blocked by", "Supports", or "Generated from". Then, use the search bar to find an existing Timebook object to link. You can link your Work Item to a different object type; for example, you can create a link between a Work Item and a Goal.
The sections presented above are not exclusive to Work Item cards.
Cards of other object types in Timebook, such as Goals, have nearly identical designs.
Work item cards: tabs
When you look at the right side of a Work Item card, you'll notice several tabs. Each allows you to define your Work Item even further, schedule the actual work, or provide an update.
This is an overview of the Work Item card tabs and their purpose:
[Properties] You can use properties to define the details of a Work Item. You can start simply by setting the priority or changing the status, but the number and flexibility of our properties should satisfy even the most complex cases. We have a separate article dedicated to Properties
[Schedule] This tab shows the time slots dedicated to actual work. You can schedule more by pressing the [+] button and then pressing anywhere on the calendar grid. This will create a tile representing the time slot scheduled for this Work Item. This tab is your go-to when you want to check how much time was spent on a specific Work Item.
[Updates] This tab shows all changes and comments made to a Work Item. This includes automatically generated entries that show important events like status changes or work reassignments. But you can also post your comments in this tab to keep others updated. To add an update, use the [+] button at the top of this tab.
We put all the tabs in a drawer, so you can hide them by clicking the [Collapse/Expand] button at the top of your Work Item card.
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