====== Recurring and Occasional Tasks ======

===== Recurring Tasks =====
Recurring tasks are handled a combination of Airtable, Zapier, and Asana.  Asana does have the ability to schedule recurring tasks in it's own way but I think this integration into the tool database and history is a slightly better fit.

==== Configuring a Recurring Task ====
Any time that you come across something that you think.  We need to check or do this regularly; we should create recurring tasks for it.   

Examples could be:
  * Cleaning parts of a tool
  * Emptying easy to forget about collection bins
  * To ensure a proper maintenance routine of a tool

You can have multiple tasks for the same tool for example I have several tasks for the air compressor at varying intervals from weekly up to annually.

There is [[https://airtable.com/shr216hqgOdWSsRY6|an Airtable form]] that will add recurring maintenance tasks to the database.  It asks the following information.  

=== Stakeholder ===
This is simply the person who knows the why and how of what the recurring task is for.  Not the person expected to do it.  It's for tracking in the database if we ever go back and be like why is this here and what does it mean?

=== Last Scheduled ===
This field must be included so that the application can do the proper calculations.  You can set a date if known.  or pick any date in the past to work in concert with the frequency field so the task is first scheduled when you anticipate.

=== Frequency in Days ===
What is the interval between scheduling do you want?  weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually? etc?   I recommend making weekly tasks 6 or 8 days so that they rotate around the schedule, except for cases where you want someone trained in the task to have it each week.

=== Task Name in Asana ===
Put here what you want the task name that is populated into Asana.

=== Task Description in Asana ===
Fill this area with enough description that an person who is appropriate to complete the task knows what is needed to successfully complete the task.

=== Tool / Area ===
Pick the Tool or Area that the task is for,  this will link the completed work to the tool history for the tool.

==== Instantiating a Scheduled Task ====
The way that recurring tasks are scheduled and created in Asana is with Zapier.  There is a Zap named [[https://zapier.com/editor/181084128/published|Create Recurring Tasks]] (zapier login needed) that will every day at 10am look at the list of recurring tasks and if the last scheduled date + the frequency in days is today or before today,  It creates a new task in the [[https://app.asana.com/0/1202469740885594/1202469740885594|Shop and Maintenance Tasks Project of Asana]].

It does the proper encoding to explain it's a recurring task, it's interval, and when the task is completed it will be added to the tools maintenance history. 

==== Configuration Details ====
  * [[https://airtable.com/appbIlORlmbIxNU1L/tbl2934K2YxSVnZMC/viw8ea8wCD6JCZ4kW?blocks=hide|Airtable Table]]
  * [[https://airtable.com/appbIlORlmbIxNU1L/tbl2934K2YxSVnZMC/viwxmwz0DxGPlKG2u?blocks=hide|Airtable Form]]
  * [[https://zapier.com/editor/181084128/published|Zapier Zap]]
  * [[https://app.asana.com/0/1202469740885594/1202469740885594|Asana Project]]


===== Occasional Tasks =====
Occasional Tasks are slightly different than recurring tasks.  They would be on an 'as needed' basis but are a way to store detailed information about the task and allowing it to be easily scheduled instead of needing to collect and publish the detailed information new each time.

Examples of Occasional Tasks could be:  Changing Bandsaw Blade,  Changing Drum Sander Conveyor.  things that have a list of steps that need to be understood before undertaking the task.

==== Configuring Occasional Tasks ====
There is a form similar to the one used to create recurring tasks that you can use to set up the Occasional tasks.

  * [[https://airtable.com/shrxigAGlM9XSsjQD|New Occasional Task From]]

==== Scheduling Occasional Tasks ====
When you want to schedule an Occasional Task to this table view of the configured tasks and click the Schedule Task Button.
  * [[https://airtable.com/shrArOIPjLpfquJMC|Table of Occasional Tasks]] 

The link goes to a scary looking response code, but that's ok. the magic will happen.

==== How it works ====
When you click that link it triggers a zapier webhook in the [[https://zapier.com/editor/182488127/published|Create Occasional Task In Asana]] Zap.   The zap will collect the task id from the webhook and read the data from Airtable.  It uses that to create the Asana task and updates the last scheduled data in the table.